Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 538
about where she was or what she had done to get here. The
things she would have to do next might be worse.
She knew what Armiger looked like from Jordan’s
descriptions. He might be anywhere within the acres of palace
grounds. She was betting he would be in the tower, with the
queen.
It seemed insane to move, but her use of the microwave
gun might bring the Winds down on the palace anyway. Using
it, she could clear a path through any number of defenders.
She couldn’t bring herself to turn it on human opponents again,
however. She would find another way in.
Something was burning in the courtyard near the main
doors. The smoke was rich and grey, and it made a smothering
pall that hid the spot where her wall met the outside wall of the
keep. Steps led down at that point, but she wouldn’t use them;
no doubt the main doors were securely barricaded by now.
There was a row of narrow windows seven meters above
the point where the wall met the keep. Later there might be
soldiers at those windows firing down into the courtyard; for
now they were open and unmanned.
Calandria took off her boots and tied them over her
shoulder. Then she started to climb the chipped and cracked
face of the keep.
"I can’t believe our luck," said Lavin. They were at the
doors to the audience chamber. There was no one about.
One of his men shrugged. "Your plan worked perfectly,
sir." His tone suggested no other outcome had been possible.
The sounds of the siege penetrated, as did the smell of
smoke. In all his plans, Lavin had assumed the tower would be
a hive of running men and hawk-eyed commandants. His
strategy in this battle had been to draw the queen’s force out to