Chapter 212

The first wall was the tallest by his measurements. It had to be at least ten feet tall, a good four feet above his head. As the horses continued to approach, and his breath began to even out, he cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. The gloves he wore were thick but not necessarily thick enough to guard against any sharp rocks he might grasp. If he could reach the top, he’d be able to fling himself over to the other side where the ground would be slightly higher so the fall would be manageable. But first he had to leap up and grab hold of something solid enough he could pull himself up along the smooth surface of the exterior.

He could’ve used Cassius’s height about now.

With the horses getting closer, he’d only have one chance to get over the wall before he could potentially be seen, and there was nowhere nearby to hide. Taking a step back, Eli put all of his efforts into jumping up to reach the edge. His fingertips latched on to the top stone, barely. With all the strength he could muster, he swung his other hand up and found enough grip to pull himself up and over just as the lead horse of a detail from the Queen’s Guard came into sight down the dusty path.

Eli lowered himself slowly on the other side so as not to make much noise. He’d have to wait to climb the hill to the next wall, which was about twenty more paces away, nearly vertical from where he was now standing. That wall wasn’t as tall as this one, but it would still be difficult to get over, and now he couldn’t see the road well enough to know for sure if he was alone. Once the horses rode past, around the side of the castle so that they could utilize the entrance in the back, he took another deep breath and tackled the next wall.

The walls wove back and forth as they approached the castle, giving a sense of security to anyone speaking from the dais as the citizens who would often stand between them to hear the queen were more contained and manageable. He supposed if the castle were ever attacked by an army, it would make it more difficult for enemies to access most of the entry points as well, not that the drawbridge over the main entrance was ever raised. He was banking on that since he had a feeling friends of his may need to access Wrenbrook in the following days.

Eventually, he worked himself to the next to last wall. This one was just a shade taller than he was. His breathing was labored from so much work and the fact that he was nervous about being caught, but he had a feeling he could manage this wall and the one beyond it which only came to his shoulders.

If he had taken a moment to glance over the wall before he leapt, perhaps he could’ve saved himself some trouble, but as soon as his boots hit the ground, he realized he wasn’t alone. The sound of a solitary sword leaving a scabbard had him pulling his own, but as he whirled around to face his assailant, he realized the frightened guard was one of his own men.

“Franklin!” Eli whisper-shouted. “It’s me.” He dropped his hood so that the man may recognize him, even though the night was a dark one and a cloud sat right over top of the sliver of moon.

“Commander?” Franklin whispered back before clutching his chest. “You scared the piss out of me, sir.”

“Sorry about that, friend. I’m sneaking back into the castle.” Eli put his sword back where it belonged, and Franklin did the same.

“While I’m glad to hear it, are you certain that’s a good idea, Commander? The queen believes you are dead.”

He nodded. “I’m not surprised to hear that. But I believe the princess might be in trouble.”

It was Franklin’s turn to nod. “Yes, well, she may be. We aren’t certain.”

“Why is that?” Eli felt his heart began to pound again as he awaited a response.

“Because no one knows where she is.”

A lump filled his throat, and Eli didn’t have the words to ask for clarification. Surely, Rona wouldn’t have harmed her own daughter, would she? Did she discover the plan to de-throne her and take it out on Kit? “I need to get inside of the castle immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” Franklin no longer seemed to think it was a poor choice. “How can I help you?”

Looking over the final wall, Eli could see the door he needed to access off in the distance. Normally, there was one guard placed there, but he wouldn’t be a member of the Queen’s Guard or the army—it would be someone from the dungeon detail, a set of guards who were known to be ruthless, who wouldn’t hesitate to harm anyone they came into contact with. Luckily, Eli had gone to a lot of trouble to make sure he was on their good side in the last several weeks, ever since he’d returned from Eastbury as the Representative. It had earned him a keyring and safe passage, for the most part, wherever these dark minions patrolled.

“I think I shall be able to make it on my own, friend. But if you could keep an eye on the road for me, I’d appreciate it.”

“Certainly, sir. I shall alert you if I see anything suspicious or anyone at all.” Franklin saluted, and Eli knew it went without saying that the guard would hoot, much like the noise Eli had heard from an actual owl earlier, when he’d first started across the road, if anyone should cross Franklin’s line of sight.

He waited a moment to let the sentinel pass closer to the road that led to the castle and then hurried over the wall, checking there was no one there this time. A steady climb up the hill that sat beneath the dais, and he found himself outside of a door he might regret ever entering. But he needed to find Kit, and if no one knew where she was, that meant even Avinia had exhausted all of her resources.

Rather than use the keys, he knocked twice loudly and waited, praying that the guard on the other side of the door would recognize him as a friend.

He didn’t have to wait long to find out. The door opened an inch or so but was still barred in several locations, and one eye peered out at him. “Who goes there?”

Relief washed over him as he realized he knew well the face that looked back at him. “Jowl, praise the goddesses. Will you let me in?”

“Commander?” The axman sounded surprised. “I was told you’d been killed.”

“Yes, I’ve heard the same story. Obviously, you know that’s not the case. Why are you the one guarding this door and not one of your brethren?” Technically, Jowl was a member of the Prison Guard, but as far as Eli knew, his only true responsibility was dispatching heads.

The barrel of a man laughed a low rumble. “Because I was hopin’ it weren’t true.” He closed the door in Eli’s face but only long enough to remove the bolts that held it shut against the enemy, and Eli slipped within the castle walls, wondering why he’d ever left, wondering why he’d ever come back.