“We need a barrier tree to block this up,” Sash called to those around her. “Surely someone managed to hide a seed?”
A woman stepped forward, swept aside a jumble of bricks, and shoved a seed into the earth. The witches around her began singing.
Oh barrier tree, I sing to thee,
Take up thy boughs and cover me.
In front of them, a green shoot burst out of the ground. Within moments, it was taller than the witch, with branches and leaves curling toward the blood-red sun.
Lilette watched as the tree’s boughs covered the sky. Within a few minutes it had gone from a seed to a tree as ancient as the rocks around the waterfall back home.
Their songs song turned dark and sinister.
Let no one pass.
Lilette gaped as the tree moved. Not shifting with the wind, but reaching to snatch an elite by the waist and hurl him back the way he’d come. The tree reached down for more elite, who hacked at it with their swords as they screamed in terror.
“Geth,” Han called, “you have trouble.”
Lilette followed his pointing finger. The palace compound was built on a rise. Below them, weaving through the webbed streets of the city, were pockets of imperial soldiers—all marching toward them from the northwest.
Leader Geth glanced about, as if searching for some kind of escape. “We can’t cut through that.” He pointed along the ramparts. “The only other way is to the east.”
Lilette groaned as Han pulled her to her feet. At least she’d caught her breath enough to keep up with the others as they dashed parallel to the ramparts. After only a few dozen steps, she ran into the back of the witch in front of her. The whole group had slammed to a halt.
Wiping sweat from her temples, she stood on her tiptoes and found the way blocked by another group of elite. Smoke billowed around Lilette. The tree was on fire. Though it continued to grab soldiers and throw them back, its branches were breaking off, and burning leaves twirled on the air currents.
Through the smoke and fire, Chen appeared at the apex of his elite. The witches were trapped.
Chapter 18
The poisoning left Lilette breathless and weak whenever she exerted herself. I could never bring myself to tell her it was a malady she would live with the rest of her life. ~Jolin
The witches packed together under the late-afternoon sky, guardians surrounding them.
“Keepers, there need be no more death. Surrender!” Chen said.
Lilette promptly ducked behind another witch. Her hand found the phoenix comb, and she squeezed it for reassurance.
Sash met Chen’s gaze. “Give me a moment to confer with my advisors.”
“One minute. No more.”
“Keeper Sash, your orders?” Geth asked.
She met Lilette’s gaze, tears glazing her eyes. “We don’t have our seeds, our potions.” It was almost like an apology.
“You can’t surrender,” Lilette said softly. “He’ll make you all concubines, and probably kill all the guardians.” And her.
“You don’t understand.” Sash took a deep breath. “Our songs won’t be strong enough to fight them without a circle.”
“But we can’t hold a circle forever,” Jolin said. “Three days at most.”
Sash smiled sadly. “I know.”
Horror washed through Lilette. “No! You can’t!”
“This was my expedition. My responsibility.” Sash took a deep breath. “Lilette, I’m going to need you to take my place as point.”
Lilette shook her head. “I don’t know how.”
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’ll get them out.”
“But I just found you,” Lilette whispered. Sash drew her in for a hug.
“Keepers!” Chen barked. “What is your answer?”
Sash squeezed Lilette tight. “When you arrive in Grove City, Merlay will find you. Trust her and no other.”
Sash pulled back and spoke just loudly enough to be heard by the thirty or so witches around them. “I need volunteers to stay behind and create a circle.”
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Han whispered.
Jolin blew out a breath. “Those in the circle will stay and fight, while the rest of us try to escape. And I can’t be one of the ones to stay.”
“Why?” Lilette asked quietly.
Jolin shook her head. “It’ll be a small circle—they need the strongest singers to make it work.”
Lilette gasped. “She chose me as point so I couldn’t stay behind.” Her sister was just as brilliant a tactician as Chen.
Gray head bent, one woman stepped forward. As she moved, she took the hand of another. The two locked gazes, a lifetime of memories passing between them. Both moved forward at the same moment.