Chapter Seventy-One

ASH

It didn’t take Ash long to grudgingly admit to himself that Robb was indeed trustworthy and earnest in his desire to help oust Pershing from the throne of Levia.

Jenna had to report back to work in the castle shortly after introductions were made, but she was correct in her assessment that Keyara’s identity was readily accepted and barely questioned.

After a quick glance at the small portrait and necklace that served as her only proof, Robb was all in to support her claim.

He assured them that the majority of the members of the guard would feel the same, the true ineptitude of Pershing’s role as king glaringly obvious to them all.

Robb left them for a short time to summon two other guards, both high ranking, and the group of them immediately began going over the plan for the evening.

“First of all,” began Ash, spreading out the maps Mateo had quickly fetched from the cottage, “were any of you aware of the tunnel that leads from the king’s quarters to an exit here, at the edge of the forest?”

The three guards peered down at the map to where Ash indicated the marker he had added onto it indicating the location of the outside exit of the tunnel they had worked to clear.

“No,” replied Robb, while the other two shook their heads to deny their own knowledge. “We have never been told of anything of the sort.”

“Our plan was to enter through the tunnel and subdue Pershing while the rest of the group entered through the castle.

“We assumed the castle forces would surrender once we had him in hand,” Keyara explained from beside him, and he felt a surge of pride at her taking charge of the meeting. She had taken to the role naturally.

“I don’t see the need for subterfuge at this point,” replied Robb.

“The majority of the guards will stand with us, and with your men among ours, we will quickly overpower those that do not. After that, it’s a matter of simply apprehending him.”

“Just because the guard is ignorant of the tunnel does not mean that Pershing is,” Keyara cleverly pointed out.

“While he did not know of it when he overthrew my parents, he could have discovered it in the years since and kept the knowledge to himself.

“I think we should still send a small group through it, in case he hears the fighting among the guards and attempts to flee.”

Ash smiled down at her, admiring her logic. “Indeed, she’s right,” he agreed, turning back to Robb. “I will send two of my men through when the takeover begins. That should be sufficient to prevent his escape.”

“And me,” Keyara declared, making his heart lurch.

“No,” he said curtly, not sparing her a glance, feeling her anger surge at his denial.

“Ash, yes, I will be going,” she insisted, commanding his attention.

“Love, you have no fighting experience.” He appealed to her, trying not to show the fear that was creeping into his mind at the thought of her putting herself in danger.

She rolled her eyes at him before he heard her mocking voice in his mind. ~“Wolf, remember? I can shift if I need to.”~

~“We will discuss it,” ~he replied silently, not wanting to get into it in their present company, before turning back to the men in front of him.

He heard her annoyed huff but was relieved she did not continue to push the matter.

“Let’s go over the timeline and agree on our signals,” he told the group.

After an hour more, their plan was firmly in place.

Robb and the others would ensure guards on their side were placed at the sentry points once the night shift started, allowing them to enter the castle without setting off a warning call.

A signal torch would be lit by Robb on a tower in the eyeline of those assigned to the tunnel to indicate when they should enter once the main group crossed the gates.

Of course, they could just link each other and accomplish the same goal, but they still had to keep up appearances of being human.

Those inside the castle would quickly overpower the remaining guards before breaching the doors to Pershing’s quarters.

Ash shook hands with the three guards, wishing them luck in their respective roles for the evening’s plans, before watching them depart and head back in the direction of the castle.

Keyara’s tension was palpable, and he sighed, knowing the earlier conversation was far from over. How could he explain to her the overwhelming urge he had to keep her away from what was to come?

He faced her slowly, taking in the determined glint in her eye.

“I’m going,” she stated, raising her chin and crossing her arms over her chest to emphasize her declaration.

He smiled, taking in her strong stance and glinting blue eyes, admiring her beauty.

His sudden softness seemed to catch her off guard, and she let her arms drop as she frowned slightly. “What?” she demanded.

“You look beautiful, Keyara,” he said truthfully, leaning down to kiss her.

Her lips softened under his, her arms coming up to rest on his chest as she returned his kiss. Mateo muttered something lightly under his breath and walked out of the clearing, leaving them alone.

Taking advantage of the privacy, he wrapped his arms around her and walked backward a few steps to back into a large stone, sitting on the edge and drawing her into his lap, never breaking the kiss.

She pulled up her skirt to place her legs on either side of his thighs, straddling him and pressing her chest against his as her hands grasped and tangled with his hair.

He enjoyed the taste and the feel of her, his tongue dancing with hers, minutes passing before she finally broke the kiss, her face flushed and her eyes hooded with desire.

“You’re not going to distract me, Ash,” she told him, leaning back as he tried to close the distance between them to reclaim her lips, her expression shifting to hardness.

He sighed deeply, cupping her cheek with his hand and stroking her soft, warm skin with his thumb.

“I cannot lose you, Keyara. It terrifies me to think of you anywhere near the fight, even with the guards on our side,” he told her honestly, watching her expression soften at his confession.

“It’s just… I have to, Ash,” she begged him, her voice thick with emotion. “I have to for my parents. I never knew them, and that’s his fault.

“I have to for me! My whole life I had to hide, fade into the background. I have to confront him when he loses what he betrayed my family for.”

Despite the fear that consumed him, he could not deny that he would feel the same in her position. He leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent to calm his racing heart.

“I understand, my love,” he finally said, lifting her lightly off his lap and onto her feet, standing himself, and taking her hand in his. “We will do it together.”