Chapter 104: The Ambush

I clutched tight over my horse's reins, my heart heavy from the weight of the decision at hand. After all, Addams Weasley was their only lead to trace his people and-most importantly-the reasons for his vendetta. It had been, at least, a gamble taking him with them, but Kael had assured that his chained properly. "We're reaching the edge of the forest," Kael said, the silence slicing through his voice. "Beyond that is the marshland where the scouts reported strange activity. If his people are hiding anywhere, it's there." I nodded, my voice low. "You think they'll come for him?" Kael's jaw clenched. "If they know we have him, they might. Stay close, Reika. I don't trust this quiet. The attack came out of nowhere. We had been riding in that heavy forest one minute; then a rain of arrows was showered upon us from above. The screams of the guards grew loud and bedlam erupted. Screaming horses rose up to throw their riders. "Jeg har! Ambush!" Kael shouted, tugging his sword free. Before I could utter a word, my horse bucked and flung me into the dirt. Pain seemed to sear into my shoulder on impact, yet with the sudden surge of adrenaline coursing in my veins, I scrambled up to my feet. Figures emerged from behind the trees; their faces shrouded with masks. Precise, calculated movements, weapons flashed in the poor light. They were not common bandits-these were skilled fighters, and they outnumbered us. "Protect the Luna!" Kael thundered, slamming into a leaper attacking him. I fell back over, stumbling into the forest. My heart bucked at how hard we were fighting-they just had the manpower to overwhelm us. Confused and overwhelmed, some fought through. They broke for the prisoner-Addams was gagged and tied, tossed into the bed of the wagon behind them.   "No!" I hollered running towards.   Kael had caught one; another had slid past him. I reached for a dagger strapped against my thigh and threw it with all my might. It buried into the man's shoulder and he released his hold on the weapon, yowling in pain. "Reika, back!" Kael yelled, catching my arm, his tug spinning me behind him. But it was too late. The men had reached Addams. With quick slashes, they cut his bonds and pulled him from the wagon. "Stop them!" I shouted, but my voice was lost to the ringing steel and shouts of combatants. The attackers were fleeing, imprisoned, and it was then that a figure stood in our path, checking our charge. My breath caught in my throat as I beheld her. Ariadne. Her golden hair gleamed under the moon, her eyes afire with anger and triumph. She was wrapped in a dark cloak, a blade held within her hand, its metal seeming to pulse with unnatural energy. "Reika," she spat the word, disgust practically dripping off it. "How like you, running from the protection of the palace." "What is this, Ariadne?" I returned, trying hard not to use a threatening voice. "What I must," she returned, smiling cruel as her lips curled. "You have had your time to play queen, but that is now at an end. Ileus should have been mine, and this kingdom deserves a Luna with strength, not weakness."   I clenched my fists. Anger rose inside me. "You think leading a rebellion makes you strong? All you've done is plant division and chaos. Her smile grew wider. "And yet here I stand, while your precious guards fall around you." Kael took a step forward, his sword raised. "You won't take another step toward her." Ariadne laughed cold and sharp. "Oh, Kael. Ever the loyal dog. But this isn't your fight." She raised her hand, and a surge of energy shot toward him; Kael barely managed to dodge; his sword clattered to the ground. I sprang forward, seizing Kael's armament and placing myself between him and Ariadne. "If you think I'll let you destroy everything Ileus and I have built, you're mistaken." The flash in her eyes went narrow, and for a second, it seemed as though even the woods around them held their collective breath. "You've already destroyed it, Reika. And Ileus. if he doesn't wake, it'll be your fault." Her words cut like a sharpened blade-deep and sure-but I refused to let her see my hurt. "Away, Ariadne," I growled through gritted teeth, "take your thieved prize and be gone. But hear this: You have earned yourself an enemy in me, and I will not rest until you and yours pay for what you've done." Ariadne cocked her head to one side, weighing my threat. Then she retreated backward one step, a self-satisfied smirk twisting her face. "We'll see about that, wolfless Luna." With a wave of her hand, she and her fighters melted into the shadows, taking Addams with them. The battlefield was quiet, still, as I turned to the bodies of guards and attackers alike that littered everywhere. A few survivors were tending to their wounds or gathering their dead. Kael approached me, his face grim. "We failed." I shook my head, fighting the wave of despair that was sure to drown me. "No. It's not over. We'll find Addams and bring him back." Kael laid a firm hand on my shoulder. "We will. But you have to watch your back, Reika. Ariadne is playing a bad game, and she will stop for nothing until she gets it all. "I know," I whispered in return, my eyes fixed on the dark forest ahead. "But neither will I." Back in the palace, it was as if the events of the night came flooding back, and with the weight of a tidal wave. When Ariadne made that attack, the very foundation on which the kingdom had rested was shaken, and without Addams, the probabilities of digging up the truth became slimmer than ever. Smothered by maps and reports in the war room, Daisy bursts in, pale-faced. "Reika," she says softly. "The council has heard about the ambush. They want an answer from you." I closed my eyes as exhaustion washed over me. "I'll deal with them in the morning." She hovered, then laid a comforting hand on my arm. "You're stronger than you think. Don't let her break you." I nodded, but now, with the weight of the whole kingdom upon my shoulders, one thought was cleaving its way through me more than any other. Ariadne may have won the first, but this battle wasn't over yet.