“And poor Drayce is just stuck with me.”
Eno snorted. “Don’t let Drayce fool you. He’s loving every second of the adventure. Even when he’s bitching.”
A smile started to form on Caelan’s lips. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“As for whoever Rayne is seeing, you gotta remember, this is Rayne. He’s always very up front. He’d set this person straight from the very beginning. This person would understand Rayne’s priorities and have to respect them if they were to get even a little attention from that man.”
Caelan nodded and returned to pacing. He wanted more for his friends. And that was what they were to him. They had become his friends first, bodyguard and advisor second. He wanted them to have something that resembled a normal life with love, friends, and laughter. But maybe that wasn’t the kind of life he could expect for them because they’d chosen to be with him.
The quick slap of footsteps echoed off the pavement as at least two people ran toward them. Caelan retreated to Eno’s side and his bodyguard pulled out a pair of knives, but they instantly relaxed again when Drayce popped through a sizeable hole in one of the walls. Rayne followed immediately behind him. Both men looked sweaty, dirty, and blood splattered. There was a rip in Drayce’s shirt and a large spot on Rayne’s dark pants that appeared to be blood. It also didn’t help that Rayne was now walking with a limp.
“Are you okay?” Eno demanded before Caelan could get the words out.
“Yeah, Empire bastards,” Drayce grumbled.
“Minor cuts and contusions. Nothing more,” Rayne reassured them.
“But we brought gifts,” Drayce crowed. While Rayne hefted Eno’s broadsword from the sheath across his back, Drayce handed over Caelan’s sword and sheath. A cry of joy nearly left Caelan’s throat as he snatched up his weapon. It had been specially crafted and perfectly balanced for him.
“What’s the news?” Eno demanded as he settled his own sheath in place.
“The Caspagir Navy has been ordered to form a blockade across the harbor to hold them as long as possible,” Rayne’s shoulders slumped slightly, and he shook his head. “Right now, we are just trying to buy time. The rest of the fleet is rushing to Sirelis, but it could be at least forty-eight hours before the first of the ships arrive. Four days for the entire fleet.”
“Erya couldn’t possibly send any help,” Caelan grumbled. Because his own fleet was either trapped by the Empire ships that were left behind, or there simply wasn’t anyone in a position of leadership to order assistance to Caspagir.
“The Empire has also sneaked in some ground forces. Fires are popping up all over the city. Not just the assassins that we encountered.”
Eno swore, and Drayce even looked grim as he checked over his gun and repositioned his spare magazines in his pockets.
“They are going to squeeze and hammer at Sirelis until Queen Noemi finally breaks,” Eno growled.
“That’s why some of her advisors have suggested that we leave town, loudly.”
“Make the Empire chase us,” Drayce added.
“Chase us where?” Eno snapped.
“The Ordas,” Caelan answered. “As far as we know, the Ordas is the one place the Empire would hesitate to follow, but I’m not even sure of that anymore.” Caelan shook his head. “It’s not happening. I didn’t get the powers from Kaes and not plan to use them.”
“Yeah, but you’re still trying to figure out how to use them,” Drayce pointed out, which did not help the churning in Caelan’s stomach.
“I guess I’d better figure them out fast.” Caelan stared at his friends for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest and his palms sweaty. “We need to find a place where I can get a good view of the harbor. While I’m focused on the ships, I’ll need you to protect my back.”
“We got you,” Eno said easily.
“We won’t let Sirelis suffer like Erya,” Rayne added as if he could read Caelan’s mind.
With weapons ready, they left the cover of the warehouse and edged closer to the docks. After a lot of skulking and sneaking, Eno finally pushed Caelan toward the flat roof of another warehouse right on the bay. The rusted metal of the ladder dug into his hands as he climbed the side of the building. His companions were staying on the ground to keep anyone who might spot him away, but he was hoping that no one noticed him.
Heart thudding painfully, Caelan jogged to the edge of the roof and stared out into the darkness, past the brightly lit harbor. It was easy to spot the ring of ships guarding the entrance to the harbor. The Empire ships were farther out and reduced to mostly just lights and dark shadows cutting through black waters. To have reached Caspagir so quickly, these ships had to have come from Erya.
These were the same ships that had launched an attack on his home. These were the soldiers who’d killed his mother, killed his people. They had stolen his godstone.