Chapter 185: the final plan

The dim candlelight flickered against the rough wooden walls of our rented room in the inn. We had pushed the small tables together, mapping out every possible route into the castle. The tension in the air was thick, every man in the room leaning in, waiting for the final details to fall into place.  

We couldn’t afford mistakes.  

Not when our target was King Sirius, the ruler of Maelstrom, the man who had taken so much from us. From me.  

I clenched my fists against the edge of the table.  

This had to be flawless.  

Riven was the first to speak, his voice steady as he pointed to the rough sketch of the castle’s layout we had managed to put together from overheard conversations and stolen documents.  

“The main gates are out of the question. Too heavily guarded. The watchtowers have archers at all hours, and there’s no telling how many men are stationed inside the walls. Even if we fought our way in, we wouldn’t last long.”  

A few of the men grumbled in agreement.  

I leaned forward. “Then we don’t go through the main gates.”  

Corwin, the mage who had suggested illusions, crossed his arms. “There’s a servant’s entrance on the west side, right?”  

Riven nodded. “It leads to the lower quarters of the castle. Not as heavily guarded, but there are still patrols. We’d need to time our entry perfectly.”  

I tapped the map. “We use illusions. We disguise ourselves as castle staff for the feast in two nights.”  

Corwin raised an eyebrow. “And once we’re inside?”  

I exhaled. “We split into two teams. One heads for the throne room. The other secures the exits to prevent reinforcements.”  

A murmur of approval passed through the room.  

“We have one shot,” Riven said. “Sirius will have guards near him, no matter how drunk or reckless he’s become.”  

A tense silence followed.  

Then, one of our younger fighters, Elias, leaned in. “What if we lure him out?”  

I narrowed my eyes. “How?”  

Elias hesitated. “What if someone acts as bait? Someone he wouldn’t ignore?”  

The room fell silent.  

Everyone turned to look at me.  

I clenched my jaw. “You think I should make myself known?”  

Riven exhaled. “You are his son, Aster. If he hears you’re here, he won’t ignore it.”  

I looked down at the map, my mind spinning.  

Revealing myself was dangerous. It could draw too much attention. But at the same time... it was a chance to isolate him.  

I nodded slowly. “Fine. But I won’t be alone. The moment he takes the bait, the rest of you move in.”  

Corwin spoke next, rubbing his chin. “I can get us in through illusions, but they won’t last forever. We need to move fast once we’re inside.”  

Riven tapped the map again. “How do we deal with the elite guards?”  

That was the real problem. Sirius’ personal guards weren’t just average soldiers. They were warriors trained to kill dragons.  

I looked up. “We take them out first.”  

Elias frowned. “Before we reach Sirius?”  

I shook my head. “No. I will keep Sirius distracted. The rest of you handle the guards. Once they’re gone, we strike.”  

Riven crossed his arms. “And if he suspects something?”  

I met his gaze. “Then I fight him myself.”  

The silence that followed was deafening.  

We all knew what that meant.  

Sirius wasn’t just a king. He was a dragon king. Stronger, faster, and far more experienced than I was.  

I was still growing into my power.  

If I fought him alone... there was a chance I wouldn’t make it out alive.  

Riven’s expression darkened. “We’re not letting that happen.”  

I exhaled. “Then we make sure the plan works.”  

We had to redefine the details so we spent the next few hours perfecting every step.  

Corwin and the other mages would create illusions to get us past the gates.  

The fighters would be split into two teams, one to eliminate the guards, the other to block reinforcements.  

I would confront Sirius.  

And if something went wrong... we had an escape route mapped out through the servant tunnels.  

As the others dispersed, I stayed behind, staring at the map.  

Footsteps approached, and I didn’t need to turn to know it was Riven.  

He sighed. “You’re too quiet.”  

I shook my head. “I’m thinking.”  

He sat down. “You’re wondering if you can actually kill him.”  

I didn’t answer.  

Because he was right.  

Despite everything, despite the rage in my heart, the need for justice... part of me still hesitated.  

Sirius was my father.  

Killing him meant cutting away the last tie I had to the family I never truly had.  

Riven placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t let doubt get in the way. He didn’t hesitate when he took Yong’s life. Or Lira’s.”  

I closed my eyes, pushing away the memory of my little sister’s body.  

When I opened them again, the hesitation was gone.  

“I won’t.”  

(The Final Night Before the Storm)

As we prepared to rest, I stood by the window, watching the city.  

Maelstrom didn’t know what was coming.  

Tomorrow night, we would move.  

By the end of it, I would either have my revenge...  

Or I would die trying.