Page 19

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

M y heart pounds against my ribs as I stand there hidden in the shadows of a tree. The woods lie dark and still around me. A few strides away, Lyra, Alistair, and Galen are waiting silently as well.

Since we didn’t want to risk being spotted in the city, regardless of what Jocasta said about us being allowed to explore it, we had to wait for nightfall before we made our escape.

Thankfully, that at least meant that we also had time to eat, take a bath, and change into the clothes that Jocasta’s assistant brought us.

I glance down at the black fighting leathers I’m now wearing. They look similar to Draven’s armor, except they’re made of leather instead of dragon scales, obviously. But they’re sturdy and flexible and fit me perfectly. And most surprisingly, I feel different wearing them.

It’s strange how much your clothes affect how you feel about yourself.

For decades, I’ve been wearing frayed and dirty worker’s clothes, and I’ve felt that in every fiber of my being.

I’ve felt poor and ragged and… less than others.

As if I should hunch my shoulders and keep my head down so that people won’t look too closely at me.

But now, wearing these badass fighting leathers, I feel strong and powerful and confident.

I feel like I could conquer the world. The unexpected change in how I feel about myself honestly stuns me.

Glancing over at Alistair, who is also wearing black fighting leathers, I find him standing a little taller too.

And I’m struck by the sudden realization that this is probably why they did it. This is why the Icehearts had such strict regulations on clothes. They wanted our clothes to be worn and dirty and full of holes so that we would feel even more beaten down. So that we wouldn’t get too confident.

Shaking my head, I blow out a long breath. If I wasn’t so angry, I would be impressed. They truly have thought about every single detail. Planned their conquest and how to keep us in line meticulously. Nothing has been left to chance.

They are strategic masterminds. And I must never forget that. Otherwise, we will never win.

A flash of indecision pulses through me.

Shifting my position, I look through the trees in the direction that Draven will be returning from.

He flew back to the city to get Isera, and once they’re here, we will leave.

But now that we’re here right by the borders of the Unseelie Court, I can’t help but think about what Isera said earlier.

About how we need to get Orion on our side now that we have the chance.

She’s right. But I also have no idea how we would even accomplish something like that.

Footsteps echo between the silent trees.

I jerk my head up.

“They’re back,” Alistair whispers.

But alarm shoots up and down my spine, and my heart rate picks up. Because I recognize those footsteps. Those arrogantly lazy yet commanding footsteps.

“No,” I breathe, my pulse thrumming in my ears. “It’s the Unseelie King.”

The others whip their heads towards me.

“Shit,” Galen curses under his breath. His gaze darts from the direction of the footsteps to the wards, which rise only a short distance to our left. “Get to the wards. We need to get out. Now.”

“I’m not leaving them,” I hiss back.

“We’re not leaving them.” He grabs Lyra by the arm and pushes her in the direction of the wards while casting another alarmed glance in the direction of the footsteps. “Draven and Isera can fly through them. But we need to already be on the other side when he does. Otherwise, it’ll be too late.”

I stare at the dark sky above the trees, wishing I could at least see them approaching. But I know that Galen is right, lingering here would just risk us all getting caught, so I reluctantly push myself away from the tree trunk and hurry after the others.

To my surprise, Alistair waits to make sure I follow before he starts moving as well. But once he has seen me start sneaking forward, he barely looks at me. I really can’t figure him out. He says that he hates everyone, and he had been about to leave earlier, but then he does things like this.

Shaking my head, I push the thought out of my mind for now. Right now, we need to focus on getting out before Orion finds us.

The forest ends a few steps ahead. After that, there is only an open stretch of grass before the wards.

I cast a panicked look over my shoulder.

Crossing the grass will leave us entirely without cover. But there is no other way to reach the wards.

Orion’s unhurried footsteps continue to echo between the trees.

Dread curls inside me. It’s almost as if he wants us to hear him. Wants us to scurry away like rats while he toys with us like a cat. As if he is enjoying this game. It makes me want to punch him in the face.

“We need to make a run for it,” Galen says as the four of us come to a halt by the tree line. He looks from face to face before giving us a nod. “Go.”

We sprint out of the forest and dart across the grass.

My heart thumps hard in my chest. We need to make it through the wards and far enough out onto the grasslands before Orion reaches the edge of the forest. If not, he’s going to spot us.

I try to run as quietly as possible, but I can barely hear if my feet are making noise or not because my heart is pounding so loudly.

How did Orion even find us? How did he know that we snuck out of the city?

How did he know which direction we went in?

Which side of the wards we’re using to get out?

Goddess damn it, there is so much I don’t know.

The wards appear before us. Like water moving slowly across glass. I resist the urge to glance over my shoulder. If Orion had seen us, we would know. Just a few more steps. Then we’ll be?—

Galen reaches the wards.

And slams right into them.

The crash is so violent that he actually flies backwards several steps before slamming into the ground.

I gasp as we skid to a halt.

“Galen!” Lyra darts over to him and quickly pulls him back up. “What did you?—”

“We can’t get out,” Alistair interrupts.

The sheer panic in his voice makes me whirl towards him. He is standing right in front of the wards, slamming his hands against them. And when he turns to meet my gaze, his eyes are filled with dread.

“We can’t get out,” he repeats, one hand still pressed against the wards.

Ice spreads through my chest. The wards are locked from the inside . Why the hell are they locked from the inside? It makes no sense. Aren’t they there to make sure dragon shifters can’t get in?

A mocking laugh ripples through the night.

Spinning around, we find Orion Nightbane sauntering towards us at an unhurried pace. There is a wicked smile on his beautiful face. He opens his mouth to say something, but right before he can, another sound cuts through the night. The sound of beating wings.

For the first time since I met this snake of a man, there is something other than lazy arrogance on his face. Utter shock pulses across his features for a second as he whips his head around to stare at Draven.

Draven, who is carrying Isera in his arms, flies through the darkened night like a wraith. His massive black wings pound the air as he closes the final distance in a matter of seconds and slams down on the grass in front of me.

While setting Isera down, he gives me a quick once-over to check me for injuries. The sight of it makes my heart squeeze.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Orion drawls from where he is still standing across the grass.

He tries to make his voice as arrogant as before, but there is a hint of genuine surprise still lacing his tone. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he studies Draven.

After making sure that I’m unharmed, Draven turns around to face the Unseelie King and flares his massive wings wide.

“A half-shift,” Orion continues, still studying Draven intently. “I didn’t know that was possible. The wards should block all dragons from shifting.”

“Tough luck. In this form, I’m half human,” Draven replies. Dark clouds gather around him as he spreads his arms in a cocky challenge. “Still think fighting me is a good idea?”

Orion doesn’t say anything, but the hint of a smirk lurks at the corner of his lips. The sight of it makes ice skitter down my spine.

“Just open the fucking wards, Orion,” Draven orders. “You will never win a fight against us like this.”

Orion’s smirk widens. “Oh, won’t I?”

The moment that the words leave his mouth, an entire horde of soldiers steps out from the darkened tree line. Fire flares up in the hands of half of them, while the others summon water and stone.

Next to me, Alistair’s jaw drops.

With his eyes wide, he gapes at the mass of fire wielders.

On Draven’s other side, Isera immediately summons ice.

It floats around her arms like shards of glass.

The sight of that makes Alistair snap out of his shock, and fire rushes down along his arms as he too summons his magic.

The dark storm clouds grow, and lightning crackles around Draven, while I call up my magic and get ready as well.

My pulse hammers in my ears. There are a lot of Unseelie fae here. We’re outnumbered at least four to one. And all of them have magic. I draw in short breaths while worry flickers inside my chest. Can we actually win this?

“You cannot fight your way out of this, Shadow of Death,” Orion says.

“Watch me,” Draven growls back.

The Unseelie King lets out another one of those mocking laughs. “You can’t get in, or out , through the wards without the correct passphrase.”

“Aww.” Isera flashes him a smile so sharp it could’ve drawn blood. “Afraid your own people are going to desert you if they had the choice?”

Orion’s eyes glint like a blade as he locks them on her. “Careful with that tongue, little viper. Lest someone cut it out.”

Holding his gaze, she slides her tongue along her teeth in a clear challenge.

Dangerous light glints in Orion’s eyes, and his threatening smile widens.

However, before they can start trying to kill each other, Draven cuts in.

“Then I suppose I’ll just torture the passphrase out of you.”

The gathered soldiers start in shock at the threat. But Orion just snorts, looking more amused than angry. And what worries me the most is that he hasn’t even summoned his magic yet.

Glancing around, he appears to search for something on the ground. I frown in confusion as he bends down and pulls something out of the dirt a couple of steps away.

A shudder rolls down my spine when I see the large insect he has picked up. It looks like a cross between a centipede and a spider. I shiver again as he lifts it up closer to his face and whispers something to it. That creature has far too many legs to be normal.

We all tense up as Orion starts towards the wards. But neither he nor his soldiers attack. Instead, he just walks up to the wards a short distance from us and sets the centipede spider down in front of the rippling wall. Then he straightens and turns to face us.

“This is what happens if I give you the wrong passphrase,” he says.

I glance down at the gross insect that has started scuttling towards the wards.

The moment it reaches the shimmering magical barrier, it bursts into flame.

Jerking back, I gasp as all those spindly legs shrivel up in a flash. Barely a second after it reached the wards, the insect is no more than a tiny pile of ash.

I swallow, meeting Draven’s gaze for a second, before dragging my eyes back to the smirking king.

Orion spreads his arms wide, mimicking Draven’s cocky pose from earlier. “Still want to try to torture it out of me?”

Next to me, Draven flexes his hand and clenches his jaw in frustration. Alistair and I exchange a glance. And so do Lyra and Galen. Isera just continues watching Orion as if she can kill him with her glare alone. But none of us say anything. Because we all know the truth.

Even if we were to win a fight against all of these soldiers and capture Orion and torture him, there is no way for us to know if he gave us the right passphrase or the one that will incinerate us. He holds all the cards right now. He knows it. And so do we.

“The only way you are leaving my court is if I allow it,” he declares, rubbing that fact in our faces with his smug tone. Then he lifts one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “But I do keep my bargains.”

Isera scoffs.

His eyes gleam again as he watches her, but he lets the insult slide and instead shifts his gaze back to all of us.

“Play the games. And play them well. Entertain my court. Make this the most interesting Great Games in a century. Win. And then, I will allow you to leave.” He meets Isera’s furious eyes again and smirks. “As promised.”

“Fine,” Draven grinds out.

Orion arches an eyebrow and looks from face to face, waiting for us to acknowledge his power as well. The others reply. I manage a nod. Isera barely dips her chin in confirmation, but he seems satisfied anyway.

“Excellent,” he says. Then that spark of vicious authority returns to his eyes, and his voice drops dark and low. “But you were about to break our deal by leaving. And actions have consequences. So now, you have just earned two hours in your nightmares.”

I don’t even have time to gasp before the world around me disappears and I’m plunged into the cold dark depths of my worst memories.