As if formed from dusk shadows, the shapes of six men stepped from the dark undergrowth. Silently, they circled us, a mix of swords and axes raised. Yuso’s hand slid down the Ji, ready to thrust.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
A thin man with straggly, unbound hair shook his head. “Six against two.” His voice had a soft mountain accent. “I think the question is: Who are you?”
“Captain Yuso, of the imperial guard.”
His name sent a ripple of excitement around the circle of men. I felt their attention shift to me. I gripped the saddlebag even tighter.
“Are you Lady Eona?” the thin man asked.
“Yes.”
“Thank the gods you are alive.” His teeth showed in a quick, relieved smile. The weapons around us lowered. “We are from the Chikara Mountain Resistance. I am Caido. It is an honor to be the ones to find you, Lady Dragoneye.”
He bowed, the other five following his lead in a ragged wave.
“Thank you,” I said, swaying from the sudden release of tension. “Have you found the emperor?”
“Yes. He is alive, but deep in the shadow world. When we were last at our base, he had still not roused. We need to get you back there as fast as possible.”
My gut clenched. At least he lived. “And the others, are they all right?”
“Ryko has minor injuries. As does the woman, Vida. The young guard has—”
“Tiron,” Yuso interjected.
“Yes, sir, Tiron,” Caido said. “He’s broken a lot of bones and may not walk again. We have not found the other three of your party.”
Dela, Dillon, Solly — missing.
“So the boy has not been found?” Yuso demanded. “The one they call Dillon?”
“No, sir. Not yet.”
“He must be your priority now,” Yuso said. “He holds something vital to His Majesty’s cause.”
“We can only search with the light, Captain.” There was a note of defense in Caido’s soft voice. “But we start again tomorrow at dawn. Are either of you hurt?”
“Nothing serious,” Yuso said. “Did Ryko tell you about the troops in pursuit? Twenty-four. A full company.”
Caido nodded. “We’ve accounted for nineteen, sir. Most of them drowned. Our best teams are hunting the last five.”
Yuso nodded, satisfied.
Caido gave another small bow, then turned to his men. A quick series of hand signals sent them into a diamond formation around us, except for one very large man, who stood stolidly behind Caido.
“My lady, we need to move fast,” Caido said. “Would you allow Shiri to carry you on his back?” The large man dipped his head.
Although my weariness was like a hundredweight hanging on each limb, I drew myself up. “I will not fall behind, Caido.”
“No, my lady,” he said, and bowed.
He waved us forward.
An hour later, I was perched on Shiri’s back. The man smelled of old sweat, greasy hair, and sour spillings, but I did not care. His back was broad, his arms were hooked securely around me, and I could finally rest my exhausted body. I tried to stay awake as we climbed through the last of the scrubby terrain into a thicker growth of forest, but the rocking motion of Shiri’s long stride lulled me. As I slipped into the shadows of uneasy sleep, I once again felt the intent hold of Kygo’s eyes as he brushed my cheek, and the strange heat of the pearl beneath my fingers.
“My lady?” A firm shake on my arm woke me. I squinted. The half-moon night had reduced Caido’s face to a series of sharp planes. “You must walk the last section,” he said quietly. “Only one person can pass through this entrance at a time.”
Shiri released his hold and lowered me gently to the rocky ground. The forest was now well below us.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
The big man dipped into a bow. “My honor, Lady Eona,” he said, backing away. “My honor.”
“He will tell his grandchildren about the time he carried the Mirror Dragoneye,” Yuso said, close to my ear.
“How long did I sleep?” I stared up at an immense moon- silvered cliff that rose before us. Were we going to climb it? Even after my rest on Shiri’s back, I doubted I would make it.
“We’ve been walking for about four bells,” Yuso said, every step of them in his rough voice.
Caido pointed up to a dark crack in the rock face. “We are nearly there,” he said. “That is the way into our camp.”
As we drew nearer to the cliff, the dark crack became a fissure large enough for a man the size of Shiri. With a reassuring smile, Caido slipped into it. I followed him, the warm night air instantly cooling as I stepped into a narrow stone passage. A slit of sky was still visible above us, although very little moonlight made it to where we stood.
“My lady, please hold on to my shoulder,” Caido said. “It will be safer and quicker.”
We shuffled in a hand-to-shoulder line as Caido called the news of our rescue to watchmen stationed on high ledges. I caught sight of two guards craning over to catch a glimpse of us as we passed, the tips of their mechanical bows outlined in the dim light. It would be a deadly trap for an approaching enemy.
“This is one of four passages into the crater,” Caido said. “Of course, it is not the most accessible, but it was the closest and will give you a good view of our camp.” His voice was quick with pride.
Ahead, I could see the other end, gray with light. Kygo was somewhere in this camp, hurt. And Ryko and Vida. My toes clipped Caido’s heels. I stumbled.
“I’m sorry, my lady,” Caido said. “Are you all right?”
“I am just eager to see His Majesty,” I said.
The end of the passage was twice the size of its entrance, the night sky visible through the wide opening. Two silhouetted figures moved into view, the moonlight catching a flash of silver hair on the taller of them. I hoped they were there to take us straight to the emperor.
“My lady, after you,” Caido said.
As I stepped out onto a broad natural ledge of stone, the silver-haired man moved forward, but my attention was caught by the sight below me — a huge bowl of a crater, its floor studded with flickers of firelight that cast a glow on multitudes of tents and rough-builds. Along the steep sides, more campfires lit the shapes of caves. Gathered below the ledge were the shifting figures of hundreds and hundreds of people watching our arrival. I had not given much thought to what the resistance would look like, but I knew that I had not expected such a large camp.
“Lady Eona?” the silver-haired man said, in obviously a second or third attempt.
“I am sorry. It is so …” I finally looked at him and faltered. The gray in his hair was not from age; he could be no more than twenty-five. Perhaps it was from the burden of command or the effect of some great tragedy. There was certainly a hint of melancholy in his intelligent face.
He smiled. “Yes, it is breathtaking. A natural fortress.” He bowed. “I am Viktor, leader of the Chikara Mountain Resistance.” He gestured to his companion. “This is my lieutenant, Sanni. We are relieved to have found you, my lady. And you, Captain Yuso.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Where is His Majesty?”
“In our main cave, my lady. The Beseechers have been praying since he arrived, but we have been waiting for your arrival to physick him.”
“Waiting for me?” Ryko must have told them about the fisher village. Guilt and shame prickled across my scalp. They were waiting for me, the mighty Dragoneye, to heal the emperor. But I could not risk it again; I did not want to kill any more innocent people. And I certainly did not want power over the emperor’s will.
“I cannot heal him,” I said. “You must understand; I cannot heal him.”
“No, of course not, my lady. We do not expect you to have a physician’s skill,” Viktor said, frowning. “The girl Vida told us that you are now His Majesty’s Naiso. Is that not true?”