The King's Guard

Chapter 90

The rain hadn’t stopped since dawn, and neither had the orders.

Kael’s squad stood in the Hall of Seals, armour newly blackened, insignia freshly forged, no longer cadets, but full Shadows of Veridale. Their promotion had lasted less than two days before the next summons came. Archon was wasting no time.

He paced before them now, hands clasped behind his back, voice clipped and sharp.

“Your first mission as operatives is one of precision and silence,” he said. “You will infiltrate Stormhaven under the guise of trade delegates. Your goal is to retrieve intelligence on border defences and any movements involving House Thorian.”

Reyna frowned. “We’re crossing the border so soon? Stormhaven barely tolerated our presence last month. Besides, aren't both sides supposed to be in good terms with each other?”

“Precisely why you’ll succeed,” Archon replied. “They won’t expect the same faces twice.”

Jared crossed his arms. “And what exactly are we after? Or is that above our rank?”

Archon’s eyes narrowed. “You’re after what I tell you. Nothing more.”

Kyna spoke evenly, “And if we’re caught?”

“Then you were never Shadows,” Archon said flatly. “Veridale will deny you existed.”

The words hung heavy. Kael felt the subtle threat buried in them, and if you don’t die there, someone will make sure you do.

Ember stepped forward from where she stood beside Drax, both instructors observing silently until now. Her tone was cool.

“They’ll need proper clearance, transport seals, and embedded countermarks. Stormhaven’s customs aren’t forgiving.”

Archon gave a thin smile. “Handled. You’ll accompany them to the docks, Ember. Drax will coordinate their extraction route.”

Drax nodded once with a gravel-deep voice. “Understood.”

“This is an opportunity,” Archon went on, “to prove yourselves worthy of Darius’s sacrifice.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. He could almost feel the way Archon twisted that name like a blade.

As they were dismissed, Archon’s gaze lingered on Kael a moment too long. The faintest curl of a smile touched his mouth. “Make Veridale proud, Estaran. Or don’t come back at all.”

They left that night.

The Shadow ship cut through the black waves, the sky above swollen with storm. Kael leaned against the railing, watching lightning trace the clouds. Reyna stood beside him, cloak hooded, silent.

“You’re thinking too loud again,” she murmured.

“Just the storm.”

“Liar,” she said quietly.

He turned. “It’s… too clean,” he admitted. “Archon’s too eager. There’s something off about this mission.”

Reyna’s lips pressed thin. “You think he’s setting us up.”

Kael met her eyes. “Don’t you?”

Before she could answer, Jared approached, boots slick from the deck. “Romantic view, isn’t it?” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Just don’t fall overboard. Archon would be heartbroken.”

Kyna appeared behind him, wiping salt from her gloves. “He’d probably host a parade.”

Jared smirked. “At least he’d get the attendance right.”

Kael exhaled through his nose. “You done, Varion?”

“Almost,” Jared said, tone dipping into something sharper. “Just remember who’s leading this squad.”

“No one’s following you,” Reyna said.

The silence that followed was broken only by the hiss of rain. Jared’s jaw flexed, but he walked off, muttering under his breath.

Kyna muttered, “He’s getting worse.”

Kael nodded. “He’s scared.”

Reyna gave him a sidelong glance. “Of what?”

Kael looked back toward the storm. “Not what. Who.”

By dawn, the ship reached Stormhaven’s southern coast.

They moved through the docks in civilian garb, cloaks concealing their weapons. Ember had arranged merchant passes under the name House Darnel, Glass Traders. Kyna handled the forged papers with precision, her tone breezy but eyes alert.

At the border checkpoint, a Stormhaven officer in cobalt armour studied them. “Business?”

“Trade samples,” Kyna said smoothly, handing him the pass. “We’ve a meeting with the harbour magistrate.”

The officer looked over the papers, then at Kael. “You don’t look like merchants.”

Kael smiled thinly. “Neither do you.”

Reyna kicked his boot under the table, but the officer just snorted. “Go on then. Don’t linger after dark.”

As they passed, Ember muttered low enough for Kael alone to hear, “That was reckless.”

Kael said, “That was honesty.”

“Honesty gets people hanged here,” Ember warned.

They reached their rented quarters by midday. The inn overlooked a canal, the city beyond humming with iron carts and echoing bells.

Kyna unpacked gear on the bed—maps, vials, coded notes. “Two days to find the vault. Three to get out.”

Reyna leaned against the window. “They’ll notice us eventually. We just have to make them look somewhere else first.”

Kael stared out at the city below. “We move tonight.”

“Tonight?” Jared frowned. “We just got here.”

Kael met his eyes. “Exactly. That’s why they won’t expect us.”

Jared’s smile was sharp. “You’ve been reading too much of Darius’s old strategies.”

“Better than following Archon’s.”

That earned a glare, but Kael didn’t care.

When night fell, Stormhaven was a fortress of lamps and shadows. The squad moved like ghosts, silent through alleys, scaling the walls of the old Foundry Quarter where the intelligence depot supposedly lay.

Kyna’s fingers danced over the lock, whispering, “Give me ten seconds.”

Reyna scanned the rooftops. “You’ve got five.”

Kael crouched beside them, Rift humming faintly in his veins. The air shimmered at the edges of his vision: shapes blurring, lines folding.

And then it happened.

For a heartbeat, the world slowed.

He wasn’t in Stormhaven anymore. He was standing in a long, marbled corridor, the sound of harp strings faint in the air. A woman with golden hair walked slowly down the hall, back turned, her white gown flowing like light itself.

Kael reached out. “Wait…”

She didn’t turn. The sound faded, and the vision shattered.

Kael gasped, nearly collapsing.

“Kael!” Reyna steadied him. “What happened?”

“I…saw something.” He swallowed hard.

Kyna frowned. “A Rift vision?”

He nodded. “It felt… real.”

Ember’s voice came low from behind. “Could be a trap. The city’s laced with echo wards.”

“No,” Kael said slowly. “It wasn’t here. It was Veridale.”

“Then who?” Reyna asked softly.

Kael hesitated. “Someone missing.”

Inside the depot, they found sealed crates: Stormhaven military issue. Weapons. Ammunition. And maps marked with routes cutting deep into Veridale’s southern borders.

Reyna whispered, “This isn’t trade preparation. This is invasion.”

Kyna added, “And we’re standing in their staging ground.”

Jared exhaled sharply. “Archon knew. That’s why he sent us.”

Kael looked around the shadows of the room. “Or why he expects us not to return.”

Reyna frowned. “You think he wants us dead?”

“I think,” Kael said quietly, “he’s making room for his new Shadows.”

The words sank into silence.

Kyna said, “We take what we can, burn the rest.”

“No,” Kael said. “We copy it. Then leave it untouched. If we destroy this, Archon loses his leverage, but so do we.”

Ember nodded, grim. “Agreed. But be quick. The walls here have ears.”

As they prepared to leave, Reyna placed a hand on Kael’s arm. “That vision you saw… it’s been bothering you.”

“Well it has.” Kael said. “I don't know, but I hope I find out pretty soon.”

Reyna’s expression shifted. “I hope so too.”

By the time they reached the ship, dawn was bleeding into the sea. The crates were secured, the false papers burned.

Kyna stretched her shoulders. “We made it.”

Jared muttered, “For now.”

Kael looked out over the horizon, his thoughts heavy. “This isn’t over.”

Reyna asked quietly, “The Queen…what if she’s alive?”

Kael turned to her. “Then someone lied. And I intend to find out who.”

Behind them, unseen through the fog, a dark vessel shadowed their wake.

Archon stood at its bow, reading the encoded report from one of his agents. The message was simple:

> Targets proceeding to extraction point. Awaiting elimination order.

He folded the note and smiled.

“Let’s see how long Darius’s protégés can swim.”