“Go,” he whispered, then she heard him shuffle away from the door and shift against the far wall.
Without another word, she turned from the cell and left him behind, ignoring the tears that managed to squeeze from the corners of her eyes.
* * *
Cora banishedall thoughts of Teryn as she crept through the dark halls in the lower level of the sleeping castle. Her steps were slow, quiet, careful, as she followed a familiar route to the servants’ passage. It was the same path Morkai had taken her down six years ago. She kept her shields lowered, her senses open, stopping every time she felt guards drawing near. When they did, she pressed herself close to the walls, merging with stone and shadows until they passed her by. The servants’ passage was thankfully empty. It wasn’t too surprising considering the lack of staff she’d seen at dinner. She was starting to understand more and more why Ridine was so empty. Anyone who couldn’t be swayed by Morkai was probably dismissed, imprisoned, or killed. Perhaps it was a good sign that the castle wasn’t teeming with mindless, brainless sycophants. It could mean Morkai’s influence was weaker than he’d made it seem.
Cora reached the back end of the castle. After testing a few doors, she found the one that led from the passage to the yard outside the kitchens. Enormous outdoor ovens, washbasins, and lines for drying linens stood empty as Cora crept past. She focused on her breath, on the firmness of the earth, silent beneath her soft steps. The air was cool, the sky just beginning to pale toward dawn. She fixed her gaze on the dark forests looming beyond the wall, her hope tenuous as she paused behind an overgrown shrub. With a deep breath, she turned her attention to the wall itself, seeking signs of sentries. She saw some silhouettes farther down, closer to the nearest gate, but none straight ahead. That was where the vines of ivy crawled up the wall, blanketing it like a tapestry.
That was where she hoped to find the hidden break in the stone.
With another deep breath, she drew air against her skin, earth against her feet, calling upon the elements to shield her, hide her, obscure her. Then she stepped out from behind the shrub and crept toward the wall. She kept her senses reaching outward, seeking any nearby emotions that rippled with shock or alarm.
Finally, she reached the wall and pressed herself against it. There she paused, once again assessing her surroundings for threats. The sentries remained near the gates. She tiptoed along the wall, feeling beneath the ivy for any sign of crumbling stone. Her heart slammed against her ribs, her muscles clenched in panic. Every touch revealed only solid wall. Terror nearly threatened to overtake her, but she forced herself to be calm. Breathe. Turn inward.
She closed her eyes and pressed both palms to the stone beneath the ivy, extending her senses out along the wall. To the right, she felt only dense, solid energy, but to the left…
There was a hollow, a lightness in the wall’s density. She followed it, ran her hand to where she was guided, freezing when her fingers sank beneath the ivy. She bent down, spread the ivy aside, and found an opening only chest high. In her memories, the opening had been almost as tall as her, but she’d been twelve then. Smaller. It stood to reason that the hole would seem much lower now. She peered inside, seeing nothing but darkness beyond. A ripple of revulsion passed through her when she considered what kinds of creatures or creeping things could be hiding inside such a hole, but now was not the time to be afraid.
Biting the inside of her cheek, she slipped beyond the ivy.
Hurry. Danger.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat at the voice. Relief and joy and surprise flooded through her, so potent it made her quicken her pace as she squeezed through the gap in the wall.Valorre?
She could feel him somewhere nearby, his presence growing closer with every breath. But he didn’t seem to share in her relief. Instead, his energy was panicked.Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
A subtle light broke through the dark space she traversed, giving her a glimpse at where the hidden gap let out. The sound of Valorre’s hoofbeats hit her ears next. He was right on the other side of the wall now.
His hoofbeats were drowned out by a sudden rumbling coming from behind her. It sent the wall shaking, sending crumbling bits of rock raining down on her head. She moved faster in the narrow space. The exit was almost in reach, just as hot, moist breath blew against the back of her head. She didn’t need to look behind her to know the Roizan was there. Only a few feet remained, then she’d be free—
Shouts of alarm erupted from above. The Roizan growled into the gap, setting her teeth on edge, but then it was gone. She broke through the ivy on the other side of the wall and nearly stumbled into Valorre.
Danger. It’s coming. He sidled closer and lowered his head, inviting her to mount.
One of the sentries called for someone to open one of the gates. Cora gripped Valorre’s mane and hauled herself onto his back. She barely had her seat before he took off. They darted through the trees behind the castle. Cora kept her head lowered as a defense against the branches that reached out to graze her flesh while they tore across the forest floor. A rumbling followed behind. Valorre wove, dodged, shifted direction, but the Roizan was persistent.
She reached for her bow but all she had was her quiver. “Damn,” she muttered and retrieved an arrow anyway. Should the Roizan gain on them, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. A wary glance over her shoulder revealed trees trembling, a flash of red skin in the distance.
Worry only a little, Valorre said.I spent most of last night learning to evade the abomination. I run faster. Longer.
“You…you found me. You’ve been waiting for me.”
You’re my friend, he said, as if that explained everything. Explained why he’d been battling a unicorn-eating demon creature when he could have kept himself safe instead.But where is the handsome one?
Her chest constricted with thoughts of Teryn. Heat rose to her cheeks as she replayed the kiss he’d tricked her with. “I had to leave him behind.”
Valorre rippled with disappointment. Or was it Cora’s own that she felt?
Where do we go next?he asked. His words were calm despite the breakneck pace he kept. Their pursuer still followed.
Cora considered the question. Her first instinct was to flee far from Khero, away from Lela, away from Morkai and his war to rule fae magic. They could keep to the forests and hide at the far north of the continent, leaving all of this behind them. But the thought was only a fleeting fantasy. No matter how much she wished to escape what was coming, she felt in her blood that she was already entangled.
The unicorns. The mother. The child.
She knew Teryn wanted her to warn his father, but how could she hope to convince a king of anything? Now that she’d run away, Morkai would not be spreading tales of the princess who’d returned from the dead. That meant she was once again a fugitive. Still, that didn’t mean she could do nothing. Her meager existence had been such a threat to Morkai’s plans that he’d intervened with her fate. She didn’t know much about prophecies, but the faerytales had always insisted upon their persistence. Maybe her role wasn’t over yet. Maybe it had only changed.
It was a daunting thought. A terror. A burden.
