‘It was all my idea,’ I say, quickly.
‘What?’ My father doesn’t look at me, his hazel eyes fixed on Kyle. My mother does, though.
‘To leave. I-I made him do it. I-He’s not to blame.’ I daren’t touch Kyle. I think my father would rip him apart. My mother tilts her head.
‘Is that true?’ She takes a step closer to me. ‘We’ve been so worried. When I found your note I…’
‘It is. I promise.’ I feel terrible.
‘I’m taking you home,’ my father says, all stern lines and darkness.
‘What? No, Kyle?—’
‘Kyle—’ he fixes him with a glare ‘—can stay here and protect my wife while I’m gone. That is your job, after all, isn’t it? Protection?’
‘My lord.’ Kyle bows, then steps into a guard position by my mother. He doesn’t look at me. I know it’s because he can’t, not because he doesn’t want to. Tears well in my eyes; I’m too tired to stop them.
My father hisses. ‘Emelia, control yourself!’
Oh, yeah, like that’s going to help. I give him an injured look yet when I do I’m surprised by his expression: a gentleness I’ve only seen rarely, and fear in his eyes. Fear for me. Raven guards have formed a square around the four of us, but it’s getting more dangerous here with every second that passes.
‘Aleks, take her now!’ My mother’s voice is urgent. ‘Take two of the guards, too. Kyle will look after me.’
‘He’d better.’ My father shoots him a dark look before moving swiftly to kiss my mother, caressing her cheek. He murmurs something to her, but I can’t hear what. Then he has me in his arms. ‘Hold on.’ And we’re gone.
He’s careful, holding me tight but not too tight, protecting me from the wind as we rush through the night, leaving the Safe Zone behind. I try not to think of Kyle, or my mother, back there in the madness, or my guilt that I’ve taken my father and two guards away from the scene. But I’m scared. Scared of what I’ve done, and of what’s going to happen. I wanted to help humans, not make things worse. The scratches on my arms and scalp sting, my head aching. The only sounds are the air moving, the thud of running feet.
We run for a while, my father tense – it’s like being held by a statue. I think desperately of something to say, some way to defend my actions, but I have nothing. As we move through the night, I’m conscious of a glow up ahead, getting brighter. It can’t be sunrise yet, surely. Both guards draw level with my father and we slow. There’s the pad of running feet coming from the direction of the glow. Two more Raven guards appear. They stop, saluting.
‘My lord. It is as you feared. The rebels have entered Dark Haven.’
Dark Haven? Shit.
‘Father, I?—’
‘Be quiet.’ The words are stern, but his tone calm, that of someone assessing the situation. ‘Your report, Captain?’
The guard nods. ‘Sir, this is not the only area under attack tonight. There are reports coming in from across the realm. Human rebels, targeting Raven holdings.’
My father swears. ‘It is imperative we get my daughter home safe. Send word that she has been found. Then take as many more guards out as you can and get this under control. Are other units being mobilised?’
‘They are, sir.’
My mind is whirring. This is happening across the realm? There’s a selfish relief, that it wasn’t just my actions that caused Raven to descend on the Safe Zone after all. I push the thought away as soon as it comes. Me being there just made a complicated situation even worse. How stupid I was, to leave during the middle of a rebellion. Perhaps my parents grounding me wasn’t punishment as much as it was protection.
‘Good. Let’s go. We’ll take the forest route.’
The guard salutes. ‘Sir.’
We take off into the night once more, the glow from Dark Haven disappearing as we enter the Great Forest. The last time I came through here was with Kyle. I wonder if I’ll ever get to run with him again. Or go anywhere. I’ve been such an idiot.
But it doesn’t change what I’ve learned, or what I want to do.
We emerge from the forest onto the road running up to the gates, raven statues dark against the sky. My father calls out and the gates swing open. We race through them, my father skidding to a halt.
‘Close them immediately!’ he snaps. ‘And beware. The rebels are close. Watch for my lady when she returns, and make sure the perimeter is well guarded.’
‘My lord!’ The guards scramble into action, darker blurs against the night. My father runs us the last few steps up the curving drive, depositing me on the steps at the front door. I’m home. And it’s a relief. A stupid, ridiculous relief. I start to sniffle, unable to help it. I try to control myself, rubbing my nose with my hand and blinking.
