Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(77)

“How many to the rest of us?”

“Almost four to one. We would have had more, but—”

“Half of Caltoth’s force was disbanded to hold off the Pythian warships attacking their shores in the north. The border doesn’t stand a chance. Horrace’s regiment doesn’t train like Jerar. Our worst soldiers outperform their knights, and their mages’ stamina isn’t even close.”

“Believe me”—Quinn’s voice was laced with regret as he spoke over the others—“if there were any other choice…”

“But every day you remain, hundreds die.” It was a matter of fact.

He nodded. I could see why Nyx had appointed the giant our leader. He was calm and direct, seeming to weigh every decision in his head before he spoke.

“I’ve made it this far. I can manage the rest.”

My twin made a disgruntled sound to my left, but aloud he said nothing.

The room’s occupants started to disband. “We leave in two hours. Alex, since you are in charge of her recovery, Ryiah will share your mount.”

“Is that it?”

All eyes, including mine, shot to the curly haired mage at the back of the room. Ian’s arms were folded across his chest as he glowered at our leader. “So,” he spoke slowly, “are you going to tell her exactly why she doesn’t need to be fully recovered, or am I?”

“I already told Ryiah. Alex can heal her on the road.”

“That’s not the only reason, and you know it.”

“Ian?” My pulse hammered in my throat.

“You know what our mission is?” His green eyes locked on my own. “To stop him.”

I nodded. This wasn’t any surprise. It was the only reason Nyx would have risked her best men to hunt me down during the middle of a war. “You want me to negotiate, to reason with Darren.” Because I was the only one he would listen to.

“No one thinks he will listen.” Ian took a step closer, advancing. “No one cares, Ryiah.”

“What are you—”

“You’re bait, to lure the king away from his guards.” The mage’s irises flashed. “The posters called for you to be brought in alive. Darren feels something, whether he wants to kill you himself—”

My lips parted, but I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

“—or lock you in a dungeon, it makes no difference. He wants you. He disbanded part of his regiment to hunt you and offered up a reward large enough to make any friend take part in the bounty. He slipped up, Ryiah. Darren made a mistake.”

Ian took another step forward until he was right in front of me. No one made a move to stop him. He took a long, shuddering breath, and my gaze slipped to Quinn and the others behind him. Not even Ray would look me in the eye. Only Alex and Ella were watching me, seeming equally curious to what our friend would say next.

“We aren’t here to negotiate with the king, Ryiah. We are here to kill him.”

My heart stopped. “But Nyx promised—”

“She gave us the orders herself, Ryiah.”

“No.” A cold sweat broke out along my skin. The tremors were back. “That’s not what she said. That’s not what she—”

“The last time you spoke to the commander, Darren’s brother was king.”

“But that doesn’t matter.”

“It changes everything.” Quinn dared to meet my gaze. “Ryiah, whatever she promised you, surely you can see the situation has changed. Before Darren was under his brother’s orders, but now…”

“Now their deaths rest on him.” Ian’s voice was bitter. “I am sorry, Ryiah, but I thought you deserved to know the truth.”

Ella put a hand on my wrist. Her skin was just as clammy as my own. “If he agreed to surrender, couldn’t we just toss him in a cell? I’m not saying we forgive his actions, but surely—”

Quinn shook his head. “Darren is far too powerful. As long as his bloodline remains, Jerar will never be safe.”

“But”—my hands were shaking—“if he surrendered and gave up all ties to the kingdom?”

“It’s not enough. His blood is a threat to all future reign. So long as he is alive, there would always be dissenters calling for the old legacy, not to mention the riots for a man who has killed thousands—”

“But it’s not his fault!”

The entire room went silent. Everybody stopped moving except for Alex who had come to stand beside Ella and wrap an arm around my trembling frame.

“Ryiah—”

“No! You are going to listen to me.” I forced myself to stand on wobbling limbs, shoving aside my brother and friend to face our leader. “Darren believes the lies his brother gave him. He is not Blayne. Blayne knew the truth and planned to wage this war out of greed.”

“The circumstances—”

“Darren might be king,” I spat, “but it’s his brother’s war. Not his. Those. Lives. Are. Not. His. Do you intend to punish every single soldier in the Crown’s Army? Because ten thousand men are following a lie?”

“It’s not the same.”

“It’s exactly the same!” I swore at Quinn. “Don’t you get it? Any one of us could be them! The only difference is Nyx found us and gave us the truth. Nyx cannot hold Darren accountable!”