“I think so.” Yrsa’s jaw tightened. “Just . . . there!” Her lock clicked too.
Astril took over at the front of the boat and eased the rusted grating open. The sound might have garnered attention if it wasn’t for the alarm echoing through the night.
I braced myself to fight, but when our boat drifted into the harbor, it was to empty water and air. No soldiers. No fae in the area at all.
“They might still come,” Thyra said.
We rowed to the nearby beach. The boats ran aground, and we hopped out, then eased the queen between Thyra and me.
The Riis sisters took the front position, the vampires the rear, and no one looked back as we ran for our lives.
Chapter 38
ISOLDE
Sweat poured down my back as we raced through the streets of Grindavik, and bells—alarms—began to sound.
I stumbled, and a stream of curses flew from my lips as I caught the queen before dropping her.A group of pixies fluttering in a doorway nearby watched us with interest.
“Unbelievable!” Geiravor hissed. “That’s the alarm that tells us to get to our homes. Anyone still on the street in a few minutes’ time will be a target.”
We picked up the pace as Yrsa and Geiravor led us around the harbor. The channel exit had been clear on the other side of the harbor, as far away from the brothel as it could have been while still being near the water.
Within a few more blocks, it became clear how effective the alarm was. The crowds, which had been dense despite the late hour, had halved.
“You seven! The females!” a voice called out.
Seemed pretty unlikely that whoever that person was, they were talking to a different group of seven females.
“Stop right there!” the voice commanded when we kept going. “In the name of House Ithamai, I demand that youstop!”
I located the person shouting. Three faerie soldiers staring right at us from down the street, one pointed, as if his fellows could fail to see our group rushing along the streets. If the size of our group hadn’t raised a red flag, Inga’s attire likely had. Her clothes were dirty, but still of fine quality. Queen’s clothing.
“Turn here!” At Yrsa’s command we pivoted down a street, away from the soldiers. Yrsa sent up a blaze of light that exploded high in the sky. Startled screams rang out, followed by sighs of pleasure and admiration. Yrsa flung another beam of light into the sky, and it transformed into a dragon that opened its mouth in a silent roar just as the trio of soldiers appeared above us. They’d taken wing and caught up easily.
“I saidstop!” the same voice bellowed, but we had no intention of doing so.
Scattered on city rooftops waited Vidar, Sayyida, Livia, and the third Riis sister, Sváva. We’d just told them our location, and that we needed help.
Above, fire erupted and shifted into a whip. The flame began to move and slither snake-like through the sky. Sváva was a fire wielder, and the flames she tossed about were as vibrant as they were deadly. A rope of flame snatched one of the three soldiers who had taken to the skies and almost caught up with us. He screamed and disappeared.
But there were two more, and one was gaining. About to attack with his magic. He’d likely strike my sister and me to get three for the price of one.
Swallowing, I made an insane choice and called my shadow magic. The dark power rose and swept out of me, but this time, no tendrils emerged. Instead, a figure with the body of a fae stared back at me with black eyes.
I nearly tripped from the shock. An equally startled Astril swiped a blade at the shadow, but it remained. Unbothered. Simply moving at our speed but doing nothing else.
“It’s like the sword. Waiting for a command,” Thyra hissed. “Give it one.”
Right. I knew that. It had just taken me by surprise that I’d finally succeeded in making a true shadow person.
“Take down the soldiers behind us. And any others that come.” I drew in a breath. “Otherwise keep out of sight and disappear when you feel my glamour break.”
It soared away, and I felt a tether that connected to the shadow stretch and stretch and stretch. Behind us, a scream rang through the street. Thyra let out a breathy whoop.
“No time to celebrate yet.” Geiravor’s words came out fast with her breaths. “And you’d better believe we’re going to want an explanation as to what that thing was, but for now, save your breath and run!”
And we did. We ran as if we were being chased by a pack of direwolves, muscles burning hotter with each step.
