Chapter 41-2

Darragh had already started talking to us as Nadia whispered to Britta, "Your hands are shaking. Eat something before you pass out." The queen only nodded and took a biscuit, tearing off a chunk of it and popping it into her mouth as she turned her attention to her husband. "Britta played the message for me a moment ago. It is, I'll admit, alarming," he was saying. "It's more than alarming," Heidi said, speaking before I could. "These are our people. And they've risked their lives to save innocent hostages from Caine. We—We have to send in people to get them out. We can't just leave them there." Darragh braced his hands on the back of Britta's chair. "Yes. Exactly. They are your people. They are not my people. And, as unfortunate as it may be, I'm not sure I have the troops to spare." He held up a hand to silence our protests. "Even with the forces from Haniver, we are going to be hard pressed to fight the Erydian forces. Which is beside the point. The real issue is that we can't get people through the Suri Gap. And there isn't time to move a force into Varos and search for an alternative route through those mountains." I spoke through clenched teeth. "We don't have to search. I know of tunnels. I can find them. I can—Kai and me, we used them a few months ago, I'm sure—I'm sure I can—" I leaned over the table and slid the map of Vayelle towards me, knocking over a few flag markers and figurines in the process. I jabbed a finger against a small outcrop, a place off to one side of the Suri Gap where there seemed to a label for a waterfall. "Here," I said. "There's a waterfall and a group of red oak trees. If—If you go into Varos, to the smaller market there, there's a man—Mr. Hoffman. He—He's got a flour mill. He'll know ways through." Darragh pursed his lips. "Miss Benson, what you're asking me to do will take time. And clearly time is not something the people in Vayelle have. And having a way through doesn't change the fact that we can't afford to risk the manpower. We are going to strike Erydia in the next few weeks and I will not risk our cover being blown. If I send troops to Vayelle through the Demarti Mountains, Erydia will know I have forces—a large amount of forces—in their lands. I cannot—will not—risk it. Winning this war is too important." I shook my head. "But—" He cut me off. "I'm afraid it isn't an option." There were burn marks on the tabletop where my hands had been. The maps nearest me crinkled at the edges, the corners rolling up as fire caught. Nadia hissed through her teeth, a quiet, warning sound. The fire sputtered from my fingers and died. I felt like I was drowning. "Darragh, please." "The answer is no." The room fell deathly silent. Isla's voice was quiet, but not weak, as she said, "I'll speak to Justinian. He can send people from Haniver." Darragh did not look at his sister, he did not look away from me as he said, "I will not risk it." "Haniver is not your country," Isla said. "I know if I ask Justinian he'll help—" Darragh's head snapped towards his sister, his words sharp with a threat as he said, "Justinian is not your king yet. I am. And I am telling you that you will not ask him. You will not meddle with this, Isla. The risk is too great. We can't take the chance of being discovered prematurely." I looked to Britta, who had her face in her hands once more. I kept my voice steady as I said, "Britta, you said that if it was Cohen or Uri you would—" "I would do everything I could to save them." She lifted her head and met my eyes. "Yes. I would. But—But I would also have to consider the cost of it." "And what is the price for Cohen's life? For Uri's? For my brothers'?" She leaned back in her chair. "Monroe, their lives are all out of our hands. If Uri's life were in my control she'd still be here today, alive and well. We have no control over who lives and who dies." My friend flinched at my words as I said, "Tell that to Nadia—who has been killing herself for a week straight trying to keep Cohen alive." "And his life is still out of my control. I—" Britta shook her head and stood up, leaning heavily on the table as she said, "Emotions are high. Darragh and I will discuss this and give you our answer tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" Tavin cried. "Tomorrow could be too late." Britta took one step towards the door and then swayed. Darragh's face turned from frustrated to alarmed as he caught hold of her elbow and steadied her. Nadia was on her feet now too, her brow knit with concern. She said something too quiet for me to hear and Darragh nodded, his green eyes darting from Britta, who was now clinging to his shirt, and the door. Dellacov stepped forward, prepared to help if needed. "What's wrong?" It was Nadia who answered him. "We need to get her to the medical ward." Dellacov crossed the room and took up a place on Britta's other side. She muttered something about being fine, but Darragh shook his head. She tried to take another step and faltered, her knees buckling from beneath her. Britta whimpered in pain as Darragh scooped her into his arms. He said nothing to us as he left the room, Dellacov and Nadia going with him. Heidi cursed and leaned back in her chair. "To hell with all of them," she said. "Cowards." I didn't say anything, just looked at the chair Britta had been sitting it. Blood. There was a good deal of blood there. Isla followed my gaze, her expression changing as she took in the stain there. Maybe it was period blood, but something in my gut, something in the alarm on Nadia's face, told me differently. I should have cared. I should have felt something for Britta—for what she must have been losing—but I was numb. There was nothing but emptiness in my mind, emptiness and the memory of Ambrose yelling to me on the platform of Demarti station—I'll find a way to save you, he'd promised me all those months ago. It was a promise he'd kept. And now, now he needed saving. Now Kace needed saving. And there was nothing I could do.