Witch Fall(44)

Next, she snatched a silk purse, stuffed it with jewels, and tied it to her waist, then pulled on Han’s tunic and trousers. She twisted her hair up off her neck and tugged on his leather-and-bronze-plated helmet. It promptly fell over her eyes. She stuffed it with squares of washing linen. The helmet’s flaps covered her neck and ears, and there was an optional faceguard. She strapped it on, tightening it with the leather straps. It was stuffy, but now only her eyes showed. Too bad they were blue.

Luckily, Han was only a little taller than she, so although they were baggy, the clothing and armor fit her fairly well. His large boots would be the biggest problem.

Creators’ mercy, she was terrified. She opened the screen and peeked outside. She cast one final glance at Han’s motionless body before fastening her eyes to the floor and retracing her steps through the wide corridors, the swords at her back clanging together with each of her steps.

She trotted down two flights of stairs to the main room. Eunuchs and elite bustled about. No one made a move to stop her as she rounded one of the golden lions and headed straight for the gardens. She was halfway there when Chen strode through the garden doors, Wang at his side. She ducked her head, sick with fear. The nearby elite paused to bow as Chen passed, so Lilette did the same.

“Keep an eye on her. I don’t trust her,” Chen said as he drew even with her. “And tell my brother to meet me at the stables. We’re needed in the city.”

Chen pulled his helmet onto his head and didn’t look back as Wang trotted up the stairs, his belly bouncing. The moment Wang arrived at the rooms, he’d find Han unconscious and Lilette missing. It would be over before it had even begun.

It took everything she had to wait to burst into a run until she reached the shadows of the garden. She raced toward where they kept the Guardians, her heart pounding frantically and weakness assaulting her. But she couldn’t slow down. Couldn’t stop.

She’d nearly made it when the alarm rose up from the palace. It was too far away for Lilette to make out the words, but the meaning was clear. Wang had discovered her missing.

Knowing there was no time for subtlety, she didn’t slow down when she reached the enclosure where the guardians were kept. She simply ran to the gates. Unfortunately, her breath was coming so hard she couldn’t talk.

Hunched over, she braced herself against her thighs, as much because she was about to fall over as because it would hide her face. She waved toward the main gates. “Earthquake, distraction,” she said to the elite guard. “Vorlayans in the compound.”

Her distress must have convinced them, because all but two of the elite ran off. Two she could handle.

She followed the ones who were leaving. As soon as she was hidden from view, she found the tallest tree in sight and climbed until she could see the guardians and the two remaining elite. There wasn’t time to hesitate. Chen would guess where she’d gone. Elite would be coming.

Unstrapping one side of the useless faceguard, Lilette sang between gasping breaths. Of course the two remaining guards heard her, and of course they came running. But that’s why she’d climbed the tree, to buy herself time.

She considered singing a song to bind them, but she didn’t dare take the time for it. Instead, she sang for the plants to wrap around the bars holding the guardians prisoner.

The two elite found her quicker than she’d hoped, and immediately started climbing the tree. Arms trembling with exhaustion, Lilette climbed higher, still maintaining her song.

On the fifth repetition, she’d gone high enough that the tree had started to tip with her weight. She made the mistake of looking down, and her head went light.

A branch broke beneath one of the elite’s feet. He scrambled for purchase, barely managing to hang on. When he regained his footing, he and the other guard didn’t try to climb any higher. Instead, they hacked at the tree with their swords.

Cries of outrage came from the guardians. They yanked harder on the bars. Hundreds of vines had curled around the bars, squeezing and tightening until the empty spaces bulged. One of the slightest guardians—he looked no older than a boy, with a shock of copper hair—squirmed through the bars and darted toward Lilette.

An elite below her gave a shout when Copper Hair appeared at the base. Quick as a monkey, he clambered up. A grim-faced elite dropped down to deal with him. The other hacked harder at the tree.

With a crack, the trunk suddenly dropped beneath Lilette. She screamed as it fell forward. It jerked to a stop, and the momentum swung her around until she was dangling by her fingertips just a few lengths from the elite.

A gurgling shout sounded below her. Lilette looked down in time to see one of the elite plummet from the tree. He hit the ground and didn’t move again. Copper Hair barely paused to tuck his sword away before he was climbing again.