Page 73 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

73

GIDEON

T he first flicker of vibrant dawn painted the horizon. The meddling sunrays diluted the bright shimmer of the last stars.

A shadow from an old oak tree was cast over the Ten. It was odd to see them dressed so casually. Long gone were the armored leathers, and the fierce battle greasepaint. Now each one of them stood dressed in a long skirt and bodice. They could almost pass for typical village women, were it not for their fierce glares and their callused hands covered in scars.

Ashe pulled a cloak over her locks tied in a low bun. Motra adjusted the hidden blades below the layers of her skirts. Lulu twisted her corset stuffed with weapons. All of them settled deep in thought.

“Where is that fool?” Priya hissed, leaning against the tree. Her arms folded.

“Did you miss me ladies?” Casteol appeared out of nowhere, strolling towards us from behind three sets of trees farther in the old meadow. A step behind him, the big red cat swaggered in his step.

“Do you not know how to read the time?” Priya spat, emerging from the shade, her eyes sharp and already craving blood.

Florian nonchalantly picked a few bits of lint off his burgundy jacket, adjusting the crisp white shirt underneath.

“Sorry, I had to get my beauty sleep, and also these . . . ” Florian pulled something out of his pocket, tossing it at each of the women and Xentar, who still lingered in the shade.

“What is this for?” I looked at the small loop of fabric that Finnleah held in her hand, twisting it around like one big tie.

“Armband,” Florian explained. “Got to have one if you are to freely roam the streets of Svitar.”

“Since when?” Orest questioned coldly, his sharp gaze on the young drug lord.

“Since a day ago.” Florian observed the ten women, giving an approving nod at their appearance. “I guess there have been some rising concerns about infiltration. Only approved and verified citizens can walk the streets beyond the allocated hours of the day.”

“If there are not enough people on the streets—there won’t be a large enough crowd for the Ten to mingle with,” Orest stated. His shoulders tensed and he folded his arms, clearly disliking the situation.

“Thus, the disguise request.” Florian motioned to the dressed-up Cori, Tori, Zora, Motra, Ashe, Lulu, Yanush, and Ioanna.

“And I must say, ladies, you look rather ravishing.” Florian winked, and I held back a growl, because every single woman gave him one more vicious than I would’ve, looking repulsed by his poorly executed attempt at flirtation.

“Zora . . . ” I turned to my cousin, brow raised, as I silently posed a question. This was a deviation to our plan, adding a new level of risk to our attempt.

“It’s changed, but it will still work. We just need to be able to get far enough into the city,” Zora answered. “If these things can get us there, then the strategy would work as planned.” She adjusted her red band with the golden thread, a royal insignia embroidered on it. She turned, addressing the Ten. “If you don’t feel comfortable with this, I am not going to ask you to go.”

“I did not spend the time getting into this stupid dress just to turn around and walk back home. If you are going, so am I, Zora,” Ioanna said with complete devotion. She adjusted her new eyepatch, still getting used to the lost eye and yet insisting that she’d come.

The rest of the Ten nodded in agreement with Ioanna.

“No one is going to question a group of women with Florian. He is a well-known local whore,” Priya grumped, impatient.

“What can I say? A man of my skill is high in demand,” Florian purred. The cat rubbed against his exposed ankle as if agreeing with his owner.

My wife’s face lit up with a warm smile at the animal, crouching to gently pet the big cat on his head.

I am jealous of a fucking cat now? Get a fucking grip, Gideon, I murmured to myself.

“We should probably head out if we hope to make it behind the city walls by late morning,” Finnleah added, standing up. The growing light steadily crept above on the horizon.

“Eager to get away?” I whispered into her ear, leaning over. Her magnolia like smell encapsulated my lungs, taking over my mind, uneasiness disintegrating at her touch as she nudged me with her elbow.

“I simply cannot wait.” Her lips curved upward in that wicked little smile. “Just imagine all that alone time with Florian in the tunnels. The mildew smells, the lack of lighting, the rats and spiders. I mean, what else could a girl need to be completely smitten?” She batted her lashes at me, and perhaps if I wasn’t distracted by the way the freckles on her nose scrunched when she fought a sneeze, I would’ve let her words fester.

I narrowed my eyes at her pretty face, earning another mischievous smirk from her. And fucking hell and heaven, seeing that spark in her eyes when she was near me was my undoing. It was my damnation and my salvation.

“You are going to be the death of me, aren’t you?” I managed to whisper into her ear.

“Death would be cheating. What I have planned for you is so much worse,” she whispered back, keeping her sight on the Ten.

“I am prepared. So do your worst, Daughter of the Dead,” I challenged.

“I intend to.”

“I shall wait impatiently,” I murmured, fighting my smile. She sent me a quick, toying look before returning to the group, her teeth scraping the bottom of her lip, fighting and failing at hiding her content grin.

The little wildfire that I now had the honor of calling my wife possessed such a fucking hold on me and she knew it too. All it took from her was a small taunting glance, and I’d crawl on my knees begging for more.

Most of the women in the group pulled their cloaks on. Some purposefully left them off, blending into a small group of townswomen. No different from so many that had flocked to the city walls in the past weeks looking for refuge.

“Time to head out, my gorgeous companions,” Florian’s voice sounded as the Ten, accompanied by Priya, Xentar and Finnleah, turned to follow him.

“A part of me thinks he set up this plan so he’d get all the women to himself,” I grumbled to Orest silently standing to my side, just as tense and watchful.

“Or perhaps he wanted some alone time with me,” Xentar chuckled near him, adjusting his golden tunic.

“Let’s go, Freckles,” Priya ordered—the last one still waiting— as the women trailed down the narrow path to the hidden tunnel opening in the field owned by the Casteols.

Finnleah tied her shoelaces, jumping up to her feet a moment later, but before heading out, she turned to me, her emerald eyes sparkling, reflecting the peeking rays of the morning sun.

“See you on the other side, my dear Emperor.” She blew me a kiss.

“Don’t fucking say that to me before heading out,” I said, suffocating the rising worry that burrowed in my heart.

She was going behind the city walls, away from me.

Fucking again, and though we spent the night discussing every possibility and every outcome, I still had to force myself to let the righteous wrath calm within me, as my instincts screamed to just take her away and never let her out of my sight.

“I meant on the other side of the wall , Gideon.” She rolled her eyes, surely enjoying the ache that gnawed on me as I watched her leave. She twisted on her heels, taking a step towards Priya, the only one remaining from the quickly departing disguised warriors. But before she could take another step, I grabbed her wrist, pulling her body flush against mine before pressing a passionate kiss onto her mouth, my hand on her neck angling her head just right.

“No fucking heroics, Finnleah,” I murmured against her mouth, her taste still sweet on my lips. My eyes darted between hers, looking for any inclination of hesitation, of fear or concern. Any hint and I’d keep her. I’d burn the entire city down, but I wouldn’t let her go. But where I looked for fear, she was filled with determination, with righteous indignation and complete and utter tenacity and courage.

“I’ll try my best,” she joked, rising to her toes before landing a small peck on my cheek.

“Promise?” I didn’t let go of her wrist, even as she took a step away from me.

“Someone stab me right now, because if those two keep talking, I’ll start stabbing first,” Priya hissed, but I ignored her.

“I don’t do those anymore, Emperor,” she loudly proclaimed, pausing for a moment before softly adding, “But for you, Gideon, I will.” Her words settled the anxious worry within me. She patted me on my hand, and I let go of hers.

“If she so much as gets a fucking scrape . . . ” I shot a warning look at Priya.

“I kept her alive when she was escaping you and I’ll keep her safe now too. Something you are clearly incapable of doing.” Priya’s poisonous truth made its mark, and she knew it too, not hiding a content smirk.

“Priya will need to be fucking dealt with.” Orest’s lip curled. Finnleah surged ahead to catch up with the group and Priya followed, though refusing to run. We watched their figures disappear.

“Already asked. Finnleah denied my request.” I released a slow, calculating breath.

“Since when do you have to put in requests to deal with Truth Tellers?” Orest’s face flashed with short-lived amusement at my words.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“Since the woman that you now call Empress stole my heart, enslaved all of my thoughts so that I am not so much as capable of breathing without her glance of approval, much less murdering the questionable people she considers friends.”

“You are turning soft, Gideon.” Orest shook his head, letting a tight smirk paint his lips.

“Believe me, I know. At some point, I gladly accepted that I’d much rather be a clown making her laugh than fight any fucking wars.” We turned, trailing back to the camp. “I am jealous of a fucking cat, Orest. Probably going to find one once we breach the city walls. So if you see one, grab it.”

“I was going to search for their generals to kill but I guess rescuing cats will do,” Orest snickered

I’ve changed.

I knew that.

They knew that.

She knew that.

From the moment I admitted to myself that I loved her, there was no question of my purpose, or my desire, and the eternity that I’d dedicate to her. Everything changed when I met Finnleah.

It’d be foolish to expect it not to; she brought out the parts of me that I fought my entire life to keep hidden. She made me remember my purpose, of who I truly was. She changed my future and gave meaning to the past.

I looked at the looming Svitar walls towering on the horizon.

“After this, I am fucking retiring. You can run the show.”

“Nice try.” Orest slid down the hill. “But I did that already during your so perfectly timed absence and never fucking again.”

The horns sounded on the horizon of the waking city, announcing the impending doom as our first battalions marched towards the shore of the Kinderby River on the northern side of the city.

Soon we’d storm the city. Soon the flames and ash would burst in the skies. Soon, the heavy clang of metal would chime against the white stone. Soon the white streets of the ancient city of Svitar would be tainted with blood.

I scanned the clear skies, not even a ribbon of a cloud.

Soon, but not yet.

All we had to do now was wait.

And waiting was the worst fucking part.