I turned back to the looming creature. He had no name that I understood, though I’d heard Watcher speak it more than once. I also knew he meant something to the female. She was at the bars of her cage, staring into the arena with horror darkening her eyes, gaze flickering between me and the other world creature.
“Shut this down!” the king shouted, his voice carrying throughout the Pit. “Get her out of here.” He made a motion towards the cage the female was in, though he didn’t look at her as two guards appeared either side of her.
Dimly, I heard her telling themno, that she wouldn’t leave until we did.
Something about her words made my beast rear up onto his hind legs before slamming back onto all fours, another roar leaving my mouth. It had the entire cavern trembling, loosened rock falling from the ceiling and onto the barrier surrounding us. Each piece bounced off the dome of magic, which sparked, letting all those outside know we were trapped within.
My heart pounded as I took in the activity beyond. Soldiers fought the keepers of the magic, their blood spilling. The barrier would not go down.
The female in the cage wouldn’t move. Her eyes were locked on us, on the chaos.
And the king…
He was gone.
A growl rippled through me as I met the eye of the other world creature. The beast cocked his head, dark eyes narrowing. “Can you shift?” he asked, voice so low it could barely be heard over the chaos beyond the arena.
Shift. I couldn’t even if I tried. I couldn’t remember what it felt like to be in my mortal body. All those memories were laced with pain and anger. They’d done so much to lock me in this form that I wasn’t sure I could escape it even if I tried.
I shook my head. The other beast growled and moved to the side of the Pit closest to the female, and although I knew I shouldn’t, I followed.
The two guards flanking her, still trying to pull her away, stiffened at our approach. But she didn’t flinch.
Her eyes roamed the length of the other creature, concern glinting in the darkness of her irises. “What are you doing?” she asked, ignoring the soldiers either side of her as she tried to reach through the bars. Her fingers skimmed the barrier, light dancing at her fingertips.
“It is time we leave,” the other creature said. “I should have gotten you out before?—”
“You couldn’t,” she replied, pulling her hand back. “Let’s be real. We never would have escaped. And we can’t do anything without Hawk.”
The shifter growled. Was that the winged one? He’d fought the king’s control. But then he’d been taken away, the king following soon after. Whenhereturned, there’d been something different about him.
That was the first time I noticed the weakness.
“He might be lost to you, fated,” the creature said.
She shook her head, tears glinting in her eyes. “I refuse to believe that. I saw him come back. And I’m not leaving him here. I won’t.”
A pit formed within me, filling with a sadness I couldn’t understand.
The shifter said nothing. Neither did the guards. Theystood eerily still on either side of the cage. They were two I didn’t recognise. They’d never been down to the cages before. I didn’t even recognise their scents.
But why had they not taken her away already? Why were they hesitating?
The female, as if remembering they were there, finally looked over at one of them. Hesitation darkened her eyes, a flicker of doubt appearing as she considered the male to her right.
“Why haven’t you dragged me out of here yet?” she asked, voice hard. “I thought your coward of a king gave you an order.”
The male with the white hair flinched before looking over his shoulder at the empty throne. There was no king in sight. Not even his personal guard were anywhere nearby.
Watcher had disappeared. I could still smell his pungent stench somewhere in the Pit, but he wasn’t close.
The male glanced back at the female, colour draining from his skin. “I am not sure,” he stuttered, looking behind her at his companion.
The other male, who appeared younger than the first, with eyes that were almost white, shook his head. “Our orders were to take her away. But…” He stopped and finally met the stare of the other male. “Why aren’t we?”
“What the hell is going on?” the female snapped, taking a step back. Her hand went to the collar around her throat, though she only brushed her fingertips against it. “Are you loyal to Dante, or not?”
They shared looks of confusion, hesitation, and uncertainty. Perhaps they’d somehow broken free ofhiscontrol as well.
