Page 17

Quiet voices drifted up. Guards. She ducked and caught sight of a tall tree to the right. It was a luminor with star-shaped blue-and-silver-tipped leaves, its branches strong. Clouds covered the moon, blanketing the castle grounds in darkness. She said a silent “thank you” to the Maker for the coverage and climbed up on the balcony’s edge. In a crouch, she held on as a gust of wind wobbled her. She cursed herself for not changing out of her dress. The heavy fabric around her legs would make this difficult. The tree was five—six feet away, but there was a branch she could grip; all she had to do was jump.

Loud booms and wood cracked as the door was kicked in. “Where is she?!” Tenebris roared. “Find her now!”

Layala took a deep breath.One. Two…She pushed off and leapt, flying through the night air. Wrapping her hands around the branch, it bowed under her weight. She almost yelped at the stinging of her injured hand. The healing balm hadn’t had enough time to work properly and with broken bones it might take days. She breathed through the pain and murmured to the branch, “If you snap, I swear…” Shimming sideways, she cursed Tenebris for crushing her hand every inch of the way, and quietly climbed down. Kneeling with one knee in the damp grass, hidden among the shadows behind the overgrown, thick bushes, she watched a pair of guards walk by, oblivious to her presence. The brick path leading around the castle was clear both ways. Ahead there was a large blooming poplar tree surrounded by round green shrubbery. There was a massive open space between that and the horse stables, the only other place to hide. The bridge over the river was at least half a mile from here. Steeling her breath, she lifted the bottom fabric of her dress and took off. Just as she crossed the path, the doors to Thane’s balcony crashed open. Layala glanced back. King Tenebris and a host of guards flooded onto the terrace.

“Stop her! Sound the alarm! Do not let her cross that bridge!”

There was no point in hiding now. Her legs and lungs burned with the effort as she ran like the galloping horses in the fields. Her eyes watered with the force of the wind. Heavy, armored footsteps thudded to the left. She veered to miss the guard as he reached out. He grasped the bottom of her dress and yanked. Layala pitched forward and crashed onto her hands and knees. “You bastard,” she spit and rolled. He stood over her and she shoved her foot into his belly, sending him flying back onto his ass.

Jumping up, Layala ran. “I swear I will never wear a dress again after this,” she mumbled, sprinting alongside the horse stable and pasture. On the other side of the fence, a huge black horse with a white star on his forehead fell into pace alongside her. His hooves pounded against the ground. “Midnight!” she sang. Another horse joined at his side. “Phantom!”They’re both here!

She glanced back; seven guards were hot on her heels. Pumping her arms and legs harder, she set her sights on the bridge. Three guards were at the entrance, but two of them leaned against the stone arch with their backs to her and one was lying on the ground. If the king saw him, it would be “off with his head”.

Layala smiled at the two horses when the fence came to an end, vowing to come back for them. But a loud crash and wood splintering made her jump. Phantom and Midnight broke through and raced up on either side of her. Taking the risk, she leapt and barely made it onto Midnight’s back, and swung her leg over. She grinned and a euphoric feeling swelled in her chest.I’m going to make it!

The guards behind her yelled obscenities and commands. The trio at the bridge finally took notice of the commotion and drew their weapons. She nudged Midnight’s sides; they couldn’t stop now. She’d seen Phantom run elves and pale ones down. That’s the kind of energy she needed.

Clinking metal like the sound of a chain being dragged over rocks dropped her stomach.No.The lowering spiked gate was closing off her escape. Hot tears welled up. No! She had to get away. She must get to Thane. The gate slammed to the ground and Midnight reared up, neighing as guards surrounded them. Phantom nickered loudly and slammed his shoulder into a guard before coming to a stop. “Curse this king, curse this place!”

Layala slid down and ran to the cliff’s edge. It was fifty feet, maybe more, to the river below and high cliffs on both sides. The waterfall roared like white thunder clouds and sprays of mist hit her face with the breeze coming up.

“Step away from the edge, Lady Lightbringer,” a guard said, palms up like he was surrendering.

Could she survive the fall and swim in these currents? Where was the land low enough she could climb out? She looked to the other side, desperately hoping to see Thane in the shadows.Please, Thane, please.He’d come before when she was in trouble; was he there now? “Thane!” she cried searching the swaying grass on the other side.Please be here.The longer she looked the heavier the pit in her stomach grew. She glanced over her shoulder to find King Tenebris and at least fifteen guards closed in. No one was within arm’s reach, but they inched closer.

“Lady Lightbringer, we’re not going to hurt you. Please step back.”

She moved closer to the edge, rocks and crumbling earth dropped. Her stomach whirled taking in the distance. Risk the fall and water or go back to the evil king? With shaking hands, she took another step forward, more dirt and rocks spilled off the cliff’s edge.Jump!She sucked in a deep breath and tipped forward. She expected to feel wind rushing all around, hear her own scream, as she plummeted into the icy waters below but instead, fingers dug at her scalp and with a fistful of her hair, she was wrenched backward. Clawing at the person’s hand she tried to turn but he had such a close grip she couldn’t, until the gap between her and the edge was filled by soldiers. She was so close to freedom, to being able to search for Thane. The hold released and she turned to Aldrich. That bastard! Rage shook her entire being. His apologetic frown enraged her further. She clawed at his face with a scream that burned her throat. Guards grabbed her from the sides, holding her back from reaching him. “Let me go!” she seethed, kicking and jerking, sounding more like a wild cat than an elf.

One of the guards squeezed her injured left hand, grinding the already fractured bones. She bit down to keep from yelling out in pain. “Enough,” he said.

“Pig,” she murmured to the guard. “Only a low-life prick would use an injury against someone. I’ll remember your face when I am queen.”

The guard’s smug expression paled, and he released her hand.

“Good boy,” Layala said.

With his hands casually behind his back, Aldrich shook his head. “I couldn’t let you jump,” he said, full of bravado in front of his father. “You could have killed yourself. What were you thinking?”

Tenebris stepped in front of him, his long blond hair moving in the breeze. He lifted his chin, and the gold crown he always wore glittered in the moonlight. If he wasn’t such a sick bastard, one could call him handsome. The evil smile on his face reminded her of a pale one moments before the kill. “You are a foolish girl. And you need to be taught a lesson, so you won’t try anything like this again.”

Layala straightened her spine. She’d take his blow and wouldn’t go down this time no matter how hard he struck her. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of that.

The guards at her sides shifted apprehensively and glanced back and forth between each other. Tenebris raised a hand and curled his fingers. There was something cruel and sadistic in his expression that made her stomach clench.

“Clear the way,” someone shouted from the back.

The host of guards parted to let in a pair of soldiers, and in between them walked Reina. Her normally tight bun on top of her head was loose and disheveled. Her deep-brown eyes searched the faces all around her but stopped on Layala. Her chin trembled and her cheeks glistened with tears. The two guards grasped her upper arms tightly, keeping her trapped between them.

Stomach dropping, Layala looked to the king, ready to plead for her maid’s life. Reina warned her this could happen. If he suspected Reina or Pearl’s involvement in her attempted escape, he’d execute them. Struggling against the guards’ hold, Layala said, “Wait, wait, this isn’t her fault. It’s mine. She didn’t know.”

Tenebris walked up to Reina. The glint of metal in his hand shone in the pale starlight, making Layala more frantic. “She has a child! Please don’t! Please!”

He dragged a blade across her throat. A thin line of scarlet erupted and poured down her neck, spilling onto her chest. Layala gasped, blinking several times in disbelief, unable to accept what was happening before her very eyes. Reina choked on her own blood; the sound of it bubbling up and out of her mouth made Layala want to vomit. The red liquid dribbled over her chin dripping onto her dress. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real. It was a delusion, a nightmare.

“Reina, no,” she whispered, and gulped down the rising bile. Who would take care of that little boy if she was gone? She must hurry and put her hand over Reina’s throat to stop the bleeding. But within moments, Reina’s face was colorless, her head lolled to the side, and her body sagged in the arms of the guards.

The booming in Layala’s ears from the rush of her blood drowned out the king’s voice. His mouth moved yet she heard nothing he said. But the sneer on his face, the arrogant smirk—Layala kicked her leg out, dropping the soldier next to her, and slammed her elbow into the nose of the other and ripped the dagger from his waist.