“Climb, Julianna!” Aiden urged. “Go. Hurry!”
Cal’s angry yells carried up the stairs as he raced toward his wife.
I knew what I had to do. I knew what was at stake. But at that moment I couldn’t.
I didn’t know what happened. Or what triggered it. But suddenly I could hear Emperor Theotis whispering in my ear. Admonishing me for running. Pulling my hair painfully, rippingclumps out to make his point. And I could feel Imperator Kormac—Emperor Avery—bending me across a table, lifting my skirts, calling me a bad pet.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. All I could think was that last time I was here—I had tried to escape. We had tried to escape. But we’d been caught. And I’d been dragged back to the Palace. And he had been … he had …
“What’s going on?” Dario yelled. “Julianna, why aren’t you climbing?”
“I-I can’t,” I said, my voice shaking. “I can’t move.”
Galen stepped forward, placing a hand on the ladder. “I’ll help you,” he said. “I’ll climb up with you. Okay? Remember those rocks we had to climb down that one time? At the far end of the beach behind Cresthaven?”
I almost laughed. “The one Tristan led us to when we thought we were lost.”
“That’s the one,” Galen said.
“And I said he made bad life choices.” I practically sobbed the words.
Galen laughed. “He still does. Now remember, I didn’t let you fall then. You won’t fall this time either.”
I swallowed. More shouts rose from downstairs. I could hear my heart pounding, thundering in my ears. I was holding everyone up. It would be my fault. My fault we were captured. My fault they were dead.
“I’ve got you,” Galen said. “I’m going to put your hand on the next rung, and I’m right behind you. Okay? Jules?”
Jules. My name. It pulled me back. I nodded at Galen. “Okay.”
A second later he was behind me, urging me up, his hands light against my waist until I felt him on the rungs right below me. The ladder swayed and dipped with every step we climbed,but Dario was at the top, holding onto the ropes, trying to keep it as steady as possible.
I climbed and climbed, my stomach churning the entire time. Fresh air from the roof blew on me, as more shouts came from outside. I could hear a soturion down the street, laughing. I froze again. But a pair of large strong hands wrapped around my arms, and hauled me up onto the roof.
Dario stumbled back, clasping me to him, then reached for Galen’s hand, pulling him up beside us. He grimaced, but shook it off. His hand had to be hurting.
The ladder shook as the next person began to climb.
“Go,” Galen said. “Take her to safety. I’ll stay back, make sure the others get out.”
Dario bit his lip. I could practically see the inner battle raging in his eyes—the need to protect me, versus the need to stay behind and guard the others. Because Lyriana had asked him to, because it was what Rhyan would have wanted. But also, as I was beginning to see, because it was just the kind of person he was.
So much more like Rhyan than I’d realized. The thought alone made my heart ache.
Dario set down the bags Cal had handed him. Inside were soturion cloaks, the kind that would help us all blend into the night, and camouflage with our surroundings. And a thin stave of sun and moon wood. Dario grabbed it, shoving it into his belt, and then he reached for a spare cloak. “These are for you,” he said. “When we get to the bottom.” He took my hand, pulling me toward the edge of the roof overlooking the alley. The ladder was bunched into a pile that he quickly released.
“Thank you, Galen,” I said quickly. “For getting me up here.”
He shook his head, like it was nothing, his broken nose highlighted in the moonlight. “Hey,” he said, “I’ve got you, Jules. We go way back. Plus, us fugitives need to stick together.” He winked, and smiled softly, the same smile he’d had since wewere kids, running around together in the Bamarian Court. And for a second, I could see us so clearly. Young and innocent, so unaware of the horrors of this world. Or the fates awaiting us as we grew up. We were just running on the beach behind Cresthaven, splashing in the waves. Laughing. Having fun. I’d forgotten. Forgotten so much as I tried to survive. I’d tried not to dwell on the past, or dwell on what I had lost. Otherwise the memories—especially the happy ones—made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.
Galen eyed Dario. “Keep her safe.”
“On my life,” he swore, a hand to his heart. Then to me, Dario asked, “Can you climb? Or do you want me to carry you?”
I eyed the alley below us warily, looking between it and him. We still had a long way to climb down. And the ladder wasn’t the sturdiest thing. I’d already frozen once.
My cheeks flushed as I shook my head. “Can you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, just slung my cloak over his shoulder, and stepped off the roof, steadying his feet onto the ladder rung just below, then gestured me forward. “Sit down for me, right on the edge, right there.”
