Richelle Mead - Iron Crowned

I bit off any snide remarks. “We can’t have Katrice killed. I’m pretty sure the instant her people found her dead, Jasmine would be next. I need you to sneak in and get Jasmine out of there.”

Imanuelle’s cocky smile dropped. “That’s not what I do. I kill. I don’t rescue.”

“I’ll do the rescuing. You need to get me and Kiyo in. Disguise us with this so-called power you keep bragging about. Or is masking more than one person out of your skill-set?”

“I can do it,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “But it’ll cost you.”

“We can afford it,” I said, trying to ignore the pained look crossing Shaya’s face as she no doubt added up mental ledgers.

Imanuelle said nothing for several moments as she pondered it all. “Just you two?”

“Yes. And you, of course,” I added.

“Do you have any idea where you’re going in there?” she asked.

Kiyo and I exchanged looks. “Kind of,” I said.

“Kind of.” Imanuelle snorted. “Fine. I’ll do it. But I’m only there to disguise you. I’m not fighting if you get caught.”

“You don’t have to,” I assured her. “We’ll protect you.”

This brought another scoff and a haughty curl of her lip. “If they detect us, I can get myself out of there, believe me. You’ll be on your own.”

We learned more about the full extent of Imanuelle’s ability as Kiyo and I made our way with her on horseback to the Rowan Land. Her illusions were every bit as good as she’d demonstrated the first day, and I watched with grudging awe as she transformed Kiyo into Girard, Shaya, and—ack—Dorian. The illusions were perfect—and dangerous. I began to fully understand why she was such a good assassin. She really could be whomever she wanted, slipping into high security places without anyone knowing. I was a bit shocked when some part of my brain skipped right past employing her to detaining her. That part of my brain said getting rid of her would be safer for me in the future, and I immediately chastised myself for the idea. Imprisoning potential enemies was something Storm King would have done.

“It’s not all-powerful,” she said at one point. I think she was just making idle conversation now, having no clue of my concerns. We’d crossed into the Rowan Land now, and she’d dropped her tricks with Kiyo, settling on illusions of bedraggled peasants for all of us. “Doing it for three people takes more power. And even for myself, I can’t hold up disguises forever.” She made a small face. “If I could, I’d be a spy instead. A lot less messy.”

I said nothing but exchanged brief glances with Kiyo behind her back. He too had to have analyzed the implications of her abilities. I was also thinking that when we’d first tried to rescue Jasmine from Aeson, our plan had failed because a spy had betrayed us. There was every possibility now that Imanuelle could do the same, and I wondered if I’d been too quick to trust such an unknown quantity. I could only hope love for her brother would keep her loyal to his employer.

Despite its name, the Rowan Land was dominated by cherry trees. Well, at least that was my impression whenever I crossed through it while journeying to other kingdoms. As we traveled further along roads that delved deeper into Katrice’s kingdom, the cherry trees gave way to other plants and trees—including rowans. They were smaller than I’d expected and laden with berries of their own. This land was really quite nice, temperate and pleasantly warm, with beautiful green landscapes. It would be a shame if I did have to raze it to the ground.

We saw signs of Katrice’s castle long before the castle itself. Other travelers joined us on the road, those whose towns had been caught in the crossfire of war and now sought out food and shelter from their monarch. Most were on foot, and we passed them quickly, for which I was glad. I needed no guilt on this journey.

We also began seeing soldiers, undoubtedly part of the increased security that Rurik had predicted. Some were traveling to and from the castle. Some were stationed along the way, carefully watching those of us who passed. I held my breath each time, waiting for Imanuelle’s illusions to fail us. Along with acknowledging her power limits, she’d also told us some gentry were sensitive to her type of magic and could see through her spells. She’d told us this halfway through the journey. It was information that kind of would have been useful before setting out.

But, although we were scrutinized, the soldiers allowed us to pass, and before long, the castle itself came into view. I paused a moment, admiring it in spite of myself. Dorian and I both had dark, blocky stone castles, like Norman strongholds left on barren English countryside. Maiwenn’s home was elegant and fanciful, always reminding me of a Disney movie. Katrice’s castle, however, could have been straight out of a postcard from Bavaria. It had strong, straight rectangular lines, its sides white and covered with windows. That sturdy boxiness was offset by graceful turrets rising from the center, almost delicate-looking with their pointed black roofs. The land had been rising as we traveled, so it wasn’t a surprise to see the castle was situated high on one of the foothills leading off into pretty, snowcapped mountains. It had a sweeping view of the area we were approaching from, and a sturdy wall surrounded its immediate grounds.

Here we came to a stop along with the others seeking admission. We formed a long, clustered line, making me nervous.

“Why the backup? Are they refusing people?” I asked softly. “We don’t usually have this many at our gates.”

Kiyo peered ahead, his sharp eyes seeing what we couldn’t. “No, they’re letting them in, just doing a fair amount of questioning, which is slowing things down. And you’re right—you never have this many because your lands haven’t been attacked as much.”

Good and bad, I thought. I’d kept my own people safe, but the war I was waging was devastating homes. It occurred to me I might not have to worry about Katrice. If these people discovered who was among them, I might very well be taken down by an angry mob.

“Easy,” murmured Imanuelle. “Don’t look nervous. I can’t hide your expressions.”

I schooled myself to neutrality, hoping I looked blank and exhausted. After almost an hour of restless waiting, our turn came. Four guards interrogated us, and we were quick with answers. For our cover story, we’d chosen a village that had been near a battle Dorian’s armies had fought with Katrice’s. Most of the residents had cleared out before the fighting, but a large part of the village had been destroyed.

“Our house was burned to the ground,” Imanuelle said. She didn’t even need the illusion of an older, rag-clad woman to be pathetic. Her demeanor and voice were filled with perfect, convincing despair. “Our crops were wiped out.”

After a bit more questioning, they let us in, sending us toward what was essentially a gentry breadline. The inner grounds of Katrice’s castle were packed with people—most soldiers—and we had to shoulder our way through the crowd to reach the corner where the poor and huddled masses were situated. Many appeared to have made this courtyard their temporary home. It looked like a well-used campground. Nonetheless, food was on hand, and I was relieved that these victims of war were being cared for.

We hovered near the food line so as not to raise suspicion, all the while assessing the area. In particular, our attention rested on the main gates to the castle itself. It was the most heavily guarded spot of all, and I knew then that an outright assault would have indeed been long and bloody. Other soldiers moved through the door with little questioning, which was what we’d hoped for. Finding a relatively obscured corner between a tall tent and the wall, we ducked out of sight and let Imanuelle work her next spell. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. A tingle ran over me, and the world blurred. When I could focus on my companions again, I saw myself looking at the guards who had admitted us.