Page 265 of The Throne Seeker

Oh, my silence,

my silence will drown you.

Oh, you’d better run, I’ll drown you.

That was all it took. One song, and her beguiling voice enthralled them, creating just enough of a distraction to get close enough to the guard with the keys.

She lunged for his sword.

The guard had little time to react as Rose swiped his weapon. She sliced the belt loop holding the set of keys attached to his waist. She threw the keys to her mother, who caught them and quickly began to unlock the clasps while Rose kept the guards at bay with bound hands, buying her more time. Finally, her mother was set free.

Her mother got her hands on a fallen sword, and together, they went to work, disarming the soldiers one by one as quickly as possible.

A few moments later, she and her mother managed to wrangle the five soldiers up and tie them together, gagging and stuffing them into the nearest room they could find before someone discovered them. They quickly closed the doors behind them, remaining in the room for now until they could find their bearings.

Her mother was bent over, breathing harshly, while Rose was unfazed.

“Well, you’ve gotten much better,” her mother huffed.

Rose swung her sword lazily in a circle, showing off. “You should have trained with me and Zareb.”

Her mother brushed back a strand of hair that had come loose. “Yes, well, I don’t have the speed or youth of a siren on my side.”

Rose stalked up to the guard sitting on the floor who had her sword attached to his belt. Her siren took over as she crouched to his level. His eyes gripped on to her like he was hanging from a ledge she had shoved him out on.

“Hello,” she said, a predatory smile playing on her lips as her fingers slid down the buttons of his tunic. “You don’t mind if I take back my sword, do you?”

The guard gulped, shaking his head. His human heart pounded so closely to the surface, Rose was certain she could easily reach into his chest and grab it. His temples beaded with sweat as she glided her fingers strategically over to the rose-engraved hilt, wrapping her fingers around it, and extracting it from its scabbard.

She leaned forward to whisper, “Thank you,” then rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. She stood and faced her mother. “Come on, we need to hurry. They’ll reach the cliffs soon.”

Without another word, they left the room and ran down the corridor, ignoring the muffled cries of the tied-up, groaning men behind them.

CHAPTER 89

Rose and her mother had nowhere to hide once they reached the courtyard, allowing the guards to spot them almost immediately. Horns blared above them as they sprinted as quickly as her mother’s legs could carry her. With the cover of darkness and the storm’s wind, they managed to reach the outskirts of the castle.

Onyx!Rose shouted desperately into their bond.I need you!

He was present in her mind in an instant, sensing her urgency.Where are you?

The south entrance,she said, sharing her location with a mental image.

In just seconds, his massive, muscular frame appeared, racing as fast as possible through the darkness. She thanked the gods that his color matched the night as arrows flew at him, not that they could have hit him anyway—they were out of range now.

“Come, get on!” she ordered her mother over the wind, helping her onto the beast.

Despite her fear of riding, her mother didn’t hesitate, mounting the beast with Rose’s help. She didn’t need her siren to sense her mother’s anxiety as her body stiffened.

“Onyx won’t let you fall,” Rose reassured her as she sat in front. “Just grip with your bare legs and hold on to me.”

Her mother barely nodded, shakily wrapping her arms around Rose’s waist.

To the cliffs,she said,guiding Onyx.

A thunderous rumble clapped overhead. From the far corner of her eye, the royal guard scrambled to chase them, but Onyx, with his mighty eight legs, had already put a good distance between them.

Within a few minutes, the small party appeared. All twelve councilmen, along with a plentiful number of guards, were present. Tristan stood a short distance away from Roman and Xavier, who were standing near the cliff’s edge. The torches barely shed any light as the wind thrashed, threatening to extinguish the flames.