Free The Fiend Queen by Barbara Ann Wright

their weapons with shock or suspicion. One woman in leather let her sword clatter to the floor and touched her armor as if she’d never seen it before. “What in the spirits’ names is going on?”
    The others murmured. Katya backed up, ready to leave them to it, but Castelle stepped around before Katya could grab her.
    “What are you all doing here?” Castelle barked. “Put down those weapons and get out of here, double time, or it’ll be the cold comfort of the Watch for you!”
    Metal clanged against stone, and footsteps hurried away. Katya couldn’t help but smile.
    Castelle had only half a grin, and it seemed to pain her. Her eye hadn’t swelled shut, but it might yet. “I’ve had to roust enough thief catchers out of taverns in my time.”
    “I wonder if that’s where Einrich learned the art of bellowing as well,” Ma said.
    They headed downstairs, targeting the lone pyramid Redtrue had felt from above. Katya sometimes felt as if they were going in circles, but Redtrue needed to be within a certain distance to detect the pyramids, even if that distance was over or under where she stood. And the more powerful the pyramid, the easier she sensed it. When she was close, she didn’t need her detection pyramid at all.
    Once they’d defeated the next target, Redtrue searched again and shook her head. “I sense many above us and the very powerful one far below. No, wait, there is one more, in the path of the powerful one. I missed it before.”
    “We’ll cut back across near the library,” Katya said, but she hoped it wasn’t so far below them that it was in the caverns. She wanted to keep Redtrue as far from the capstone as possible.
    In the hallway past the library doors, someone moved. Katya hurried her party back around the corner. “Is it Fiends?”
    “There is something.” Redtrue’s pyramid went dark, and she gasped, clutching the wall for support.
    Katya recognized cancellation when she saw it, and Roland had no pyradistés besides himself. But if he was alone…
    Redtrue muttered and dug in the bag slung across her body. Katya peeked around the corner and caught someone on the other end of the hall doing the same, a red-haired man. So, Roland had some guards after all. She ducked back and considered charging forward. No, better to let Roland come to them.
    “Princess?” someone called, a young voice, but one she recognized, though she hadn’t heard it in months.
    “Lord Hugo?” She looked around the corner again, and he stepped out, waving to her, of all things.
    Her mind raced. If he’d been captured, he’d be mind-warped.
    Starbride turned the corner, a pyramid held out in front of her as she searched the hallway.
    “Star.” Katya leapt out of hiding, and the block in her head dissolved, her emotions tumbling through like water. Sheathing her rapier, she strode down the hall, not noticing that there was anyone else present until she put her arms around her beloved.
    Starbride chuckled into her shoulder. “I missed you, too.”
    Katya kissed her quickly and winced as Starbride’s embrace caught the wound on her back.
    “You’re hurt?” Starbride asked.
    “Nothing that won’t heal. How did you find us?”
    “Tracking skills and a helpful baroness.”
    When Katya turned, the others were saying their hellos, all except Redtrue, who held her darkened pyramid in Starbride’s direction. “Did you do this?”
    Starbride’s mouth worked for a moment. “I’m sorry. When I sensed a pyradisté—”
    “Adsnazi,” Redtrue said through clenched teeth.
    Starbride dipped her head, but Katya could read her less-than-pleased expression. “I apologize again.”
    Before Redtrue could open her mouth, Katya said, “Why don’t we step into one of these rooms?”
    Redtrue turned stiffly, muttering, “Cancelling pyramids,” as they all shuffled into a room just down the hall from the library.
    Katya’s gaze locked with Starbride’s as they moved, and Starbride’s hand didn’t leave her