Page 42 of A Broken Promise (the Freckled Fate #1)

42

P riya. Gods, if she was hurt, or if she was captured... thoughts raced through my mind, fighting the raising panic.

I had to find her.

The guards were long gone, letting me easily sneak past the large doors. The ripped tail of my beautiful dress left on the ground was the only evidence of my presence. I adjusted my holster full of daggers to my thighs, just one quick reach away.

The air in the castle was warmer, heavier; quite a change from the freezing, dust-filled air of the ruined ballroom. There was no breeze, and surprisingly it was so vacant. Not a single guard, not a servant. Empty and dark.

All the guards must have rushed to help and so did the servants, but the lack of light? Not even a single oil lamp lit up in the midst of the castle? That I couldn’t explain.

I passed room after room, now coming up the wide, wooden staircase. While the outside of the castle was built out of stone, the inside was made out of the darkest exquisite wood, carved and polished.

I stayed cautious of my moves, aware of each step in the pitch darkness. Each step quieter than the previous, not a single squeak escaped as I made it upstairs. Large, stained-glass windows served as the only source of light. I welcomed it, though shadows bouncing off the nice furniture along the perimeter made me uneasy.

I wandered further down the hall. Only now that my mind was calmed, I realized that this was quite a bad idea.

Clearly, I wasn’t thinking straight looking for Priya in a castle I had never been in. I had no clue where I was going, or where she was.

I had a higher chance of getting lost than finding her.

I stifled an angry grunt within me. I should just go back, stay with Florian, and wait for Priya there, instead of uselessly wandering the castle.

I turned sharply to walk back and saw a creeping shadow then.

This time it was not mine.

A quick shiver went through my body and goosebumps rose. Gods, was I really that afraid of the dark?

I noticed then the cherry wood door slightly opened, letting in a little flicker of light and a mingling shadow.

I should go back.

Ignore it.

But instead, I took another step towards the door, dagger out, ready to strike.

I tightened my grip, even though cold sweat covering my hands made it difficult. My whole body stiffened as I willed it to take another step closer to the door until my fingers slightly pushed it further open.

Our eyes met within a second. His were so light blue. He was tall and well built. I quickly sized him up. He glanced over me.

The man was dressed in a suit, yet there was none of the luxury of the ball attendees; the worn-out elbows and patched up knees were a loud indicator of it. The ruffled shirt and unbuttoned vest exposed a few well-made daggers, neatly sheathed in his holster—within his reach.

I didn’t dare move my eyes from him. Though out of the corner of my eyes, I could tell I was in a large study, with books and shelves, but more importantly a large desk. The unknown man must have been rummaging through the stacks of papers and drawers, the loose cabinets and half-opened bookcases were left messy in a hurry .

He was clearly an intruder.

But so was I.

Yet if this was some royal scheme, then he could easily blame me for his actions since I was clearly the only witness of his presence here.

Shit.

I was now not only a witness to crime but an accomplice too?

I readied my dagger.

A few seconds. All it took for him to decide that whatever…whoever I was and what I was doing was no threat or concern of his, as he nervously smiled at me first, and then looked back down to the stacks of papers all over the desk and started shoving a few of them in his hidden pockets of his brown jacket.

I saw the little red carnation flower tattooed on his wrist as he moved his hand close to the candles to look over another paper.

A red carnation flower.

He realized his mistake too late. As he paused, stilling his wrist, quite aware of his exposed mark.

A Rebel.

His summer eyes filled with desperation, as if a summer storm. But not the desperation that leads to begging. No, it was a look of someone desperate enough to kill, to fight no matter the cost.

I recognized that look because I had seen it in my own eyes.

My eyes narrowed as I adjusted my wrist just so slightly, discreetly aiming my dagger. I watched his shadow covered body take a slow, calculating breath, preparing to make a fatal move.

A quick move. A shadow behind him. He drew his dagger, but it was too late. The clasping fingers of the Kahor were on his neck. The stranger didn’t even have the time to gasp as Kahors teeth sunk into his flesh.

My eyes widened in panic or shock or just pure terror. I wasn’t sure.

Act then think, I willed myself.

One swift motion. One quiet move and my dagger landed straight into the center of the hooded head of the Kahor. The eyes of the Rebel blinked in horror, but the Kahor just pulled its long teeth out of the bloodied flesh and hissed.

“You. You are the girl from the Rock Quarry.” The Kahor let the bloodless Rebel drop onto the floor as he moved swiftly towards me, my dagger still deeply rooted in his brain.

Fuck. Fucking fuck.

I needed to run. But there was no point. Even if I could. They would rip my veins out within seconds, within my single breath.

I rapidly reached for the neatly hidden dagger on my back.

Heart Piercer.

There was no time to aim. There was no need to aim as the large, hooded figure was floating in the air just mere steps away. Without a single breath I shoved Heart Piercer deep into its flesh straight to its heart.

The Kahor’s body went limp and then loudly fell against the floor. Black, sticky liquid seeping through its cloak. My arm was still out, though empty, Heart Piercer left deep inside the creature.

I didn’t dare pull the dagger out even as I pushed the hood off and I saw the nightmare-like face. An eyeless creature, only with holes instead of a nose and a large monster-like mouth filled with those sharp teeth.

I gagged. The increasing reek almost made my guts hurl until I turned my eyes to the desk.

The stranger.

That rebel.

I rushed across the room to the messed-up desk and the body right next to it. He was alive, yet his blood was a constant stream, running from his neck over his hands as he tried to apply pressure to it. I ripped another piece of my dress and wrapped it again and again. The wound was too big. I added more of my cloth, now using both of my hands to apply pressure.

“You are going to bleed out,” I told him, but he slowly rose to his feet using his desk to support him.

“We have to go.” He used his hands on his neck now. He was so pale. Too pale .

I followed him without a question.

“You killed it?” he asked, pausing just for a second by the dead creature. I stopped too, ignoring the slight notes of surprise in his voice.

“If I pull the dagger out, will he come back?” I asked the stranger.

“I don’t know. Usually, you have to behead them completely,” he said, walking through the door into the hall. The blood running through his fingers slowed down, almost stopping, though his jacket was thoroughly soaked with it.

I hesitated for a second but then quickly drew another dagger out and severed the Kahor’s head, choking as I sliced through the rotten tissue and cartilage until its head rolled away. Only then did I rip out Heart Piercer and rush out of the room. The rebel was already a few strides ahead. I took a step towards him but then hesitated.

I glanced at the two ends of the hall, both dark and empty.

Unsure. I was so damn unsure of which path to take.

“Are you coming?” he finally asked, breaking the silence. His voice echoed through the darkness. I didn’t reply and he took another slow step further away. His body dizzy from the movement.

Are you coming? His invitation hung heavy in the air.

Such an easy question to ask and such a difficult one to answer.

Are you joining the cause?

Are you joining the Rebels?

Am I?

I felt that strong Yes before my mind could even create a thought. As if Fate herself stood there, pushing me to follow him. To follow a stranger into the dark.

I glanced towards the rebel, now only a mere shadow down the path.

“To hell with reason,” I whispered to myself, dismissing my last doubts as I quickly closed the distance between us.