The clash of swords is so loud I’m positive everyone in the castle hears the commotion. We only have moments to kill John and take control of the castle and its garrison.
With time pressing down on us, I spin, searching for my sister. I don’t see her right away, but when I do, she’s not watching the fight. Her hands cover her mouth, and her expression is contorted in horror. I follow her gaze to John and see a soldier’s dagger in his hand. Triumph is written all over his face.
I drop my eyes and…
Oh, my fucking God.
Rapunzel cradles a mortally wounded Wren in her lap. Over her is a soldier. He holds shears to what’s left of her mangle hair. Wren’s hands are around his own bleeding throat. Too much blood oozes from between his fingers.
John grabs Eleanor and hauls her across the room, nearly tripping over dead bodies. He jabs the dagger under her chin. “Stand down, or they both die.” A quick bout of unrestrained coughing follows his bellow.
“I don’t think you’ll kill them,” I grind between clenched teeth.
Please be fucking bluffing.
“Fine,” he snaps. “Eleanor it is.”
Even as I unstick my feet from the floor and dive for John, Eleanor’s voice—her lovely voice—knocks the wind out of me. “I love you, Quinn.”
She just said goodbye.
No, no, fucking no! My sister doesn’t die tonight.
“Stop!” It’s Rapunzel’s ragged, guttural cry that halts John’s hand. “Please, no more.”
“What’s that, Daughter? You have something to say?” John mocks her with his cool tone. The dagger in his hand trembles from the strain of his weakened muscles.
“Enough.” Rapunzel reaches into Wren’s jerkin. Fishes the vial of elixir from his pocket. She opens the glass vial and presses it to Wren’s mouth. Almost instantly, his throat begins the arduous healing process. I know because mine did the same after she used her magic to repair my injury. “This is what you want, John. All this fighting… All this death. I’ll give this magic to you, but you must call off your soldiers. Free Eleanor and Sybil. Allow Quinn, Wren, and Dax to leave Rygard, and I’ll give you what’s left of my hair.”
“Fuck that, no. Rapunzel, no.” I don’t know what’s real or what’s pretense.
“Little Captive.” Rapunzel swings her watery gaze at Dax. “Don’t do this.”
She squeezes her eyes closed for only a moment. Then she opens them, her smile small and sad. She strokes Wren’s bloody hair from his face. “It always had to happen like this.”
“Fucking don’t, Rapunzel,” I growl.
“Quinn, please.” She blinks away the tears that glisten in her beautiful eyes. Then she sets her chin at a determination lift and meets her father’s ruthless glare. “I yield, John.”
‘I don’t yield. Ever.’
Rapunzel never gave up. Even the tower couldn’t defeat her.
If that didn’t break her…
I raise my hands in surrender. “As you wish, Rapunzel,” I sneer with as much venom as I can muster. “But I hope you know this lying fucking bastard won’t honor his word, and when he betrays us, it’ll be on your miserable fucking soul.”
For good measure, I spit on the floor.
“Silence him!” John shouts, and the remaining soldiers come toward me.
“I dare you,” I growl.
They wisely back away.
But Dax, being a rowdy prick, has to get one last swipe in andaccidentallystabs the soldier closest to him. He shrugs. “Sorry. I was already swinging.”
He was not.
