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Galdric’s weathered features were solemn and, if anything, accepting of his fate.

“Now, step back,” Ashlyn ordered. “And be ready to run.”

Kiva wasn’t sure if Galdric would be capable of running. Physically, he appeared fit, and despite the gray streaks in his hair and beard, he was only in his mid to late forties, but he’d also been imprisoned for half a year. On top of that, his face was still bruised enough that Kiva hadto repress her instinct to try and heal him, aware that if she managed to summon her magic — something she wasn’t confident about, given the events of that morning — then it would light the dungeons like a beacon.

Noting her concern, Galdric backed away from the iron bars on steady feet, quietly assuring her, “I’ll be fine.”

Ashlyn ignored their exchange and said, “You too,” to Kiva, who hesitated only a second before taking three large steps backwards.

The princess then waved a hand at the bars, prompting them to shake and buckle, whether from her earth or wind magic, Kiva didn’t know. A gods-awful screeching sound echoed down the stone corridor, but the iron finally shifted to the side, creating a gap large enough for Galdric to squeeze through.

“We’d better hope there are no more guards down here, or they will have heard that,” Ashlyn murmured, rubbing her ears. She turned fierce eyes on Galdric and said, “Injured or not, if you can’t keep up, we’ll leave you behind. And if you try anything — and I meananything —I’ll rip all the air from your lungs and bury you so far beneath the earth that you’ll wish you’d remained in that cell. Understood?”

Galdric nodded, his expression just as solemn as before. Kiva didn’t offer him any reassurance — she still wasn’t sure where she stood with the man who had been her mother’s closest adviser, and she wouldn’t know until they had a chance to talk. For now, they needed to prioritize escaping.

Their return trip out of the dungeons was quick and quiet, with Kiva breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the opulent black-and-red décor peeking over the top of the final stone staircase. But then Ashlyn came to a jarring stop halfway up the stairs, a hissed curse leaving her mouth. Kiva looked past her to see —

No, she gasped inwardly.

At the top of the staircase stood at least a dozen Gray Guards, and at their center was the smirking King Navok.

“Nice try,” he said. “But if you think I didn’t expect something like this —”

He broke off when his gaze moved from Kiva to Ashlyn. His expression turned disbelieving, then furious, as he realized what it meant that Evalon’s general was there, dressed as she was.

“Get us outside,” Galdric whispered to Ashlyn. “Once we’re out in the open, I’ll be able to —”

He didn’t finish before Navok barked, “Xuru!”

The dark-eyed man stepped into view, flames coming alive at his fingertips.

“RUN!” Ashlyn yelled, shoving Kiva forward just as a fireball soared toward them. A wave of the princess’s hand forced it to slam harmlessly into the obsidian wall, and another wave threw Navok, Xuru, and all the guards backwards off their feet, opening a space for Kiva, Galdric, and Ashlyn to sprint through.

“I can’t take on all of Navok’s guards if he summons the entire Blackmount garrison — and he will,” the princess warned as they bolted along the hallway toward the castle entrance. “My magic has its limits.”

“We just need to get outside,” Galdric said again. He was panting loudly and turning pale beneath his bruises, but he still kept up with them step for step. “Then I can —”

“STOP!” came Navok’s shout.

Another fireball soared over them, narrowly missing Galdric’s head.

“Ashlyn,” Kiva hissed. “Too close.”

The princess flung her hand blindly backwards, and the floor behind them made a cracking sound as it opened up, forming a crevice in the middle of the hallway.

“I can’t do much else, or I’ll bring the castle down on us,” Ashlyn said, breathing heavier now that her magic was sapping her strength.

“We’re nearly there,” Galdric said, pointing to a familiar set of large doors up ahead. Beside them stood two pairs of Gray Guards who cameto attention at the sight of them hurtling down the corridor, but another flick of Ashlyn’s wrist tossed all four of them a substantial distance down the opposite hallway.

“So much for sneaking out without Navok noticing,” the princess complained. “Just pray that he doesn’t lock down the city before we can make it through the outer wall.”

“Where do you intend to take us?” Galdric asked urgently as they ran through the front doors and out into the brisk night air. “When we reach Evalon, where would you have us go? Raven’s Watch? Highworth Keep?”

“Stoneforge,” Ashlyn answered shortly, leading the way across the castle courtyard in the direction of the drawbridge, not bothering with stealth, since there was no longer any point. “It’s closest, and no one would dare follow us all the way there. If we ride hard, we can make it in under a week.”

“We won’t need —”

“Enough!” came Navok’s voice from behind them, cutting Galdric off. His command brought all three of them to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. But it wasn’t his word that had stopped them; it was what they saw standing in their path.