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Voleska rubs her hands together. “Anything to stick it to the Order and see them finally knocked on their asses. When do we get started?”
I peer through the thickening dusk behind her. We were hoping to act as early as tonight. But as far as I can tell, she came alone, even though the message we passed on mentioned that we’d welcome more of her colleagues to “collaborate” with us.
“I guess that depends on how long it’ll take you to get a decent force out here?—”
The resistance leader chuckles. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I’ve got a dozen friends waiting on my word right here in town. Didn’t want to have them all stick their necks out until I knew what the story was.”
Relief sharpened by a tingle of excitement sweeps through me. “Fair enough. We can descend on the farm tonight if you’re up for it. The rest of our people are waiting across the border, closer to our target—we already have a plan worked out.” With multiple options depending on whether we brought anyone back with us and how many.
Voleska nods and motions to the far end of the road. “We’ll meet you on the southern road at the edge of town in ten minutes.”
I hold up my hand to stop her. “You know, I realize you and Emor have a lot you’re dealing with back in Pima. I didn’t expect that you’d pitch in here personally.”
“Oh, I’m not missing this. And I’d like to see with my own eyes who all I’m sending my people to work with.” Voleska flashes us a grin and darts off down the street.
When I look at Casimir, he’s smiling. “I don’t think anyone could be more committed than she is.” He motions to the soldier who’s stayed still and silent during our conversation, only there to intervene in case of a threat. “Come, let’s get to the horses.”
By the time a distant bell has rung in the second hour after midnight, some twenty of us are clustered in a patch of forest just down the road from the farm Delfis directed us to.
One of the temple’s devouts who has a gift for calming nerves has come along to help ease the sacrificial accomplices through what’s technically a kidnapping. Four of the soldiers stand among us, along with Stavros and Rheave—and Voleska’s dozen resistors. The plan would have been a lot harder to pull off without them in the mix.
Petra almost insisted on joining us, but between Stavros, Tinom, and me, we managed to convince her that ensuring she stays alive overrides any concerns about sharing the risks in our mission. She has several guards with her back at the temple.
Tinom’s magic will conceal her if there’s any significant trouble—and hopefully protect Alek as well. Although he could probably lose himself amid the books in the temple library without any trouble. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still down there reading by lantern-light right now.
Being the one among us most experienced at running military-style operations, Stavros has taken the lead. He’s already spoken with Voleska’s people to get an idea of their strengths and is now splitting our group into four.
He points at two of the groups. He assigned Filip to one of them, presumably to keep the Order defector and possible traitor away from the most essential parts of the plan. “You and you will go to the left and right of the farmhouse, staying several paces from the walls. Set the fires and keep out of view until our enemies come running to see what the matter is. Disarm and disable them however you see fit.”
The former general swivels toward Casimir, one of the soldiers, and a couple of Voleska’s leaner followers. “You four will get the wagon into place and come forward to help usher the sacrificial accomplices over there.”
He turns to face the rest of us, including me, Rheave, and the devout with the calming gift. “I’ll be leading the final group right into the building. We’ll deal with any other sorcerers on the premises and retrieve the sacrificial accomplices. They’ll be distracted by the fires, but that doesn’t mean we should be careless. The faster we can take them down before they realize we’re there, the better.”
I nod, my heart thudding. My magic wriggles between my ribs and tugs at my gut, but I squash it down.
I’ve pulled off plenty of schemes like this without relying on it before. If I’m going to risk my sanity, it’s not going to be to enhance my stealth skills.
Stavros makes a sweeping motion with his prosthetic hand. “Move out.”
Along with a few of Voleska’s best fighters and the rest of our soldiers, I follow Stavros through the trees and skirt the edge of the forest until we’re directly across from the farmhouse. There’s still about a minute’s dash across open ground from here to the farm’s low stone wall.
Moonlight casts a faint glow over the terrain. A few dark figures prowl around the property’s perimeter.
Stavros drops his voice to a murmur. “As soon as the fires flare, we run for the wall, two at a time, on my signal. Stay low and as quiet as possible.”
I wet my lips, anticipation thrumming through my veins.
All at once, flames burst through the darkness to the left of the house. An instant later, another fire roars up on the opposite side.
Shouts ring out as the house’s sentries dash to investigate. A few more figures hustle out of the building to join them.
Stavros taps Rheave and me. I fling myself out of the woods.
We dash across the grassy ground and the road that lies between the forest and the farm. More shouts carry through the night along with clangs and thumps of combat, but I don’t let myself glance either way.
All that matters right now is the path ahead of us.
We hit the ground on either side of the gate, crouching below the level of the wall. As more figures careen to join us, I pull the knife from the sheath at my waist.
