Bleeding Ink

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

It had been a while since Cleo found herself in full armor. She wasn't going to chance it, though, not when Kav and Malik were on their way...and she was pretty sure she was going to kill them on sight.

And Addie Merlo, also known as the Lady in White.

Betrayal ate at her stomach, knowing they were on their way with the one female who could take down her whole kingdom for the empress she served. Cleo didn't care about the rumors of what happened between her and Sophea. The Krahzaran ruler had done too much damage to Cleo's life, threatening her kingdom, taking the lives of her sister and grandfather.

Once she secured Arloerin again...Cleo had already made the decision that she was going to take this fight right to Sophea.

"I've known you practically all our lives, Cleo," Urell said to her then as they walked side by side through Arloerin. "And I know that look."

She paused in her steps, finally realizing they were further into the city than she realized. She'd been so caught up in her own thoughts, her own vengeance that she spaced completely out. She didn't entertain him with an answer as to what her look conveyed, though.

"Is the city secure?" she questioned.

Urell gestured to the street around them, his own armor gleaming in the sunlight. "Secured," he stated.

Why did she even ask? The streets were barren for the first time in who knew how long. Her people were all locked up in their homes, windows closed, curtains pulled over, huddled in interior rooms. Guardsmen patrolled every street, weapons at the ready for any threat that might come. Even Ollyn was keeping an eye out from above, circling the perimeter of the city and waiting for Cleo's cue to come to her.

"And the patrols outside the gates," she went on. "Have they seen anything? Any sign of Kav, Malik, and Merlo?"

"You're calling her Merlo now?"

"I'd much rather call her something else, but I want to save it and say it to her face. Trust me when I say she'll be the first my shadows go to."

Urell pointedly looked at the shadows that ringed around her, ready to strike at a moment's notice. "Don't you think we should...hold off on the threats until she's able to talk to us herself? I mean, she seemed genuinely happy while she was here from what I heard. Everyone fell in love with her."

Cleo bit back her growl. "Trust me, I know and heard it nonstop. It was annoying as hell."

"And what about Kav? If he's on his way here with her, he has to trust her to some degree, right?"

"I'll be having a few words with the male myself." She crossed her arms over her chest, leveling a glare at the orc. "Now, can you please continue on and make sure all patrols are going where needed? I'd rather not leave even the smallest of areas unwatched."

Urell paused for a few long moments before nodding. "Got it."

She needed to be alone, to gather her thoughts and try to focus on the threat they faced. Turning her back to him, she started back down the street in the direction of the main market square. Dozens of guardsmen passed her, bowing their heads to their queen yet keeping their focus on everything around them. Whispered voices sounded from inside homes and a wave of tension rolled over her kingdom.

Cleo hated it. Absolutely hated it. She was supposed to keep them safe. Arloerin was supposed to be the most secure kingdom in all of Laria and yet now...