Chapter 41. Chaos.
My eyes flew open at the banging sound on our door. Roxanne rushed out of the bed, hurrying towards the entrance.
Racing boots screeched against the marble floor in the hall when Roxanne opened the door. Dozens of voices screamed out commands, their voices ringing through the walls of the castle.
I rushed to my feet, checking every dagger in my scabbard. Florence followed my lead.
“Tamira?” Roxanne’s hoarse voice echoed through the room as she looked the woman up and down.
“Our furthest posts have reported an attack,” Tamira met my gaze as I reached the women. The skin underneath Tamira’s eyes darkened as her exhausted gaze met mine. “Wurdulacs are on their way here, we must prepare.”
“The sun just went down.” My brows furrowed as I watched the chaos beyond our room. “How could the Wurdulacs possibly manage to get here so fast?”
“They took shelter in one of the deserted villages,” Tamira replied before facing Roxanne. “The report says that only half of their army is present: if your estimates were correct. It is safe to assume that the rest of them are still at the Royal palace.” She glanced at the parchment in her hands before adding, “Kane is nowhere to be seen.”
“Thank you, Tamira,” Roxanne said. “I will relay the message to the vampires.”
Tamira offered a quick nod before joining the running warriors in the hall.
“We have to go.” I rushed to put my boots on once the door shut. My trembling fingers battled with the laces.
Roxanne nodded, yet concern shone bright in her eyes. “Why is half of Kane’s army still at the palace?” she thought out loud, throwing a satchel to Florence.
“We will figure it out once we are there.” Florence caught the satchel, putting it around her shoulder.
“I will meet you at the stables.” Roxanne attached the quiver to her back.
“Where are you going?” Florence glanced up from tying her shoes.
“I have to relay Tamira’s report to our army before we go.” She opened the door, letting our room fill with the panicked voices from beyond. “I will be quick.” She closed the door to the room, muffling the disarray that had erupted within the castle’s walls.
“Are you ready?” Florence walked to the door.
“Yes.” My trembling hands secured the cloak around my shoulders.
Chaos filled the air as dozens of warriors—human and vampire—sprinted in every direction: nothing but determination filling their features.
“This way.” I pulled Florence away from the crowd, gesturing for her to follow after me. “The stables are closer from here.” It mattered not to discuss our whereabouts quietly: everyone was too occupied with preparation to pay us any mind.
We ran down the stairs, my feet slipping across the marble before I could catch my balance. The disorder from above quieted the lower we traveled.
Florence caught my free hand, rushing down the steps at my side. “Where to now?” Her brows furrowed when we reached the end of the stairs, standing before a stone wall.
I pulled her behind the staircase, crouching beside a small handle on the floor. “This passage leads straight to the stables.” I pulled the heavy door open.
The darkness welcomed us as we moved down the ladder into one of the hidden passages of the castle.
Silence filled the narrow path as we walked through it; drops of water fell from the ceiling onto our heads. “Almost there,” my whisper echoed through the tunnel, our boots splattered the water on the stoned floor.
Our short–lived silence was interrupted as I pushed open the heavy door at the end of the passage. Chaos enveloped us once again as the dark stables appeared before us.
Dozens of people moved frantically through the stables, preparing the horses for battle: nobody paid me and Florence any attention as we walked through the space, searching for our horses.
