“I’m scared.”
“I know, but you're a princess, and princesses are just as strong and brave as princes.” With that, he stands and turns for the door, but I reach out, grabbing his hand.
“What about you?”
His long, silver locks brush against his face as he smiles down at me. “I’m going to lead them away from you.”
“Who?”
“Just go, princess. Your parents are waiting.”
Malarch draws his sword and moves swiftly to the secret escape tunnel hidden inside my wardrobe. He pushes the panel and ushers me inside. I cast a quick glance back at Valric, hoping I will see him again. He is my paladin, my friend, my family.
Malarch gently urges me forward. “Let’s go, princess,” he whispers.
I step into the dark tunnel, and Malarch shuts the panel behind us. Then he grabs my hand, and slowly, we make our way through the tunnel. I have so many questions on the tip of my five-year-old tongue, but I was taught that we weren’t to make a sound in the tunnels.
We can barely see a few feet ahead of us. But soon enough, I can feel the breeze of fresh air caress my face. I breathe a sigh of relief and push down the urge to run ahead and see my parents.
Malarch pushes me behind him as the sound of shouted voices echoes through the air. He curses under his breath before turning and squatting in front of me. Malarch is a troll, the only one on the royal guard. His grayish skin and fathomless black eyes used to scare me, along with his sharp pointed teeth, but after a while, I grew to realize he is just a big teddy bear.
“Stay here. I’m going to see what’s going on,” he murmurs.
“Okay,” I whisper back.
Malarch stares at me a beat longer, then slowly rises. He moves with purpose, his footsteps soundless against the earthen walls of the tunnel as he makes his way to where the tunnel ends in the forest. The tunnel fades to black, and I look around, not able to make anything out.
“Is she waking?”
I hear a faint voice, and feel a cool cloth being placed on my forehead.
“No. She is burning up though.”
“What do we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do. I think you two getting closer has triggered her Renascitur.”
The voices fade, and I’m drifting again as pain overtakes my body once again.
Chapter thirty-seven
Everly
The sound of swords clashing and grunts reverberates through the air outside the tunnel. Slowly and quietly, I creep closer to the opening of the tunnel. How would anyone have known where the tunnel came out? Only the royal family and their personal guards had known of this tunnel. My hand landed on the wall of the tunnel and drew power and strength from the earth as I made my way toward the sounds.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, I spot my mother and Malarch standing back to back, fighting with three fae. They are all high fae, but I can’t make out their clothes in the dark. I search the forest for my father, but I can’t see him. One man makes it past my mother’s defenses, his sword slicing her arm. A surge of anger and fear travels through me when she cries out. My body tenses, filling with primal energy. As I reach out my tiny hand, the vines obeyed my command, coiling around the fae’s feet and dragging them away from my mother and Malarch. I watch as their swords try to hack away at the vines, but more justreplace them. My mother’s wild mossy eyes frantically scan the area, searching for me.
She runs over as soon as she spots me. “Everly, are you okay?” she asks hurriedly, checking me over.
“I’m okay, mother, but where is father?”
She meets my eyes and swallows roughly. “Honey . . . ”
A rustling among the overgrown bushes makes me jump, though I can’t discern the source.
“Incoming!” Malarch yells.
Dread and fear coil deep in my stomach as I tense for what’s coming.
