Weight of the World

Chapter Fifteen

—Tregaar, Valdornne—

Her brother. Crouched low behind a wall, Rhenna felt her heart lurch at the sight of Hadrius. She hadn't spoken to him in over a year. He had been called away to help the Creator's army in the Shadowlands when her father had fought Eivør, but afterwards, he had been promoted to the position of personal bodyguard for Regis Bellegarde. His letter confirming his position had been the last direct communication she had received from him, and then at the Tomb of the Holy Light, no words had been exchanged between them, only a silent acknowledgment as he turned and followed Regis away.

Regardless of their last meeting, Rhenna couldn't help but wish she could speak with Hadrius at that very moment. He was only a few yards away, standing beside Regis Bellegarde as the latter spoke with the security agents. Her eyes drifted over Hadrius' form. He seemed healthy, no dark circles under his eyes, no weight loss or signs that he had been hurt by Regis. It eased her heart a little to see him.

His head turned in her direction. Rhenna darted behind the wall, back pressed firmly up against it. Her brother had always possessed sharpened senses, honed through the years from their mother's teachings. Where Rhenna had seemed to inherit only her father's brute strength, Hadrius had inherited their mother's keen elven abilities, perceiving beyond what was common for a human, silent footsteps, and incredible aim with his bow.

He knew she was here.

A few long minutes passed, but Hadrius didn't raise the alarm. No soldiers came to detain them, and no changes occurred in the movements of the warehouse workers. Everything remained the same. Hadrius hadn't reported her. Slowly, Rhenna stuck her head back around the corner. Her brother was no longer looking in her direction, but she knew he had sensed her. Her brother wouldn't miss a security breach like this. He had to know they were there. Yet, still, he said nothing, waiting patiently at Regis' side until the other man made his final orders and stepped away. Hadrius followed. Rhenna waited until she was certain they were gone before her team moved.

Jalrend led the way, careful in his movements so as not to draw any unwanted attention. Lord Carver had instructed them toward a spot that was partially hidden, where one of his men had left the keycards they would need to make it further into the facility. They were waiting exactly where he said they would be. Jalrend picked up the pile and together they huddled in that small, cramped recess, waiting for the call that it was time to proceed. No one said a word.

Soon enough, the call came through their Echoes. Lord Carver had called in a possible attack on Kentlewind by armed Eclipse forces. Rhenna and the others listened as the soldiers stationed inside the facility deliberated on what to do. They were the closest responders and as a nobleman of Tregaar, the soldiers were meant to do anything and everything to protect him. The commander ordered half of his men to support Kentlewind, leaving the rest behind.

Not ideal but workable.

Now was the time to move. They wouldn't get a better opportunity. But stealth had never been her strong suit, and so, Rhenna waited as Jalrend moved forward first. He was one of the best infiltration agents Eclipse had. She trusted him to get the job done. Within only a minute or so, he had taken down all those that had been lingering nearby. Rhenna and the others followed when the coast was clear. It was slow moving to avoid detection, and each minute it took them to reach their destination was another minute closer to their window closing.

Finally, they reached the area where the shipment was meant to be. Once the guards there were taken care of too, Rhenna and Lambert hurried forward to the long metal boxes to confirm what was inside. The weapons looked just as Khalid had described. She had never seen anything like these firearms. Were they truly as deadly as he had described? Carefully, she picked up one of the pieces inside, an ammunition cartridge if she remembered the term correctly. She inspected it slowly.

"Everything ready?" Lambert asked quietly.

Rhenna clamped her hand around the cartridge, warping the metal in her hand in an instant until it was a twisted mass that could do no damage. She glanced over her shoulder at their commander, who nodded.

"Once we set off the explosives, though, everyone will know we're here, so we need to detonate remotely," Jalrend instructed. "The explosion will be contained to this room to ensure the weapons are destroyed but we don't do any more damage than necessary. I've marked on the map where each one will go."

He opened his pack, revealing the explosives within, one-by-one he handed them out to them, the map instructing them where to place them for maximum damage. When the charges were placed, they regrouped. The Echoes of the dead guards were beginning to speak, commanders and fellow soldiers wondering where their comrades were. Their window was up.

"Alright, ready to go, boss," Mint nodded.

Jalrend shook his head, glancing down at the scattered guards. "This was too easy. I've been with Eclipse for ten years. I've never had a mission go this smoothly."

Lambert shrugged. "So? I ain't about to complain. Let's take this gift and go."

"Something's wrong."

"It will be if we stay here any longer," Rhenna warned, glancing down at one of the guards as his Echo picked up again. "They're coming. We have to go."

Jalrend nodded, though his face still displayed unease. "Alright. We need to leave out the southern exit, so..."

"Stop!" a soldier came around the corner suddenly, one of those brand-new firearms pointed directly at them. The soldier seemed panicked, clearly not expecting to find them there. His hesitation was all Jalrend needed to strike. A thrown knife caught the soldier in the neck, right in the exposed part of his armor. The soldier fell with a thud, but rather than escaping danger, it seemed only to invite more of it. The soldier hit the ground just as another shout was heard somewhere out of sight. The second soldier triggered the alarm right before darting around the same corner. This one didn't hesitate. He fired as soon as he saw them, hitting both Mint and Lambert before they could move. Jalrend dragged Mint behind one of the crates as Rhenna dove for Lambert.

The blaring sirens alerted the entire warehouse to the intruders, ensuring a wave of enemies about to crash down upon them. The soldier continued to approach, firing his weapon all the while. The stream of fire seemed never-ending as it bombarded the crate at her back. Rhenna waited until she heard him close enough and then toppled the pile of heavy crates down upon him. The soldier shouted as he fell. Rhenna darted around the pile, slamming her foot down upon the soldier's wrist enough to snap it quickly. She kicked the firearm away, glancing over at Jalrend and Mint. Both Mint and Lambert were still awake, though both bled heavily from their wounds.

The four of them stumbled through the halls on the way to the southern exit, their progress made slower each time guards crossed their paths, but eventually, they made it to their destination, spilling out into the alleyway that awaited them, the alarm still blaring behind them. They didn't stop until they reached a few streets over. Jalrend lowered Mint to the sidewalk, the weight of her, who was nearly a foot taller than him, too much for him to bear any longer. Rhenna, however, kept Lambert standing, his hands pressed against the wound in his chest.

"We have to destroy the shipment now," Rhenna said, her eyes darting to the sky where she could faintly hear a few of the new flying machines approaching. "It's our only chance."

Jalrend nodded, pulling the detonator from his pack.Hesitating for only a moment, he pressed the center button. A column of firetowered into the sky as Rhenna and the others were blown back by the force ofthe blast, leveling the entire warehouse instead.