Luna of Rogues

Part 13 - A Distraction

I sat in the shade of an oak tree the next morning, shaping a branch with my penknife. Around me were other members of the resistance — as many as could be in one place without arousing suspicion. Dotted around the fringes of the woods were other clusters just like ours, all with a purpose.

Some were thinking up strategies for attack. Some were watching the guards for signs of weakness or carelessness. But the majority were making weapons for the fight to come. My group was mainly comprised of children, who were collecting stones for ammunition, while the few older shifters made catapults: a weapon that all rogue children could use.

We had taken the necessary precautions. Our gathering was disguised as a picnic. The guards glanced over every few minutes, but none of them seemed suspicious. Our backs hid the bundles of completed weapons from them.

While I whittled a soft, lime branch, I spoke in an undertone to the girl next to me. It was Sophie, a cheerful girl in her twenties. She was mated to Davies; they had grown up together and recognised each other when they were old enough.

Mating rules are complicated. Only an eighteen-year-old can identify their mate. Before that birthday, you could live your entire life under your mate's nose and never notice. But as pack law decreed, if your mate is underage and can't recognise you, you must tell them who you are. Although we didn't usually follow pack laws, it seemed a sensible rule.

"We need to distract Brandon, so Fion can mind-link Rhys," I explained to her. Sophie had been playing I-Spy on our new leader all morning, to learn his routine.

"Even if you can get rid of him, Fion always has at least one guard. From what I've seen, they're as likely to leave her alone as I am to turn into a giant marshmallow," Sophie replied gently. "So you can either just mind-link her the information, or kill the guard, which would be like leaving a sign saying Skye was here."

As I wanted to talk to Rhys personally, the former wasn't an option. But I did have one idea left — Leo.

"Who are the usual guards he leaves with Fion?" I asked. There couldn't be many people Brandon trusted with his mate. "Does one of them have dark-brown hair and a weird accent?"

"Yeah..." she said slowly. "But why does that matter?"

I just shook my head in dismissal. "Let me worry about the guard. You just get Brandon out of the way for ten minutes."

Sophie regarded me out of the corner of her eye, gathering the courage to ask something. Then she put down her knife completely and turned to face me. I felt as if I was about to be ambushed.

"How's this going to end, Skye? Brandon won't stop, not ever. You've got to ask yourself what you're willing to do to keep everyone safe from him. Can you kill him in cold blood, knowing that Fion will lose her mate and Rhys will lose his brother because of it?"

"Fion lost her mate when he marked her by force," I replied. "And Rhys lost his brother when he was pushed down a waterfall eight years ago. I'll do whatever it takes."

And I really meant it. Rhodric was gone. Rhys and Fion wouldn't do it, because deep down, they both cared too much. Who else but me could kill him? Who else had the right?

Sophie watched me for a while longer, to see if I was being honest with her, but she didn't seem to find anything objectionable, because she stood up and tucked her knife into her belt.

"Alright then. Ten minutes, Skye. That's all I can promise you."

"Thank you." I smiled. "Just don't get yourself killed."

She answered that with a reckless grin that seemed to be the sole province of rogues. I watched my friend pick her way across the field, and disappear into a maze of tents. The guards watched her leave with bored diligence.