The Underground Witch (Incenaga Trilogy) (7 page)

Erick closed the door and the room became quieter than
even the night-time corridor. The rise and fall of everyone’s breaths rose to deafening levels until Erick finally spoke.

“When you were in Volarcus last fall, did you hear anything about an army being raised?”

Orrin rubbed his chin and scowled.
“I don’t believe so. But I didn’t hear much of anything while holed up in that cell. ”

Emmeline
cringed.

“We received a letter today
,” Erick said. “Someone claims to have amassed an army stronger than Dolmerti’s. They are coming for Emmeline.”

Orrin sucked in a breath
so deep it could have filled his whole body. “For Emmeline?” he nearly shouted, his eyes wide.

“Yes, he wants her power as an Incenaga.”

Orrin leaned against the wall, his shoulder pushed up near his ear to support his weight. “Will it never stop?” He stared ahead.

“I’m so sorry,” Emmeline said with her hand stretched toward her father.
But he continued staring forward so she let it fall to her side. “I never wanted this to happen to you again.”

Orrin straightened and gathered Emmeline in his arms.
“Oh my sweet one, don’t apologize. You are not to blame.”

“I can take her away
,” Erick said. “He’ll never be able to find her.”

Emmeline broke from her father’s hold.
“The letter specifically said not to hide me.”

“
Who says we have to listen!” Erick shouted. He rubbed the back of his neck and lowered her voice. “I’m sorry. What I meant is that I don’t care what it says. I’m taking you away. I know just the place we can go.” He paced across the room, his head bowed in thought.

Emmeline shook her head. “He said he would know how to find me.”

“He’s bluffing.”

“Unless he has someone who knows Dolmerti. Someone who knows you.”

Erick stopped pacing and looked at her. “Mahlon?”

Emmeline nodded. “We never found him.”

“I can still hide you.”

“
We can’t run forever. Your people need you. You are the last remaining heir to the crown and your father isn’t well.”

“But if you aren’t here, you will be safe
,” Erick argued.

“And
then what? Do I never come back? Do I hide forever? Dolmerti is my home now.”

“No,” Orrin
said. “You cannot leave. If Mahlon is behind this then he will be able to find you wherever you go. I have a pile of rubble deep in the forest of Pamizak that will attest to that. I wasn’t able to hide her and neither will you.”

Erick pounded his fist on a table.
“I won’t sit back and wait for an army to come for her. We’ll prepare for an attack. We’ll cut them off at the pass to Thortom. It is the only entrance into Dolmerti from Volarcus.”

“
You cannot leave Emmeline alone,” Orrin said. His lips quivered. Harskell had come for her mother while her father was away and he’d blamed himself ever since.

Emmeline put her arms around her father and squeezed, wishing her embrace was strong enough to choke the guilt and regret out of him.

“You need to stay by her side until this passes,” Orrin said. “You mustn’t leave her alone.”

“Of course.” Erick said. “I won’t leave her for a single moment. I will speak to my commander tonight and we will determine the best course of action. His men can spot an army from miles away. The dust clouds they generate on their own will be massive. No army will enter Dolmerti. It doesn’t matter what this man claims, there is no army equal to mine.”

“I’m counting on it,” Orrin said. He glanced at the door and Emmeline knew
he wished to be alone.

Erick put a hand on Orrin’s shoulder. “I’ll take care of her, sir,” he said.

Orrin gave a curt nod.

Erick
wrapped an arm around Emmeline’s waist and pulled her into the corridor.

“We’ll go
everywhere together,” he said as he shut the door behind them. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. Until the danger passes, I’ll be stuck by your side day and night.”

Emmeline smiled to herself. She rather liked the idea of seeing Erick
day
and
night. But she knew it wouldn’t be proper for Erick to remain with her all night. The servants would talk, the guards would snicker, and she didn’t want to start her rule as someone who couldn’t be trusted to maintain proper etiquette.

“
We aren’t yet wed,” she said. “It isn’t proper.”

“I don’t care
.” With Emmeline in tow, Erick tore through the corridors toward the commander’s rooms. “No one would dare speak against the future Princess of Dolmerti. I don’t care what you or they say. I’m not leaving you alone. If anyone gets into the palace, I’ll be able to protect you better than any of your guards.”

“
I thought you said no army will enter Dolmerti.”

“They won’t, but I’m not taking any chances.”

Emmeline found it difficult to argue when a better part of her delighted in the idea of seeing more of Erick, no matter the circumstances. And he was right. If anyone got through, Erick had more than enough training to stop the most skilled fighters. Except herself, Emmeline thought. Give her a flame and she could stop an entire army. She shuddered. Would it come to that? Would she have to kill an entire army to save herself? She didn’t want to think about it.

“Well
, at least allow me the morning of our wedding alone,” she said.

Erick ha
lted mid-stride, leaving Emmeline no time to react. She barreled into him and jammed her nose into one of the metal decorations on his coat. Erick caught her in his arms and held her out in front of him.

“What
did you say?” he asked.

Emmeline rubbed her nose with the palm of her hands.
“I’m assuming we are still going forward with the wedding?”

“
Of course.”

“I’d like to dress for my wedding day without the groom watching.”

Erick ran a hand through his hair.
“That’s what I thought you said. You don’t know what you are asking. If I leave you, you will be vulnerable.”

“
Leave me a flame.”

“And if someone get
s through to you? How will you keep from taking on too much heat? How will you keep them from controlling you?”

Emmeline scowled. “
I held Mahlon off long enough.”

“He
tortured you.”

“
Yes, he did, but I never opened my eyes for him.”

Erick rubbed her arm and swallowed. “
You did. Once. And he only needed a lantern flame to do it.”

Emmeline looked away. She
had been vulnerable when Mahlon won control over her because she thought she’d lost the one person she loved more than life itself. Losing Erick had been more than she could handle, so when Mahlon lit the lantern in the carriage, she was too weak to resist the fire’s pull. And in the darkest moments of her life, she was forced to kill, forced to become a monster.

“Fine,” Emmeline said. “
You can hover outside my doors, for all I care. At the sound of even the slightest danger you can come barging in, if it pleases you. Although, this is a moot point because no army will reach me, right?”

Emmeli
ne waited for his reply. He’d already claimed no army would breach Dolmerti’s borders, but how certain could he be? Was she going to be safe? Would Erick’s men stop anyone before they got to her? He promised they would, but she wanted to hear it just one more time. She needed that reassurance.

Erick nodded, but worry
clouded his eyes. Emmeline’s shoulders fell. If the army got through to her, she’d have no choice but to . . . she couldn’t finish the thought.

“Are you sure this is what you want?”
Erick asked.

For a moment Emmeline couldn’t remember what it was she had wanted. Safety? Yes. Freedom? Yes. A chance at a normal life? Yes.
And then she remembered. She wanted to prepare herself like any other bride – without the groom keeping guard with a sword in one hand and a vendetta in the other.

“Yes,
” she said finally.

“Fine.
I’ll double the guards outside your door. Adelia will be with you, right?”

“Yes, of course.”
Adelia wouldn’t miss the chance to help Emmeline dress for her wedding. Not only was Adelia her handmaiden, but she was her closet friend next to Erick.

“Good.
She will be able to alert the appropriate parties, if need be.”

“I’m sure everything will be fine.
I’ll only need a few hours before the ceremony.”

“
One hour.”

“Three,
” Emmeline countered.

“One.”

“Four.”

Erick tilted his head back and let out
a laugh full of tension. “How about two hours?” He gave her a sly smile and pulled her closer. “Until then, I insist you stay by my side.

“
I can manage that,” Emmeline said with a smile.

“I’m not saying
I’m happy with this arrangement. It’ll be the longest two hours of my life.”

“I know.”

Erick straightened and, taking her hand, quickened their pace toward the Commander’s quarters. After a quick rap on the door, and before Emmeline could blink, they were in his office huddled over maps with Commander Benshi fully dressed and ready for action. The two men pointed at locations, disagreed on tactics and deliberated on defensive lines and attacks.

Emmeline slumped into a chair
and marveled at Commander Benshi’s seemingly endless supply of energy. As a young soldier, he moved up the ranks faster than any soldier before him. The King noted his rapid promotions and made him Commander over the entire army at the age of twenty-six. The men respected him and many attributed Dolmerti’s strength to his leadership. They had enjoyed over thirty years of peace since his instatement. But that was all about to change.

“This is well within the means of our
army,” Commander Benshi declared after two hours of deliberations.

“I believe so.” Erick
said.

“I
will take care of everything. We will depart at first light.”

Erick’s shoulders seemed to relax.
“Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”

The two
grasped arms and Emmeline recognized the end of a productive meeting.

“Thank you, Commander,” she said. “I wish you success.”

Commander Benshi bowed. “For you as well, Your Highness. You have no need to fear.”

Emmeline smiled
and as she and Erick stepped into the corridor, she felt less desperate, somehow, less afraid. Benshi was not a man who ever made mistakes or left a job unfinished, and she knew she could trust him. When he said he would take care of something, it meant it would be taken care of.

All that was left
for them to do was to wait.

Tiergan couldn’t keep his grin from breaking his firm demeanor. Everything had fallen into place. Dolmerti’s strength and high numbers were unparalleled, and for that reason, he knew his success could only be achieved through stealth. It was imperative he leave without a trace for he could not afford to be followed. If Dolmerti’s army caught even a sniff of them before they returned to Griet all would be lost.

While a handful of his men remained on the boat to supervise the
sailors, twelve of his most skilled fighters had surrounded the Dolmertian palace undetected. Even the Incenaga gazing from her open window didn’t notice them. She watched the flurry of activity below, her black hair trembling in the breeze. He liked to believe she was afraid, that she knew he was coming for her.

Tiergan took stock of his men. A few climbed to the tops of trees while others planted themselves in the underbellies of bushes. Each of them had their eyes trained on Tiergan, awaiting his signal.

The Incenaga looked up, and for a moment, Tiergan feared she had noticed one of his men. It would only take her tiny voice to sound an alarm for his entire plan to crumble. A small smile formed on her lips and it became apparent that her mind lingered on pleasant thoughts alone. Tiergan relaxed as a faraway look settled into her eyes. He and his men were invisible to her, to everyone.

The courtyard
bustled with servants transporting armfuls of garlands, silver trays of fresh fruit, and crisp linens so white they made his eyes hurt. Buzzing about like a hive of active bees, they were too occupied to notice the quiet arrival of Tiergan and his men. A sense of excitement filled the atmosphere and he couldn’t figure out why. Many of the servants hummed as they worked, and most wore smiles and cheerful eyes. He had never seen such conduct from servants and it made him uncomfortable. A smile did not belong on a servant’s face. If there was a smile, there was no fear. And if there was no fear, there was no control.