The vow I took to protect my empress presses on my heart. If any harm comes to her that I could have prevented, Prince Caben will need protection from me. I won’t allow this man, prince or not, to interfere with my first duties to watch over her.
I nod my head once. “Yes. Let’s ride.” Taking the mane of the white horse, I swing myself onto her back, then hick my heels hard. “To the palace, girl.”
We bound over the open landscape at a full gallop. The sun is high, but dark, rain-swollen clouds are moving in, blocking its rays. They hover over the palace court, the skyline obscured and dusky, as if the Otherworlders have brought the darkness with them.
I glance to my left and the prince is staring straight ahead, his mouth set in a determined, hard line. I’m making a mistake by bringing him. I’m making a mistake by disobeying orders. But if the Otherworlders conquer, there may be no one left to answer to.
As we enter downtown, we don’t slow our pace. We push the horses on, pedestrians clearing a path for us when they see we’re not slackening. The high walls of the palace are to my right, and I’m tempted to stop right now and scale them to get to the fight quicker. But I have nothing. No rope. No climbing gear. Frustrated, I drive my heels into the mare’s side. “Faster, girl.”
We turn into the gatehouse. Claudia and the other sentries are gone. The gate has been closed, bolted shut, and the electric charge surrounding its iron bars set to full voltage, humming.
The palace is under lockdown.
“Shit,” I hiss.
Prince Caben circles his horse until he faces me. “Is there no other way in? A secret passage?”
“I’m sure there is, but I’ve not been given that information yet.” I curse under my breath again. “How did the Otherworlders get inside? They’re not in the city, so they didn’t all march through the gatehouse.”
With that thought, I glance around and study the wall. No, Otherworlders wouldn’t climb. They’d burrow, like filthy vermin. “Come on,” I say. “Head around the wall.” I click my teeth and tap my heels, ushering my horse into a slow trot.
Keeping our horses at a steady pace, I search the ground, and once we reach the backside of the palace, I spot them: holes. They must have traveled here during the night and set up camp, waiting for an opportune time to strike. A moment when the sentries were switching shifts. There’s a weak link in our system, and they discovered it.
I hop down and hunker near one of the holes. Pinching some of the loose dirt between my fingers, I check its consistency. It’s moist and retains shape when pressed, which means they dug these holes in a matter in minutes. “What kind of monsters are we dealing with,” I mumble to myself.
Standing, I face the prince. “Stick close. And do not go off on your own.” I level my most fierce glare at him. “Understood?”
He puffs out his chest. “I’ll have you know that I’ve trained with the greatest—”
“Yeah.” I wave him on to follow behind. “Just don’t lose my sword.”
I climb into the hole and dirt trickles down from the sides. It’s black, and the rich earth smell fills the musky tunnel. Reaching into my harness, I yank out my transmitter and beam its light ahead of me. Then I unsheathe my dagger and hold it before me in the other hand.
Halfway through the burrowed hole, the clanking of metal and shouts hits my ears. My chest tightens and my skin prickles with anticipation. I concentrate on keeping my breathing even, focused. Light peeks through the end of the tunnel.
“Remember to stay near,” I tell the prince, then dash toward the opening.
We break through and the fight is all around us. My eyes flick over the enemy. Their dirty, steely-gray armor is molded to their muscular bodies like a second skin. Dark cloths, cinched below their necks, wrap their heads, and matted dreadlocks poke out from beneath. The snarled mess surrounds their pale, unnatural skin that’s pulled tightly over their bones.
I sink my transmitter back into my harness and step into the fray, finding a discarded sword and attacking the nearest Otherworlder. His beady eyes—all white with tiny black pupils—size me up. A clear coating, like liquid glass, layers his eyes. Their protection from the sun, maybe.
“I’ll leave you in bleeding pieces, above-grounder,” he snarls, his voice thick and grating, like shattered glass in a grinder.
I don’t glance behind me to make sure the prince is keeping alive. I won’t draw attention to him. Alyah, forgive my disobedience and protect him.
Stepping toward the Otherworlder, I slice my blade, connecting it with his. He wields a warrior sword, and the thick blade widens from the shaft, ending in a razor-edged point. Its steel cross guard matches his gray armor. He holds it with both hands as our swords clank together in a jarring blow. I push my weight against his rebound, moving into his space.
He laughs and turns his nose up. “I’ll feast on your flesh and grind your bones between my jaws.” His lips spread, revealing gnarled, decayed teeth.
Kicking my steel-toed boot into his shin, I lunge and butt the hilt of my sword into his forehead. “You’ll feast on rotten c
arcasses in hell, slime.”
He stumbles back, and I take advantage of his stunned state, knocking his arm holding the sword to the side, and stabbing the unprotected white flesh peeking through his armor. As my blade drives deeper, he gurgles out a rasp and drops his sword. His hands grasp my blade, blood staining them. I force the sword in until I hear a crunch as it connects with bone—his spine.
His eyes roll back and he sinks to his knees, falling to the stone floor of the courtyard.
Running the blade over his garment, I wipe the blood from my sword. Then I glance behind me. The prince thrusts his sword into his foe’s abdomen and yanks it free. He stands still as his enemy crumples, his eyes wide, staring at the fallen Otherworlder.