The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Chapter 18: Revenge

Minutes later, I rode a sturdy appaloosa mare down the gravel road, flanked by ten members of the new Royal Guard. Upon Makash's departure, the guards had sifted through the horse's saddlebags to reveal their contents to me. Canteens of water. Cloth sacks filled with pickled meat, nuts, and dried fruit. Ample rope to tie up the food and tether the horse. Flint, steel, and kindle. Everything I needed to escape Rakim.

Provided the guards would allow my escape.

The horsemen studied our surroundings with hardly a glance my way, almost as though ensuring my safety rather than my compliance. When we reached the palace and dismounted, Tibo strolled down the golden steps to greet me with a broad wave and a bright smile. The new badge on his vest glittered in the fading sunlight with bold letters legible even from twenty feet away.

Head of the Royal Guard.

Wrongness tugged at my skin like a million tiny hooks. "Head Guard at such a young age, Tibo? You must have done something very impressive."

"Well, King Makash initially offered the position to Ruck, but Ruck declined. It caused a bit of drama, actually. Refusing His Royal Majesty is terribly unwise, I'm sure you'd agree."

"To be honest, I'm not sure acquiescing is any better."

His smile faltered, and he tossed his head to flip the mop of hair out of his eyes. "If you are concerned about the King keeping his promise, worry not. We have orders not to harm the fallen prince."

"Well, forgive me if I find it difficult to trust you."

He glanced at the guards behind me and licked his lips. Then he said, "Follow me."

I hooked a hand through the reins of my horse, leading her toward the wooded area at the side of the palace. A few guards mumbled protests from behind, but I waved them off with the flick of my hand without even turning back. I would take every advantage I could while they still needed me.

Returning to the palace's entrance, I followed Tibo up the front steps. As I passed through the doors, I remembered crossing that threshold as a guest and then as a Claimed.

Now I entered as a killer.

Come fight me, Toom.

After I had almost killed Niako that morning, he had sagged against the cell door, succumbing to gravity. Was that how he would look when my blade stole his last breath?

The doors swung shut behind me with a thud, and I pushed the image aside.

The sharp angles of the Goddess Rashika statues lining the hallway appeared more ominous than ever. In front of the statues, gold three-legged lions crouched, pounced, and prowled, marking the approaching Day of Blessings. Tibo stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face the statues. He pressed his palms together and tipped his fingers toward a Goddess Rashika statue and back toward his own heart. Then he pointed to the three-legged lion at her side and tilted his head at me.

"Do you know the story of the Three-Legged Lion?"

I didn't bother with a response. All six states celebrated the Day of Blessings each year, and even toddlers knew of the Three-Legged Lion.

He proceeded to tell me, anyway. "Sometime after the Day of Truth, the Fallen Gods rose up from the seven hells to attack Najila. When the battle horn blew, the terrified people of Najila all found a reason to excuse themselves from the fight. Cowering before the Fallen Gods, they prayed Goddess Rashika would send a fierce warrior to save them. So, on the Day of Blessings, Goddess Rashika sent the Three-Legged Lion."

Tibo squatted to stroke the ridged mane of the nearest lion before continuing. "The Najilans felt their prayers had been mocked. But when they saw the Three-Legged Lion on its wobbly legs standing alone against the Fallen Gods, all of their own excuses withered to dust, and every man and woman rose up to join the fight. The Fallen Gods were soon overpowered and fled back to the seven hells, never to return."