“Your gift is useful,” Kasimir scolds her. “I never have to worry about my guild hiding shit from me again. They’re terrified of you,” he chuckles.
“What gift do you have?” I ask her curiously.
“I can tell when people are lying. Always.” She narrows her eyes at me. “So if you ever hurt my sister, don’t think you’ll get away with it.”
I swallow. “Not planning on it.”
“Good.” She smiles sweetly, as if she didn’t hold a dagger to my throat five minutes ago. “Now let’s stop wasting time and rescue Dahlia.”
I gave up convincing them to stay behind. As much as I hate to admit it, having humans on our side is a huge help. Kennix had already started moving the cannons when we reached the stables, but it’ll be mid-morning by the time he and the soldiers make it to Elheart’s palace, and I want Dahlia protected now. Need her protected.
Sheneedsme.
And, fuck, with my heart tearing in two I think I need her just as much.
I ride full gallop through the forest with the humans and Claren at my side until we arrive at the clearing near Elheart’s palace. Tamryn stayed behind in a wagon with the soldiers and Pumpkin.
Poor girl was never taught how to ride a horse. We’ll have to fix that soon.
“Do you know how to get into the palace from here?” Claren asks Blossom.
She nods, glaring through the trees.
“We’ll meet you inside as soon as we can get through. Start with the bedchambers, and if you can’t find her there, try the dungeon. But wherever you go, make sure you stay together,” he orders.
The humans slide off their horses and race towards the palace, but the whole time I can’t look away from Claren.
Guilt twists inside me. He may be my baby brother, but he’s no baby anymore, and all this time I’ve been treating him like one.
“Claren,” I start, wincing.
“No need to thank me.” He twists his horse around to pass me a gentle smile. “I thought you’d be feeling too upset about Dahlia to think straight, so I took over for a bit. How did I do?” Hope dances in his eyes, and just like that, he’s little Claren again.
But this time, I’m not his arsehole brother.
“You did great. Thank you,” I say, and I mean it.
“Come on.” He kicks his horse into a walk, but I don’t miss the pride on his face. “We’ll find a weak spot in the wall and take out some of the patrolling guards to save time.”
I nod, following him through the trees.
When we get home, he’ll be taking Thobas’s job at my advisers’ table so the old demon can finally retire. Claren’s way too good to not be at my side.
40
DAHLIA
“If I die of starvation you won’t be able to cut off my hands!” I yell, shoving my head through the iron bars. I suppose they could still cut off my hands, but they wouldn’t look very pretty. Tauren might not even recognise them if they’re all bony, and then what’s the point?
“You’ve been in there half an hour, Princess Dahlia,” my useless guard sneers. “You’re not dying of starvation any time soon.” He goes back to his book, propping his boots up onto the table outside my cell.
I slide down the bars to sit cross-legged on the floor, glaring at him. “When my husband hears you’ve been starving me, he’ll eat your soul.”
“Good thing he’s not here then.” He ignores my scowl and continues reading, just like he’s been doing since throwing me in here. I’ve already asked him what the book’s title is twice, and he ignored me both times. Judging by its reader, it’s a boring non-fiction with no emotion in it at all.
Huffing, I let my back fall against the floor. There’s a hay bed in my cell, but I’d rather sleep on the floor than on a bed made of hay – if you can even call that a bed. There’s also a bucket fordoing something I’d rather not think about, especially given the audience outside my cell.
Tauren better rescue me soon, otherwise I’ll die of humiliation before the starvation gets me.
