Shadowguard

"You needed the help," Arden said. "And in order to make my death as believable as possible, I couldn't tell anyone. Not even Pala or Witt."

Just as they rounded the corner, a pair of agents appeared in the intersection twenty-feet down the way. She fumbled for an arrow, panicking, but Mayor Ashburn seized her by the arm and pulled her into the room just around the bend. It looked to be a barracks, a row of empty bunks pressed against the lengths of the walls.

"Where are we, by the way?" she asked, eying the bunks. It looked as if Landen had taken her to some sort of prison complex.

"Before I drove them out of Pendel, Shroud had a stronghold beneath the town," he explained. "The entrance is beneath the Guard post. Sir Swiftbrook sealed it when he first arrived, but it seems Windmore's reopened it since. Or there's another entrance I wasn't aware of, which seems more likely. There's no way Landen would make it past your brother. Sir Swiftbrook, maybe; he was getting lax in his old age."

Footsteps rose from the hall.

"How much did Shadowguard teach you?"

"Not much," she admitted.

Wil decided it was best to start from scratch; he spent the better part of the past two weeks educating her on the basics of blade work in a style more suited for her. Her lessons with Cedric stopped when Osain had him and Lisette working day and night to locate Shroud's stronghold. Vina, not that she would ever ask for her aid, was in Rosemere dealing with the matter there.

"Then let me handle this,” he said. “While I'm sure you could stand to learn a few more tricks, this isn't an ideal situation for learning. Stay here. If anyone but me comes through this door, shoot first, ask questions later."

"What if it's Landen?I think he can use magic."

Mayor Ashburn snorted. "He uses artifacts. Not to worry, I took care of that before I revealed myself. Queen's Root. He'll be out for several hours."

With that, he disappeared through the door.

Everna pressed against the wall, her arrow properly nocked. The footsteps drew closer. There was a thud. Another followed seconds later.

He returned moments later, dragging two agents through the door. Like Landen, they wore dark robes and black masks. One was a woman who looked a few inches taller than her, and the other was a man several inches shorter than Mayor Ashburn.

"Now, in a situation like this, where you have the convenience of uniformity, you'll want the uniform," he said. "Makes walking down the hall much easier."

The thought of wearing a dead woman's clothes didn't sit well with her, but he had a point. In nothing but her underwear, she stood out like a black stain on a white sheet. In the robes, she'd be far more inconspicuous, perhaps even unrecognizable with the mask and hood to conceal her identity.

It'd certainly preserve what little she had left of her dignity.

"I thought you said this wasn't a learning experience," she said.

"Combat wise," he corrected. "Not unless you've miraculously mastered the sword in the last month and a half."

She quickly pulled the robes on and slipped the mask over her face before donning the hood. They were remarkably light, a bit like a long shawl rather than actual robes. It made holding the bow more difficult, the sleeves tangling in the string.

"No. Speaking of, you didn't find my sword by any chance, did you? I could really use it right now."

"Your effects were the least of my concerns," Mayor Ashburn admitted. "I think in this situation, anyone would prioritize their niece's safety over a fancy sword."

Niece? Mayor Ashburn may as well be family, with how close he was to her father and her mother, but he'd never called her his niece before. As if sensing her confusion, he paused halfway through pulling on his own set of robes.

"Your father didn't tell you everything, I see," he noted. "Why am I not surprised?"

Everna threw her hands up in exasperation. "My entire life's a lie! You could tell me I'm royalty and adopted, and I'd believe it at this point."

Mayor Ashburn snorted.

"You laugh, but I've had about all I can take! Between my parents lying to me my whole life and Shroud trying to kill me, and this gods be damned hangover, I'm fast approaching the limits of my patience with everything!"

She was tired. Tired of the running, of the fighting, of having to sort through the pieces of all she'd ever known for just a glimpse through the tangled web of half-truths and thin lies, and of being pushed every which way as if she were nothing but a pawn acting at the behest of everyone else. Shroud was testing her patience more than anyone ever had — and Everna had patience in abundance.

Over the past two moths, it’d become too much. It was a barrage of smaller incidents that compounded on top of other incidents. The weight of it bore down upon her with relentless tenacity, pressing her until she felt like bursting at the seams. Everna was not an angry person but anger — genuine anger — was finally setting in. It was a deep, burning anger that built over time — like smoldering embers that gradually heated until the first flicker of flames took hold.

Shroud, her parents, and everything and everyone were three seconds from thoroughly pissing her off.

She drew in a deep breath, her cheeks puffed, and released it. Anger bred recklessness, and recklessness in this situation would undoubtedly see her killed. Dying defeated the purpose of everything she went through to get to this point.

The answers were in her hands. All of her inquiries met and her curiosity sated. The end was finally in sight and, damn it all, she was going to reach it come hell or high water.

If Shroud wanted to take her home and destroy her life, then so be it; she'd force them to watch her destroy their plans before their very eyes.

"We're not leaving," she said.

Mayor Ashburn gave her a look very similar to what her mother gave her when she proposed a senseless idea. They should leave. She should heed Mayor Ashburn's advice — he was far more experienced with these matters than she was, but the longer this dragged out, the more dangerous it became. At any moment, Shroud might lose their patience and the town hall wouldn't be the only building to go up in flames.

"Everna—"

"No. We can't. You said it yourself; we don't know what Shroud will do when they realize their plans have gone awry," she argued. "This has to end. Today."

She refused to see her town reduced to ashes when she could prevent it. It would be dangerous, undoubtedly, but she was fast approaching the point of no return, if she hadn't reached it already.

Shroud may have started this on their terms, but it would end on hers.