Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(56)

“Of course. I’m strong enough to go right now.”

He smiled, the corners of his eyes wrinkling. Papa looked older than I remembered. “It has been decided that Vidar and Anders will take you to the cavern. You need to retrieve your bo staff so you can access your full power. We can’t do anything else until you have it.”

I didn’t want to leave my father again, but he’d never be able to travel in the forest with his failing health. I hugged him. “Thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, squeezing me back.

“For everything.” The training, keeping me safe, and the tunnels.

Vidar came back into the room. “We need to go. It’s almost dawn.”

My father kissed my forehead. “Be safe. Remember everything I taught you.”

“I will.”

“Most of all,” he said, tapping a finger to my heart, “remember who you are, and always believe in yourself. You will bring peace to our kingdom. You will save us all.”

Tears swelled in my eyes. I stood, blinking them away.

The other men in the room looked like they were ready to leave too. One wore Anders’s black outfit and hood. The man noticed me staring at him. “We’ll lead the soldats in the opposite direction.”

“Thank you.”

Vidar grabbed my hand, pulling me to the other room where Anders waited for us. “Are you sure you’re well enough to travel?” he asked, releasing me.

“Yes. I’m completely healed.”

“That is one miraculous recovery,” Anders observed. “You were only asleep one day. I’m surprised you didn’t deplete yourself for a full week using your power like that.”

A week? Would Morlet be bedridden that long while he recovered? If so, it should make our escape a lot easier. When I didn’t respond, Anders tossed a bag to me. “Put the commoner clothing on first, the soldat uniform on top.”

After we all changed, Anders led us up several flights of stairs to a small room. “When we leave this place,” he said, “there will be absolutely no talking. Walk with purpose, head up, and shoulders back. Don’t shy away from anyone. Understood?”

He opened the door, stepping into a narrow alleyway, Vidar and I close behind him. We walked down the center of the streets in the early morning light. Although there weren’t any citizens out at this hour, there were several dozen men from the King’s Army roaming the streets. Luckily, they didn’t pay us any heed. Anders maintained a fast pace as we traveled across the capital.

The sound of dogs barking echoed in the distance, making the hair on my arms rise. I stepped closer to Anders. “They’ll be able to smell me. We can’t outsmart dogs.”

“Didn’t you notice the man wearing your black outfit? The smell of your blood on the fabric will attract the dogs. He’s leading them away from us.”

“What about once the animals catch up to him? The decoy isn’t a girl. The soldats will know they’ve been tricked.”

Anderson tugged at the collar of his snug-fitting tunic. “We better be on the other side of the capital’s wall and in the forest by then.”

“Stop talking,” Vidar ordered. “We’re being followed.”

I wanted to glace back but knew not to. We continued walking as if nothing had changed. The dogs stopped barking, and an eerie silence fell over the capital. Footsteps pounded behind us, and Anders spun around, a small tube between his lips. The soldat who had been following us lay on the ground, a dart protruding from his neck.

“Run,” Anders commanded. I sprinted as fast as I could, right behind Vidar, while Anders followed me in order to protect my back. “Go straight. The wall is just ahead.”

The dogs started barking again, this time much closer. Without warning, a blast rocked the ground, making everything shake. A plume of smoke rose in the sky a couple of blocks away.

“What happened?” I asked, slowing my pace.

“An explosion,” Vidar answered, pulling me along.

“It was a planned distraction,” Anders added, a grin on his face. “Now get moving.”





Chapter Seventeen


The wall was only fifty feet away. Thrilled, I sprinted with an extra burst of energy. When we reached it, Anders felt around the stones until he located a loose one. Then he pushed four stone blocks through, just as he’d done the night we escaped out of the capital. After I climbed to the other side, Anders and Vidar joined me, shoving the stones back into place.

“Go!” Anders yelled, pushing me forward.

I ran toward the trees, eager to conceal myself among them. About a hundred feet into the forest, Anders stopped and stripped off his uniform, revealing his plain brown clothing underneath. Vidar and I quickly did the same. Anders dug a shallow hole with his hands and then buried our uniforms. When he was done, we headed north.

“How far is the cavern from here?” I asked.

“If we don’t stop, we should reach it tonight,” Anders replied.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Vidar asked. “You don’t need to rest?”

“I’m fine.” Better than fine. I wasn’t even winded after all that running.

Anders glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes lifeless. A pang of guilt hit me for lying to him about healing myself. Somehow, he knew what really happened. I was sure of it.