“Yes.” Ryu shoved the other man in front of him, forcing him to climb the stairs first. The other guards and Gregory stepped to the side to make way.
Tate started after them.
Archie remained unmoving, standing like a statue as he stared past Tate. “I see your friend didn’t heed my warning.”
Tate kept her expression blank as she silently cursed Night. He was just as prone to drawing her into a shitstorm as Dewdrop. He was simply a little more lowkey about it.
“You should let him know—curiosity killed the cat.”
“He’s not a cat,” Tate said automatically.
And he also wasn’t easy to kill. If Archie went down that road, he’d find that out for himself. Maybe there’d even be a third Obsidian Lord as a result.
Her footsteps didn’t pause as she passed him, following Ryu up the stairs. A weight lifted off her as she stepped through the final door separating her from the outside. The world was bright, almost too bright after so long spent in the dim light of the Deeps.
She breathed deep, rejoicing in the crisp air that filled her lungs. It was a welcome change from the scent of despair and hopelessness that still clung to her clothes.
She couldn’t say it was much warmer out here, but something about the chill felt refreshing. Maybe it was the sun on her face or the slight breeze that stirred her hair, but everything felt better above the surface.
Next to her Dewdrop inhaled, filling his lungs before releasing his breath slowly, basking in the feeling of freedom, the same as Tate.
“What did the Obsidian Lord say to you?” Dewdrop asked.
Tate frowned at the troublesome Veles prowling next to her. They crossed the paved walkway toward the prison gate, the last thing that separated them from true freedom.
“I’m not sure you want to know.”
She certainly wished she could pretend ignorance.
Dewdrop’s expression shifted in a way that told her he had a good guess as to the contents of the conversation.
“Okay. Share. How did you get down there in the first place?” Dewdrop asked Night.
The Deeps were virtually impregnable—or at least it had been before today. Christopher’s escape and the connecting tunnel changed things. However, the upper levels should still be difficult to infiltrate. It was possible to bribe your way in—but sneaking? No.
Night’s whiskers tilted forward.A Veles never reveals his secrets.
Tate’s eyes narrowed. Something told her it was more than that.
“How long have you been able to infiltrate the prison?” Ryu asked, voicing Tate’s thoughts.
Night’s tail flicked as he ignored Ryu’s question. It was tantamount to a confession for the Veles.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of wish I was still part of the Night Courts. I can see so much potential in something like that. The trouble we could get up to if we weren’t afraid of arrest.” For a moment, Dewdrop forgot his pain as he got lost in fantasies of dominating the criminal underworld.
He came back to himself seconds later, shooting a glance at Tate. “Though I suppose it could still come in handy if you ever get arrested.”
“Can we please not talk about such things while still standing on prison grounds?” Tate asked in a pained voice.
The last thing they needed was to get arrested by mistake. Already, the two guarding the gate were giving them looks like they wanted to stop them. To Tate’s relief, they didn’t object as her group stepped outside the gate.
Tate released a sigh of relief as they marched toward their carriage.
“What now?” Dewdrop asked, starring at the carriage like it was the answer to all his problems.
Tate hesitated. There was one more stop she needed to make before heading back to the palace—especially now. Something in Christopher’s memories triggered Tate’s instincts. She needed to know what it meant. It might prove important to the coming battle.
A battle she could already feel getting closer.
