Almodavar led her to a small passage off the main hall that ended in a door inlaid in gold with the crest of the Wolfblade family. Someone had driven a dagger through the eye of the wolf and it remained embedded in the wood like a silent warning. Almodavar opened the door without glancing at the knife and stood back to let R'shiel enter. The Raiders who had escorted them from the Collective stayed on guard outside.
“What happened?”
Damin looked up at the sound of her voice, obviously relieved to see her. But his eyes were hard and she could read the tension in the set of his shoulders. The other men in the room, whom she guessed were Damin and Narvell's lieutenants, wore expressions of concern - and perhaps a little excitement - at the prospect of seeing some action. The only woman present was Marla, who paced the floor impatiently as her sons plotted their revenge. There were maps scattered across the large oval table, anchored at their corners by anything heavy enough to act as a paperweight.
“We received a message that Tejay Lionsclaw had arrived and wanted to meet with us before she entered the city,” Damin told her. “As it turns out, it was false. The palace was attacked while we were gone. We're still counting the dead.”
“And Adrina?”
“We think they took her by boat,” Narvell added. “We found a rope tied to the balcony in her apartments.”
“She could have simply used the confusion to run away,” Marla suggested tartly. “I've never trusted that woman.”
Damin glared at his mother. “I've no time for your bitching, Marla. Adrina did not run away.”
R'shiel silently applauded Damin. It was about time someone put Her Royal Highness in her place. She glanced around the room that Damin had turned into his command post to avoid meeting Marla's eye. It must have been Lernen's private sanctuary. The walls were rather distractingly painted with explicit murals that depicted a variety of sexual positions, some of which R'shiel was certain were physically impossible. It seemed odd, this bustling war council being held amidst such decadent artwork.
“Where would they take her?”
“Dregian Castle lies along the coast here,” Damin said, pointing to the map laid out on the table before him. “It's a few hours away by boat, but easily navigated.”
“They'll have her there before we can mount a counter-attack,” Narvell added.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Get her back,” Damin announced matter-of-factly. His outward air of control worried R'shiel a little. The Damin she knew should have been raging like a wounded bull. It was not like him to be so level headed. He glanced at Narvell, not waiting for R'shiel's reaction. “Have you heard from Rogan yet?”
“No.”
“Damn! I'll need his troops.”
“You're going to attack Cyrus?”
Damin turned to her impatiently. “Of course I'm going to attack him!”
“You're an idiot.”
The whole room stilled as Damin slowly straightened. His eyes were terrible, his whole being radiating fury. This was the Damin she knew. The rage, the grief, the debilitating fear for Adrina was perilously close to the surface. R'shiel realised she had about a heartbeat to explain herself before Damin lost control completely.
“Don't you see? That's why they took Adrina. They want you to attack. Or to be more specific, they want your troops - and Narvell's and Rogan's - out of the city.”
Damin's shoulders relaxed a little. R'shiel breathed a sigh of relief. He was quietly murderous, but not beyond reason.
“You don't know that for certain.”
“No, but they've been rather obvious about it, don't you think? I mean, leaving the rope hanging from her balcony where you can find it? They might as well have hung out a sign. It's a trap, Damin. Cyrus wants you out of the city. Worse than that, he wants you on his territory.”
“Then I plan to see that he gets what he wants,” Damin growled.
R'shiel sighed with frustration, wishing she could make him see what was so obvious to her. “Even if you took every man you have here in Greenharbour, and Narvell's and Rogan's with them, you've got less than a thousand men. How many has Cyrus got waiting for you?”
“It won't matter.”
“The hell it won't!” she scoffed. “I don't mean to dent your precious male pride, Damin, but even you can be outnumbered. I don't care how good you think you are.”
“If you don't plan to help me, R'shiel, then get out of my way.”
“I'll help you to rescue Adrina, Damin. I'm not going to help you commit suicide.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you attack Dregian Province, you will be invading Cyrus' province, whatever the provocation. Cyrus will defeat you, and hang your head on his walls and he'll have the full force of the law on his side, if I'm not mistaken. I imagine Adrina will live long enough to see your head fall off the block, before she joins you.”
Damin sank down in the chair behind him as the logic of what she was saying finally began to sink in.
Marla looked at R'shiel in surprise. “You have an excellent grasp of politics, demon child.”
“I had very good teachers, Your Highness.”
“The benefit of an education by the Sisterhood,” Damin remarked sourly. “You see treachery where others think only of honour. So, demon child, what do you suggest? That I leave Adrina to the mercy of my enemies?”
“Certainly not! We'll go and get her back. But we won't do it with an army at our heels.”
Damin met her eye for a moment and then nodded in understanding. “I'll organise a ship. It'll take three days by land to reach Dregian Province, and the gods know what he'll have done to her by then.”
“Then we won't go by land, or by sea, for that matter. But don't worry about Adrina being hurt. Cyrus won't harm her and she's worth nothing to him dead.” She turned to Marla. “Your Highness, can you keep up the illusion that Damin is in the palace?”
“To what purpose?”
“Cyrus undoubtedly has spies everywhere. They'll be waiting for him to move. Narvell, I suggest you and Rogan continue to muster your troops, but take your time about it. While Cyrus thinks Damin is still in Greenharbour preparing to fight, he won't be on his guard.”
“How many men should we take?” Damin asked.
“Two. You and me.”
“You can't attack Dregian Castle single-handed,” Narvell declared, aghast at her suggestion.
“I'm not going to. We shall retrieve Adrina, by stealth rather than force, before Cyrus Eaglespike knows anything about it. We shall then wait for Tejay Lionsclaw to arrive and hold the Convocation as planned.”
“And when Cyrus tries to play his hand, he will find it has slipped through his fingers,” Marla added, with undisguised admiration. “Damin, you should have married this one.”
Damin frowned at his mother but did not bother to answer her. Instead he turned to R'shiel. “How do we get out of the palace without being seen?”
“You leave that to me.”
“You worry me when you say things like that.”
She shrugged. “When shall we leave?”
Damin smiled savagely, his mood improving noticeably with the prospect of doing something useful. “Now is as good a time as any. Unless you have something better to do.” He jumped to his feet, wearing the same stupid grin he always wore when he was about to fight. It was a male thing, R'shiel reasoned. Tarja did the same thing. “Narvell, keep an eye on things while I'm gone. And don't let mother bully you.”
Marla looked as if she might protest, but Damin and R'shiel did not wait around to find out.
CHAPTER 26