Page 61 of The Pactbound Angel (The Soul Mirror Duet #1)
Princess Nathalia
The priest blinked rapidly, then he peered down at me in stark confusion. “I’m sorry, what did you say, child?
Oh. I’d said it out loud.
But it felt so good, so freeing, that I said it again, this time louder. My heartbeat softened. The pain in my chest was gone. My mouth curved in a wide grin, and I must’ve looked like I was going mad.
“I said, stop.”
Soft tittering sounded from the crowd at my simple words. The priest stuttered, “But, we’re just starting, child, you’re merely nervous and…”
“I said, stop !” I yelled so no one could be mistaken. It echoed throughout the Great Hall, over the chatter of those assembled.
Jaylin gripped my hand and whispered harshly into my ear, “Not now, Nathalia. We’ll continue and sort this out later…
Give me the ring.” He turned toward the befuddled priest, squeezing my hand to the point of pain.
Or it would have, if I was capable of feeling pain at that moment. I felt no pain. I felt alive .
“Nope. I’m done.” I threw my sweaty hand back, away from him, to release it from his hard grasp. People in the pews gasped.
Jaylin’s mouth twisted in anger. “Done? You gave me your word, you bi-”
“You can politely go fuck yourself, Jaylin .” I raised the middle finger of my right hand at him. I’d never done it before, but it seemed appropriate.
Based upon everyone’s reaction, it was also effective.
People stood from the pews in shocked cries and stifled laughter as I turned heel to run for the double doors at the back of the Great Hall. Toward my freedom.
Behind me, Jaylin yelled, “Footmen! Close the doors!”
You think you can trap me in here? Force me?
An amused snort escaped me as I leaned forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me. People continued rising from their pews in either outrage or surprise. The footmen sprang into action, straining to close the doors in time. Almost there.
When my slippered feet left the green carpet and hit the marble floor, I did the only thing I could think of.
Dropping to the ground as I ran, my silk dress provided no traction on the polished stone, and I slid right through the narrow passage between the doors just as they were closing.
Jaylin’s yells continued, albeit muffled. “Footmen! Gods-damn it! Open the doors!”
With a smug grin, I stood and took note of my surroundings. There was no one else in the area. All guards and guests were trapped on the other side of the doors. Free. I am free. But where to now?
Immediately, Ramiren came to mind. Perhaps he was still at the Black Unicorn Inn. The bells hadn’t rung yet.
I picked up my skirts and ran out the castle’s open front doors to see a carriage had been hitched and pulled up, with guards on either side. The one closest to me looked surprised. “Princess Nathalia, what- ”
Princess Nathalia. He thought I was already married . With all due authority.
“Get off your mount. I need it.” When he hesitated, I scowled. “That’s an order!”
He quickly dismounted off the six-legged feyhorse and stumbled back as I hopped up to straddle the mount’s back. The ornery beast whinnied at my weight and reared up once as I grabbed the reins with my one free hand, refusing to submit. Temperamental beasts. I had nearly forgotten.
“Yah!” I yelled, snapping the reins while digging my heels into his flanks. The beast bucked once then took off like a bow shot through the open portcullis of the front gates of the castle.
“Guards! What are you doing? Stop her!”
Jaylin screamed angry commands, and the hoofbeats of several guards still mounted followed in my wake. The chase was on, and I welcomed them to try to drag me back. Though now hunted, my elation was almost equal to what I felt in Ramiren’s arms the night before. Almost.
I also didn’t realize how sore I was until now.
The feyhorse galloped through cobbled streets, dodging deftly between wheelbarrows, carts, and people.
The mount’s maneuverability was impressive.
Better than horses in Laeth. They’d better be, with how stubborn they are.
I chanced a glance over my shoulder and could see the other guards hot on my trail.
Blood pumping and nerves spiked, I urged the feyhorse on faster.
He whinnied again, but thankfully did as bidden.
Pedestrians screamed, throwing themselves to the side at my fast approach.
I ducked under shop signs. Wagons overturned when the feyhorses and blue mules that were pulling them got spooked as my feyhorse ran past. A pang of guilt hit at the trouble I was causing, until I looked back again to see the guards having to stop when a particularly large cart had flipped in the middle of the avenue, blocking their path.
One guard had been flung from his mount and was attempting to get back on him. My guilt vanished .
I guess lavender really is lucky.
Following the wide road as it curved to the left, heading in the direction that would lead to the inn, I did not slow my pace. My mount showed no signs of exhaustion, despite putting him through his paces.
Please be there. Please be there.
The shops and stalls on either side went by in an unfocused blur. Shouts behind me signaled that the guards had gotten through the block and would be closing in. There wasn’t much time.
Eventually, the sign with a painted black unicorn came into view, and I pulled on the reins to stop in front of it. Suddenly grateful Ramiren had my Extended Pouch instead of my sister, I slid off the animal and ran into the inn with the sound of shouts and calls echoing behind me.
Charging through the large common room and bounding up the stairs, taking two at a time, I turned the corner around the bannister and collided with a chest covered in a black jacket with red trim. ”Oof!”
A surprised and confused Ramiren didn’t even stumble, though I did. His hand shot out to catch me from falling back down the stairs. “Nathalia? Wha-” He carried both pouches on his belt, looking ready to set out. He was just leaving.
“I couldn’t do it. We need to get out of here. We need to go. Now !”
The sound of a dozen people crashing into the common room downstairs made his eyes go wide.
“Princess Nathalia!” they yelled.
“She ran up there!” a nasally man’s voice barked, presumably the damnable barkeep. Taking a few steps away from him, I looked to see how close the guards were and if there was another exit.
He wasted no time. There was no hesitation. “I’ll whistle, but we’ll need a pact for it. Payment! Quickly!” He extended a trembling hand to me.
My hands still somehow held my bouquet. It was all I had. “Here!” I threw the flowers to his waiting hand.
Or would have, if I was good at throwing.
In my panic, I’d tossed it too hard, and it sailed past his snapping fingers to the far side of the hallway where it hit with a dull thud against the wall. A pained and panicked expression crossed his face as the clamoring of footsteps on the stairs got louder. “A kiss won’t work for this!”
“Oh, my tiara!” I untangled it from my unruly hair and held it out to him. He took it from my hand this time.
“I will take you to safety. No addendums or stipulations. The pact is sealed.” He snaked a hand around my waist. “Say it, Nathalia.”
“The pact is sealed.” My face was mere inches from his. I stared into his campfire eyes and saw determination. Relief.
He whistled just as the first guard reached for me, and I felt myself tumbling.
Weightless. Falling. My eyes closed tightly against the hellish red light surrounding me, and the sudden oppressive heat and heavy smell of sulfur stole my breath.
My arms reached out, as a reflex, for something to grab onto.
Or someone. My hands found lean shoulders, the muscles underneath flexed and hard.
It is straining him.
Ramiren’s arms tightened around my back as he crushed his face into my neck. Then, I heard it. Screaming. We were surrounded by tortured screams and cruel laughter, coming from every direction. The sensation of overwhelming malevolence made me not dare to open my eyes.
Then, the relief of cooler fresh air hit my cheeks, and I was prone, staring down at short purple grass. Birds chirped in a tree to my right. The chittering of squirrels and the trilling of insects replaced the horrible screams.
Ramiren groaned at my side. “I hate that part.”