The room had finally gone quiet, and she could hear that now. She needed to turn around, but she didn’t know how to—she’d just killed a man, and they’d all watched her do it.
A voice she hadn’t been expecting broke the silence. “Not bad for a Crown bitch.”
Elysia whipped around to find another familiar face. Green catlike eyes and black hair in two tight braids that wound around her head, Jessa met Elysia’s bloodied appearance without flinching. Gratefulness flickered in her chest. She couldn’t have stood it to see the fear or disgust that she knew her sister or at the very least Remy were likely feeling.
Jessa slapped a hand onto her shoulder. “Your way was neater anyway.”
Elysia looked away from Remy, who was administering unwanted first aid to a swearing Beatriz. “Neater?”
“Haven’t you heard? Everyone’s got their magic back outside of Kava.”
Elysia swore faintly. “Oh my gods. You were going to blow him up.”
Jessa nodded matter-of-factly. “Except I haven’t ever managed to narrow it down to a single human before. Probably for the best you swung in.”
Elysia ran a bloodied and likely frostbitten hand over her face. “Amazing.”
Beatriz appeared to be a little light on her feet but was nonetheless trying to push off Remy’s support. “You really are the worst busybody I’ve ever met. I’m in a differentkingdomfor the gods’ sake.”
An old, slow-burning rage licked at Elysia’s wounds. Words like ungrateful and undeserving flashed through her mind. “The response you’re looking for isthank you, Elysia, I’d be dead without you, Elysia. I’m a fucking idiot, Elysia.”
Remy’s dark brown eyes were enormous as they swung between the two Parker sisters. Jessa just grinned and stepped back to lean against the office wall.
Beatriz shoved Remy off and staggered closer, her voice scathing. “I knew what I was doing! I brought the nerd, and I brought the muscle! This isn’t my first time, you over-controlling pain in my ass.”
A muscle in Elysia’s jaw jumped. “I wasn’t even here for you.”
Beatriz blinked, her face clearing. “What?”
Elysia stalked out of the office, her tone turning cold. “We don’t have time for this. Maspan has security crawling all over the place, and his men know you weren’t supposed to walk out of here. Escaping the forest is going to be a nightmare.”
Jessa came up behind her, peering out one of the windows. “Thought you could travel now.”
“I don’t know if I can manage an entire group, but I can try.” She’d gotten Topp here easy enough, but doubt sprang up as she considered the three women next to her.
Jessa quickly shook her head. “No. I’ve seen what happens when traveling goes wrong.”
Oh.Maybe traveling with the prince hadn’t been so wise after all.
Remy spoke quietly, hanging onto whatever scraps of calm she had left. “I have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.”
Minutes later, Elysia was shivering in the rapidly dropping temperatures of the Endless Forest. Her dress may have been made for warmth, but it didn’t replace layers or a coat, and her cut-up bare feet and hands were killing her. Worse than that, she was back to clutching the invisible net outside the stone cottage, but this time with three more bodies weighing it down until it sank dangerously in the middle, making her swear as it creaked.
“Ready?” Elysia’s question barely carried over the wind.
Petrified, Remy said nothing. Beatriz nodded grimly, looking disassociated and slightly green as she stared through the invisible netting to the ground. Naturally, it was Jessa with her eyes squeezed shut who spoke through gritted teeth. “Stop talking and just do it already.”
Knife arm up, Elysia paused, giving them each a hard look. “If a single one of you makes so much as a peep, I will leave you in this godsdamn forest.” She brought her blade arm down, cutting through where the net attached to the concrete landing.
Remy’s scream was loud enough it was probably heard all the way in godsdamned Kava.
“Shut up, shut up.” Elysia hissed, but there was nothing to be done about it.
If Maspan’s men hadn’t already realized something had gone wrong with their boss’s meeting, then they definitely knew now, and Elysia was sure they’d be taking an alternative route than the nightmare bridge to get them down to the forest floor.
Trees and branches flew past as they clung desperately to the netting, which had now twisted into an invisible rope. A branch cracked against Elysia’s ribs, forcing all the air out of her body, but she clung on, knowing that letting go would likely mean death. Using her feet, Elysia propelled them away from the trees the best she could after watching Remy smash her nose. Pine needles cutand scratched against skin, and then one by one they all thudded against the base of a pine. Slowly, she pried her cold fingers free of the netting, crashing down into the snow and dirt.
Looking around at her ragtag, busted-up crew, Elysia could hear Gage in her head.
