Page 137 of A Courage of the Chosen

“What are you doing?” Callahan asks. It’s the most he’s spoken in a while.

“We can’t take her in the palace through the front entrance. People will call for her to be killed. We need to hide her. Keep her safe.”

We’ve all been so concerned with getting Rach back that we hadn’t given any thought as to what would happen when we got there. Seelie aren’t going to welcome a Dorche with open arms, regardless of who she is.

The same can be said for a queen that wields both light and shadows. That particular dilemma is much lower on my priority list right now, though.

“And the chains?” Brodie joins in.

My stomach rolls at the prospect of using them on Rach, but it’s the only way we can truly keep her secure without hurting her or anyone else.

“They’ll subdue her magic. They’re awful, but they won’t cause her any pain.” An uneasy quiet unfurls between us, and Brodie opens his mouth to argue. “You know she wouldn’t want to hurt anyone,” I cut him off.

He relents with a grunt.

We begin moving again, the horses walking slowly as we discuss which route is the best way to get in, and where we keep Rachel once we’re inside the palace walls.

We settle on the rooms she was occupying. With the chains, we should be able to keep her confined, but she’ll need to remain sedated and under constant watch, which means telling more people than I’m comfortable with.

After topping up Rach’s seline-induced coma, Callahan and I ride ahead to put in place the plan we’ve quickly come up with.

We’ll find Hector, tell him we need a rotation of guards, not giving him full details as to why. Then we’ll find Lorna, and swear her to secrecy as we ask her to be the one to watch Rach’s health.

There’s a gap in the wall of the palace Brodie used to sneak rebels into the courtyard when they attempted to free Granny from the underground prison. He’s going to secure his horse and wait for us to come find them when we’ve managed to arrange the guards and the healer.

Callahan is subdued as we urge our horses into a trot, leaving Brodie ambling along behind us. “Do you want me to tell Freya what happened?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. “It has to be me.”

“You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

Ironic you’re lecturing him on this, my mind scorns. I’m a master at shutting everyone out. Callahan and I have always had that in common.

Our eyes connect as we ride. “Thank you,” he murmurs into my mind. I offer him a half smile, and we remain silent as the path up to the courtyard becomes visible.

Everything falls into place seamlessly. Hector has been staying at the palace, so it’s only a matter of minutes until he finds me in the healers’ wing after I’ve summoned him, Reyne hot on his heels. Eòghann isn’t far behind her, and when he clasps eyes on us, takes in our expressions and blood-stained armor, he knows something has gone seriously wrong.

Reyne, the astute woman that she is, flits her eyes from mine, to Callahan’s, then Eòghann’s, and the little bit of color in her face drains away.

Hector accepts my request without question, and says he’ll have a rotation of eight soldiers arranged immediately. He leaves after that and we find Lorna. She’s sent up to Rachel’s rooms to wait for her there, where we’ll explain everything on the condition she doesn’t repeat it.

When it’s only the four of us, the rod that’s been holding my spine straight turns to jelly, and my knees begin to tremble. Callahan winds an arm around my waist, and holds me to him to take some of my weight.

“What happened?” Reyne’s question is hesitant.

“Raghnall,” I reply.

Eòghann’s head whips in my direction.

“And?” he prompts.

“He’s dead,” Callahan bites out. “We killed him. But not before . . .” He trails off, and the tightness in his chest rattles down our connection, stealing the air from my lungs.

“Not before he corrupted Rach,” I finish.

Reyne gasps. Eòghann curses under his breath.

It’s the first time one of us has said the words, and now they’re out, there’s no undoing it. No rewinding time and shaking her for being so stupid, and stepping in Raghnall’s path when I could likely have taken what he aimed and not have lost myself.