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She gave me that mischievous grin. ‘No.’
‘The west entrance will be easier to reach, by the look of it,’ Lyn said, peering at the parchment. ‘On the east, we’d have to fight our way over a rather narrow strip of land between water and wall, is that correct? Which is easier to block if they have any idea where we’re going. If the west is open farmland, that will be easier to reach from every direction.’
The way Agenor narrowed his eyes at the map was more meaningful than any word of agreement could have been. ‘Any buildings around?’
‘A few farming sheds.’ Rosalind shrugged. ‘Won’t be much of a problem if they get damaged.’
Agenor nodded agonisingly slowly, thoughts spinning behind his eyes. ‘And that door – how visible is it?’
‘I regularly walked past it for fifteen years and never wondered what it was until I was voted into office and they told me,’ Rosalind said dryly. ‘It's very inconspicuous.’
We were all silent for a moment as the possibilities sank in.
It was astonishing, the way those two pencil lines could change the atmosphere around the table – from a gloomy, fatalistic tension to something that contained a fraction of hope. We didn't have the numbers. We didn't have the bindings. But if wecould reach that tunnel, if Creon and I could make it through, if I could find the Mother and somehow end her …
At least we wouldn't have to fight our way through her army all the way to the centre of the city.
So many ifs. And yet … we hadsomethingto aim for.
‘We wouldn't have to win that way,’ Lyn whispered, chin in her hands. ‘We would only need to reach that door and then buy time so Em and Creon could sneak in unnoticed. It might even be enough to distract her by withdrawing and attacking a few times – some strategy that will kill as few people as possible yet keep her properly busy.’
A restlessness was spreading through the tent – minds and limbs itching to get to work, to start setting the plan into action and doing everything,anything, to keep ourselves alive. Tared rose to his feet and muttered something about informing the allies. Rosalind announced she was going to let Delwin and the other human recruits know. Agenor didn’t seem to hear either of them, his mind engaged in some imaginary battle on the prospering grain fields of the city.
I glanced at Creon, and Creon glanced at me – something dangerous in his gaze, like the coiled energy of a caged panther about to break free. A hundred and thirty years, and as well as he might hide it in his words and movements, that look in his eyes told me he hadn’t forgotten about a minute of that torturous, never-ending wait. He was ready. He would have been ready an hour ago.
He hadn’t just argued for a swift attack for my sake, I realised.
I just hoped he had lowered his shields enough to feel my gratitude.
But all he said, leaning over to me, was a quiet, ‘You may want to have a quick word with your human friend. I don’t think she trusts anyone but—'
The entrance of the tent burst open.
In a whirl of sunlight, Naxi stormed in – blue eyes bright with excitement, blonde curls dancing cheerfully with every step. She didn't seem to hear the shocked cries of the humans waiting outside. Without so much as a question or a greeting, she bounced to a standstill by the table, threw a look of what looked like breathless delight around the gathered company, and airily inquired, ‘I suppose you're all worrying terribly about civilian deaths at the moment, aren't you?’
Rosalind turned a worryingly green shade of pale.
‘Naxi!’ Lyn hissed, wincing in sympathy. ‘If you want to help, this is hardly the moment to—’
‘I'm beingempathic,’ Naxi protested, defiantly blowing out her cheeks as she draped herself over the nearest empty chair. ‘As youtoldme to be. Anyway, I heard the news and I want to make a suggestion. To save lives.’
Even Agenor had looked up now. Finn and Rosalind were exchanging puzzled glances, as if they both felt the need to confirmtheyhadn't abruptly gone mad; I considered quickly introducing the concept of demons without empathy to them but decided it might be better to hold off on that lesson until Naxi had moved far out of hearing distance. Beneath the superficial brightness of her cornflower eyes, she didn't look in a mood to be delayed.
And if I was honest, I wasn't in the mood to delay her either.
‘A … suggestion,’ Lyn repeated, suspicion dripping from every syllable. ‘I see. Please tell me it's not about Thysandra.’
Naxi beamed at her. ‘Oh, it absolutely is about Thysandra.’
Lyn closed her eyes.
‘No,listen,’ Naxi hurried, fluttering her little pink hands at us. ‘It's brilliant, I promise. You're worried about the people in the city, yes? Why don't we offer to return Thysandra to the Mother, provided that she makes a bargain not to hurt anyone until tomorrow night? She might bite, and then we won't needto worry about her taking out her frustrations on those people if Em waits a little longer to show up. Or if we attack in the meantime, for that matter.’
At least I wasn't the only one blinking at her in baffled surprise.
‘What?’ she said, wrinkling her nose at us. ‘It makes all the sense in the world, doesn't it? Thysandra wants to go back. We want to keep the citizens alive. Everyone wins. Well, except the Mother, hopefully, in the end, but—’
‘Naxi,’ Tared interrupted.
