Page 54 of Till Death

“No one wants a war. No one is going to come knocking down his doors. The people are going to follow the strongest player for protection, and there are no other pieces on the board. Icharius won. In a single week.”

Paesha swiped at the grass in front of her. “The Maestro is far more powerful than the new king, Maiden. Should he desire that throne for even a second, it would be his. And some would argue that your playing piece is still very much on the table.”

I scoffed, ducking to keep myself hidden. “I don’t want a throne. I don’t even want a husband. I just want to be left alone.”

“I’m sure your victims felt the same way.”

I studied her eyes, searching for hatred but finding mostly pain. “I’m sure they did.”

The air was thick with tension, and the weight of our daring plan pressed upon us. We had to enter the castle without alerting the guards, and the diversion unfolding before our eyes was our ticket in.

Right on cue, the portcullis launched halfway down the stone bridge over the rancid moat as if it’d been kicked by a giant. At the same time, the bell in the tower on the far side of the castle came crashing down, its thunderous tolling echoing through the courtyard. The cacophony was a jarring symphony of chaos, a stark contrast to the usual stillness of the castle grounds. Amidst the clamor, a few of the guards started to panic, their armor clinking as it shrank.

“Remind me never to get on her bad side,” I said, darting for the murky water.

“Told you she was a badass.” Paesha grinned at me, and, for the first time, I saw a crack in her wall.

Several moments later, dripping in disgusting water, the smile was gone, replaced by absolute detest. “If you ever have a brilliant plan again, remind me to run in the other direction.”

“At least we didn’t have to take the sewers. The ones by Beggar’s Alley in Perth are bad enough to make you question every choice made in this life and your past lives.”

She shook her head before scrunching the water from her hair. “Oh, I know. You should see the ones around Misery’s End. The mold down there grows on the backs of the rodents.”

“Thanks for that visual.”

“Consider it payment for the slop we swam through. We made it in. Now what?”

“We’re going to have to go back out that way, so don’t bother cursing me just yet.” I pulled a throwing knife for each hand from my jacket, feeling bare without my mask. “The last time I was in this castle, I ran into a child. I don’t know the court Icharius keeps, but we’ll have to stay vigilant. We go up the stairs and down the left corridor. Most of the walls lining the outside and through the middle of the castle have passageways behind them. You can get through undetected if the king isn’t using them for his guards or his lovers.”

She pulled the sword from her back, and I turned and led her out. We barely got the door cracked before metal on metal screeched down the hallway.

“The godsdamned thing just fell,” a guard shouted.

“It’s the Maestro. He’s coming to get the kid.”

“Shit,” Paesha breathed into my ear.

“Our distraction might have been a little too big,” I whispered, grabbing her hand to yank her down the corridor as soon as it was clear.

We ran. I didn’t look back, didn’t question whether she could keep up or if she had any doubts. My heartbeat matched my steps, and judging by her silent breaths, hers did, too. Though neither of us had acknowledged it, if we were caught, there was no way we were getting out of here. But maybe that was the plan. Maybe Quill was bait.

“Use your power,” I hissed, yanking her into the secret hallway. “Has she been moved yet? They’re going to make it impossible to get to her.”

The sweet taste of citrus filled the space. “Same place. Keep going.”

“I sure hope it was the brown horse.”

Avoiding the dusty walls, we soared through the passageway until we couldn’t go any further. In the heart of Icharius Fern’s castle, I could hardly take a full breath. If not for the danger, then for the proximity of the scorned man.

“Definitely this way, Maiden. I can feel her now,” she whispered, peeking over my shoulder as I cracked the door open. “Let me lead.”

“It’s not safe. Let me go first.”

“I think I can take care of myself,” she hissed, pushing past me.

I chased after her with a growl. “There’s bound to be?—”

A giant hand reached out from around a corner, grabbing her by the throat and lifting until she was dangling. She wrenched the helmet off the guard, digging her fingers into his eyes until he dropped her as I caught up.