“Where did they go?” I ask.
“They’re hiding in the shadows. We don’t know what we’ll find.”
“Anyone thinking it’s suspicious that we haven’t seen any guards yet?” Cheryl asks.
“Very,” Ronan replies. “We must be heading straight into a trap.”
“There’s nothing for it,” Selor says. “This is the only way out of here.”
“You’d better not betray us, Selor,” Karl retorts.
“I couldn’t betray you even if I wanted to, wolf boy. That damn vow between us still holds.”
Castiel reaches the top of the stairs first, and the way is barred by a solid wall. It’s a fucking dead end.
“Are you kidding me?” Cheryl complains.
“Have patience, pup,” Selor replies.
“Do not call mepupunless you want to lose a limb,” she grits out.
While Cheryl glares at Selor, Castiel presses a hand against the wall. Glowing cracks appear on the smooth surface before the wall vanishes completely. Cheryl rushes in front of Ronan, but not before they exchange a glance. Something has happened between them, but I don’t have the spoons to unpack any of that right now. I bring up the rear since Ronan can’t defend himself while he’s carrying Karl.
“The coast is clear,” Castiel says before he vanishes from view.
Adrian and Selor follow him, then Cheryl and Ronan with Karl, but before I cross the threshold, I stop thanks to a sudden ache in my chest. It’s so acute that it steals the air out of my lungs.
Something is wrong.
The link between Karl and me snaps.
“No!” I run after them, only to be rendered immobile by an unseen force.
Our entire party is on the ground, writhing in agony, and surrounding the perimeter are the queen’s guards. I search for Karl and see him on the ground, next to Ronan. Unlike the others, he isn’t moving. He’s as still as a statue… as still as the dead.
“Karl, please, no…,” I whimper.
The guards part to allow Queen Maewe to pass through. There isn’t a hair out of place on her head, and she’s wearing a completely different dress than she was a minute ago. The ground shakes as another explosion from the level below us reverberates through the structure of the room.
“How can you be here?” I ask. “I just saw you.”
She smiles maliciously. “Are you sure?”
My blood grows ice cold. I can still hear the battle in the queen’s dungeon, which means Queen Endaya is fighting someone, but clearly not Queen Maewe.
“That was a decoy,” I say as realization hits me.
“You finally caught on, then.”
I glance at Karl, who still hasn’t moved. “What have you done to him?”
“Oh, I just stopped his heart.” She waves her hand, and Karl’s chest rises above the ground as he gasps loudly, drawing air into his lungs.
“You fucking cunt!” I scream.
With a swat of her arm, she sends me flying across the room. I hit the far wall so hard, it cracks. Or maybe it was my head. All I know is that there’s a dull ache in the back of my skull, and I can’t move.
“Manu!” Karl calls for me. “Please don’t hurt her anymore. Please…” His voice cracks.
