Witch Fall by Amber Argyle

love with him? That kind of honor and determination . . .” She gave a watery smile. “And I made sure to teach my son that same honor.”
    Lilette thought of Han’s small acts of kindness and selflessness. He may look like his father, but he’d learned his goodness from his mother.
    Jolin suddenly jumped to her feet. “Someone’s coming!”
    Lilette could hear singing, so far away she couldn’t make out the words. There was something dark and sinister about it—it was almost more of a chant. Something wrenched inside her, a feeling of terror like a silent scream.
    “My keepers are fighting,” Jolin cried. She started toward the outer door, but it opened before she was halfway there. A handful of eunuchs were on the other side, the chief eunuch among them.
    Had the eunuchs overheard their talk of escape? Were they coming to take them to their execution? Lilette pushed herself to her feet—to do what, she didn’t know.
    Two of the larger eunuchs came in, quarterstaffs in hand. Ko cried out and backed to the other side of the room. The eunuchs advanced on Jolin. “You will come with us, keeper.”
    Backing away, she snatched a heavy pot and held it like a club. “Why? What’s going on?”
    The eunuch’s quarterstaffs shot out. One connected with Jolin’s side, and the other smacked her hand. With a gasp of pain, she doubled over as the pot went flying.
    “Stop this!” Ko cried.
    The eunuchs seized Jolin and dragged her toward the door. Lilette started after them. “Leave her alone!” One of them stepped in front of her. She bounced off his chest and fell hard. Curse her weak body!
    “Remember what you promised, Lilette,” Jolin pled. “It’s more imperative now. Find a way!”
    Lilette pushed herself up and moved to follow Jolin, but one of the eunuchs grasped her. She fought and struggled against him, but she was as weak as a child. “Jolin!”
    The chief eunuch shot her a look of disgust. “See that she stays here.” The eunuch dragged Lilette deeper into the room. Trembling and gasping for breath, she tried to dig her heels in, but only succeeded in losing her slippers.
    Ko came to stand beside her. “I will deal with her. Release her.”
    “When she’s calm,” the eunuch responded.
    Ko shot Lilette a pleading look. “Fight the battles you can win. Retreat from the ones you cannot.”
    Now Lilette knew where Han had learned the phrase. Knowing the older woman was right, she complied. The eunuch held her a moment more before letting go. Arms crossed over his chest, he stepped back and blocked the doorway.
    With shaking hands, Lilette pulled her hair away from her face. A bit of color on the floor caught her eye. She reached down to pick up Jolin’s spectacles—she must have lost them in the scuffle. They were bent, but the glass was still intact. Lilette slipped them into her robe.
    Ko motioned for Lilette to follow her into Han’s room and shut the screen behind them. Lilette slumped down on the sleeping mat. “Han learned that phrase from you?” she whispered.
    “Yes.” Ko must have seen the worry lining her brow, for she added, “Jolin will be all right. They’ve no reason to hurt her.”
    How could she be so calm when Lilette felt she might burst apart at any moment? She could still hear the chanting, feel the occasional quake as the elements tore through her. “What’s happening?”
    Ko’s careful fingers paused. “I warned you that the emperor was cunning.”
    Lilette pushed herself up. “What do you mean?”
    “Perhaps he saw what Lang did—that he could not win this war. And so he took the strength he needed.”
    Lilette’s eyes went wide. “By using the witches as a weapon.”
    Wasn’t this what her mother had shown her—the world filled with blood and death and chaos—all orchestrated by witch song? Not the least of which was Harshen sinking into the sea.
    If Lilette didn’t find a way to save her sister and the others, that’s exactly what would