She groaned, inwardly. If she was wrong... she’d have to leave the city or risk running afoul of revolutionary justice. She had a feeling she knew what that meant. She’d have to fight her way out or submit tamely to execution... she shook her head. She could sneak back into the city, perhaps search for the real traitor... she heard the guns booming again and knew time was short. Dater was going to storm the city, sooner rather than later. She didn’t want to be caught in the middle of a full-scale war.
Hedrick looked up as she entered the dining room. He looked... colder, somehow. Emily scowled. Hedrick had probably spent the last hour brooding on his stepmother’s death and what it meant for the royalist cause. She suspected she was about to disappoint him. If he’d hoped the rebels were going to offer him the crown...
“We’ve been ordered to be out of the city by midnight,” Emily said. Silent hadn’t been ordered out, but she doubted the maid would want to stay. She’d made it clear she’d been instructed to remain with Emily. “Pack your bags. I’ve got one last task to do, then we’ll be leaving. We can’t stay any longer.”
“The rebels will hardly let us leave the city,” Hedrick said, snidely. He waved a hand at the walls, indicating the rebels beyond. “Do you trust them to let us through their lines?”
“We’ll teleport,” Emily said, flatly. She reached out and touched the wards. Lady Barb had done good work, but they’d be easy enough to dismantle from the inside. “I’ll take you back to Dragon’s Den, then... you can do whatever you want.”
Hedrick scowled. “Take me to the army.”
“I’ll take you to Dragon’s Den,” Emily snapped. She felt a hot flash of temper. She didn’t have time to deal with Hedrick. Whatever happened, if Bajingan was the traitor or not, she wasn’t going to put up with the prince any longer. The rebels might let her stay, but she’d take Hedrick back to Dragon’s Den anyway. “Go pack.”
She glanced at Silent as the maid emerged from the kitchen. “Pack everything in the trunks and put them in the sitting room,” she ordered. Thankfully, they hadn’t brought that much in the way of supplies. Hedrick had brought more than the rest of them put together. His collection of trunks might have to be abandoned. “We’ll have to leave in a hurry when I get back.”
Silent curtseyed. “As My Lady commands.”
Emily looked at Hedrick, who hadn’t moved. “Go pack,” she repeated. “Put everything essential in one trunk, just in case we don’t have time to teleport everything. Hurry.”
Hedrick stood. His voice dripped sour honey. “Yes, My Lady.”
Emily chose to ignore his tone as she grabbed her cloak and headed back to the sitting room. Aiden was waiting, her face grim. She was risking everything on Emily’s word... Emily promised herself, silently, that she’d make sure Aiden was safe if all hell broke loose. She could teleport Aiden to Heart’s Eye and ask Caleb to look after her, or Kuching and Cat... Cat would probably find Aiden interesting. He could certainly teach her how to use a sword properly.
“Bajingan set up his chambers in the Lord Chancellor’s old haunt,” Aiden said, wrapping her cloak around her. “I think he’ll be there.”
Emily nodded. “Will he see us?”
“He’ll see me,” Aiden said. “I don’t know about you.”
“We’ll find out,” Emily said. She walked to the door and opened it. The sound of guns was suddenly a great deal louder. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
THE STREETS WERE DARK AND SHADOWY, only a handful of civilians and soldiers visible as the guns continued to boom. Emily saw flashes of light in the distance, where the walls and barricades were being prepared for a final desperate defense. Dater could smash his way through them, if he had the ammunition and the willingness to reduce his capital city to rubble. She shuddered to think of the carnage to come, even if she proved Bajingan was Master Lucknow’s puppet. Events had taken on a mind of their own.
Tension echoed in the air as they walked through the streets. She spotted a handful of men drinking heavily, laughing and joking in a manner that suggested they knew they weren’t going to survive the next few days. A pair of lovers were making out in an alleyway, the man’s hand slipping up the woman’s skirt as they kissed passionately. Emily guessed they felt it was going to be their last night, too... she turned her head away, giving them what privacy she could. Aiden showed no reaction as they circumvented the palace and picked their way through a maze of government buildings. Emily was mildly surprised the Lord Chancellor had been allowed to live outside the palace. King Randor hadn’t been anywhere near as accommodating.
She tensed as a line of troops marched past, carrying muskets as they made their way to the barricades. They looked young, too young. She was sure most of them were going to die, either in the fighting or the executions afterwards. Dater wouldn’t show the rebels any mercy. How could he? A handful of carts followed them, crammed with weapons and supplies. Emily reached out with her senses, testing the carts for unpleasant surprises. She sensed nothing... she cursed under her breath. It was meaningless.
“That’s odd,” Aiden said. “What are they doing?”
Emily followed her gaze. The courtyard in front of the treasury was dominated by a massive bonfire, the flames flickering green as they consumed charmed parchments and papers. A dozen clerks were carrying armfuls of paperwork to the bonfire and tossing them into the flames, watched by a pair of armed guards. Emily thought a couple of the clerks were female, but it was hard to be sure. The scribes had never allowed
