Ruined (23 page)

Cas broke into a sprint, Galo at his side. Two more arrows flew through the air. A warrior screamed as one lodged in his arm. A few of the male staff members jumped on top of him.

A warrior immediately planted himself in front of the door to the wagon, and Cas swung his sword as he approached. The warrior blocked the attack, his feet kicking up dust as their swords met.

Galo crept around behind the warrior, grabbing him by the throat. The warrior's eyes widened, his sword jerking sideways. Cas lunged, sinking his sword into the man's chest Galo dropped him, his body making a thud as it hit the ground.

Cas jumped forward, releasing the latch on the wagon and swinging open the door. Gasps echoed through the group as they recognized him.

He gestured for them to get out, quickly whirling around to survey the damage. He spotted one Lera guard dead on the ground, but the staff had swarmed the warrior.

Two warriors were fending off an attack from four guards, and clearly losing. A guard sliced his blade into the chest of one of the warriors as Cas watched.

In a matter of minutes, five of the six warriors were dead, and Mateo was engaged in a heated battle with the last one. The guard was clearly not as good with a sword as he was with a bow and arrow.

Cas ran for them, slamming his body against the warrior's. They both tumbled to the dirt, the warrior keeping a grip on his sword as he went down. Cas barely ducked his head as the man swung at his neck.

The warrior scrambled to get up, but a few of the women from the wagon had him pinned.

Cas quickly rolled away from the warrior, and Mateo put both hands on his sword, driving it into the warrior's chest. He smiled at Cas as he withdrew the blade.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Cas nodded as he got to his feet. The clearing was almost silent, the warriors' dead bodies littering the ground. Only the one guard had died, but Cas found himself unable to look in that direction. The death felt heavy in his chest.

He looked back at the wagon to see Daniela, the older woman he'd met earlier in the wagon, climbing out. She teetered to him and threw her arms around his neck.

He gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. He regarded the dirty, exhausted faces around him. “Is everyone all right?”

Heads nodded in unison.

“Did they feed you?”

“A little dried meat yesterday,” one man said.

“It's not far to Fort Victorra,” he said. “Feel free to get back in
the wagon if you're too weak to walk.” He gestured for a couple of guards to take over the wagon.

“Thank you,” Daniela said, her eyes shining with tears. Several more thank-yous rumbled through the crowd, and he gave a tired smile before turning away. Galo stood behind him, watching the staff.

“I think you've just created thirty people who would do anything you say,” the guard said.

Cas walked to his horse. “It looks like a few died since the last time I saw them.”

“That's not your fault.”

Cas shrugged as he mounted his horse. The guard climbed atop his as well, and the rest of the guards spread out in front and behind him as they started down the trail.

“I'm sorry about your father,” Galo said after a long silence.

“A warrior came through the window and stabbed him before I could react,” Cas said. “I couldn't save him.”

“No one expected you to,” Galo said. “You shouldn't have had to face a warrior alone anyway. I failed you.”

“No, you didn't,” Cas said, frowning at him. “If I remember correctly, you stayed behind to fight off a rather large number of warriors. I'm surprised you made it out alive.”

“I am too.”

“It's a good thing. I don't know who else I would have named captain of my guard.”

Galo looked at Cas in surprise. “I'm too young to be captain of the king's guard.”

“Well, I'm too young to be king, but here we are.”

“Here we are,” Galo repeated quietly. He gave Cas a sad smile. “All right. Thank you.” He paused, glancing at Cas for several moments. “We haven't found a trace of Emelina Flores.”

“Ah.”

“You hadn't asked.”

“I guess I figured you would say if you had.”

Galo gave him a thoroughly suspicious look but didn't push further. Cas would confide in him eventually, but not when the other guards were so close.

Cas glanced at his friend, realizing for the first time that Galo was the only person he trusted enough to tell the truth about Emelina. His mother and Jovita would have a nervous breakdown. None of his father's advisers had ever taken him seriously enough to build any kind of relationship.

“I'm glad you're not dead, Galo,” he said softly. He wanted to say more, to tell Galo everything and ask for advice, and he could see Galo reading that emotion on his face. Cas turned away, kicking his horse until it began galloping. “Let's go.”

LERA SOLDIERS SWARMED
the fortress. Jovita had described Fort Victorra to Em as “simple,” and she wasn't wrong. While the Royal City castle was all windows and lavish decorations, the fort was nothing but a square pile of bricks.

Two towers flanked the main building, with openings at the very top, presumably for the soldiers to keep watch. A brick wall ran around the entirety of the building, though it wasn't so high that it couldn't be climbed if necessary. But it would be hard to climb it without drawing attention from the guards.

Em crouched on a hill not far away, where she could see the soldiers milling around behind the wall. A huge number had made it to the Southern Mountains without being captured by Olso guards.

Em pressed her hands into the grass, craning her neck to peer at the winding road leading to the fort. The queen and Jovita had arrived several minutes ago, but there was no sign of Cas yet. Hopefully he wasn't far behind.

A flash of movement caught her eye in the woods beyond the fort. A few red jackets came into view. Warriors.

She jumped to her feet, keeping her body low to the ground as she jogged down the hill. She needed to find Aren before Olivia was released. She wanted to hightail it out of Lera as soon as she had Olivia, and she wasn't leaving without Aren.

She broke into a run as she entered the cover of trees. The woods were too quiet. No animals scurrying around, no insects chirping. A lot of people had been through the area recently.

A powerful gust of wind blew across her face, too strong to be natural. She whirled around, searching for the Ruined. Dirt sprayed across her face, and she blinked, her eyes watering.

A body smashed into hers, and Em grunted as she hit the ground. She threw her elbow back, connecting with soft flesh, and managed to wriggle away as the woman cried out in pain.

She scrambled across the dirt, her sword half drawn before she caught a glimpse of her attacker's face. She froze.

“Mariana?”

The Ruined girl blinked, giving Em a baffled look. “Emelina?”

Footsteps pounded the dirt, and Em whipped her head around to see two Ruined men running toward them.

“It's fine, it's just Emelina.” Mariana jumped to her feet,
dusting the dirt off her pants. “What are you doing here? We thought you were dead.”

“Nice to see you too.” Em pushed off the ground, adjusting the sword on her belt. “What are
you
doing here? Did you come in on the warrior ships?”

Mariana nodded. “The warriors wanted us to help take Fort Victorra.”

Em looked at the empty space around them. “Where are they?”

“They're getting into position for the attack. We were doing the same.” Mariana cocked her head, her thin dark braids falling over her shoulder. “Why are you here? I was sure you died months ago.”

Em ignored the question, glancing at the two men. The man with gray streaks in his hair was Weldon, and must have been the one to spray dirt in her face. The younger man, Nic, was also able to control the elements, but the power was so weak he was practically useless.

“What are you wearing?” Nic asked, grimacing as he surveyed her tattered blue dress.

“I'm on my way to get Aren,” she said. “You three come with me. I may need the backup.”

“Aren's alive?” Mariana instantly perked up.

Weldon lowered his bushy eyebrows. “We thought you finally got him killed.”

“The warriors have him.”

“Maybe you should wait here,” Mariana said, like she was
talking to a child. It was a tone any useless Ruined knew well. “We can handle it.”

Em rolled her eyes and turned away from them, breaking into a run.

“Seriously, what is she wearing?” Nic asked from behind her.

“Come on!” she yelled over her shoulder. Footsteps followed her a moment later, and she led them through the trees to the south side of the fort. She slowed as she approached the area where she'd seen the warriors. She didn't make an effort to be quiet. She was negotiating with the warriors, not attacking.

Iria's face appeared from behind a tree, and she glanced over her shoulder. “Emelina's here.” An angry murmur followed her words, and Iria frowned.

Em slowly stepped forward. Iria stepped aside, revealing Koldo and a female warrior standing over Aren. He was seated on the ground, still blindfolded but apparently unharmed.

“I just want Aren,” she said, raising her hands.

The female warrior shook her head. “He's too dangerous. He killed a warrior earlier, and we're not taking a chance that he'll kill more. We're keeping him until we can transport him to the Olso king for evaluation.”

“Petra, we don't need—” Iria began.

“Move, or I will make you move,” Mariana interrupted, stepping up beside Em. She narrowed her eyes at Koldo and the warrior screamed, batting at invisible images with his bandaged wrist. He whirled around, slamming straight into a tree.

He moaned as he hit the ground. “I hate you people.”

Petra reached for her sword, making a beeline for Mariana. Em jumped between them, putting her hand over Mariana's face before she could use her powers.

“Get off,” Mariana said, jerking her head away.

“Everyone just calm down.” Em turned to Petra. “Put the sword away.”

“Make me.”

“I'd be happy to.” Mariana lunged and Em shoved her.

“We're on the same side!” Em yelled. “Will everyone just shut up for a minute? Nic, take off Aren's blindfold.”

“If you take off his blindfold, he'll kill us all,” Koldo said, shakily getting to his feet.

“Probably not,” Aren said. “I'd say there's only like a sixty percent chance I kill you all.”

“Aren,” Em said in a warning tone.

He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Fifty percent.”

Iria stepped aside, giving Nic access to Aren. He tugged off Aren's blindfold and untied the rope binding his hands. Aren hopped to his feet.

“Are the warriors in position to attack?” Em asked Iria.

“Yes. There are a few Ruined scattered through the woods as well. They're part of the second wave.” She pointed at Mariana. “Weren't you given an assignment?”

“Yeah, but then I ran into Em wandering aimlessly around the woods.”

“I wasn't aimless, I was looking for—” Em cut herself off, taking a deep breath and turning back to Iria. “I need for you to
wait. Cas promised to release Olivia.”

Mariana gave her a baffled look.

“Olivia is in there,” Em said before Mariana began asking questions. “She's still alive, and she should be walking out that door any minute.”

“Wait.” Mariana put her hands out in front of her, like
stop
. “Cas, as in Prince Casimir?”

“King Casimir, now,” Aren said.

“He told you he would release Olivia.” Mariana's face twisted into utter disbelief. “Why would he do that?”

“It's a long story. But—”

“It's a long story you need to hear,” Aren interrupted. “Em married Cas. She's the reason we were able to launch a successful attack against the Lera castle. She's why we're all here.”

Silence fell over the group, and the three Ruineds looked at Em in confusion.

“Married?” Weldon repeated.

Mariana made a disgusted face. “Ew.”

“Can you hold off on the attack?” Em asked Iria.

“No. It happens after sundown. Everything is already in motion.”

Em looked at the sky. About another hour until sundown. Hopefully that was enough time.

“Fine. Aren, come with me. We're going to keep watch on the fort and see when she comes out. Mariana, Weldon, Nic, get in your positions.” She pointed at the warriors. “You three. No more taking Ruined as prisoners. We're on the same team here.”

Koldo and Petra frowned at the Ruined warily, but Iria agreed.

“Got it?” Em asked Mariana.

Mariana blinked, throwing a baffled look at Weldon and Nic. “When did you start giving orders?”

“When I executed this entire plan while you were all hiding and running away.”

Mariana turned to Aren. “She really did all this?” He nodded. Mariana still didn't look convinced.

“Get in position or get out of the way,” Em said.

Mariana hesitated for a beat, then gestured to Nic and Weldon. “Let's get in position.”

CAS FOLLOWED GALO
through a tall metal gate, a chilly wind causing goose bumps to rise on his arms. Fort Victorra cast a shadow over the lawn, and Cas raised his head to look at it. He hadn't been to the fortress in years. It already felt oppressive, and he wasn't even inside yet.

Lera soldiers and guards swarmed all over the lawn, and every head turned to watch him. A chill raced down his spine. They all took orders from
him
. They were all expecting
him
to have the answers.

He forced a smile as a familiar guard's face lit up at the sight of him. Galo pulled open the thick wooden doors, stepping back to let Cas go first.

The guard to his right straightened as Cas stepped into the building. There were no windows, so it was dark and cool. The entryway was small and cramped. Cas went through a second door and found himself in a large, mostly empty room. Lanterns hung from the walls, casting a soft glow onto the stone floors. The stairway to his left led up to most of the rooms, if he remembered correctly, and also allowed access to the two towers. Several guards stood nearby, one positioned at each wall.

“Where are my mother and Jovita?” he asked.

“Upstairs in the east tower,” a guard said.

“And the prisoners? Is anyone besides Olivia down there?”

“No, Your Majesty. Just Olivia Flores.”

Cas leaned closer to Galo, lowering his voice. “Will you go down there and relieve any guards? Tell them they're needed out front. I'll meet you there in a minute.”

Galo gave Cas a questioning look, but he nodded and headed out of the room. Cas walked to the stairs, jogging up them and into the east tower. His mother and Jovita stood by the window in the small room. They both turned when he walked in.

“Tell me what's going on.” He moved to the window, nudging Jovita aside. The sun was setting, and a soldier was lighting the torches around the building. It was quiet, the air thick with fear and tension.

“We've spotted some movement in the woods,” his mother said. “We think they'll be attacking tonight. They were probably waiting for us to get here.”

“We're their target,” he said.

“It might have been safer for you to stay hidden in the jungle,” Jovita added.

“Safer, maybe, but not a very brave choice considering we're at war.” He cracked a knuckle as he said the word
war
.

“Why do you have a warrior's sword?” Jovita asked, eyeing the blade at his waist.

“I took it from one after I killed him.”

“Did you come all this way by yourself?” Suspicion crept into her voice.

“Does everyone have orders?” he asked, ignoring the question. He gestured at the soldiers outside. “Do they . . . know what to do?” He knew nothing about leading an army into battle, and the question sounded stupid as it left his mouth.

“Colonel Dimas is the highest-ranking officer here,” the queen said. “I'd hoped General Amaro would make it in time, but she hasn't arrived.” She paused. “Or she's dead.”

“There are already plans in place to defend Fort Victorra in case of an attack,” Jovita said. “You should know that, Cas.”

He vaguely remembered those plans, and he rubbed his fingers against his head. “Forgive me if I can't remember everything clearly right now, Jovita. I didn't have guards to escort me through the jungle. I've barely slept since we were attacked.”

“Your Majesty?”

Cas turned to the source of the voice to find a short guard standing in the doorway. He looked at Cas nervously.

“I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty, but I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be reporting to right now.”

“It's fine,” Cas said.

“We were just told to leave the dungeons—me and the other guards—and I just wanted you to know that we don't usually leave Olivia with less than three guards and—”

“Is she dangerous?” Cas interrupted.

“Well, no, not anymore, but—”

“Then we need you fighting.”

The guard nodded and scurried away, mumbling an apology as he went.

The queen and Jovita regarded him with matching suspicion. He tried to keep a neutral expression on his face.

His mother touched his arm. “Cas, let's get you something to eat and hide you in one of the rooms. Jovita and I can handle any problems that arise.”

Cas's gaze flickered to Jovita, an uneasy feeling unfolding in his chest. “I'm not hiding away while our soldiers fight.” He turned to his cousin. “Jovita, go get Colonel Dimas and tell him to meet me downstairs. I want a briefing on the plan.”

“Your mother and I already talked to him,” Jovita said.

“Good. Now go and tell him the king wants to speak with him in a few minutes.”

Jovita's jaw twitched, but she walked past him and ran down the stairs. He headed after her, his mother following him.

“Part of being a good king is making sure you stay alive to actually rule,” she said, her shoes pounding the floor as she ran after him. “Charging into battle to save a few staff members in a wagon and—”

“We saved them and I'm still here, Mother.”

“It's not smart.” She grabbed his shirt, pulling him to a stop. “Why did you take the guards off Olivia?”

“We need everyone fighting.” He tried to keep his face blank, but his mother frowned suspiciously.

Cas turned away, jogging down the stairs. His mother stayed put, and he could feel her eyes burning into his back. He stepped off the stairs and out of her line of sight. He was going to have to sneak Olivia out, and he wasn't looking forward to the fallout once his mother realized what he'd done.

Colonel Dimas walked through the front door and nodded at Cas. “Your Majesty. I'm glad you made it here safely.” He led Cas outside and took him around the entire building, giving Cas a brief rundown of their defense strategy as they walked. Many of the guards and soldiers were obviously weary, their uniforms wrinkled and dirty from travel. But they stood tall in straight lines, ready for battle. Cas looked down at his grungy blue staff shirt.

“Can I get a guard uniform?” he asked the colonel as they returned to the front lawn. “It'll be easier to fight if I blend in.”

“Will you be joining us, Your Majesty?”

“Yes.”

“I'll have someone find one.”

Cas thanked him and turned on his heel, shaking his head when a guard made a move to follow him. “I'll be back in a minute.”

He walked through the front doors and across the large room.
There were two arches on the back wall leading to the rear rooms, and he glanced over his shoulder before ducking through the left one. The guards watched him, but none made a move to follow.

He headed across the parlor, sidestepping the table and cluster of chairs in the center of the room. If he remembered correctly, the doorway at the back left corner of the room led to the dungeons.

He pulled open the door and quickly descended the stairs. A heavy wooden door was at the bottom, and he pushed it open to reveal a long hallway with cells on either side. Galo stood in front of one of the last cells, and he looked up at the sound of the door opening.

“This is Olivia?” Galo asked, pointing to the cell in front of him. His face was pulled tight with worry, and Cas quickly walked toward him. All the cells he passed were empty. Oddly, it smelled strongly of flowers or perfume the farther he went into the cells.

“Is she all right?” Cas asked.

The last cell was the only one occupied. It held a teeange girl. She was chained to the bed, facing the wall instead of out at the bars. A blindfold covered her eyes. She wore loose pants and a white shirt, both smudged with dirt and grime. Her dark hair was wild. She had more Ruined marks than Damian. The pale lines covered her arms and crept up her neck into her hair.

“I think that's her,” Cas said quietly.

“Have they had her chained to that bed the whole time?”

Cas ran a hand down his face with a long sigh. “I don't know.”
What had he expected? That she had several rooms and a nice bed? That she was allowed to bathe regularly and given enough to eat? Neither had happened, given the state of her.

He held his hand out. “Do you have the keys?”

Galo handed them over. “They're labeled. It's the green one.”

He held the green key up to the lock. “Olivia—”

The dungeon door banged open and he jumped away from the cell. His mother and Jovita strode down the hallway, followed by four guards.

The queen extended her hand as she stopped in front of Cas. “Keys, Casimir.”

He took a step back, his shoulder brushing against Galo's. He cleared his throat, trying to sound authoritative. “Could you all please give me a moment?”

“You can't release her.” The queen shook her head. “I know that's why you're down here. I know Emelina put ideas in your head about the Ruined, but you can't just let Olivia go. You don't know what she's capable—”

“She's chained to the bed!” He pointed at her, anger rising in his chest. “She's not capable of anything!”

“It's a failed experiment, Cas,” Jovita said. “We'll admit that. We learned a few things, and we thought Olivia's healing powers could be useful, but she couldn't be conditioned to—”

He pointed at the guards. “Get them out of here.”

None of the guards moved. His mother looked at him apologetically. “I'm sorry,” she said quietly.

The guards sprang forward. Hands closed tightly around
Cas's wrists. He tried to jerk away, but they held firm. One of them pried the keys out of Cas's hand.

“I'm sorry, Your Highness,” one of them murmured.

Galo's fingers curled around his sword.

“You're too emotional,” the queen said.

Cas fought down a swell of rage. “You—”

“Lera isn't about the opinions of just one person,” the queen interrupted. “Even if that person might be the next king.”

Might be the next king.
Might?
He swiveled his head to Jovita. She didn't meet his gaze.

“We're engaged in war,” his mother said. “Now isn't the time to drastically change policies. If you were thinking clearly, you would see that. You've barely slept in days—we can all tell—and I can certainly understand you still being traumatized by the death of your father.”

His mother gestured at a cell. “Only for a few hours, until we fend off an attack from the warriors. You'll be safe down here.” She grabbed her necklace, pulling it over her head and then throwing it over his head. The metal was still warm from her skin as it slipped beneath his shirt. “It has the Weakling flower in it. It protects you from Ruined magic.”

He looked down at it in surprise, turning a questioning gaze to her.

“It's one of the reasons we had Olivia. We needed to know their weaknesses, in case of a situation like this. You should have it, if you're going to be down here with her.” She pointed to Galo, who still had his hand on his sword. “Put him in there with Cas.”

Cas twisted against the hands holding him. He couldn't get free. “You need all the guards fighting!” His mother just shook her head in reply. He shot her a furious look as a guard took Galo's sword.

The guards gave Cas a gentle push to the cell. He stubbornly refused to budge, so they had to drag him through the open metal door. The two men released him and stepped out of the cell, then pushed Galo inside. The guards banged the door shut behind them and twisted the key.

Cas crossed his arms over his chest, noticing that his mother was avoiding his gaze. He stared at each of the guards in turn, making a mental note of their faces. He didn't want to forget the faces of traitors.

“Let's go,” the queen said. “One of you stay at the post outside the door. No one in or out.”

“I'll stay,” a guard offered. The queen nodded, gesturing at Jovita to follow her. They disappeared through the door, the guard who'd elected to stay shutting it behind him as he followed.

Cas looked from Galo to Olivia, in the cell across from them. Was Em going to think he'd betrayed her? Would she attack with the rest of the warriors now? Dread curled at the bottom of his stomach.

He let out a long sigh, pushing a hand through his hair. He turned to Galo. “I need to tell you what happened in the jungle.”