Pain filled Simon’s eyes, and he glanced away, then whispered, “What do you mean you’ll stop everyone who gets in your way?”
“You know what it means, Simon. Why did you fight all those years as a Corack? Freedom for Antora, was it not? Finally, I can provide that, in ways no one else in this kingdom can. You believe corruption is an evil developing within me, but you’re wrong.” And with that, I was finally able to tell Simon the truth he needed to hear. “You are wrong about magic. You are wrong about me. You never loved me.”
That last part hit him hard, I could see it in his expression.
“Simon, we have to talk,” Harlyn repeated. “The Brill are closer than we thought.”
In response, he took two steps toward her, but changed his mind midway and addressed me again. “No, Kes, that’s not true. At one time, you had everything in you to bring peace to Antora. And you are wrong about magic. It can never bring freedom to our land. It will only bring more destruction and death.”
I tilted my head. “Perhaps. But it will not be my death.”
“Simon!” That was as far as Harlyn got before an explosion somewhere on Woodcourt’s grounds shook the earth. I heard something topple and guessed it was one of the walls surrounding the property. Was it the Dominion attacking?
This time when Simon spoke, his expression had changed. “That’s the Brill. Kes, you can’t be here.”
Joth grabbed my arm and pulled me in one direction while Simon and Harlyn ran in the other.
“They’re already here,” I said to Joth. “How will we get away?”
His smile revealed an eagerness for what was coming. “We have a few minutes, I think.”
Then I understood. Joth had already issued a command to the spirits who had followed us from the forest. The Brill wouldn’t get in until we got out.
They were too late to stop me.
By morning, I would be holding the Olden Blade in my hand. Lord Endrick was living the last few days of his life.
Immediately after Kestra left, I grabbed a cloak and ran to the stables to prepare my horse, intending to follow her and Joth before we engaged the Brill.
“Wake everyone,” I said to Harlyn, who raced back into Woodcourt, calling out the alarm.
Tenger was already in the stables on his horse, but he shook his head when he saw me. “I don’t know what is happening, but some force is blocking us in here. I already tried to ride out to meet the Brill.”
Undaunted, I mounted my horse and urged it forward, but it took only a single step before it reared up and backed away from the stable door. I tried again, but to no avail.
“Joth Tarquin!” Tenger said. “This is his magic at work.”
I slid off my horse and marched back into Woodcourt, taking the nearest exit out of the home that I could find. Or, I attempted to do so. It too was blocked. I pressed forward against an invisible … something that would not let me pass.
I cursed and banged against the barricade with my arms. The hardened forearm of my right arm pushed deeper into the barricade than my other arm had, and I pulled it closer to stare at it. Since this had happened to me, I had assumed that Rawk had changed the flesh for my interactions with him. But it had to be more than that. This arm was stronger than whatever was blocking the exits from Woodcourt.
I wanted to understand that better, and to figure out what other abilities I may have with my arm, but for now, I needed to find Kes.
Harlyn ran up behind me. “She’ll be quite a distance fr
om here by now. We lost her.”
“But Rawk can find her.” I closed my eyes and tried to locate him with my thoughts. He was on the outskirts of Highwyn, but he knew what I wanted and I felt him start to move as clearly as if I were there with him.
“All right, so Rawk finds her, then what?” Harlyn asked.
“He’s not going after Kestra. He’s coming for me.”
Harlyn followed me into the stables, calling out questions I didn’t have time to answer. I only knew that he was close, and when he landed, I warned her and Tenger, “Get down.”
Rawk spat fire toward the stables, and at first, it didn’t break through, but then a lick of flame ate a hole in the stable wall. It was small, but it was enough.
“Everyone, go now!” I shouted, making a run for Rawk. He crouched down as I leapt onto his back, and he shot into the air.