“Move, now." I couldn't help glance back at the spectacle as I ran. Even Seraphina was fighting, her white hair streaming behind her as she wielded blades with the same deadly precision as the brothers. She moved with the ferocity of a Valkyrie.
"We must reach the vortex," Cillian urged me forward, his grip tight. "Your survival is all that matters now."
All that matters is that you tried to sacrifice me. I ripped my arm free. That anger fuelled my adrenaline, carrying me faster than his reach.
The vortex loomed ahead, and this time, I wasn’t running because the charming creep told me to. The ground shook beneath my boots, dust swirling everywhere as the vortex spiralled, pulling at the air. Branches snapped overhead, but I kept moving, my lungs on fire. Noticing our escape, three of the Gatemen broke away and sprinted toward us.
Cillian stopped to face them as they closed in.
“Run, Tilly! Whatever happens, don’t stop!”
I fled through the trees, the wind whipping against my face. My heart lurched at the cries behind me, and though I caught a glimpse of the deceiver in danger, I kept running. I had believed in him, even trusted him, but now that trust tasted like dirt in my mouth.
I forged ahead, crashing through the branches, thinking only of the lake and the safety beyond this place. I gripped my daggers tightly, prepared to strike if anyone tried to drag me back.
Behind me, the Lower Grounds shook with combat. Steel rang in my ears, but I didn’t look back. Their fight was theirs. My survival was mine.
Sadness and rage twisted together inside me. Escape should have been victory, but right now it felt like a loss.
For so long, I had dreamed of escaping the chaos and turmoil that had defined my life since that fateful morning on the road to the village. Now, the thought of home and my former life felt like a distant memory.
I paused by the gurgling stream, momentarily captivated by the soothing sound of rushing water.
Ahead, the Moonfall Garden gazebo came into view, bringing back memories of the evening Cillian and I had spent there. It marked a significant transition in our relationship, and thememory now filled me with dread because I no longer felt I could trust him.
“Don’t be afraid,” the gentle voice of Namarelle echoed in my mind.
“I can communicate with your thoughts.” She spoke. I remained where I was, clutching my knives as she approached. Prisoner or not, she was still dangerous.
“I can get you to the vortex quickly and help you escape,” she said.
She gripped my hand and led me toward the slope overlooking the Moonlake. As we moved, her wings unfurled from the stubs on her sides, spreading into their full, uncanny splendour. I didn’t trust her, but I knew she could help me get away quickly. That was the only reason I allowed her to lead me.
“We must reach the vortex. If I can get home, I can help you,” she said, guiding me toward a tear in the air that split open like lightning. It flared and widened, emitting an unnatural light.
Namarelle’s wings beat against the smoke all around us, and as our hands locked together, I felt my feet lift off the ground. Suddenly, three Gatemen burst from the woods, blocking the path to the vortex. Panic clawed at my throat, and I screamed. Namarelle broke contact with me, and I tumbled hard to the ground. She cried out and flew off toward the trees.
Prisoner or not, she was the kind who saved herself first.
The nearest Gateman seized my arm before I could rise. His grip was like iron, crushing, and I knew escape was impossible. Enveloped in the folds of his billowing cloak, I stared into his soulless olive eyes. His granite-chiselled face shifted with the light, filling me with primal terror. He was the creature who had led the men through the forest. He was the one who had warned me not to trust the brothers. He wore the same clothes as the horseman from my nightmare. The one who had sucked the soul out of the girl.
I knew him. Horous.
“You will come with me now,” he said, his voice impossibly deep.
THIRTY THREE
VALARI KHARUN
Terrified, I struggled to free myself from his Horous’s grip, but it felt as though I was chained to his hand.
I twisted with all my strength, my dagger clenched so tightly that my knuckles burned. I slashed at his arm with every bit of force I could muster. The blade barely nicked his skin, but I refused to give up. If he wanted me, he would bleed for it.
Horous barely flinched. He yanked me off my feet despite my resistance and carried me toward the vortex spinning before us with blinding intensity.
“No!” I screamed, clawing at hismassive, muscular arms with my bloodied hands.
Horous grunted and clamped his tattooed hand over my mouth, wrenching me hard against him. It felt like wrestling a mountain. Then my mind snapped into focus. The dagger was still in my grip. His veins stood out along his wrist, pulsing like ahuman’s. This was the weakness I could reach.
