Page 90 of To Kill a King
“Stop!” Her voice echoed across the glade. She dropped her sword, and her elven disguise.
Her ears flowed back to their habitual shape, and her cheek bones shortened until she resembled the human Malkov would have sent them after. “I’m the one you’re looking for. I’ll go with you, if you don’t kill anyone else.”
Brooks flashed his canines at her in a cruel smile. Reaching behind his back, he unclipped something and held it out toward Aliya. “Put these on, or the elf dies.”
“No!”
She ignored Lindir’s protest as she stared at what the inquisitor grasped. White manacles the same color as their breastplates that clanked ominously. They looked heavy, undoubtedly infused with iron and whatever antimonite was. They’d block her magic, and probably her shifting, too.
She never thought to ask Cressida if her ability to shapeshift followed similar rules as regular magecraft, and now she was too late. A hot tear forced its way down her cheek.
Aliya glanced at Lindir. He pressed a hand to his side, over an enlarging dark spot. His round eyes stared at her. His jaw clenched as he met her gaze and subtly shook his head. An impossible weight settled against her shoulders, threatening to force her to her knees. She studied the ground, unable to meet his eyes.
Cressida was dead. They’d kill Lindir if she hesitated, for the sole crime of following her to the clearing.
How many other friends’ deaths would she be responsible for?
Brooks rattled the handcuffs, impatient. “Well?”
Aliya swallowed and bit her lower lip. She would try to escape before they brought her back to Malkov.
If they killed Elessan… It would break her, if Cressida’s death hadn’t already.
Stephen hit Lindir in the back of the head with his sword pommel. The elf groaned, his muscles relaxed, and he lay still.
“Stop! Okay.” She held her arms out.
Cold iron snapped around her wrists. Her kernel of magic dimmed, as though it had fallen into a body of water. She reached for the power anyway.
Nothing...
Aliya took a few deep breaths, struggling against the invisible compression bands squeezing her chest. Her vision blackened at the edges, constricting until only the grass at her feet was visible.
She’d known what the manacles were, and that this would happen. There was no reason to panic. She exhaled—everything would be alright. Her lungs heaved, fighting for air. If she got lucky, the forest would keep the hitmen wandering in circles while the elves hunted them down and killed them, freeing her. If the woods didn’t like outsiders, it should work against them.
Hopefully.
From the far side of the clearing, one of the assassins hissed, “Brooks, we’ve got to go.”
A quiet footstep sounded behind Aliya. Pain slammed through the base of her skull, and the world went black.
Chapter 18
Elessan
Elessan knelt on the floor across from Tsara and stared down at his map. The evening was hot and muggy, which only added to his desire to wrap things up for the night.
“What if we plan an approach through here?” She pointed to a blue line. “The banks of the Ithabasa are steep, but the river’s slow and deep enough we could travel by boat most of the way.”
He peered out the window. Twilight was passing. Knowing how hard Cressida worked her, Aliya would probably be asleep by now. Maybe when he finished here, he’d crawl into bed and tease her awake. Then, if everything was okay between them, reprise last night.
“Svialto? Are you listening to me?”
“Huh? Sorry.” Elessan turned to where Tsara pointed and shook his head. “Your plan won’t work. You’re forgetting about Ithabasa Falls. We’d be pinned in, and an army can’t scale those cliffs, much less transport our supplies over. It’s a longer route, but we’re better off curving north through the Frost Tooth mountains. We can take Perdition Pass and move the troops through the high ground well before the snow hits.”
Tsara frowned at the map. “That’s a lengthy detour. And armies only travel as fast as the slowest supply wagon.”
He shrugged. “There are no settlements in the area. We can set whatever pace we like, with minimal risk of discovery.” As long as they arrived by summer solstice. He was skilled enough to pick off any human stragglers they came across on the way. “The journey will take longer, but the payoff in stealth would be worth it.” He paused peering at her from the corner of his eyes. It was never wise to give commands, even implied ones, to the princess of the sun elves. “I think.”