Page 76 of To Save a Kingdom

Ahead, Zadé raised her arm, slowing their pace as they turned a corner, reaching the final stairwell down into the kitchens.

Aliya had no idea what they’d find down there. Hopefully just one or two cooks, but for all she knew, it could be the entire kitchen staff with a full platoon or two of soldiers.

She swallowed past her dry tongue and the lump in the back of her throat that had been refusing to let up since Tsara announced her marriage to Elessan.

They could do this.

The soft leather of the trousers and linen tunic she’d changed into were a lot more practical than the fancy gowns her servants insisted she wear, and made navigating the stairs much easier.

Beyond the occasional jostling of a breastplate or sword, the group descended silently.

Billows of heat with the mouthwatering scent of warm bread wafted over her as they reached their destination.

Zadé lifted a hand and closed her fist, bringing their entire company to a halt. She peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Holding up two fingers, she pointed once to the right, then did the same to the left.

Aliya blinked. She had no idea if that meant there were two people total, or two soldiers in each direction, or if the general was directing their squad to split in half and go both ways to clear the room. Her knees locked in indecision.

As her guards drew their weapons and flowed past her, Zadé took Aliya’s arm, ushering her through the door. “Halt, in the name of your queen!” Zadé said, pitching her voice so it wouldn’t carry beyond the room.

Three cooks glanced up from their various tasks, their startled faces going pale. One was stirring a stew, another was halfway through removing bread from the oven, and the third was scrubbing pans in the back sink. She didn’t recognize any of them. Something inside her uncoiled. Patrick was nowhere to be seen. He must have evacuated as ordered. At least he wasn’t a traitor.

Two armed men stood on each side of the room. They reached for their swords but hadn’t managed to do more than draw the weapons before Aliya’s guards encircled them, their own blades at the traitors’ necks.

“Take them to the oubliette,” Aliya said. The small room was barely large enough to hold one man, but she didn’t care about the comfort of turncoats. “The cooks can go in the cells by the gate.” They would be in the more comfortable space until she could determine their innocence. She sighed. It was just one more item in the ever-enlarging pile of things to sort out after they handled Brooks.

She caught her captain’s eye. “Treat them well,” she said, motioning to the servants. “They are not to be harmed.”

The man nodded and moments later, she and Zadé were alone.

Zadé sauntered over to the butcher block island in the middle of the kitchen and grabbed a warm roll off a plate. Steam rolled off the bread as she took a huge bite. “Mmm,” she groaned. “Iz delicious. Yeh should have one. We got some time ta kill.”

Aliya adjusted the dagger on her hip. It was the one Elessan had shown her how to use, had it just been last night?

Flinching, she strangled that line of thought. It was only a blade, one she hopefully wouldn’t have to utilize. “How much time do we have?”

Zadé glanced around. “Maybe five, ten minutes. Hard ta say without bein’ able ta see th’ sun, ‘n all.”

So much for precise timing. It hadn’t occurred to her there would be no windows or other way to tell time in the kitchen. After all, the servants had to have some sort of way to schedule meals.

Aliya shook her head. Well, the best she could do was get in the dumbwaiter and hope she made enough noise during her distraction that Roland would hear and send his soldiers in.

Her stomach roiled. This felt like a very bad idea.

“Zadé,” she whispered, “are you sure this is a solid plan?”

Still munching away on a roll, Zadé eyed her, her eyebrows pinched together in thought. “Havin’ second thoughts?”

Aliya nodded. “I’m worried about the timing. If we’re off, a lot of innocent people will die.” Guards, hostages, her…

Zadé’s expression went soft in sympathy. “That’s true. But we don’t have many options. Our enemy chose his position well.”

Aliya’s contemplations turned dark. At least if she died, she wouldn’t have to be around to sort out the mess afterward.

Shaking her head to get herself off that particular thought train, she glanced at the dumbwaiter.

“Yeh sure yeh don’t wanna eat somethin’ a’fore yeh go?” Zadé gestured to the bread and soup, obviously destined for Brooks and his men.

Aliya frowned. “No, thanks.” The way her stomach was turning, there was no way she’d be able to guarantee it wouldn’t come right back up.