City of Ruin - Mark Charan Newton [168]
‘Let them just come ashore, then I can rid you of many more than your army could ever hope to do in one attack.’ Beami couldn’t wait any longer. If she was going to aid his defence of the city she had to do it immediately. ‘Leave it to me, please. I only need half an hour. Send the order to call the soldiers back from the front line and make them stand two streets away from the waterfront instead. They’ll be safe there, and meanwhile I can focus on the—’
‘One hour and the invasion fleet will be arriving here by that very same entry point into the city,’ Brynd snapped.
‘Exactly,’ she smiled. ‘So trust me.’
With a rush of emotions she fled the room, hearing him say, ‘You have just one chance to earn that trust, do you hear me?’
*
She burst out through the fog, this cultist on a lively mare, heading out through the back of the Citadel. Gathered civilian foot soldiers looked up half astonished at her thundering through their mass.
Out into the city, her route took her the long way round, due to the military blockades and the thousands of troops readied for engagement. Under the shadow of the Onyx Wings, along the fringe of Althing, the Shanties, and straight towards Port Nostalgia, with a bag of modified Brenna-based relics slung across one shoulder, and suddenly Lupus was riding behind her, on a muscular black mare, still in his Night Guard uniform, a bow strapped across his back.
‘Why’re you following me?’ she shouted.
‘Commander’s orders. He doesn’t quite trust you, I’m afraid.’
‘Well, he should,’ she replied.
‘Beami, wait a moment.’
She sought to curb her horse and was surprised at how quick its response was. ‘What?’
‘Have you ever killed anyone before?’
She shook her head. Only then did she realize what she was taking on.
‘You want to prove things to a world of men, I know,’ Lupus said, his voice carefully controlled. He was on army time now. ‘But listen, when you kill, your heart will start to beat incredibly fast and you’ll feel a rush of emotions like you’ve never felt before. Your throat might seize. Take deep breaths to calm yourself and take control of your body else your muscles might seize. Think only of the relics, that might help.’
They galloped through deserted streets, abandoned neighbourhoods, rubble and detritus. Hooves reverberated loudly on cobbles. The mood of the place seemed to foreshadow a forthcoming apocalypse, but only a few streets away life flared: files of men and women lined up behind stout barricades, with their cheap weapons, and charged by a hope laced with fear.
Eventually Beami slowed down, and she moved the bag of relics in front of her.
Lupus pulled in alongside her. ‘Where are we heading exactly?’
‘Western side of Port Nostalgia,’ she replied, ‘and then we’re moving through to the east, and at some point we’ll need to cut a line back to the front of the Citadel. We won’t have long so please, Lupus, you’ll have to hold back because of the sheer scale of this experiment.’
She undid her necklace, the silver tribal symbol he’d given her all those years ago. ‘Look after this for the moment.’
Without emotion, he took it and placed it safely in his pocket. He made a silent but important gesture, edging his horse slightly behind hers once again. Drawing his bow over his shoulder, he glanced from side to side. ‘At least let me cover your back.’
‘Thank you,’ she whispered.
Beami primed the relics and stared up as the snow began falling, bold flakes that saturated the grey sky. She nudged her horse forward into the open Port Nostalgia district – surprised at how this unfamiliar mount seemed to react as if it already knew her thoughts. Now to the harbour front itself, where four ships of the invading fleet had already breached the harbour walls and were parting the vessel-crowded port with ease.
Fishing boats capitulated in their path, buckling under the impact, a series of tiny wooden explosions.
‘You’d better hurry,’ Lupus advised her.
Beami observed the terrace of coloured buildings, noting their vacant facades. Thankfully there was no one stationed in the windows, no