Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 33: Infiltrating the Cathedral

“Amelia,” Escuridade repeated the name flatly, her purple eyes losing their post-coital warmth and hardening with suspicion. “What does she have to do with this? Is this about protection detail? Because I have already assigned three Corrompido guards to watch her.” She wrapped the robe around her shoulders but did not tie it securely, leaving one shoulder bare as she turned to face him more directly. “If you are asking me to let her fight alongside us tomorrow– absolutely not,” she stated firmly before Escuro could even finish his thought. He sits up and pulls her into his arms. “We can’t enter the cathedral. Our kind– we are not welcome there. But she could enter,” he said softly. “And if she could manage to get to the dungeons from there and free out people, Cidade dos escravos can fall from within.”

Escuridade stiffened in Escuro’s arms, her body going rigid at the suggestion. The idea of sending a regular person like Amelia into the heart of their enemy’s fortress felt wrong. Her hand pushed against his chest, not to shove him away but as a physical manifestation of her internal struggle. “Absolutely not,” she repeated, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “You want to send a fragile human into the most heavily guarded cathedral? A place covered by runes that keep our kind out?” she pulled back slightly, purple eyes flashing with a protective fury that had nothing to do with jealousy and everything to do with survival instinct. “Do you have any idea what they would do to her if she was caught? The guards will not just kill her; they will break her.” Her fingers curled into fists against his chest.

“She is not a Corrompido, not yet. Once the attack starts, they will gather refugees in the church, she will blend right in,” Escuro urged. “The girl wants to fight. Luz will not let her. But she is eager to be involved. All I ask is to offer her the opportunity. Let her decide.” Escuridade’s expression shifted from outright refusal to something more complex as Escuro explained Amelia’s eagerness. The idea of giving Amelia a choice resonated with her own belief in autonomy, even if it went against every instinct screaming in her mind. “Luz is too soft,” she admitted reluctantly, her voice losing some of its hard edge. “He sees her as fragile glass that needs protecting, but she is a fighter. I have seen it in her eyes.”

She leaned back against Escuro’s chest, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. The warmth of his skin was a grounding presence against the cold stone floor. “Look, I understand why you want to protect her,” Escuro said softly, gently stroking her upper arm. “But the entrance to the dungeons from the cathedral has no traps and no guards. No one will expect it, because we can’t enter.” Escuridade’s shoulders slumped slightly, the tension in her frame easing as he explained the tactical reasoning behind his plan. The logic was undeniable– no traps, no guards. It was the perfect opportunity; one they could not afford to waste because of their own limitations.

“You are right,” she conceded with a sigh that stirred the air between them. “It is the only way.” Her purple eyes met his, a newfound resolve hardening their depths. “I will talk to her. But I am not just giving her an ‘opportunity.’ I am going to make sure she understands exactly what she is volunteering for. The dungeons beneath Cidade dos escravos are worse than any hell we have ever seen.” She shifted off his lap to sit beside him on the cold stone floor, pulling the robe tighter around herself now that their intimacy had passed. “Good, the full truth is exactly what she deserves,” Escuro said casually, his hands move to her thigh. “She will be staying in the watchtower overlooking Cidade dos escravos when the battle begins. Once the army starts marching and Luz starts his journey to the tunnels on the coast, you can explain it to her.”

Escuridade’s gaze softened slightly at Escuro’s casual touch on her thigh, the familiar warmth of his hand a stark contrast to the cold stone beneath them. The pragmatic way he has already planned Amelia’s positioning during the battle made her lips twitch into a wry smile. “Of course you have already planned the logistics,” she said dryly, though there was affection in her tone. “You always were better at strategy than I am.” She leaned into his touch for a moment before standing up to gather her scattered clothes. The movement caused the robe to fall open again, briefly revealing the pale skin of her back and hips before she caught it. “The watchtower is a good choice,” she agreed while pulling on her undershirt. “High enough to give her a clear view of the main assault but far enough away that she will not get caught in any crossfire.

“That was Luz’s choice,” Escuro said casually. “He wants Amelia to stay in the watchtower and if we fail, he wants her to run,” Escuridade paused in the process of pulling on her tattered robes, her purple eyes narrowing at the mention of Luz’s plans. The casual way Escuro spoke about Luz’s protective instincts grated on her nerves. “Run?” she repeated sharply, turning to face him fully. “Luz thinks she should flee if we fail? While out people are being slaughtered and tortured in those dungeons?” her hands clenched into fists at her sides, the familiar darkness within her stirring at the thought of retreat. “That cowardly bastard he would rather save one human than fight for the hundreds of Corrompido being held captive below.”

She stalked over to where Escuro sat on the floor, her bare feet silent against the cold stone. “I will be having a word wit Luz before this battle begins. If he thinks he can hide Amelia away like some precious prize while our kind suffers–” Escuro grabs her wrist. “He loves her,” he says softly. “If I thought you would let me lock you away to keep you safe, I would do the same.”