Her stupid fickle heart would be the death of her.
“It will be done.”
Dahlia bolted down the stairs, her heart in her throat. A million things could go wrong. Loshika could be betraying her right now. Someone could have discovered the king already. A servant could be gossiping about how she’d seen the queen shaking in the servants’ corridor.
She picked up her pace, arriving all too soon at the laundry. The warm air was almost suffocating as she entered. The servants bowed as she passed. Lia ducked into a linen closet, closed the door, and shucked off her fancy dress with shaking hands.
Clumsily, she donned a simple but heavy-made dress, leggings, and boots. She slung her bag over her back and then tossed the plain cloak over the top, clasping the wool at her neck. No one watched her as she slipped from the closet. She weaved through the steaming vats of cloth and out into the servants’ hallway. She pulled her hood over her hair and moved back into one of the hidden servants’ corridors and waited.
Time to see if the healer had really meant what she’d said.
Minutes later, Loshika appeared, bag in hand, no warriors in tow. Lia waited a few moments longer before stepping out of the shadowed corridor. The giantess caught sight of her and strode in her direction. She caught Lia’s arm and pulled her back into the stairwell. In silence, they fled to the bowels of the palace, their steps echoing on the stone spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever.
When they reached the bottom, Lia kept her chin downward as they entered the immense cavern that held the training grounds and horses. She kept pace with Lo. No one seemed to notice them. Each step she took toward freedom, Dahlia expected someone to call out or to give chase.
The hair at the back of her neck prickled as they entered the grassy paddock, and Lia searched for Anwen. Her guilt made it feel as if someone was watching them. Lia hesitated to call hermount as she scanned the area. No one seemed to be paying close attention to them, but her skin was crawling.
Because you’re a murderer.
“Don’t call your horse,” Loshika whispered. “Most mounts are for communal use. Only those with highborn blood own such a creature. Let’s move toward the waterfall, away from the training grounds. The guards won’t look twice at us if we play this right.”
Dahlia’s stomach dropped as they moved around the curving rock that jutted out into the grassy field. The waterfall loomed to the far right, crashing onto the jagged black rocks that protruded from the frozen lake edge.
Lo chose two horses for them, and they both mounted quickly. Thank the stars the beast wasn’t as wide as Anwen. Her thighs only slightly ached as she shifted to get comfortable on the immense beast. How she was going to ride bareback was something she’d worry about later. First, they needed to escape the palace.
The pair approached the exit, and Loshika lifted a hand to the two warriors stationed on either side of the wide black-stone corridor leading out to the Glace Lake.
“More herbs?” the taller warrior drawled, looking bored, his gaze briefly flicking to Lia and back to Lo.
“It’s the perfect time for it,” Loshika replied. “The harvest is short this time of year.”
The shorter warrior grunted and waved them forward, his eyes tracing over Lia in disinterest. “There’s a storm brewing. Be careful,nonnae.”
“We always are.” Loshika clicked, softly urging her horse forward, Lia following suit.
She knotted her fingers in the creature’s mane to keep from shaking as they passed the guards, the horses’ hooves ringingagainst the stone. The frosty breeze nipped at her cheeks as they escaped into the biting fresh air.
Storm clouds gathered to the north, and the wind whipped across the ice, drifting snow. They needed to be well away from the palace before the storm hit.
“Did you send a healer to theReillov?” she asked, her lips feeling numb.
“I did.”
Fear curled in her gut, chasing some of the numbness away. Surely, someone had found him already. They had to move. In her mind’s eye, she could see warriors swarming down the spiral staircases in search of them.
“We have to run.” She whistled, eyes to the sky.Astrylleswere highly sensitive to their bonded’s call. Several circled above, one drawing closer.
Serenity. Time to go.
Loshika smiled, but it was all fangs. “Across the ice we shall go.”
Terror crashed over Dalia, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it as she followed the giantess. Her mount picked up speed, never wavering on the ice, its studded hooves digging into the frozen lake. Her jaw dropped as she spotted a gigantic color-changing fish racing beneath the ice, looking like bolts of watercolor.
As if called, she glanced over her shoulder to the palace that looked as though it was set on fire by the sunset. She couldn’t take back what she’d done, and it would likely haunt her for the rest of her life.
“Goodbye,” she whispered, the wind gobbling up her words.
Chapter Two
