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“How far are we from the apothecary?” Thane asked, barely able to catch his breath.

“Two blocks,” Leif answered, cutting into an alleyway. They splashed through a puddle and passed by windows with orange firelight. When they came out two streets over Thane sighed with relief; the sign read Adley’s Apothecary. Not only could he rest but maybe she would have a remedy for him. The black spots appearing across his vision and the weakness in his limbs made it difficult to walk without stumbling.Come on, keep going.

Strong hands on either side, grabbed hold. “Steady now,” Leif said. He knocked four quick raps on the wood door. The hinges groaned, and a lady in a gray dress with dark hair piled on her head stood inside. The warm glow of candles and bottles of various ambers, reds, and blues behind her was inviting.

Her eyes widened when they landed on Thane’s face. “High King,” she gasped. “Get inside, quickly.”

The black spots were larger now and as Thane’s boots crossed the threshold, creaking on the wood floorboards, his legs gave out. Gunner stopped him from crashing into the ground hard, but once Thane’s back lay on the warm wood, he closed his eyes and gave into the darkness.

Chapter7

Fire crackled in the great stone hearth that connected Layala’s room to Thane’s. Or what was once Thane’s room. It smelled of cedar and light smoke even if most of it went up into the chimney. She hadn’t dared open the stone wall until she had the cover of darkness and a slumbering castle. The stars twinkled outside her window and crickets chirped merrily. She rose out of the soft bed, her heart beating faster with each step.

Layala took in a deep breath and pressed her hand on the white stone mantel over the fire. It was warm enough in this room a fire wasn’t needed, but after many freezing nights in the tower, she’d insisted it be lit. Sweating was better than shivering.

Feeling along the top, the smooth stone had no blemishes. Was there a button or lever to open this thing? She dragged her hand along both sides and then stood with her arms folded, inspecting it. It looked ordinary, beautiful, and ornate with crown molding, but there didn’t appear to be any tricky switches. Did it only open from Thane’s side? She grumbled and paced the room. The food from dinner gave her energy she hadn’t had in weeks even though her swollen lip and hand throbbed from Tenebris’s abuse.

Her gaze kept drifting to the mantel and then she froze. The fire pokers. There were three of them. More than necessary. With her breath quickening, she hurried across the room and wrapped her palm around the middle one. It pulled free. She grabbed the left, and it too came loose. Damn. Maybe she’d been wrong. She grabbed the right and tugged. It didn’t come free. She pushed it back and the grinding of stone made her smile. The stone wall turned ninety degrees, leaving an opening on either side of the fire.

A masculine fragrance that smelled of forests and rivers and the wild hit her. Her throat tightened uncomfortably. The room smelled like him. She wrapped her arms around herself, and tears stung her eyes. She crawled onto the bed, pulling the soft fabric of his pillow to her nose, and inhaled deeply. Maker above, she missed him. She lay down, pulling the blankets up to her neck and tears spilled down her face until she had no more.

She rolled over and peered at the sheer white curtains over the glass doors. Could she slip off Thane’s balcony and get away? If she managed to get to the ground, there was still the matter of getting past guards and over the bridge. But if she found a way to escape, would Tenebris kill Piper, Fennan, Reina and Pearl? The guilt already nudged at her insides.

After basking in Thane’s scent for a while and relaxing on his bed, she got up and wandered the room. Her feet quietly padded on the cool stone floor as she made her way to the large nine-drawer dresser. Running her fingers over the ivy etching, she smiled at the candlestick set on top. She’d once thrown it at Thane in her failed attempt to murder him. Maker, that seemed like a lifetime ago. A corner of a piece of parchment stuck out from his top-right drawer.What is that?Curiosity getting the better of her, she tugged it loose. It was folded into a square. Should she peek at his private things?

Her fingers deftly peeled the edge back, and she opened it. She spread it out fully on the top of the white dresser and a chill rolled over her skin. It was a charcoal sketch of—her. Capturing her solemn elven features perfectly, wide eyes lined with thick lashes, black hair spilling all around her like a mass of waves. She looked so sad. Was this how she was perceived? When had Thane drawn this? On the bottom in a charming scrawl, it read:the maiden in my dreams.

“I’m going to find you, Thane,” she whispered, choking on a sob.

The fireplace scraped and churned and Layala jumped. She looked about the room frantically for a place to hide, and shoved the drawing into the dresser. She slowly backed up, her pulse drumming in her throat. It was too late to go for cover now.

Soft brown curls and a beautiful blue gown came through. Talon looked left then right and found Layala. “You need to go. Now.” She jerked the fireplace closed and her heels tapped loudly, and her dress swished with each step as she marched for Layala. She held a glass bottle in her hand. “Here, drink this. It should give you enough energy to escape.”

“What’s going on?” Layala asked, pressing her back into the wall. She kept her hands at her sides, rather than take the bottle. She didn’t trust Talon. This was the princess who lured her into the woods to be skewered with an arrow after all.

“You’ll have to go out the window. Stay in the shadows. I’ll try to stall him.” Talon grabbed Layala’s uninjured hand and shoved the bottle of light-blue liquid into it. “Come on. Hurry.”

Layala shook her head. “I can’t leave. What if your father kills Piper and Fennan?”

“He won’t…” her wide green eyes showed real fear as if she hadn’t thought about that. “He’ll—He’ll keep them as leverage for now.” She glanced warily at the door. “I’m not as big of a fool as my father and Aldrich think I am. Oh, I might play the part well, but I know that wasn’t exactly what happened. Thane wouldn’t just walk away.” She took a deep breath. “And right now, myrealbrother is hurting, and he needsyou. You’re a mage. You can help him. I heard that creepy lady talking about how she shoved her—handthroughhim. I know he can heal fast but—” she cupped her mouth, and a tear ran down her cheek. “Oh, Maker above, what if he’s dead? What if it’s too late? If he was alive, he’d be here to get you. I know he would.”

“He sent me a note. I don’t know why he hasn’t come but I believe he’s alive,” Layala said even though she wasn’t entirely sure, but she had to believe. “Do you have any idea where he is? Or where he might hide? Your father’s entire army will be searching for him.”

She slowly shook her head. “I can’t believe this is happening,” Talon cried, pushing her hands into her hair. “My father has one ofthemhere. Here inside my home. He’s trying to hide it, but Isawhim.” She started to pace, her breath coming faster and faster. “My father is a bloody traitor and so is Aldrich.”

There was much Talon didn’t know. It would take too long to explain. Three loud knocks interrupted the silence. It took her a moment to realize it came from her room.

“Open the door! We’re leaving!” She knew that malevolent voice too well for not having heard it much. King Tenebris was in the corridor with a host of guards no doubt.

“Leaving?” Panicky sweat prickled on her back. “Leaving where?”

“To the pale ones,” Talon whispered. “All these years he’s claimed he wanted to find you to destroy the Void but—but I think he means to sacrifice you to them somehow.”

Sacrifice me? Holy shit.Maybe that was why they wouldn’t say how she could bring the Black Mage back. What if they had to sacrifice her life for his… “He doesn’t want to destroy the Void. He—”

Another jarring knock. “Open the door this instant or I’ll have it kicked down. You won’t like what I do next.”

“Go,” Talon hissed, and shoved Layala. She bumped into one of the large wooden posts on Thane’s bed then turned, tucked the small bottle to her chest, and ran. Throwing open the doors to a burst of cool night air, billowed her hair like stalks of wheat. Once at the balcony’s stone edge, she pulled the stopper on the bottle and drained it in two big gulps. The fizzy liquid burned her eyes and nose, but the effects trickled out from her chest to her limbs with a zing of energy and strength. Even her mind was sharper. She gripped the stone railing and peered down. This was the second story; she could make it.