There was a low yet piercing ringing in Hal's ears as she fought for consciousness. She could hear nothing else as she struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry, darkness creeping around the edges. She saw bright colors speckle her vision and she closed her eyes again, trying to will herself to focus. It took her a moment to remember where she had been. She could feel the hard ground beneath her cheek and fingers, but nothing else.
She tried to find her voice. "Mur…tagh?"
No response, and she almost blacked out again at the energy it took for her to speak. Fear and adrenaline were beginning to pump into her system, and she fought against the wave of unconsciousness as her mind began to reach out for him or Thorn. She then remembered that they weren't here. Even if they had been, whatever was going on, it would not be safe for expose her mind. She would have to think smarter. Murtagh would not be here to guide her hand. She was alone.
Hal moved slowly, doing a careful check of her joints and muscles to make sure she had not broken anything. She climbed warily to her knees, her entire body aching as her vision spun dangerously. She felt something wet on her face and gingerly reached up, noting that her hands were scratched and bloody, and she felt blood near her temple as well.
She glanced around her slowly, careful of any sudden movements. She spotted her bag nearby, but her relief was quickly diminished at the sight of her snapped bow. She reached for it gingerly, the tears overwhelming her instantly. She'd had that bow for years, a gift from Ayo. And even she knew it would be a useless waste of her magic to fix it. Better the bow than her neck. But a bow and arrow were where she felt powerful. She was wary of depending on the sword, but it was all she had. She couldn't even see where her arrows had fallen.
She climbed warily to her feet, wiping her cheeks. Her hands and body were covered in dust and ash that still permeated the air. Had she not been part Shade, it would've been practically impossible to see. But her eyes adjusted quickly as she glanced around desperately for her companions. "BALDOR? ALBRIECH?"
She heard a muffled cry of pain and followed it. Just around a mound of debris, not far from where she herself had landed, Baldor was gripping the underside of heavy sheet of stone that had fallen. Albriech was pinned underneath it. Hal swore, rushing to his side and nearly blacking out as a dizzying spell struck her unexpectedly. She had definitely hit her head harder than she expected.
"You're hurt," Albriech grunted. Like Hal, both brothers were covered in a fine layer of dust, which coated their clothes and hair.
"You're pinned, worry about yourself."
"I was telling…Baldor," he grunted, "I think I could move my legs. It's hard to tell."
"But I can't lift this piece off of him. It's too heavy," said Baldor, clearly stressed and worried. "Something's blocking it that we can't see."
Hal hesitated for a moment. Could she lift it? She did not know the full extent of her strength, just that she was stronger. She did not want to push her luck and cause injury to herself. But there was no telling when help would arrive. People likely wouldn't even know they were here. And the city was also under attack. The brilliance and cruelty of the plan could not be understated. Thea had split them up perfectly. Soldiers and dragon riders towards Teirm, and now the remaining infantry would have to choose between the city and the castle, not to mention guarding Nasuada. It was no doubt they would choose the city, with its civilians, and the queen. Which left Hal exposed. And even if Thea did not know that little detail of where Hal was, it still worked in her favor.
Needing to focus on one problem at a time, Hal shook her head and looked around them. She found a wooden support beam that could work. "Baldor, help me with this. We might be able to use it as leverage."
He followed her command without question. Together, they worked to fit it under the piece of slab that kept Albriech trapped. "On my count," Baldor said. "One…two —"
"Wait," Hal hissed. "Wait, shhh, I think I hear something."
They stopped moving, straining to listen. It could be nothing, the foundation (or what remained of it) obviously shaky from the explosion. But she had heard what sounded like rocks falling, and she felt a chill, her instinct telling her to be on guard.
She heard the release of an arrow, coming right for them. She yanked the hand-and-a-half sword free and stepped in front of Baldor, cutting the air down with a smooth, clean strike. She heard Baldor hiss, but she did not know if it was from his near-death or the fact that Hal moved like a blur. Her eyesight might as well have been what it was in the middle of the day. She saw everything so clearly and cleanly. Including the Ra'zac who stepped forward, arming itself with another arrow.
"Fetch the one who sssmellsss like my massster," it hissed. "And kill the ressst."
This again. Hal was so sick and tired of the Ra'zac perhaps more than anything. They were a blight, unsightly and cruel for no reason. The fact that Thea had chosen such a race of creature to breed was something Hal would never understand.
"I've killed your kind before," she muttered with distaste, knowing it would hear her. She gripped the pommel of the sword firmly in her hands, hoping no one could tell they were shaking. "I will gladly do it again."
Baldor looked like he was going to argue, but Hal rushed towards the Ra'zac before he could speak. It fired another arrow and Hal cut it out of the air, moving at a speed she could tell the Ra'zac hadn't been expecting. Before it could load another arrow, she was on it, swiping at its stomach. It dodged quickly and produced its own blade, knowing it would not have time to fire another arrow.
Their swords met in midair and Hal moved, for the first time, on a combination of both pure instinct, survival, and her intense months of training with two of the best swordspeople in the land. She did not have time to think about footwork, but she did not doubt that her feet would land precisely where she needed to block an attack without falling. The weight of the sword felt like an extension of her arm, just like her arrows when she fired shot after shot with confidence, trusting that she would find her mark each time.
She felt the strength in her arms with each blow, and moved almost innately, waiting for the proper opening. And in a few more moments, she found it, ducking down to dodge a blow to the head. She pivoted on the toes of her feet, swinging the blade under her arm. She drove the sword into the Ra'zac's neck, all the way to the hilt to make sure it was dead. And then she twisted the blade for good measure, satisfied when she yanked it out and the creature dropped soundlessly to the ground.
Her hand still shook, partly with adrenaline, but it couldn't be helped. Her heartrate still unnaturally fast, she looked around her to make sure there were no other Ra'zac waiting to surprise them. Realizing that Baldor and Albriech were staring at her, she bashfully hurried back over to their side.
"That was…not, what I expected," admitted Baldor, still gaping at her. "How did you learn — right, nevermind. I momentarily forgot who you were engaged to."
"I'm sorry," she said, flinching as if he had yelled or accused her of something, which he hadn't done at all. "I'm so sorry. I know we…withheld information."
"What do you mean?" he grunted, trying to smile. "You gonna tell me you can suddenly do magic or something?"
Hal snorted in amusement, but she still felt awful. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?" she asked.
"No, I'm okay. Thank you for what you did."
"Do not thank me. I fear I may be the reason this is all happening."
"I still owe you my life, Hal."
"I technically owe you mine, Baldor. You did already save my life once. Now we're even."
"And I would like to get out from under this rock," Albriech whined.
Hal took charge, as she and Baldor got into position. Eventually, they managed to move the block enough that Albriech could quickly shimmy out from underneath. The second he was free, Hal and Baldor let the stone drop before they collapsed to the ground, exhausted.
"I may be speaking too soon," said Baldor, taking in deep pulls of air, "but this feels like a bonding moment for the three of us. Wouldn't you say?"
"Shut up," Albriech murmured. Hal just laughed, feeling almost mad. Fighting the temptation to let her laughter turn into tears, she sat up slow and spared a glance at the dead Ra'zac.
"It seems like we've been played," Albriech muttered, following her gaze.
"Aye." She looked away, trying to keep her focus on the matter at hand. "Is there procedure to follow in an instance like this?" she asked her guards. "Somewhere we can go and hopefully find help. Like a central location?"
"Usually the keep," Albriech explained, looking winded still. "But that's dependent on whether or not it's still standing at the moment."
"Is there a back-up? I'm just trying to sort through our options here. However many we may have."
Albriech huffed, trying to think. "I don't know," he admitted after a while.
"The keep is the most central and safest location for her majesty to be in an attack. It's also where much of the troops would await command and arm themselves for battle. If the keep has fallen before any of that were to happen, then we are lost."
"Could we make it to the keep from here?"
Baldor looked up, his expression very unhopeful. "I don't know how far we fell. But your room was closer to the front of the castle, which seemed to be the focus of the first attack. I don't know how long we were unconscious for, so there's no telling who or what has infiltrated since. In theory, we could make it, but it would be a great risk."
"It is a great risk if we stay," Hal determined. "Help is not a guarantee, and we are all at least able to walk on our own. A rare mercy. We should move while we can and try to find aid or other survivors."
"And if we can't?"
Hal felt her stomach roll at the thought. She was certainly projecting a braver demeanor than what she was currently feeling. But while Thea had managed to catch them off guard, she herself had not yet appeared. If Hal could grasp the scope of the situation, perhaps she could help come up with a plan before then.
"We can," she insisted, steeling her voice. She looked at the brothers, trying to feel like the woman she had been on the island. Before Denu's death. She had been brave without question, and Hal was desperate to remember what bravery felt like. "And we must. We will stick together at all costs; we are better in numbers. We'll make our way towards the keep." She looked between the two of them. "Do you still have your weapons? My bow snapped but I have my sword."
There was a quick scan of their surroundings, where Baldor retrieved his blade, but they could not find Albriech's. More than likely it was trapped under the stone, and there was no point in risking injuring themselves to attempt to retrieve it.
"Here," said Hal, returning from the body of Ra'zac with its blade held out to him. "Take this. Better than nothing I suppose."
"Aye, thank you."
"Baldor, you'll take the back," she continued, "and Albriech, you take the middle. I'll take the front."
"No offense," Baldor said, "but if anything happens to you, I'd rather face the gallows than Morzansson's wrath."
"He's not nearly as scary as he likes to project," Hal said dismissively, ignoring the doubtful expressions around her. "Besides, I am a good fighter." Not to mention her senses were sharper, but no need to go into that.
"We're at your command, so ultimately, we do as you say," Albriech said. "If you're sure about being up front, we'll listen. But if at any moment your safety is further compromised, Baldor and I will take over without question. Understood?"
She smiled despite herself. "Fair enough." She turned to look around them, steeling herself for the fight that lay ahead. "All right, gentlemen. Let's figure out how to get aboveground so we can get to the keep. And if you believe in a god or gods, now might be a good time to pray to them."
…
"Careful," Albriech grunted, his face red with exertion. "Easy now."
"I'm not a sack of potatoes, brother," Baldor snapped.
"You certainly weigh as much as one."
Hal snorted, trying not to laugh. She and Albriech each had Baldor gripped under his arm, trying to ease him as gently as possible over the edge. It had taken them nearly an hour to find not ruined curtains to tie together to make a semblance of rope. It was indistinguishable, what floor they were on or which one they had just climbed to. But they were one level up, and Hal would take whatever progress they could get.
Albriech gripped his brother by the back of his shirt and hauled him the rest of the way over. They all fell back again with exhaustion. All of the smoke and dust in the air did not help matters, and it made breathing quite difficult. And because they couldn't be sure of who or what was lurking around the castle, they had to try and keep as silent as possible.
"Can anyone tell where we are?" Hal asked.
The two men looked around, their chests heaving. "It all looks the same after being destroyed," Baldor admitted. "But surely, we couldn't have fallen that far."
"I can't even tell which way is which," Albriech added. Hal and Baldor followed his gaze, unable to discern the direction they faced. So much of the castle walls had fallen in around them that it wasn't even recognizable. "The structure is bound to be weakening, assuming no other attacks are coming."
"Regardless, we have to find a way out," said Baldor. "We may just have to guess and take our chances."
Hal heard a faint sound, like stone grinding against itself. She glanced up and her eyes narrowed in on the one column still standing. At least until now, because she could see the way it began to shift, and she glanced down, realizing the base was unsteady and that it was about to collapse.
Right on top of them.
"GET UP!"
She hauled Baldor to his feet as Albriech scrambled to follow them. They looked up to see the column tipping right towards them. She shoved both brothers with all her might towards the right, and they all fell to the side and rolled as the column struck the ground. But that wasn't the end of it. The weak floor began to crumble with the sudden weight, and they jumped back up to run towards the end of the hallway, the floor collapsing behind them.
Baldor, Albriech, and Hal all threw themselves over the threshold, Albriech pinning both his brother and Hal underneath him. Hal flinched as the floor shook violently underneath them, and she waited for the sensation of falling. She could feel bits of debris strike her as she tried her best to cover her head, Albriech more of a shield than she was would have liked for him to be.
After several long, tense moments, it finally became quiet, and the structure underneath them stopped moving and shaking. There was a split second of hesitation before Albriech finally lifted his head, and Hal glanced over her shoulder. The doorway they had jumped through was filled in with rubble, densely packed. Hal couldn't imagine how long it would take to move.
Baldor let out a slow gust of air. "Guess we have our answer about which way we should go."
Rising carefully to their feet, Albriech was quick to check Baldor and Hal for injuries. Relieved when he found none, he made sure everyone's weapons were still secure before letting Hal take the lead as discussed.
They walked on in relative silence, Hal's heart pounding so loudly that it kept scaring her. She kept one hand on the pommel of her sword, too nervous to carry it around and not wanting to tire her arm out. Too jumpy to not want to feel the metal in the palm of her hand, ready to whip it out at a moment's notice.
"I think I know where we are." She didn't dare glance back at Baldor, but he must've known she and Albriech, who also didn't respond, were listening because he said, "I think we're in Count's Hall."
"I think you're right," agreed Albriech. "I couldn't even tell due to the damage."
"I always liked the ceiling," explained Baldor sheepishly.
Hal glanced up out of curiosity. Part of the ceiling had caved in as well, but what she could make of it was high, arched ceilings with what was once intricate detailing. She doubted she had ever been in this part of the castle; she would remember a room like this. The light from the moon shone through the glass-less windows, casting an eerie light across their path. Everything looked and felt more menacing, and Hal felt on edge. Trapped. "Does Count's Hall mean are we close to an escape?"
"Close enough. Keep heading this direction. We should run right into the Queen's Tower."
"The central staircase," Hal recalled, happy to finally know something.
"Aye, that's the one."
"Excellent." It would give them access to several floors of the castle, which would hopefully aid in their escape. Hal hoped it wouldn't be much longer now. She was getting antsy being trapped in this crumbling structure. Every second, every minute that passed felt like time wasted and lives lost. They had to move faster. The sooner they reached the keep, the sooner Hal could get an update on what the bloody hell was going on here.
However, the silence she had become accustomed to was quickly filled by the sound of a surprised and frightened scream that echoed throughout the crumbling remains of the once-grand halls. They all stopped in their tracks instantly, the hair on Hal's neck rising at the sound. It seemed to come from every direction, but there was only one way forward. Hal glanced back at Albriech and Baldor, who both nodded at a question she hadn't even had to ask out loud.
In agreement, Hal tightened her grip on her sword and moved forwards, ducking down low to remain hidden, unsure of when they would run into whoever had screamed, and whoever, or whatever, had caused them to. Baldor and Albriech followed closely behind, trying to remain as light on their feet as Hal.
When they reached the end of the hallway, Hal paused and peered around the corner. Her eyes widened. It was Juliet!
The handmaiden cowered against the wall. Her cheek was badly bruised and she had no color in her face. Hal felt awful with how frightened the woman must be. She had an ample vantage point and turned her gaze towards the two men talking in hushed voices nearby. Hal recognized them as the same two from before. The same two who were looking for her.
Making a quick decision, she dropped back down into hiding, turning towards the brothers. "All right. So, I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it…"
Several minutes later, after a series of tough negotiations and waiting for Albriech to get into position, Hal gave Baldor and nod and passed him her sword. "Be careful with it," she told him. "I've grown rather attached to this."
Baldor nodded. "Stay sharp."
Hal took a deep breath as she doubled back a bit. Then she rose to her feet, and then burst forth like she had stumbled, putting an edge of panic in her voice as she pretended to spot the two men for the first time. "Oh, thank the gods," she cried, as if she were on the verge of tears. "Please, please you have to help me."
"Miss Halen!" Juliet cried, relief briefly flooding her features.
"Juliet, you're alive!" Hal moved to rush towards the woman, but the two men were quick to draw their weapons. Hal threw her hands up and scrunched her face up like she was about to cry. "No, please don't hurt me. I've done nothing wrong, please."
"Halen," the blonde-haired man repeated, eyeing Hal carefully. "I know that name. You would not happen to be Halen Zarasdaughter, would you?" the man said, stepping forwards and glaring at her suspiciously. "Ha-len," the man repeated, stressing the syllables of her name in a way that made Hal's skin prickle uncomfortably. "Why, we've been looking everywhere for you."
"You have?" Hal felted ridiculous feigning such ignorance. But they seemed to buy it, so she pressed forward, taking a slow step. "Are you with her majesty's guard? I've been trying to find a soldier, or anyone really."
"Aye, that we are." The man stowed his weapon, putting on a friendly smile. "We're here to take you to the queen —"
"Don't listen to them, Miss Halen!" Juliet shouted, and the other man quickly backhanded her.
Hal's façade momentarily slipped, and she stepped forward with every intention of starting a fight. And that intention must've shown on her face, because the pale-haired man re-armed himself, brandishing his thin, scratched blade with a sudden flourish and a twisted smile. "I should've known better than to assume that the whore of that traitor could hold such innocence," he goaded. "Take another step forward, and we'll slit the woman's throat from ear to ear."
The malice and promise with which he spoke made Hal's blood run cold. She stood still, trying to think. What would Murtagh do? What would Murtagh do? He always approached fights with an assured air that befuddled her. She needed to calm down and focus. The other man had picked Juliet up off the ground and used her to shield him almost completely, a blade pressed to her neck. Even his face he kept carefully hidden behind her. Hal did not want to waste her magic just yet. She could see movement out of the corner of her eye and forced her gaze to remain forward so as to not draw their attention. But she had to get closer.
"Are you behind this attack?" she asked, her hands up to show that she was unarmed. At the very least, they did not seem to suspect her of magic. "Or are you just an opportunist trying to take advantage of the chaos."
"Try both," the man snarled. "Months we've been waiting for this moment. This moment where we break free of the shadows within which we've hidden ourselves and officially declare to the world that we will not be silenced!"
Something about his words clicked a piece of the puzzle together in Hal's brain. On a hunch she said, "You're a magician. The Black Hand is behind this, aren't they?"
He didn't answer, but his silence was answer enough.
"This is your big plan? To openly declare war against the crown just to make a point —"
"I'll not have some traitor's whore lecture me! I'm here for one reason and one reason only: to put an end to the queen's registry and reign, any means necessary. The Black Hand will help us see to it."
Hal struggled to keep him talking. She had immediately known the legislation requiring magic users to register themselves with Du Vrangr Gata was in poor judgement back in Teirm. She had even figured it was only a matter of time before that kind of resentment spilled over. But this felt extreme, even despite a period of rioting and protests. Had they simply snapped or had the Black Hand manipulated their feelings of anger to new heights? She supposed they now had proof that the organization had been recruiting members after all.
"Why now? It's been six years since she put the laws into place. What changed?"
"The Black Hand found itself an ally," he explained. Hal suddenly had a sinking feeling, like a stone had lodged itself in her gut. "Someone who knew the pain of ostracization. Someone who showed us a way out of this unending nightmare. Someone who said they could restore magic and magic users to power, as they were before. All we had to do was follow."
Hal felt a chill of trepidation run down her back. Restore magic and magic users? That certainly sounded like the motive of the Black Hand, but what did this have to do with Thea? How was she involved in any of this? "You're mad."
"No. I'm right. However, the two are often and easily confused. But you'll soon understand. By the time this is all over, you'll under —"
Hal had moved closer without him realizing, too caught up in his little soliloquy to have noticed. Albriech lunged forward from his hiding spot, tackling both the other man and Juliet to the ground. Hal slammed her fist into the other man's face, putting all her strength into it and knocking him unconscious in a single blow.
And dammit all to the high heavens! Her fist was throbbing in pain. How on earth did Murtagh manage to punch a wall like it was nothing?!
Baldor rushed forward to help his brother, Hal moving him along when he first stopped to check on her. She was fine, her knuckles simply smarting from the punch. Baldor quickly went to Juliet, pulling her to safety, while Albriech released the other man from a chokehold that had also knocked him out. Hal joined Baldor, dropping to her knees beside her handmaiden. "Juliet, are you all right?"
The woman was smiling through her tears. "You saved my life. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Halen."
They tended to her as best they could, Hal feeling particularly relieved that the handmaiden hadn't been seriously harmed.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Albriech asked after they finished checking Juliet over.
"I'm not quite sure. All I know is that the maid's quarters were partially destroyed by those explosions. I woke up to find Merida seriously injured. She was unconscious and bleeding from an injury in her side. I tried to wait with her until help arrived but…no one came. I came down to try and find someone when I ran into them." She gestured with her chin to the two intruders. "And they had been demanding to know where Miss Halen was. But they didn't say why. At first, they used the same excuse they gave her: that they were with the queen's guard. But I told them I know everyone in this castle and had never seen them before in my life. I refused to tell them anything and that's when they became violent."
Hal blinked. "You didn't give me up? Why?"
Juliet looked almost hurt that Hal would even ask that. "Because…well, it might be bold of me to assume, but I thought we were friends."
Hal continued to stare, dumbfounded, as she pulled the woman into her arms and embraced her tightly. "We must certainly are. Thank you, Juliet."
When Hal pulled back, Albriech asked, "And you didn't see anything or anyone else?"
"Anything?" Juliet repeated, brows furrowing in confusion. "Anything like what?"
Hal met Albriech's gaze and then they both looked away. "Never mind. Come, can you stand?"
She could, but it was quite obvious that, unlike everyone else, Juliet wouldn't be helpful with a weapon, even if they had one to give her. And Hal was quickly realizing that it would become a risk to have more people who needed help than ones who could fight.
"Juliet, is Merida still in the maid's quarters?"
"Aye."
"How do I get there?"
"No, absolutely not," Albriech interrupted. "The maid's quarters take us back the way we came on the highest level of the castle. We're not equipped for that."
"Not as a group we're not."
His eyes widened further with disbelief. "Do you hear yourself right now? Are you mad?"
"I've been told I am."
"Hal, I know you want to rescue Merida," Baldor said gently, trying to calm Albriech and change her mind with a more soothing tone. "But be rational."
I am," she stressed. "There is someone who needs help. Help that cannot wait."
"If you insist on going then I insist on going with you," said Albriech. Before she could argue, he quickly added, "You said you understood, Miss Halen."
"My safety is not yet compromised. Besides, if they are after me, then it is a greater liability for you to stay by my side. Take Juliet to safety and I will return as soon as I can with Merida."
"I'm not looking to compromise. You either agree to my terms or we don't go at all. I'm sorry, but I made an oath to protect you. At the end of the day, I have to be able to face myself and Morzansson if anything were to happen to you. I'd rather be able to admit that I did everything within my powers to keep you safe."
Hal gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to argue back. She knew she was being irrational, but her fear of anything happening to them was driving out all logic. She would have to live with the results of tonight as well. It felt selfish, asking them to risk their lives for her.
"It's my choice, Miss Halen," Albriech added and, for a moment, she thought she had spoken her thoughts out loud.
She could understand that. And she appreciated it, even if she didn't like it. Finally, she relented and said, "All right. Albriech and I will go and search for Merida. Baldor, take Juliet to safety. If there's any luck on our side, we'll be able to rendezvous at the keep."
Baldor looked significantly more relieved since Hal had agreed to his brother's terms. "Yes ma'am."
"Good. Right then. Albriech, let's go."
As she turned to leave, Juliet cried out, "Wait!" and gripped the edge of Hal's sleeve, her eyes wet and steadily filling with more tears. But when Hal met her gaze, the handmaiden seemed at a complete loss for words. All Hal could see was the fear and concern in the young woman's eyes, and her expression softened.
Hal took Juliet's hands in hers. "Thank you for taking such good care of me these last few weeks. It's now my turn to do the same for you. Go with Baldor, he'll look out for you. Just promise me you'll keep fighting."
Juliet nodded, her hands shaking as she clung to Hal almost desperately. Her eyes blazed with something, a silent message that sent Hal reeling with surprise. As Hal pried her hands from the woman's and turned to leave, she was shocked by the tightness in her chest. More importantly, though, she felt a newfound sense of resolve and this unexpected sense of duty to not let Juliet down.
…
"It's too quiet," Albriech muttered, his back tense as he and Hal carefully closed the distance between themselves and the maid's quarters. "It's almost more unnerving."
Hal couldn't really argue. While the haunting silence made it easier to pick up on any unusual noises, it also meant that she was flinching and bracing herself for attack with every small movement. Albriech, to his credit, was being incredibly patient while also taking the lead since he knew the layout of the castle better than Hall, which came in handy seeing as how certain routes were blocked off by debris, forcing them to take a longer way around.
"Do you think more people managed to make it out before the castle caved in?" But as soon as she had asked, they stumbled past a bloody arm sticking out from underneath a pile of stone. Hal quickly turned her head.
"It would be naïve to hope that everyone made it out safely," Albriech said with a despondent sigh. "But it does count for something that this happened at night. Even though security measures were heightened, there's generally less staff in the castle. And the front area sustained more damage, and most of the help is relegate to the back with the exception of the maids. So there's a possibility."
Hal could only hope, realizing for the first time that she had no means of knowing if Giles had made it out either. It felt selfish, in the midst of all this chaos to pray specifically for his safety. But with whatever luck she may have had left, she hoped it would be enough to also keep him safe.
"There," said Albriech, pointing to a corridor up ahead.
"All right, wait here and keep watch. I'll go in and grab Merida." Albriech prepared to argue but Hal shot him a sharp look. "I'm not trying to be difficult this time. I need you to keep watch while my focus is on Merida."
"Fair enough. Shout for me if you need assistance."
"Aye, I will."
They traveled a few more steps forward before Albriech fell back in hiding behind a fallen column. Hal quietly poked her head inside, momentarily caught off guard when she saw that it wasn't just one room, but rather a hallway made up of smaller rooms instead. The space was perhaps just wide enough for two people.
But Hal didn't have to go searching for Merida. She was propped up against the wall, bleeding from her head and a ghastly wound on her side that her hand limply covered, as if she had tried applying pressure to it. Her dress was stained with blood, and Hal approached with trepidation, unnerved by the darkened space as it contrasted with Merida's bloodless face.
"Merida?" Hal whispered, moving to kneel down beside the woman. When there was no response, Hal lifted two shaking fingers to the woman's neck, pressing down to feel for a pulse. Nothing. She removed her hand and leaned down to place her ear over Merida's chest. She waited, holding her breath as though fearing she would somehow miss the slightest of heartbeats. But there was no sound.
Hal sat there, tears burning her eyes. She was already too late. Sitting back on her hunches, Hal struggled to catch her breath. She stared at the woman's face, unable to fathom how suddenly she was gone. Another life, snuffed out.
The wave of emotion was unexpected and strong, and Hal gasped sharply as she was struck, truly struck, by panic. Merida was already dead. Giles could be dead. Baldor, Albriech, and Juliet could still die. She had no way of knowing if Murtagh and Thorn were safe, and hundreds, if not thousands, were dying in Ilirea and Teirm. Hal felt like nothing more than a harbinger of death.
Just as she realized she was losing her ability to think straight, she heard Albriech call her name in warning before she heard what sounded like a body falling. Hal whipped around in a panic, reaching for the hand-in-a-half sword and wondering if she was even strong enough to wield it right now.
She thought it might be Ra'zac, so she was shocked when it was the magician with the Black Hand that she had punched in the face and left unconscious. He must've followed them here. He didn't look at her, but rather at Merida, his expression stoic.
"Her death will not have been in vain."
"And what do you know of it?" Hal spat, indignant on behalf of the deceased that he could utter such a thing at all. Was that meant to be a comfort? To absolve him and the others of what they had done here today?
"Every life lost today brings us closer to the penultimate goal," the man continued. "True harmony and balance, just as it was meant to be."
"And what goal is that?"
His gaze shifted suddenly to Hal, and his blank look seemed to come alive. A ghastly smile split his face and Hal actually stumbled back in alarm, terror seizing her.
"A chance to start anew."
It was all he said before his gaze suddenly became hardened and focused, looking at Hal with clear intent. She only had a split second to remember that he was a magic user. Panicked at having let her guard down, she reacted faster than she should have. Rather than forming the words of the ancient language like she had been taught to do, she thought she might just take the words from him instead and render him speechless, that way he could bring no harm to her.
Successfully, no sound came out from the man, who floundered uselessly as he tried to find his voice. Hal instinctively tried to put distance between them, hating that he was blocking the only way out. She watched him, waiting for him to move or flee. But he just stared at her, gaping and flailing wildly. Suddenly, he dropped and was writhing on the floor, his face almost purple as he choked, like he couldn't breathe.
Like he had no air.
Hal's face went slack when she realized what she had done, and she rushed to his side. "No. No. No, no, no." Her mind went completely blank. She didn't know how to undo her spell. She hadn't actually used one. "No wait, please breathe. Please breathe. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry."
But she was useless, and no combination of words could undo what she had inadvertently wrought. She couldn't look away as he clawed at his neck, soundlessly gasping for a breath that would never come. His eyes seemed to bulge out of his head, staring at her with nothing but accusations in his eyes. Because they both knew what was coming. And Hal could do nothing to stop it.
The man twitched once, twice, and then was still. His eyes were open, mouth hanging wide for the air he had tried to find but could not. Hal stared, only just realizing she had put her hands on his chest, unsure as to why. And she quickly removed them, falling back like the man was diseased.
No. No, no, no, no, no. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Hal hugged herself, shaking and unable to control it. She couldn't think. She couldn't move. Couldn't tear her eyes from the body of the man that lay dead before her.
The man she had inadvertently killed.
It was the soldier all over again. Why? Why was her magic so destructive?
Why was she?
She could feel the tears bubbling up once more, threatening to overwhelm her in every way imaginable. Just then, the man's head turned to face Hal, and she screamed. His jaw struggled to move, like it was resetting itself. Then a familiar voice spoke from him, haunting and aware, like they had seen everything that had unfolded.
"Oh, Halen. What have you done?"
She blinked, unsure if she had finally gone mad. But she knew that voice, her lips moving soundlessly until she finally managed to choke out one word. "Thea?" Hal could barely speak, numb and in shock. Yet, she was so sure that the voice that had just spoken to her was —
"Hello, dear sister." Hal shuddered back in horror, the jaw on the body flexing even though the mouth wasn't fully moving. It was more like Thea was speaking through him.
"Then you are behind this? All this carnage is your doing?"
"Aye. I take full responsibility. But it is for a worthy cause. One that should eliminate much, if not all, of the suffering in Alagaësia."
A chance to start over. "What cause could possibly justify the innocent people you have killed here today? And in Teirm —"
"Teirm was simply a distraction, the messenger a mere puppet. But Ilirea is part of something bigger. Something greater. What these people are dying for, is freedom."
"Freedom from what?"
"Freedom from magic. Freedom from the burdens and constraints that magic bears down on us all. Tell me, Halen, wouldn't life have been better if you had never been able to use magic? If you hadn't killed that soldier, all of us, myself included, could still be alive —"
"No —"
"Yes. Face it. You just as much killed us as those soldiers did."
"No, it was an accident —"
"An accident the resulted in the slaughter of our village!" Hal flinched like she had been struck. "But you didn't know better. How could you? You were just a child, after all. No child should have borne the burden you did that day. If you let me finish what I have set out to do, no child ever will from this moment on."
"What's this all for?"
"Magic is part of the natural world. Another world, that neither humans, dwarves, elves, or otherwise, should have access to. In their hands, it has only sowed discord and death. But if we remove them from the equation, the risk plummets."
"I don't understand."
Thea sighed, almost as though disappointed. "You will soon enough."
The voice faded into nothing, leaving Hal alone with two bodies. The man's wide, unseeing eyes stared at Hal. She couldn't look away, the image searing itself into her memory. A heavy numbness washed over her, like she was being doused with it.
She stumbled out into the hallway, too cowardly to look back at the death she had left in her wake. She felt her mind splinter, Thea's words somehow blending her reality with her past. She could smell the burning bodies of her village, hear the vivid cries of her people as they were cut down. The scene before her was no different. Illium, no different.
She fell, slumped against a wall. It hurt. Everything hurt. The grief, the guilt, the burden of it all. So much suffering. And for what? She had led no extraordinary life to justify it all. She did not feel as if any of this were meant to amount to anything. Innocent people had died, all because her hand twitched. Her sister, turned into a Shade because she had been left to fend for herself, had spread only more violence.
It was mortifying, her ineptitude. And dangerous. People were dying because of this. Because of her. And at this rate, there was no end in sight. Her life would always be marred by the violence that had shaped it.
She looked around and her eyes widened at the sight of Albriech lying on the ground. She made a low noise of despair, fearing the worst. She crawled over to him, turning him onto his back. He was very clearly breathing, and Hal raised a hand to his face, forcing herself to concentrate as she called on her magic and muttered the words of the language Murtagh had taught her. Albriech's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned as he sat up, reaching for the back of his head.
"Dammit," he swore. "Bastard snuck up on me." However, he fell silent when he got one good look at Hal, who was struggling to keep her composure. "Merida?" he asked, and she quickly shook her head. He sighed and swore again, leaning back against the wall. "I'm sorry, Miss Halen."
Hal did not know how to respond to that, her gaze focused on her lap, frustrated and frightened beyond belief. In a moment of weakness, Hal considered telling him everything. Wanted to relieve herself of the secrets that were destroying her life, and the lives of innocent people around her. But she was too cowardly. She feared Albriech's revulsion if she were to reveal that she was a Shade. That Thea was her sister.
Her eyes began to burn with tears. "This is all my fault."
"No —"
"It is!" Her tone was sharper than she had intended, and there was a beat of silence where no one said anything. Hal pressed her face into her hands to try and quell her emotions before they overwhelmed her. "Murtagh was right. We should have never come here."
Albriech looked at a loss for words as Hal cried harder, gripped by a panic. She felt like a ten-year-old child again, her world around her burning. Only able to watch, some part of her knowing it burned because of her.
You just as much killed us as those soldiers did.
"I can't do this," she realized, struck with the most pathetic epiphany of her life. She began to shake her head, brought to surrender by the stark reality she had not grasped until now: Thea blamed Hal for what happened. If these people learned the truth, they would blame Hal too. How could they not?
"Miss Halen?"
She looked over at the man, blinking at him like he was a stranger. She could barely hold his gaze, shame pressing down on her. She feared he would see it. Feared he would know her ugly truths if she looked at him too long.
"Just go," she told him.
"Go?"
"Yes, go. Leave me here and save yourself. You should not have to suffer because of me."
"I can't do that. Not when it puts you at risk."
"Then I relieve you of your duties, Mr. Horstsson." Albriech flinched, stunned. "Thank you for your services but they are no longer needed. You are free to go, and I advise that you do."
He pressed his lips together tightly, looking away for a moment with a look Hal couldn't quite place. She waited for him to walk away, bracing herself for the sting of his rejection. But he didn't move, and she finally forced herself to ask, "Why are you still here?"
"You relieved me of my duties," he said, his tone flat as if he were reminding her.
"Yes, I was there when it happened."
"So, I no longer have to do as you say. So now, instead of being obligated to stay by your side, I'm choosing to."
Hal wasn't prepared for the smart remark to remind her so suddenly of Murtagh. And she was so struck by how much he would have made the same retort that she felt the worst kind of ache for him that she had never before felt. She looked away again, her lower lip trembling as she felt a fresh onslaught of tears fill her eyes. "I wish Murtagh were here. I'm in the middle of a battle that could get him killed and all I can selfishly think is that I feel unbalanced without him here. I tried to be brave. I tried to be like him, or you, or Nasuada, or Arya, or Eragon and I can't do it. I'm not a soldier, Albriech. I'm not…this castle reeks of blood and there are bodies strewn about like…" She didn't even know. Her mind couldn't even conjure up a proper comparison. There were bodies. People with lives and loved ones who suddenly ceased to exist. Just like Hal's village. Just like Celia and Denu. "I'm not strong enough for this," she finished, hanging her head. "I wanted so desperately to be. But I just can't."
She had her eyes closed, too terrified of Albriech's expression. Too cowardly to face him after such a display of weakness. Then she felt his hand on the top of her head, a soothing gesture that reminded her of Murtagh or Amon. "I cannot begin to fathom all you've endured," the blonde-haired man began, his voice soft. "Even from a distance, I knew. When I first saw you, you had the eyes of someone who had lived through things. Bad things. You had a warrior's eyes. Eyes that said you had survived something some of us would never understand. War is frightening, make no mistake. But there are some horrors that exist beyond that. Horrors that not even I know except in theory. I can't imagine what strength it takes to survive something like that and remain as patient and compassionate as you have shown yourself to be, Miss Halen."
"I'm not —"
"You insisted on coming back for your handmaiden. You heard Juliet scream and you rushed forward almost with no hesitation. Even now, you mourn a city that has failed to protect you on several occasions. Those are not the actions of someone who is weak. Those actions make you one of the strongest people I've ever met.
"Sometimes, Miss Halen, I think all we can do in times like this is survive. It is the bare minimum of living, and, yet, it is the hardest. Because you will constantly wonder if this is all worth it. If you are someone who is worth it. You will fight tooth and nail for scraps. To simply justify your reason for existing. And that is no way to live. Not for anyone."
She raised her gaze. "Is this meant to encourage me, Albriech?
Something in his smile was…heartbreaking and beautiful. It was somehow both sad and hopeful. Understanding of reality and yet still able to look out into the future. His smile conjured the feeling of a sitting on a clifftop with a despondent dragon and his rider, watching the sun peek over the horizon. A small moment where even Hal was reminded of what hope felt like. She felt that warmth on her face now, even if it was ever so brief.
"No, Miss Halen. I can only tell you what I know. You must find the strength within you, and take hold of it, and pull it out and wield it with the ferocity I know you are capable of. Even if you are just surviving, you must also remember that that it is still living. The strength and fortitude you show today will carry you through the rest of your life — and I know, just by looking at you, that you will have a long life. But you must be willing to fight for it. No one else can."
She was softly crying as he spoke and as she listened. The ache in her chest felt heavier, more constricting. You just as much killed us as those soldiers did.
"Is it selfish, Albriech? To choose life when I have left nothing but death in my wake?"
"I think the better question is whether there's any part of your life worth choosing over death?"
Yes. She did not even have to think about it, even if she felt greedy for wanting such things. To return to her village, to marry the man she loved, to perhaps one day have children with him — to have the honor and the privilege her parents never did, and actually watch her children grow up. To see more of this world and all it had to offer. To fly on Thorn's back over the ocean again. To ride Nani through Illium just to get away from it all. She wanted so much. She wanted everything. She wanted to reclaim the life that had been so cruelly stolen from her as a girl and make something of it. Make something of herself.
Sensing her answer, Albriech rose to his feet and held out his hand one last time. "I cannot force the matter. All I can do is offer the advice of a poor, blacksmith's son. The rest is up to you. But let it be your choice, Hal. Do not let the dead dictate what we should do as the living. It is not their place."
Hal stared at him, like she was meeting him for the first time. His words struck a chord within her that rang deep and true. She knew she would never be free of her past. She would never be free of this guilt. Not completely, anyway. The events of tonight and the last few months had changed her. She was not the same woman she had been when she first dragged Murtagh out of the ocean. But some part of her was still in there, along with the scared child who watched her village suffer, and the woman who had found the thrill of horseback riding at thirteen. Even within the death she had thought defined her existence, there was still so much life trying to burst forth, trying to break down the walls she had built up.
And holding them up any longer was too tiring. Her energy was better spent elsewhere.
Hal took a deep breath and reached for Albriech's hand before she could second-guess herself. He grinned broadly, hauling her to her feet. Trying not to lose it with so much still ahead of her, she glanced up at the burly man and looked away quickly, embarrassed. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"And if I may be so bold as to ask…but, please don't tell Murtagh about this. At least no time soon. I don't want him to know that I gave up, even if it was just for a moment."
Albriech's smile was comforting to behold as Hal wiped her eyes. "Not a word," he assured her.
She nodded, grateful. "Then let's get out of here. I have an urgent message to deliver to her majesty."
"What message is that?"
Hal licked her lips and steeled her voice. "That the Shade is not in Teirm like the messenger told us. She's here, in Ilirea."