Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(79)

I swallowed, realizing what Alex meant.

“Lie to them.” Ella locked her gaze on my own. “Tell them you’ll cooperate, and we’ll handle the rest.”

Alex’s hand found his wife’s and a knot jumped in his throat as he spoke. “Do you understand why they wanted you as a lure, Ryiah?”

It should have hurt to say, but instead, I felt nothing. “They think that out of the entire regiment, I’m the one person Darren will seek to dispose of himself.”

“Emotion is the one thing that will leave Darren open to mistakes.” Ella looked to the ground. “His defense won’t be what it should when he is facing you, but neither will yours…”

“There’s a good chance he’ll kill you, Ryiah. I know you want to believe…” My brother thrust his jaw out and ground the next words out like he was swallowing glass. “But if it were Ella and me, I’d make the same reckless choice. I’d want you to give me the same choice.”





16





I delivered an ultimatum. It was a lie, of course.

“I’m the only way you are going to win this war.” Alex was the one who had given me the idea. “I’m the best lure you have and the one chance to catch Darren off guard. Without me, the lot of you will never stand a chance. You want the bloodshed to stop? You want a chance to end this?”

Silence. I had their attention.

“Then you forget Nyx’s orders and you listen to me. She may have the people’s best interests at heart, but I am the one you need. If Darren surrenders and calls off his army, you are going to look the other way and let him escape. He’ll never return to Jerar and make a play for the throne, but he will live.”

Quinn frowned, but he didn’t outright deny my request. They needed me to get close to Darren. The two of us knew it, and he didn’t act the fool by denying it. He had probably thought I would accept the role outright, after all I had done for the cause.

“And what if he refuses to surrender? What then?”

“You carry out Nyx’s order.”

“You won’t try to stop us?”

My laugh was bitter. “It wouldn’t really matter, would it? We all know I’ll be dead before anyone else.”

For a moment, the leader said nothing, studying my face. Then he turned to the others. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the dissent in their eyes.

“She’s the best chance we’ve got.”

“But to go against Nyx’s orders!” The older woman from before spoke up. “To betray our commander, all for some lovesick girl?”

“Ryiah is not just some ‘lovesick’ girl.” Ray shoved his way forward. “She’s the best mage in the room, in the kingdom second to him!”

“Our goal is to end bloodshed.” Lief still wouldn’t look at me. “Whether or not we agree with her, too many have given up their lives for this cause. If we can end it, does it matter who we betray?”

“Klaus? Jeremiah?” Quinn cleared his throat. “Anyone else?” The group had stopped its collective arguments. “Ian, any final words?”

The mage shook his head, his eyes never leaving my face. There was a storm brewing beneath the surface, but whatever he was feeling, he was not about to admit it in front of the others.

“Very well. Ryiah, we accept your terms.”

I nodded. Beside me, I felt Alex and Ella let out a long sigh of relief. They believed us.

Of course, they were probably lying right back. For all I knew, they were planning to go back on our promise. As far as they were concerned, they just needed my presence. The moment we arrived, I’d have no control over their actions.

It didn’t matter, though.

Alex and Ella would find a way to drug them before they ever got their chance. I wouldn’t warn Darren there were others. In the event I failed, the rest of our party would still have the distraction they needed.



*

“You shouldn’t have done it…” Ian stepped out from the brush behind me. “Forcing Quinn’s hand was a mistake.”

I busied myself filling a skin in the running stream. We had stopped to make camp for the night, and the others had given me the easiest task since I was still recovering. “Nyx left me no choice.”

“He’s king.” The mage shoved his hands in his pockets. “What else did you expect, Ryiah? Darren’s men are waging a war on the border as we speak. You can’t just look the other way and expect everyone to pardon his crimes.”

I met Ian’s glower with one of my own. “I thought you were on my side.”

“I believe you have the right to walk away.” His arms folded across his chest. “But you do not have the right to put the rest of our party at risk. This isn’t your love story, Ryiah. This is about the crimes against a nation.”

I cocked my head to the side. “And live on the run while the rest of you go off and get yourselves killed?”

“Nyx asked more from you than any of us.” His jaw was set. “You’ve served the cause well. You don’t need his death on your conscience. It would destroy you. Let someone else take that role.”

I found myself growling. “What makes you so sure Darren won’t listen?”