Page 66 of Cruelest Kiss and Fairest Blood (Tales So Wicked #2)

In some wild burst of sheer life-and-death-induced confidence, I call back, “Good luck.”

Cassius vanishes from the opening. The walls rattle.

Fuck, he really might bring the wall down.

I could hide in these secret passages but what will happen when Catreena frees the demon from her mirror in an hour?

It’s an otherworldly being. Walls aren’t going to stop something so unnatural from seeking its prey.

It has my blood. What does that mean? Will it find me no matter where I hide now that it’s had a taste?

The walls shudder again. Move first, think later . My childhood play tunnels are much the same. The only change is the exorbitant number of cobwebs. I used to be a little mini broom, traveling through here so often the pathways were spotless.

My knees sting as I crawl through the tunnels.

This was much easier as a child. The gash on my arm burns.

The wound opens slightly each time I put my weight on my hands.

Moonlight shines ahead of me. There are hundreds of windows in the castle.

If anyone were smart enough to place each with their respective rooms, they would realize this one does not belong to anything on the castle map.

I don’t know who built a window in this passage.

This castle has unique architecture that borders on a case of madness in its creator.

Several dolls, a wooden horse, and a child’s tea set rest in front of the window. This was a happy place for me. Now it will be stained with the memory of this awful day, just like so many other parts of my home and life. Climbing out a third-story window is unwise but it’s my only option.

Gripping the wooden horse, I use it to smash away at the window.

Several small cracks form before the horse breaks in two.

Wrapping my arm in my skirt, I use my elbow to break it out the rest of the way.

Lush green vines have always grown the length of the castle’s mighty walls.

With any luck, they’ll be strong enough to hold my weight as I climb down.

Uncertainty hits me. The vines are no longer green. The last I saw, they were shriveled and brown.

Will they break more easily now that they’re dead?

That seems like a given. Let’s see how sturdy they are.

Careful to avoid the broken glass, I reach a hand through the open window.

My fingers hit an invisible barrier before they can pass through.

There’s a sharp shocking sensation. I snatch my hand back.

I try again, and again. My hand never makes it through the opening.

There’s magic on this window. Crawling twice as fast as before, I hurry to the panel that I know opens into one of the guest suites.

Standing to my full height after being crouched over feels incredible.

My steps are silent yet hurried as I dash to the bedroom window.

The latch clicks open. I still, hoping it was too small a sound to be detected by Cassius.

The window creaks as it swings outward. I thrust my arm through. Blocked. It’s blocked. The invisible barrier buzzes across my skin. Fear plants itself deep in my bones, rooting me to the spot. I wonder if the entire castle has been blocked this way. If so, Catreena has locked me inside.

The sounds of a door breaking inward have me jumping near out of my skin.

It came from somewhere nearby. I rush to my own doorway.

Slowly, so very slowly, I crack the door open.

Cassius is in my hallway. He kicks down another door and disappears inside.

He’s searching every damn room in the castle.

He reemerges and moves on to the next door.

There are only two more rooms until he reaches the one I’m hiding in.

Going back through the hidden panel only leads back the way I came.

I need to put more distance between Cassius and I.

Steadying myself, I wait until he disappears into the next room and then run like hell.

I sprint down the hallway, grateful for the soundlessness of my bare feet.

The stairwell at the end welcomes me with darkness.

There are only a few scattered torches along the walls.

If the rest of the exits are blocked, then I need to find a new way to get help.

Breaking left, I hurry up the spiral staircase.

Windows line the outside, giving me glimpses of the nighttime world that I can see but not reach.

I place a hand on the glass. That familiar hum of magic is still there, but it’s less volatile than before.

I run the next two flights. Again, my palm touches the window.

This time the buzzing has softened to a tingling.

Whatever magic is keeping me indoors is weaker this high up. Dashing up two more flights, I press against the glass. The tingling beneath my palm is so subtle.

If I can make it to the tallest sentry tower, maybe I can wave a torch, signal for help. It’s possible one of Catreena’s guards is on duty up there. I’ll have to deal with that when I get to it.

“Princess!” Cassius’s deep voice echoes from below. “I know you’re up there.”

Taking off in a sprint that has my thighs screaming for me to stop, I run the rest of the way up the stairwell.

The sentry post is empty. Relief grants me the smallest break from my endless stress.

Walking to the large gap in the wall, I reach a hand outward.

It slides through and into the night air. There’s no barrier up here.

“Found you.”

I spin, my nightgown swishing around me. Cassius’s grin is demonic as he paces in the doorway.

“Stay back!”

“There’s nowhere else for you to run. Don’t delay this further. You’ve stolen enough of my time. The mirror will begin its search soon enough.”

He takes a threatening step forward. I back up until my heels hit the ledge. Grabbing the torch from the wall, I swing it wildly. Maybe I can set him on fire. Cassius never slows. Even if I can burn him, it won’t stop him from overpowering me.

At first, I miss the ghostly sensation that rises along the back of my neck. My hairs stand, like static winding across my skin. It’s a sensation specific to only one thing, one person. Harrow is near.

I can’t risk thinking of what will happen if I’m wrong. I don’t have the luxury. Cassius closes the distance between us. I turn, stepping on the ledge. With all the air in my lungs, I scream, “Harrow!”

Then I jump.