Chapter 167: The rider

"What about?" Amara cut in.

"It is all right." Ayla was already moving. "I will speak with her."

She crossed the rings and took Willow by the elbow, and behind her she felt Amara’s eyes settle on the pair of them like a hand on the back of her neck.

The corner by the door was as far as the room allowed.

"Are you mad?" Ayla kept her voice low. "You cannot come to me when I am with her."

"I had to." Willow could not keep the excitement out of her voice. "Your message to the princes. I think they figured it out. Lucius is in a rage because he is yet to hear from the Alpha council and just last night, the horse came in without him. The saddle was empty and there was blood on the leather."

Willow’s fingers closed on Ayla’s sleeve. "He threw his inkpot at the wall in front of two guards. He has not slept. He has been at that window since dark."

Ayla felt her heart begin to hammer.

They had worked it out, she thought. They had understood her.

Ayla forced herself to remain calm so she did not rouse suspicion from Amara who was still watching them like a hawk.

"Keep watching him," she said. "I need to know what he does next."

"I will."

"Good."

Willow turned to leave.

Ayla waited until she was gone before she returned to the center of the room.

"What did she want?" Amara asked.

"She wanted me to know Lucius would like to see me later today."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. That is all. Why?"

"I do not know." Amara’s gaze remained on her "You spoke for a while."

"She is a talker."

"Hm."

"Should we not continue?" Ayla asked, changing the subject.

Amara stared at her for another moment then she nodded.

"Yes. Of course"

The next part of the training was harder.

Amara began attacking while Ayla was forced to defend.

She came in fast from all sides. Amara lunged but Ayla moved to the side. Amara’s hand swept toward her and Ayla raised her palm.

A burst of power shot between them and Amara blocked it, the impact sending her backward.

Ayla’s eyes widened.

"Amara..."

"Again."

Ayla barely had time to react before Amara attacked her.

She ducked and spun around.

Nyx growled deep inside her and Ayla stretched out her hand just as did. Both their powers crashed into one another sending Amara stumbling backward and crashing into the wall behind her.

Ayla froze.

"Oh my..." She rushed toward her. "I am so sorry."

Amara pushed herself away from the wall.

"I didn’t mean to..." Ayla reached out to offer her a hand which Amara too.

"Do not apologize." Amara got her feet under her and dusted her clothes. "You are doing so well."

"I threw you into a wall."

"Yes." Amara had a thin smile on her face. "We stop for today," she said. "Tomorrow we do that again, and I will not be so generous."

Amara turned and began walking toward the door then she stopped.

"Ayla?"

"Yes?" Ayla turned around.

"Meet me in my chambers after you have met with Lucius. We need to talk about our next course of action. We cannot wait much longer."

Ayla slid her foot into a slipper and said, "Okay."

The door opened and Amara was gone.

...

The rider was found just before nightfall.

He had not made it far.

Ares had stationed men along every road leading away from Emberfall after Ayla’s strange warning at the border.

At first, they had found nothing then one of the scouts had returned with news.

A lone rider had been spotted several miles from the main road. He had tried to avoid them and that alone had been enough to raise suspicion.

The men had surrounded him before he could get away.

Two guards pushed him into Ares’ tent.

Damon stood near the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

One of the guards stepped forward and handed Ares the letter they had found on the rider.

Ares took it, turning it over and breaking the seal. His eyes moved across the first few lines.

"What is this?"

Ares held up the parchment, rising to his feet.

Cassian reached for the letter and Ares handed it over to him. He and Damon scanned it quickly.

Ares towered over the rider.

"What is an Alpha council?" he asked.

The man said nothing.

Ares’ gaze hardened. "I asked you a question."

The rider swallowed. "I have no idea. I was only asked to deliver the letter. That is all I know."

Cassian exchanged a glance with Ares.

"Who is your lord?"

The rider looked at him. "You know who he is."

"Say his name."

The man hesitated.

"Lord Lucius."

"Now tell me what this letter is about."

"I do not know."

Damon scoffed. "You expect us to believe that?"

"It is the truth."

"You are lying."

"I am not."

"Where did you then plan to deliver the letter? To whom?" Ares shot at him.

The man said nothing.

"Speak when my Alpha asks you a question." Damon barked.

"You will get nothing from me."

Ares chuckled.

"We shall see about that."

Ares grabbed the man’s arm and shoved him into the chair. The guards stepped forward and strapped his wrists against the arms of the chair.

"Last time... where and to whom did you plan to deliver this letter to?"

"I don’t know what you mean"

Ares gestured to Damon who handed him over the knife strapped at his waist. He nodded to the guards stationed behind the rider and they snapped his head backward.

Ares leaned forward, brandishing the knife close to the man’s eye.

"My princes." a voice called out, stopping him.

The tent flap opened and Miranda walked in.

Ares turned to her, the knife dangling from his fingers. "What do you want."

"I heard you captured a rider."

"Yes." Ares gestured to Damon to hand the letter to Miranda.

She might know something about what the hell an Alpha council was and what it meant to them.

"We found this on him." Damon held out the letter.

She took it from his hand and opened it, her eyes moving across the words.

Ares watched her eyes widen in surprise and immediately stepped away from the rider and toward her.

"You know what it means," he said.

And it was not a question.