“Strong enough to make someone so tired that they fall asleep?”
“Of course,” he said. He sounded offended by her question, but then he added, “Well, I’ve never actually tried it, but I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Amira wasn’t sure she shared his confidence. She had to depend on luck. How fitting for Turosian.
Amira nodded. “You can put the guard to sleep and then pretend whoever freed the prisoners got us too.” This was going to work. It had to. She would be useful. “Should we wait for tonight?”
Rhay shifted uncomfortably. “I’m still not sure about this, Amira. Think of all the risks. Do you really want to riskyourlife for a guy who assaulted you?”
“I would have preferred another option, one in which they both stay in jail for a long time. But I don’t think they deserve to die for what they did. And I’m sure you don’t think that either.” She sought out his muted blue eyes. “Do you really want to be responsible for the death of two fae? For two children losing their parent? We both know what that kind of loss feels like and we didn’t have the added consequence of homelessness.”
Rhay looked at his injured hand. “You’re right.”
“I’ll be waiting for you tonight. If I don’t see you, I’ll just have to do it on my own.” Amira couldn’t help but tug on a strand of her dark hair. She wasn’t sure she would be able to accomplish her plan without Rhay, but she couldn’t stand by and do nothing. She couldn’t add two more names to the list of lives that were lost because of her.
Chapter47
Amira
Midnight bells rang in the distance. Dressed in all black with her shoes tucked under her arm, Amira snuck out of her bedroom. She had spent the rest of the day thinking about her plan, growing more anxious with each passing minute. There were definitely some loopholes in her idea. What would Karwyn do if he found out? Or worse, Wryen? Shaking her head, Amira banished her panic, focusing her fear on the lives of the prisoners.
Amira had been worried Nalani would question her when Amira had dismissed her to the servant’s room for the night. But the maid had said nothing and left quickly with some laundry. To Amira’s relief, Karwyn hadn’t sent anyone else to watch over her.
Rhay had disappeared after their discussion, vaguely mumbling something about going to town. She hoped he hadn’t gone to a bar—or worse, to see Karwyn—and was relieved when she saw him at the end of the hallway wearing a shimmery, skin-tight jumpsuit. A very Rhay choice of outfit. He didn’t seem to be intoxicated, which was the first win for Amira’s plan.
In silence, they descended to the ground floor, stopping each time they heard any noise. They had a few scares as guards were doing their rounds. They managed to hide thanks to Rhay’s knowledge of the palace layout.
As they approached the small staircase leading to the prison cells, Rhay took Amira’s hand. “You should stay behind me and hide until I get the guard to fall asleep. This way, if things turn awry, you won’t be involved in the aftermath.”
Amira nodded reluctantly. She wouldn’t be of much use anyway given her lack of powers. She would have to help in another way.
They carefully walked down the stairs. At the bottom, they saw a dark corridor stretching out of their sight. Amira had been really surprised when Rhay had mentioned that there would only be one guard. Apparently, Karwyn didn’t keep a lot of prisoners down there—at least not for long. Amira shuddered at the thought.
She followed Rhay, making sure that there was enough distance between them to be able to run away. If she had to escape, she wasn’t sure she would do it. Leaving Rhay behind to face all the consequences would definitely feel wrong. After all, she was the one with the plan.
Rhay turned around and put a finger to his lips. They had arrived. Amira stopped walking and let her friend take the lead. He disappeared at the end of the hallway.
“Who’s there?” she heard a husky voice say.
“Hey there, my friend. Karwyn has sent me to check on the prisoners.”
Amira could hear the defiance in the guard’s voice. “Has he now? Well, they’re fine. The girl stopped crying an hour ago.”
“That must be really tiring, to keep guard when nothing is happening,” Rhay said.
“I’m not complaining.” The guard seemed eager to do his job. Amira felt sorry for him. He would most definitely be fired for failing to guard the prisoners. An added level of guilt took a hold of her. But this was life and death. Better one fae loses his job than two dying.
“Maybe you need some rest,” Rhay said in a honey-coated voice.
Amira heard the sound of rustling fabrics. “I…I don’t feel so well,” the guard said.
“It’s okay. Take it easy.” Rhay’s intonation reminded Amira of the sweet lullaby her mother used to sing to her.
She heard a loud thump and rushed out into the open. The guard was lying on the ground, a peaceful smile on his face. At least he would get some rest before the inevitable backlash. Rhay was busy frisking the guard to look for the keys. Amira looked around at the cells. The whole space was coated with a reddish tint.
“It’s almandine,” said Rhay as if he was reading her mind.
Amira moved closer to the cell and saw two bodies curled up in one of the corners. The sound of the key turning in the lock didn’t even make them flinch. Were they too late? Rhay opened the door and Amira ran up to them. When she was closer, she realised that they were still breathing. But their respiration was weak and uneven.
“Help me drag them out, Rhay,” she whispered.
