Page 22 of No Greater Sorrow (Our Lady of Fire #2)

The Messenger was alone. At least, as far as Aleja could tell.

“You’re bold to come here. Everyone on this side of the wards wants you dead. It could be an ambush,” Aleja said, coming to stand beside her. The Messenger hadn’t been difficult to find, not with her enormous gold and peach mask, ruffling gently in the mountain wind.

The Messenger shrugged. She wore a pale yellow dress that exposed her broad shoulders, and beneath the gauzy fabric, a set of armor shone. Apparently, the Messenger wasn’t ready to completely let her guard down.

“I would recommend against that. Every Astraelis has been conscripted to fight. Our troops would slaughter yours,” the Messenger said.

Despite her pounding heart, Aleja rolled her eyes. Any confidence she had in this plan was gradually leaking away at the sight of the Messenger’s well-muscled body and the enormous sword at her hip. A sword she knew how to use, unlike Aleja. “At least our people are given the choice.”

“Are they? Are any of you?” the Messenger said softly.

“Stop that. You’re here to answer my questions,” Aleja said.

The Messenger’s laugh was surprising—a high, bright sound. “That is not the case, dear Wrath, but go on. I’ll indulge you.”

“Who is Val’s father?”

The Messenger’s mask tightened around her face like Val’s did when he was nervous. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s dead.”

It was exactly what Aleja had expected to hear, but she felt no sense of triumph. The Messenger was still mourning him after all this time, just like Nicolas had mourned Aleja. Despite their changed appearances, the Otherlanders and the Astraelis were still related after all. Their marriage bonds didn’t dissolve, even after death.

“What happened to him?”

The Messenger scoffed, her mask again frilling out to either side of her head. “We came here to talk about you, Aleja.”

“No. You came here to recruit me, and I came here to decide whether I’ll let you. If you need me as much as I think you do, you’ll answer my question before I decide to walk away. What happened to your husband?”

The Messenger leaned against the gnarled corpse of a tree. Everything at the edge of the Hiding Place appeared either freshly dead or in the process of dying. A place where nothing lived, but nothing rotted either. “I’m not above executing your friend, you know. She’s useless to me now.”

“I don’t think she is. Otherwise, Violet wouldn’t still be alive. What happened to your husband?”

“The previous Messenger killed him.”

“Why? Tell me or I walk, and your entire plan falls apart.”

“He committed a crime.”

“What was it?”

“He gave our secrets to a human. I don’t know the entire story. He kept it from me to keep me safe. I believe he loved her. He wanted to protect her from something, so he taught her some of our magic.”

“Your husband had an affair and now you’re throwing your entire realm under the bus to avenge him?” she asked, unsure if the Messenger would have any idea what a bus was.

“And your husband broke a peace agreement to rescue you, ensuring our realms would remain in conflict for centuries. My relationship with my husband is my business; it bears no relation to why the First must die.”

“If you’re asking me to help you, it is my business.”

“I’ve told you enough. If you’d prefer to go tit-for-tat, you can tell me why your Knowing One’s magic wasn’t at its strongest when you invaded our camp. We know enough about your kind to guess the reasons. Would you like to explain how you fixed him for me?”

Aleja knew her silence was damning, but the Messenger hardly skipped a beat. “I won’t ask. It doesn’t matter. All I need to know is that you’ll help me kill the First.”

“Only if we make a deal.”

Not a bargain , Aleja told herself. I can get out of a deal — if I decide I want to. And if the Second decides to punish me for that, perhaps I’ll take up the Messenger’s offer after all.

“Fine then,” the Messenger said. Aleja imagined she was rolling her eyes behind her winged mask. “What is it you want, Wrath?”

“I’ll help you kill the First, but in return, you help me kill the Second so long as we can do so without hurting the Hiding Place or any human witches. That was what you proposed originally wasn’t it?”

And somewhere along the way, I’ll tear out your heart , Aleja didn’t say.

The Messenger’s lips curled into a smile Aleja couldn’t interpret, and she was reminded that she was well out of her league. The Messenger was a master manipulator; Aleja might have just walked into a trap. But she’d gotten used to reading the minutiae of Nicolas’s movements, and the slight deflating of the Messenger’s shoulders looked a lot like relief.

“I have one more condition,” Aleja said. “Violet remains unharmed.”

“The woman who betrayed you?” the Messenger asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“That’s all you need to know. We don’t have to tell each other anything that doesn’t directly relate to our goal.”

“Fine, Wrath. I also have a last condition. Agree, and we have a deal. My son must return to the Astraelis realm.”

Aleja snorted, crossing her arms to mirror the Messenger’s posture. “Val came to us willingly. He’s terrified of you, if you hadn’t noticed.”

If this caused any emotion in the Messenger, neither she nor her mask reacted. She turned her head, looking toward the expanse of the Hiding Place, tinted red by perpetually sunset-colored clouds. “Be careful what you say. This alliance isn’t permanent.”

Aleja wasn’t sure which of her words had offended the Messenger, but she didn’t care to clarify. “Alliance? This isn’t an alliance. We’re just agreeing not to kill each other until our goal is achieved.”

“If you say so,” the Messenger said, with another shrug. “That suits me well enough. Fine. Val will remain where he is, for the time being. Now, let’s shake on it.”

She held out a hand that dwarfed Aleja’s. The Messenger squeezed so tightly as they shook that Aleja had to hide her wince of pain.

“What do you want me to do?” Hellfire, the words hurt to say. Aleja was unsure whether it was because she was now a Dark Saint or because she’d lied to her fellows about her reasons for coming here. Another betrayal, perhaps not as grand as the last they’d experienced, but a wound nonetheless, added to their already bleeding realm.

“I need you to lay the groundwork for your side’s surrender.”

“Fuck that. Even if I wanted to convince them, they would never go for it,” Aleja said.

“Very well. Figure out how to keep your side from trying to snatch the Third back. When the time comes for us to meet again, you’ll recognize my signal.”

“What about the Third? There must be consequences for keeping him imprisoned.”

“He’s safe with us, albeit unhappy about his current situation. We will deal with any consequences that may arise. But Aleja, I…”

Watching the Messenger hesitate made Aleja uncomfortable in a way she couldn’t fully explain. She was used to Val’s expressive mask, but the Messenger had always been inscrutable.

“Despite what happens next, I promise you, I do need your help. I want to free us. We both need my son. Only he can figure out how to draw out the First, so we can end her without killing ourselves in the process. The same goes for the Second. Lie to Val. Do what you must to wrench the truth from him.”

But Aleja’s thoughts were stuck on the first sentence. Despite what happens next . She whirled at the sound of falling rocks, drawing her fire around her hands.

“I’m sorry,” the Messenger told her. “Half of my soldiers are covered in burn scars from the last war. I certainly can’t let them think I drew you here alone without at least attempting to kill you. Survive this . We have no other choice.”

Aleja reacted without thinking, hurling a wave of fire at the Messenger. Her golden sword was already drawn, as if she’d known this was the inevitable result of their meeting. It was filled with enough Astraelis magic to deflect the stream of fire; it veered toward a boulder, fizzling out uselessly after creating a scorched ring in the stone.

The Messenger did not appear surprised by this attack, nor did she advance. “They’re going to have to believe it. On both your side and mine.”

Aleja knew then that her past self was not going to chime in with helpful advice as a group of Thrones appeared in the sky. Their shadows moved across the mountains, approaching too fast.

It was as if Aleja was in the Trials again. The Messenger stepped away, disappearing into a gap between the rocks, and leaving Aleja alone among the sudden onslaught of enemies.

I’m not ready for this , Aleja thought, praying her voice would answer.

But all she received in response was a simple: Yes, you are.

It was the first time she’d truly used her fire as a Dark Saint, and at that moment, she realized why the Astraelis hated her so damn much. With a surge of power, her fire grazed the bellies of two Thrones swooping low. Roaring screams filled the air as one of the Thrones—fatally wounded—tumbled out of the sky. The second was impaled on a spire of rock, giving a pained wail as it spasmed. Aleja did not see where the other fell, but she heard the sound of its bones breaking—heard the wet sound of its lungs as it gasped for one final breath.

“Shit,” Aleja hissed, as one of the remaining Thrones dove toward her. The wound in its stomach was a brutal mess of flesh and skin tangled together in a way that couldn’t be undone.

But there was another commotion.

An Authority rose over the ridge. Its hundreds of eyes were locked on her.

She’d defeated an Authority singlehandedly once; she could do it again if she was lucky. but this was no weak, newly revived Remnant that had spent centuries slumbering at the bottom of a well. This Authority had fresh memories of Aleja barging into its realm, stealing their war prisoner, and embarrassing the Messenger in front of her armies.

She briefly lost sight of it behind the hills, but it was too large to stay hidden for long. One of its great wings swept across a row of newly appeared Otherlander soldiers, sending their bodies flying across the rocks.

A weed growing from the side of the mountain unfurled and erupted as if it were a tree growing in extreme fast forward. Except this tree had jagged branches that snatched another Throne out of the sky and pierced its throat with a single, efficient jab.

Bonnie’s work.

As another group of Thrones rose over the mountains, Aleja remembered an off-handed comment Nicolas had made the first time she’d scried with him into a memory of the war. They’re difficult to deal with in large numbers . While the troops below focused on keeping the nearest ones at bay, it opened an opportunity for another Throne to flank them. But before it could reach them, the Throne did something so unexpected and nightmarish that Aleja couldn’t look away. The great winged lion thrashed and whipped its tail, but its ire appeared to be directed at itself.

Four of its enormous claws raked across its chest, opening a series of parallel wounds. But it wasn’t done after that. Its spiked tail punched holes in its wings, ripping away its ability to stay airborne, and as it fell, Aleja spotted Amicia directing its movements with her outstretched arms.

The Dark Saint of Lust had finally set her power loose, and the Thrones were desperate for violence—against themselves.

Amicia was so absorbed in directing the Thrones that she didn’t notice the enormous man in a winged mask sneaking up behind her with a golden dagger in his hand. Aleja’s frantic shouts were drowned out by the chaos of the battle. She watched in horror as the Principality stuck Amicia in the ribs; her shout of pain was enough to alert the Otherlander soldiers, who swarmed the Principality so quickly that Aleja lost sight of them both.

But the great mass of wings—the Authority—did not seem fazed as it continued toward Aleja. “I’m here,” she called, hoping this would keep its attention on her.

Aleja didn’t stop to look up once she began a desperate scramble down the other side of the hill. Even with the body of a Dark Saint, she’d had never been much of a climber. It was taking too long to find a proper foothold every time she wanted to drop a few inches, and the Authority’s shadow was already upon her.

If she wanted to get out of its way in time, she had to jump.

The landing was rough. Aleja fell to her knees, the rocks jagged beneath her leathers, and the shockwave hurt . Even though she didn’t hear a snap of breaking bones, the pain radiated to her jaw. The one thought in Aleja’s head was not clever or especially strategic—she just had to draw the Authority far enough away from the others so that no one would be hurt when it exploded around her.

Bad idea . The voice that spoke now was entirely her own—the Aleja of the present. This isn’t some weakling. Can I burn it from the inside before it shreds me to bits?

She stopped running, waiting until the Authority’s shadow engulfed her before lighting the creature up with her fire. Her flames scorched a section of its feathers, forcing the eyes there to clamp shut, but it wasn’t enough to stop its advance. When one of the wings moved aside to reveal the gaping mouth at the creature’s center, she dropped her hands and ran . She couldn't die here, not like this. The Authority would absorb her knowledge of her army’s plans, not to mention the uneasy truce she’d made with the Messenger.

A wing crashed against Aleja, knocking the air out of her lungs and her feet out from under her. She groped against the ground and threw whatever her hands met first. She didn’t expect the rock to fly directly into the Authority’s mouth or the choked noise it made in response—a brief reprieve that bought her enough time to get back on her feet.

She didn’t bother with fire this time. She just had to get the Authority away from the rest of their armies and deal with whatever happened next.

But when she looked back, Aleja gasped—not because the Authority was so close, but because it hadn’t chased her. Instead, it hovered low, wings beating out of sync, while its eyes roamed as if disoriented.

What the hell ? she thought. There was no way her rock had brought an Authority down, or all the Otherlanders would have had to do in the last war was stock up on pebbles. Her heart sank when a young woman stepped out from behind its massive wings.

“Shh,” Violet soothed, even though the Authorities had never brought her anything but terror.

Fire roared to life around Aleja’s hands. “Please don’t make me hurt you,” she said.

Aleja heard Nicolas’s voice, shouting a command too garbled to make out. In a moment, their armies would be pouring over the hill to find a traitor waiting for them.

But Violet gave a wild-eyed glance over her shoulder and reached out as if to take Aleja’s arm, despite the flames. “You have to trust me right now, Al. Please come with me. I’ll explain everything once we’re out of here.”

“You betrayed us. You betrayed me ,” Aleja snapped.

The Authority moaned softly as it struggled to rise. It moved as if it were bound in chains, but when Violet shushed it again, it stilled. With the realization that Violet was controlling it, came Orla’s warning. The Messenger knew Aleja well. She knew what could draw her into a trap. And this was it.

“I’ll explain everything,” Violet said again. “But if the Otherlanders find me here, they’ll kill me.”

“And the Astraelis will kill me if I go with you.”

“Fuck, Al, I’m not leaving until you listen to me. If I die here, my blood is on your hands.”

Liar. Manipulator. Traitor , Aleja thought.

Another shadow joined them, cast by one of Bonnie’s trees. It was tall enough to rise over the hill; speared atop its branches were the bodies of two impaled Principalities, still alive and struggling.

“Al, listen to me. You know I can see into their heads. And if I don’t get the chance to tell you what I know, you and Nic and Bonnie—you’re all going to die. So, please . Come with me,” Violet said frantically.

An Otherlander soldier finally crested the hill, but before Aleja could shout for him to lower the arrow pointed at Violet’s head, something dragged him back with a scream.

“This is my last chance, Al. No one is going to want to spare me after what I did.”

Aleja looked into her friend’s eyes, hoping to find honesty within them. Wanting to believe. But her heart was so full of wounds that patching one up only diverted blood to the others. “If I go, it’s not because we’re friends. And if for a second, I think you’re lying to me, I won’t hesitate to set you on fire.”

Violet gave a sigh of relief before Aleja told her, “Kill it.”

“What?”

“The Authority. Kill it. I won’t leave my armies to deal with that thing, so kill it. Then, we’ll find a place to talk.”

It was a wild proposition, but Aleja had to know what Violet was capable of. And whose side she was truly on. It was doubtful the Messenger would be happy with her for destroying one of their remaining Authorities.

Aleja expected the Authority to veer wildly in the rocks, much like the last one Violet had taken down. But it only stretched its wings, and with a shuddering breath, its eyes began closing one by one. Aleja took a step back. She’d known Violet’s connection to them was too strong for anyone’s liking, but to snuff out an Authority’s life as easily as pinching out a candle…

“Now, will you listen to me?” Violet said.

“You walk in front and do exactly as I say.”

There was no time to lay out any other rules, nor to decide where she was going to hide Violet until they could speak in private. The soldier they’d seen was merely a few moments ahead of the rest of the troop. The Knowing One led them, coming to rest with a heavy landing. His black sword was drawn and wreathed in dark flames, much like the devil Aleja had seen in paintings since childhood.

If it was his order that stayed the hand of his armies as Our Lady of Wrath deserted a battlefield to follow a traitor, Aleja couldn’t know.

* * *

He watched Aleja go as Taddeas scrambled up the hill ahead of the soldiers and shouted, “What the hell are you doing? We need to go after them.”

Nicolas paused just enough to be noticed by his High General. Taddeas would have no trouble believing that the Knowing One would hesitate before ordering his troops to fire upon his wife and her friend, even if she was the human girl who’d sold the Hiding Place out to their enemies.

“I’ll take to the sky to track them. No one is to attack unless they’re sure Aleja won’t be harmed, is that understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Taddeas said warily. Nicolas did not doubt that Taddeas would comply; he was one of Aleja’s dearest friends in the Hiding Place. Taddeas would give her the benefit of the doubt, first and foremost.

For Nicolas had seen much during the murky time he spent in a state between life and death, waiting for the Second to revive him. Although the memories were dream-like now, a part of him had seen through the Second’s eyes and known what the Second knew, if only for a few hours. The note from the Second was never intended for Aleja. It had been meant for the Knowing One.

The chalice fills the chalice drains . We are trapped inside, in chains.

Aleja would not be returning to them after this battle. Not right away. Nicolas knew that as well as he knew the steady beat of his own heart, now cleared of the poison that’d been killing him. The greatest act of betrayal to come would not be committed by the Messenger, Violet, or Val.

It would be commited by his wife.

The end of book two of Our Lady of Fire.