“Chin up,” I said as I opened the door to a bustling palace and a thousand voices who might turn on us in a moment.
“I… I don’t know if I can.”
She slipped her hand in mine and my heart squeezed hard.
“You don’t have to do anything but what I tell you.”
That settled her a bit.
“Oh.. Okay.”
We left the receiving room and struck out across the throne room. A few courtiers glanced our way, but Dolly walked with me, looking important.
Anything could blend in with beige, even two girls on the run.
Speaking of which. “How good are you at running?”
A few of the Elven guards took notice, as we openly strolled through the palace. Dolly waved to them and Icaptured her hand. Beige still existed. It just went unnoticed.
“Let’s maybe walk a little faster,” I said.
Dolly’s gown billowed behind her. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it attracted attention. She couldn’t take it off and definitely looked pretty for this escape. All we needed were some dramatic flower petals in our wake.
I reached into my pouch of crystals, tossing a few more black tourmalines at any guards who approached. We hit the inner courtyard at a brisk pace, winding through ripped-out gardens and sagging plants left behind. My anger grew heavy at the destruction. Brad had a lot to answer for once I had reinforcements.
Then our luck ran out as we practically smacked into one of the guards. He blinked only once before lifting a horn to his lips, sounding the alarm. Okay, I might be a badass, but not even I had enough black tourmaline or power for the flood of guards pouring down the courtyard steps in response to the call. Our cover was blown to all the hells. Any more sneaking around was pointless.
“Time to go,” I told Dolly and my feet flew over the pavers.
We sprinted out of the castle. I was pretty impressed that Dolly kept up, even in her morning gown. The walls of the outer courtyard towered above us, with more guards looking down at the perfect target Dolly made. The poor girl’s breath sawed in and out of her lungs. I could run for about another mile. No wondermen just carted the princesses around during their escapes.
Wait…
Could I?
Iwasa witch with a will. I carried only a few moonstones in my collection, but with the number of minions running behind us, the others knocking arrows in their bows, I needed to be alive to use said stash ever again. Moonstone it was. I drew the potential sigil on my chest and smashed the moonstone into the magic.
Dolly scooped into my arms, a hiccup of fear coming out of her, her dress trailing behind us like a demented bed sheet before her next breath.
We burst out of the outer courtyard. Arrows pinged off the flagstones around us. Didn’t they see I had the Queen in my arms? One arrow grazed Dolly’s foot and she yelped like she’d been struck through the heart. Maybe Brad didn’t care.
A flight of narrow stairs, a spindly bridge and we would be free of the palace grounds. We would get lost in the tree-laden town below. Too bad Brad’s army gained on us. Dolly shrieked as a soldier grabbed for her trailing dress, ringing my ears. This rescue business was hard. I ripped it away, my confidence shrinking in proportion to the number of guards behind us. Our head start would do nothing against that sheer mass and my plan didn’t go much past “run”.
“Only a little further,” I reassured her.
“Tell me when it’s over.” Dolly buried her face in my neck like Evie used to when we were young and our parents said something cutting about our weight again.
Halfway down the steps and the guards on the bridge mustered a defensive position. I teetered to a stop, fear threading through my fearless escape. We would never get through. I clenched my teeth and hiked Dolly higher in my arms.
Well, today looked like a good day to die.
Chapter 18
Maggie
Itook one stride down the steps before a rumble shook the trees. My feet slid around on the stone, tangling Dolly and me together. When we hit the stairs, I sheltered Dolly from the worst of it with my shoulder. I scrambled up, pain radiating from my arm, refusing to put her down. Three figures burst from the treeline, riding hells-for-leather in our direction. My heart leapt in my chest. I would recognize that stream of midnight locks anywhere. Noth’s salamander charged forward. Jax and Yaya flanked him on horses galloping like the wind. They were really coming for me! But they weren’t shaking the ground. Noth’s waddling salamander was overtaken by the army of what-the-fuck behind him.
The toddling, stubby plants ran out in front of the three riders. At first, just a few ambled through the clearing but as Noth got closer, more and more pouredout of the forest. Their soft feet turned to thunder when thousands of them flattened the green leading up to the palace. Cream petals, stumpy legs, black stamen–Evie’s harrowing account of meeting walking flowers seared into my brain for all eternity. Sighting their bloody-tipped petals and thorny vines tripped me down the stairs. Devil’s Bells. Their cousins, the Angel’s Bells, were peaceful vegetarians. Devil’s Bells were definitely carnivorous despite their gorgeous appearance.
