Page 22 of House of Embers (Royal Houses #5)

Chapter Eighteen

The Mission

A knife materialized in Wynter’s grasp, slicing upward toward Kerrigan’s middle. Kerrigan parried the attack, breaking Wynter’s hold on the weapon and sending it skittering across the torch-lit floor.

Wynter nodded and went to retrieve the weapon. “Your instincts are sharp.”

“As ever.”

“But you should have countered with your shadows, like we practiced.”

“Right. Right,” Kerrigan grumbled.

Chuckling could be heard as another figure appeared in the aerie. Wynter stiffened when she looked up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was in the area,” Dozan said.

“You know that we’re about to head out on the mission,” Wynter countered.

“I’m aware,” he said, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black pants. It was then that Kerrigan realized he wasn’t dressed in his usual suit. Instead, he was in flying attire with a cloak and gloves.

“You’re not coming,” Kerrigan said. “We’ve already decided.”

After her drop into Audria’s dreams, Kerrigan had come out drained to tell Fordham exactly what had happened.

The sun was breaking over the horizon, and their time was up for that night.

She might have been able to go back into a dreamwalk, but it was a risk that Fordham wasn’t willing to take.

Instead, they dove into planning for the Society ambush with the details that Audria had provided.

“We can handle ourselves without you,” Wynter said dismissively.

Dozan lifted a brow. “I’m sure you can, but I wouldn’t want to miss the fun.”

Wynter huffed and opened her mouth as if to argue the point, which had already been argued. Wynter was going to have to shadow-jump, and she was quicker alone. Having to jump extra people in or out was draining.

Kerrigan remembered when those were Fordham’s limitations as well.

The Daijan bond had extended his abilities to the breadth of the user that held the bond, which had been her mother, one of the most powerful Doma in existence.

She’d stretched the bounds of his abilities before passing the bond to Kerrigan.

And that stretch had remained. Now he could do things he’d only dreamed about before.

Fordham slid out of the shadows and appeared from nothing at their sides. “Did I miss anything?” He cast his eyes to Dozan, his eyebrows rising. Fordham glanced between the group. “Who invited Dozan?”

“I invited myself.”

“We were just telling Dozan he has to stay home. Wynter can’t jump more than one person.”

Fordham laughed as he came around Netta in all black flying leathers. “You’ll get there one day, sister.”

Wynter shot him a vulgar gesture. “I can jump more than one person.”

“Then it’s settled,” Dozan said with a shrug.

“That isn’t what she meant,” Kerrigan shot back.

“I thought we’d already gone through this,” Fordham said with a sigh. “The mission is set.”

“Then why does it look like you’re in flying gear?” Wynter demanded.

“Well…”

Dozan chortled. “You can’t send the king on the mission. It’s idiotic enough to take Wynter and Kerrigan, the princess and the future queen, on a mission, but the king as well? What happens if you’re all captured or killed? Barron would be in charge.”

Fordham ground his teeth together. “I’m a dragon rider. That’s who I am.”

“That’s who you were ,” Dozan argued. “Right now, your place is here. Unless you want your enemy to sink his claws deeper into your throne.”

“He’s right,” Wynter said with a sigh.

Kerrigan ran a hand back over her braided hair. “We need you safe.”

Fordham looked aghast at her agreement, but she tugged on the bond with reassurances.

She’d thought that Fordham had gone along with all the planning a little too easily.

She shouldn’t have been surprised that he was here again, ready to take off into danger.

That was what they were good at after all.

“It’s just a stealth mission. We will be in and out with the scholar in no time.”

His forehead touched hers, and he brushed their lips together. “Get in, get out, and don’t be seen. By order of your king.”

Dozan tipped him a mocking salute. Wynter nodded once.

Kerrigan turned to Dozan. “You’ve flown on Tieran before?”

“He and I are acquainted.”

“I am the smaller of the two dragons,” Tieran said into their minds. “He would be better as a second on Netta if she will have him.”

“I will,” Netta said.

Wynter and Dozan exchanged a look, a smirk on his lips, a frown on hers. Someone could have cut the tension with a spoon.

“Fine,” Wynter said. “You’re with me.”

Kerrigan hid her smile as she headed toward Tieran. Those two were circling each other like vultures over carrion. She climbed onto Tieran’s back and settled in.

“We’re heading due west, just outside Death’s Valley,” Kerrigan told them. “We’ll land before we get there and hike to our quarry. Stay on Tieran’s flank.”

Wynter sank into her seat on the back of Netta, and a second later, Dozan settled in behind her, his hands going to her hips.

Wynter was as stiff as a board while Dozan clearly relished her discomfort.

Not that it was a discomfort because she wanted him to stop.

Kerrigan could see that on her features, and Kerrigan didn’t know what was holding Wynter back.

But good for her for making Dozan do all the chasing. He deserved that.

“Happy hunting,” Fordham said to them.

And then Tieran dove off the edge of the aerie into the pitch-black sky beyond. Kerrigan wanted to hold her arms out and scream her delight as they plummeted toward the rocky ground below, but it wasn’t that kind of flight.

Tieran was already mad enough at her that he hadn’t been there for her equinox spirit dive.

He and Netta had celebrated the holiday in a traditional dragon celebration that they’d both ignored questions about.

She didn’t know if that meant they were making more dragon eggs or if it was an actual secret.

Considering Tieran had lost his mate to the horrors of the dragon tournament, she’d have been perfectly happy for him if it were the former.

A half hour later, a small encampment appeared on the horizon. Tieran and Netta dove low to avoid notice in case anyone was awake and landed in an outcropping of hills some distance away.

“So what’s the plan, boss?” Dozan asked.

“I’m meeting Audria. She has no idea that you’re going to be here, and I want to keep it that way.”

Just in case she betrayed us. It was the unspoken thing hovering between them. That this might all be a setup. Kerrigan wouldn’t know until she got there, but she’d been practicing and had a backup plan just in case.

“We have our mission,” Wynter said with a nod.

Kerrigan, Wynter, and Dozan left the dragons behind and headed through the hills toward the group of Society members.

When they crested the nearest hill, they got a full look into the valley beyond.

Kerrigan released a long breath. A part of her had been worried that Audria was lying to her, but in a circle in the middle of the valley were four dragons of various sizes and colors, surrounding the tents of five Fae.

She recognized Evien at once. Audria’s dragon had bright purple scales, and even before she had belonged to Audria, Kerrigan had been her friend in the House of Dragons.

Roake’s dragon, Luxor, was there as well.

Sapphire blue and incredibly muscular, he was easy to spot.

She didn’t recognize any of the other dragons, but it was enough to prove Audria’s tale, though not enough to prove it wasn’t a diversion or a way to sniff Kerrigan out.

“They’re still sleeping,” Wynter whispered.

“Good,” Kerrigan said.

Wynter clasped her hand. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Dozan grinned as he followed Wynter out of sight.

Kerrigan hunkered down. They’d come early to the meetup so that she could verify she wasn’t walking into a trap, but she still wasn’t sure that was the case.

There was a fire burning at the center of the camp, and Kerrigan saw a Fae she didn’t recognize shake Audria awake. She jumped up as if she’d been hit, but it was just her turn to take over the watch.

This was the tricky part. Did they trust her to go on a watch by herself?

She’d said that she could get them to agree to it, but Kerrigan didn’t know.

Audria took up position for her watch, glancing back once at the guy she’d relieved.

Kerrigan was about to head lower into the valley when Roake stirred.

“Gods,” Kerrigan whispered, hiding behind the shrubbery she had taken cover under. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she could read the body language.

Roake sidled up to Audria and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

Audria shook her head at whatever he said next.

She gestured to the horizon as if she was informing him of her watch.

He was clearly insinuating something else.

Audria stood, and what looked like a small argument took place.

Eventually Roake put his hands out conciliatorily and stomped back to his tent.

Guess he’d been expecting some action. Good. Audria’s refusal bolstered Kerrigan’s confidence in her. Still…

Roake would be up for a while after that argument. He’d always been the type to stew. Eventually Audria returned to her feet, double-checked that everyone was sleeping, and began to pace the perimeter. Their signal to begin.

It’s time.

Kerrigan slipped lower into the valley, heading toward Audria. It was a few minutes until they were far enough away from the rest of the camp for Kerrigan to approach her. Audria glanced around as if she were unsure the conversation with Kerrigan days ago had actually happened.

Kerrigan grinned, reaching out and grasping Audria on the arm and yanking her away. Audria gasped. Kerrigan put her hand over her mouth, jerking her back to Kerrigan’s front.

“It’s me,” she hissed.

“Oh gods,” Audria said. “I didn’t know if you were going to come.”

“You did good,” Kerrigan said. She released Audria, getting her first look at her. She looked haggard compared to her perfect prim-and-proper self. “What was the argument with Roake?”

Audria flushed. “He wanted to use our time alone…”

“Ah,” Kerrigan said. “And the scholar?”

Audria gestured to the camp. “In the middle. I don’t know how we’re going to get past all the guards.”

“Leave that to me.”

A sharp laugh sounded behind them, and then a sword was leveled at Kerrigan’s neck. “Release my girlfriend.”

Roake appeared out of the darkness.