“Don’t we have bigger issues to deal with right now?”

“Do we?”

They did. Although Thomassin, Bartholemew, and Brín had their weapons drawn and stood with Ragna and her small group of troops, Millie held the remainder of the ancient elders hostage at the moment.

“Release them, Brother Millie!” Thomassin ordered.

“I don’t take orders from you, false Grand Master.”

Quinn rolled his eyes. “By the gods, this could take all fucking night.”

The double doors to the chamber opened and more of Ragna’s troops rushed in. How they’d been alerted to the troubles here, Gemma wasn’t sure, but she was grateful.

“Commander! We have . . .” The words of Ragna’s second commander faded away as she took in the sight before her.

But Ragna ignored her own troops for the thin girl who’d been following them.

Ragna pointed at Millie and barked, “Ainsley! Her!”

Without question, Ainsley raised her already nocked bow and released. The arrow flew true and slammed Millie in the throat, sending her entire body jerking back several feet.

“And those two!” Ragna added.

Ainsley let two more arrows fly and she hit her marks without error.

Shocked at her sister’s presence and Ragna’s ordering her around, Gemma asked Quinn, “When did Ainsley get here?”

Quinn threw up his hands. “Woman! She’s been here!”

CHAPTER 13

Laila heard it first, wrapping her arm around Ainsley’s shoulders and dropping them both to the ground.

“Down!” Quinn bellowed. “Everyone down!”

Gemma dropped to her side as the entire monastery shook around her. She knew why. Her parents had built plenty of trebuchets and used them. They were being bombarded by fireballs.

“They’re here!” Ragna called out when everyone got their bearings and scrambled to their feet. “Cyrus’s army is here! You all know your orders! Move!”

“What orders?” a few monks demanded. Of course, the ones asking those questions had all been loyal to Sprenger. There were only a few of them left and with a nod from Ragna, her knights killed them quickly with a sword to the belly or a blade to the throat.

Gemma jumped up. “What the hells are you doing?”

The ones killed hadn’t joined in the attack with the others. They appeared ready to follow Thomassin’s orders. Why would Ragna kill them?

Thomassin tapped Ragna on the shoulder. “Do what you must, Ragna. You know your orders.”

“Her orders? How could she already have orders?”

“The orders Joshua gave her a long time ago.”

More fireballs hit the monastery and Gemma could hear her fellow knights below calling out orders to one another as they readied themselves for another attack.

“I didn’t think they’d come so soon,” Thomassin told Gemma. “I thought we’d have more time. But our god Morthwyl will have his way.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tonight we fight against Cyrus and his army.”

“Of course we do.” Gemma would expect no less. “I’ll get my—”

“Not you, Gemma.”

“What do you mean not me? I will fight by your side. I will defend all of you with my life.”

“Joshua had other plans for you.”

“What other plans? You need me with you if we’re going to fight Cyrus.”

“We’re not fighting Cyrus. He’s somewhere else. Instead, we face several of his best legions. And tonight they will wipe the Order of Righteous Valor from the face of this earth.”

Gemma closed her eyes and asked her question, but she already knew the answer. “And you’re going to let him . . . aren’t you?”

* * *

A monk Quinn didn’t know shoved the Amichai’s weapons into his arms along with a terrified Samuel.

“Are you all right?” Quinn asked the boy.

“Yes.” But each time another projectile hit the monastery, Samuel looked ready to pass out.

“Where are the horses?” Quinn asked, hoping to keep him focused and alert.

“Waiting for us at an exit that we will use to escape.” Samuel swallowed. “Apparently, we are going to escape?”

“Yes. I’m starting to think that is the plan, which Gemma will not like. So be ready. I will have to move fast. Understand?”

“Yes. And you will definitely have to move fast.”

Quinn walked over to Gemma while quickly attaching his weapons to the sword belt on his kilt.

“You can’t do this!” she argued with the elders.

“Gemma—”

“You can’t!”

Thomassin, Bartholemew, and Brín were working hard to talk to her, but Quinn knew that look on Gemma’s face.

“We’re war monks,” she argued. “Not some suicide cult.”

“We’re going to go out there and fight as hard as we can. Fight as we always have. We all are. But we’re going to die. With honor.”

“Then I’ll die with you.”

“Like hells you will.” Thomassin grinned. “Joshua said you’d insist, but no.”

“And what do you expect me to do? Spend the rest of my life mourning all my brothers?”

“You’ll have no time for mourning,” Bartholemew promised. “Because what is destroyed here, will rise again.”

Quinn sneered. “By Ofydd Naw’s cock, they want you to raise them all from the dead.”

Brín rolled his eyes. “No, we don’t.”

“Brín’s right,” Thomassin explained to Gemma. “It’s not us you’ll be bringing back. We’ll be feasting at our god’s table with Joshua.” He wiped a tear even as he smiled at the thought. “But you will be the one who leads Ragna, her army, and the librarians out through the tunnels and to your sister’s territory. There, our order will find new life.”

Gemma shook her head. “I won’t do that. I won’t. I won’t leave you. I won’t—”

Thomassin pulled his sword, ignoring Gemma’s words. He took the tip and used it to tap each of her shoulders.

“I now bestow upon you the rank of general. Along with your battle-cohorts. They too will be going with you to your sister’s territory to teach and lead the next generation of our order. Understand.”

“I don’t care if you make me queen of the universe and they’re coming with me to hell. I’m not leaving you.”

Thomassin cupped her cheek. “You are leaving us, you pain-in-the-ass farmer’s brat. You are. And you will live and thrive and make us all so very proud. Now take her, Amichai. Take her and don’t stop.”

“No! Thomassin, please! No!”

But Quinn already had Gemma around the waist, shifting into his natural form as he lifted her off the ground. He nodded his head at the elders before he went up on his hind legs, turned, and charged through the open chamber doorway.

“Let me go, Quinn! Let me go!”

He heard the pain, the absolute agony in Gemma’s voice. Knew that at this moment, at this very second, he was destroying her in a way he’d never thought he could. But he knew in his heart, in his soul, that it was the only choice he had. This wasn’t about honor. This wasn’t about courage. This was about survival. Not just hers, but the survival of her precious brotherhood. Of all that she believed. That’s what Thomassin wanted and he was ordering her to make that happen. She couldn’t ignore her duty so she could die with honor.

She tried to fight him, but he held her tight as he went down several flights of stairs. Farlan waited for them at the bottom.

“This way!” he yelled over the invading army’s attack.

He pushed past monks heading in the opposite direction. Some were already on horseback, making ready for their counterattack while ducking flying fireballs and falling pieces of building.

Gemma almost got away from him twice, but still, Quinn didn’t let go. It cost him some torn flesh on his arm and he was sure at least one broken rib, but nothing that couldn’t heal.

But he had to admit he was grateful to see the others. If anyone could talk some sense into Gemma, it was his sister. He practically threw the woman in front of Laila and she immediately grabbed Gemma’s arm to prevent her escaping.

“Let me go, Laila! I’m going back!”

“Just listen to—”

Laila didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence, because Gemma was wrenched from her grip by Ragna. The master general spun Gemma around and punched her once in the face.

Quinn and his sister both cringed, and Gemma’s entire head snapped to the side. Quinn worried her jaw might have been broken.

“Listen to me, little girl,” Ragna said, holding a dazed Gemma with one hand while pointing at her with the other. “I don’t have time for your dramatic bullshit. Our brothers are going out to meet that army to give us time to get a safe distance from here. You’re a general now. Act like one. So dry your fucking tears. Gird your loins. And lead. Or I’ll cut you open from cunt to throat and then I’ll tell your precious queen sister why I did it: because you’re being as whiny as a lovesick man. Do you understand me?”

Gemma moved her jaw around a bit, as if she also wasn’t quite sure whether it was broken or not, before finally replying, “Yes, I understand.”

“Good. Then go.”

Gemma strode through the mostly empty stables—the last of the horses had been taken out by their riders—and over to Samuel. She grabbed the reins of her own horse and started down the tunnel, moving around the knights still entering. When she was gone, Ragna turned to Quinn and Laila.

“Stop babying her,” she admonished.

“We don’t report to you,” Laila instantly shot back. “You got a problem with how we deal with Gemma? Take it up with her.”