He packed up the sniper rifle properly and slung the case over one shoulder before climbing from the roof. The weapon was too valuable to leave behind, and the Erya fighters needed all they could lay their hands on right now. He jogged toward the gate, one hand still resting on the handle of his pistol. While it appeared that Erya had control of the region, he wasn’t taking stupid chances.
Levi was the first familiar face he spotted. The young man was shouting and pumping his fist in the air, celebrating rather than doing anything too helpful. But then, the gate was now swarming with the Royal Guard, who were disarming all of the Empire men and shackling them. They would be taken off as prisoners of war until something could be formally settled between Erya and New Rosanthe. Hopefully that was sooner rather than later.
Unfortunately, this was just a small step forward. New Rosanthe still controlled the Armory and the harbor. Most importantly, they controlled King’s Square and the Royal Towers.
“Hey!” Levi shouted and ran to him. “I saw you! You totally saved my ass twice!”
Actually, it was three times that Drayce had managed to save Levi’s ass from getting shot, but who was counting?
“Glad I could help,” Drayce grinned. “Have you seen Eno?”
“I think I saw him talking with Melita and that general who brought all the Guard.” Levi waved toward the biggest knot of soldiers he could see through the opening in the wall. Not that he could actually spot Eno. Fuck, it sucked being short.
“Thanks!” Drayce said with a wave and headed off through the mess. He spotted men who were injured and dead that he’d planned this raid with just the other day. He tried to remind himself that at least there were more Empire soldiers who were dead, but it didn’t make him feel any better. All this death was a waste.
The scent of blood and burning rubber filled the air, threatening to choke him. His eyes were watering as he stepped through the mess and crossed the gate to find that the damage was even worse here. Entire homes were destroyed and some people were fighting to bring a warehouse fire under control. Were they in danger of losing the food they were fighting so hard to give to the people?
Drayce stood wide-eyed, scratching his head as he took in the devastation. This was one little fight. There were entire neighborhoods that needed to be freed. Would any of Stormbreak be left when they kicked the Empire out of the city?
“Drayce!”
His head snapped around at the rough sound of Eno’s voice. The large man waved his hand in the air to catch his attention and beckoned him over. Tomas and Melita were with Eno as well as the tallest Black woman Drayce had ever seen. Judging by the spiffy uniform with Erya green stars, this was the general Levi had mentioned.
Weaving through the crowd of soldiers rushing to follow whatever orders had been issued, Drayce joined Eno where he was speaking with Melita and the general. He took a second to look over Eno. The man was filthy, covered in soot, dirt, and blood. There was no telling if it was all his or if it belonged to someone else.
Drayce leaned close and tried to keep his voice low as he asked, “You okay?”
Eno smiled and wrapped a damp arm around his shoulders. The rain had stopped, but clouds still darkened the sky. “I’m good. Just a few scratches. Good shot on the truck.”
“Great jump out of my way,” Drayce teased.
“It was a great shot, Drayce,” Melita agreed. She turned to the general. “General Johanna Morgan, head of the East Erya Royal Guard. She was kind enough to give us a hand in this little scuffle. General, this is our sniper, Drayce Ladon. He’s part of the king’s entourage as a bodyguard.”
Okay, calling him a bodyguard felt like a stretch, but describing him as the guy who really likes kissing the king probably wouldn’t have been a smart move. He could deal with bodyguard. Drayce shook the general’s hand, bowing briefly over it.
Johanna made a noise in the back of her throat. “Both of the king’s bodyguards here at Green Gate while he’s stuck with that traitor.”
Drayce flushed and stole his hand away. Yeah, that sounded fucking bad too. His priority should have been keeping Caelan safe.
But Eno’s hand immediately tightened on his shoulder and he stepped toward, getting right in the general’s face. “My king commanded that we free Green Gate and get his people fed. King Caelan looks after his people, and I follow my king’s commands.”
“Besides, Rayne Laurent can be scary deadly when he needs to be,” Drayce added. Eno and Caelan were great with swords, but no one wielded a pair of daggers like Rayne could. The man moved faster than the wind, and his aim was flawless. It was the same with a bo staff in his hands. Rayne could keep Caelan safe.