It scraped against the frosted glass. The further out I pushed it, the harder it was to keep it level. My heart skipped a beat when the door dropped a good arm’s length. With blood rushing in my ears, I threw my weight on the back of the door. The assaulted slab of wood groaned but rose to a more horizontal level again. I barely dared breathe as I continued pushing.
Only a little further. My arms shook as I moved the door forwards. Please let it be enough. A soft thud sounded. I released a long exhale as the front of the door lodged itself in place on the opposite windowsill. It was only by about a hand’s length, but the tall spare door had been long enough to reach between the towers. Just as I had predicted. Or hoped.
The frosted glass was cold underneath my palms and knees as I climbed up on the windowsill.
“Alright, Cadentia,” I said to the Goddess of Luck, “I know we have a complicated relationship but if you’ve got any good fortune to share with me, I could really use it right now.”
Lady Luck didn’t answer but I placed a hand on the white door and started forward anyway. Wood creaked beneath me. I tried to slow my racing heart but it refused to obey and continued slamming against my ribs while I crawled onto the flimsy bridge I had built between the wings.
My dress fluttered in the air as the night wind snatched at the fabric. I knew I should keep my focus on the next building but my morbid curiosity won out and I risked a peek down. Silver light from the moon radiated off the white castle but the ground was so far below that it was completely shrouded in darkness.
I let out a long exhale. “Yeah okay, so if this door breaks, I’m definitely gonna die.”
As if it had heard me, the wood groaned dangerously under my knees. I sucked in a breath and crawled faster. My heart dropped into my stomach when the jerkier motion made the door wobble underneath me. Forcing myself to slow down, I tried to ignore my hammering heart and the creaking wood.
When I at last reached the other side, I pressed myself against the glass and closed my eyes for a second. Well, that was one more thing to add to the list of stupid dangerous shit I’d survived in my life. Opening my eyes, I drew out a needle-turned-lockpick and slid it through the crack in the window. After lifting the latch, I climbed inside.
My feet hit the floor soundlessly. I didn’t want to waste time drawing the spare door inside so I just left it there and snuck through the darkened hall. This was the other part of my plan that I hadn’t been able to check thoroughly beforehand. I only had my previous visits to go by and they might have been less than ordinary but there was nothing I could do about it now. If unexpected trouble arose, I would just have to deal with it.
The plain door that was my target appeared further down the corridor. Huh. No guard. Not trusting my luck, I kept to the shadows by the wall as I slunk forward. When I reached it and no army of star elves jumped out of hidden corners, I closed the final distance. Suspicion crept into my mind as I studied the door. No lock. Could it really be that easy?
Placing a tentative hand on the door, I waited for some unseen trap to smite me down. Nothing happened. I pushed down the handle. Light flickering from inside spilled into the dark hallway. Drawing a deep breath, I slid inside but left a tiny crack in the door open behind me just in case it was a trap.
A surprised gasp ripped from my throat. “Shade?”
On the floor of the room where I had visited the unconscious assassin, that same assassin stood staring at me. Surprise flashed over his handsome face. His very much conscious face.
“You’re awake?” I pressed out through a quickly closing throat.
His mouth drew into a smile.
“Storm?”
I froze. That voice. It couldn’t be. Throwing out a hand, I braced myself on the doorframe. My mind was threatening to shut down. It simply couldn’t be.
Auburn hair swung in the air as Elaran stuck his head through the opening to the side of the room. The side where his lifeless body had lain on a table. Where my whole world had been broken beyond repair when his cold limp hand had hung from the table.
My knees buckled. I crashed to the floor with enough force to jar my bones. Sobs racked my body. I pressed one hand against my mouth and the other to the floor to steady myself.
Elaran was alive. I hadn’t killed him. All this time, he had been here somewhere in another wing of the castle. Alive. My arm wasn’t enough to support me anymore and I slumped forward. With one hand still covering my mouth, I doubled over and rested my forehead on the cool floor while I cried with unrestrained relief and shock. He was alive.
A light hand touched my shoulder blade. “Storm?”
I sucked in another desperate breath at feeling his touch and hearing his voice again. Relief and boundless joy flooded my chest but my battered heart was afraid of me opening my eyes again. If I did, he might be gone again. Gathering all the courage I had left, I pushed off the floor and stared straight into the space where I feared he would no longer be.
Concerned yellow eyes stared back at me. I pressed my hand harder against my mouth while tears spilled down my cheeks like a spring flood. It was real. He was real. Elaran, fully alive, crouched in front of me. I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him towards me.
Pulled off balance, his knees hit the floor right in front of mine. I wrapped my arms around his chest and hugged him so tightly I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to let go. He stiffened in surprise but then leaned into my embrace. Toned arms encircled my body.
“It’s you,” I croaked. “It’s really you. You’re not dead.”
“I’m not dead,” he said.
Another string of sobs racked my body. For a long moment, we stayed like that. Only when I was certain that it was not some cruel trick and that my friend wouldn’t disappear if I let him go did I let my arms fall to my sides again.
“How are you alive?” I pressed out in a hoarse whisper.
Elaran drew back slightly and then pushed off the ground. I remained kneeling on the floor because I didn’t think my legs would support me just yet. When I didn’t move, Shade and Elaran exchanged a look. While the elf lifted me to my feet and plopped me down on the bed, the assassin pulled over a chair. The soft mattress bounced underneath me as Elaran sat down.
“He was never dead,” Shade said and nodded at the wood elf. “And I was never in a coma.”
Not being able to believe that the thing I had prayed for every day for weeks on end had actually come true, I shook my head. “How?”
“You remember that purple mist they used to knock us out when they brought us here?” the Master Assassin asked. “The one that kept us unconscious for most of the trip?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s what they used.”
The bed creaked as Elaran shifted his weight. “Princess Illeasia explained that they dosed me with enough of it to make it look like I was dead.” He shrugged. “Apparently, they wanted to do the same with Shade but couldn’t because he’s human.”
“They didn’t know how much to dose me with so that I’d look dead without risking actually killing me.” The black-eyed assassin rolled his eyes. “Ironic, right?”
“So they just used the same dose as last time and knocked him out so you’d think he was in a coma,” Elaran filled in.
Of course. These star elves were skilled with chemicals. A sudden realization flashed through my mind.
“Wait. Princess Illeasia told you this?” I tried to put the spinning pieces of the puzzle together in my mind. “Then she knew you weren’t really dead. Then she wasn’t actually trying to kill me. But why was she so angry then?” I shook my head and shot up from the bed. Shock and relief still rolled off me like tidal waves but we didn’t have time for any lengthy explanations right now. “But now isn’t the time.”
Elaran cast a quick look at Shade. “Yeah, that brings us to our question. What’s going on? What are you doing here?”
Renewed energy from finding Elaran alive and Shade awake made my whole soul sparkle. I fl
ashed them a satisfied grin.
“I’m rescuing you, of course.” Furrowing my brows, I studied them. “But why haven’t you left already? There’s no guard and the door was unlocked. You could’ve just walked out.”
The assassin nodded at the door. “Notice anything strange?”
Squinting at it, I realized that there was no lock on the inside. Or a door handle, for that matter.
“You don’t need a guard or a lock if the door can’t be opened from the inside.” He gave me a sad smile. “And now you’re stuck here too.”
“What kind of amateur do you take me for?” I smirked at him and strode towards the door. One slight push and it swung outwards. “I suspected it was some kind of trap when it was unlocked and no one was guarding it.” Still grinning, I clicked my tongue. “As if I’d close a door like that behind me.”
“Suspicious and distrusting as always.” Shade chuckled.
I jerked my head at the door. “Come on then, let’s go.”
The ranger and the assassin exchanged another look.
“We should probably...” Shade began.
“Yeah,” Elaran filled in before motioning for me to follow him into the other side of the room.
I trailed after the two of them as they moved to a closet at the back. An army of white garments swung slightly as Shade pulled the doors open. Shoving them to the sides, he stuck his whole torso inside.
“What are you doing?” I asked, completely bewildered.
“I thought you might like these back.” He withdrew from the wardrobe and held up a very familiar pile of soft and sharp objects.
“Is that...?” I ran over to him and grabbed the whole pile. “It is! Where did you get them?”
All of my trusted knives lay neatly piled on top of my black and gray clothes. Happiness lit up my whole being. The final missing piece had been returned.
“Princess Illeasia brought all our stuff some weeks back,” Shade said as he pulled out his own black clothes and twin swords. “She said she was getting us all out that night and that she was just getting you. But she never returned so we assumed she failed.”
Realization snapped into place. Oh. That night when she broke into my room. It hadn’t been to kill me. It had been to bring me to Shade and Elaran and help us escape. By Nemanan, I really had been a fool.
After placing his own things on the table nearby, the Master Assassin withdrew a pile of green and brown clothes followed by two more swords. “We kept our stuff hidden for when we’d get another chance to escape.” He flashed me a smile as he put Elaran’s stuff next to his own while the elf retrieved his huge back bow. “Like tonight.”
“Well, thank you, Princess Illeasia,” I said as I pulled the white dress over my head.
With every knife and every piece of clothing I put on, I felt the real me return bit by bit. Shade’s black eyes kept wandering in my direction as I dressed. I returned the favor when he unbuttoned his own white clothes and showed off that athletic body. His lips drew into a satisfied smirk before he put on his tight-fitting black shirt again. Elaran shook his head and said something under his breath while securing his bow to his back.
A sense of completeness, of finally being whole again, filled me when I stuck the last throwing knife back in place behind my shoulder. I let out a contented sigh. I was myself again.
Amusement glittered in the assassin’s eyes as he watched me. “Ready?”
“Of course I’m ready.” I grinned at the both of them. “I’m the one rescuing you, remember?” Jerking my head towards the door once more, I motioned for them to follow. “Let’s go.”
Flickering candlelight spilled into the hallway when I opened the door again. I paused. Silence still reigned outside. Pushing it all the way open, the three of us snuck outside and into the dark halls of the castle. It was time for the second part of my escape plan.
37.
Raised voices echoed from the stairwell. I froze. Shoving my two friends back, I darted up the stairs behind them and into the empty hallway again.
“Let’s try the one on the other side,” I whispered and nodded down the hall.
Elaran took the lead and skulked through the corridor on silent feet. Analytical black eyes met me as Shade turned to me while we moved side by side. He cocked his head to the right.
“You were surprised to see me awake,” he stated. “What was your original plan? You were going to carry me through the whole castle?”
“Well, yeah,” I muttered. “It’s not the first time I’ve hauled your unconscious ass to safety, remember?”
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Point taken.”
The opening to the other stairwell became visible in the distance. We slowed down. Straining my ears, I listened for any sound of the guards. Distressed murmuring drifted upwards. Followed by shuffling feet.
“Shit,” I hissed. “They’re coming.”
We sprinted back the way we had come until another disconcerting sound reached our ears. As one, we froze. Thumping feet closed in from the other side of the corridor as well. Shit. I flicked my hands in a hurried gesture, motioning for them to start down another passage. They obeyed without question. Our feet produced soft thuds as we ran down another darkened hall. A solid wall of frosted glass appeared in front of us.
“Damn,” I swore. “It’s a dead end.”
“What’s the plan?” Elaran whispered.
“The stairs was the plan!” I threw out my arms in exasperation. “Apparently the guard positions I found in Captain Hadraeth’s room are no longer accurate. They must’ve doubled the guards after I ruined the ritual.”
“What ritual?” Shade asked.
As I waved them forwards, we started back up the corridor again. “I’ll explain everything later but I kinda put a knife to the queen’s throat and locked her and Captain Hadraeth in the library.”
“You did what?” Elaran exclaimed.
“Shh!” Veering left at the next turn, I led them into another hallway. “Like I said, it’s kinda complicated but I’ll explain everything when we’re safe.”
Dark violet eyes stared at us as we rounded the corner. Oh, crap. Elaran and Shade bumped into me as I skidded to a halt in front of a stern-looking star elf. Pursuing feet thundered behind us.
“Come with me,” Maesia ordered. When no one moved, she threw us an irritated scowl. “Do you want to live or not?”
Somewhere behind, the group of guards was closing in. The three of us exchanged a hurried glance but when the strange star elf whirled around and started down the corridor, we all followed her. The sharp lines of her dress remained almost static as she strode forwards with confident steps.
This was the woman who had done nothing but threaten me from the day I arrived. I had a very hard time believing that she was here to help us. But following her might at least buy us some time to get away from the guards.
Silver moonlight streamed through the window at another dead end. Maesia turned around. The hard lines of her face were illuminated by the pale light.
She pointed to a metal plate set into the wall. “Get in.”
Suspicion crept into my mind. I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why should we trust you?”
“Because I’m your only chance.”
“Not good enough.” I shook my head at her. “All you’ve ever done is threaten me. Why should we believe you want to help us now?” Pointing to the metal plate, I arched an eyebrow at her. “For all we know, that leads straight into a dungeon. Saving the guards from having to fight us.”
As if on cue, the smattering of feet behind us grew louder. Maesia spat out a frustrated groan and threw her arms out. Her violet eyes turned black as death and dark smoke twisted around her pale arms. I stared at her in utter shock.
“Y-you... you’re a Storm Caster,” I stammered.
“Yes, I am.” The black clouds spun around her for another second before they pulled back and her eyes returned to their usual dark violet color. “Trust me now?”
“Yeah.”
“Good,” she snapped and stabbed a finger at the metal plate. “Now get in. It’ll take you to the ground floor.”
While Elaran and Shade started forward and pulled open the top of the chute, I just continued staring at Maesia, completely stunned.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I finally managed to press out.
“I didn’t know if I could trust you. Queen Nimlithil has brought other Storm Casters here before and I always try to get them to leave but almost all of them end up going through with the ritual.” She lifted her shoulder in an unapologetic shrug. “If you’d gone through with it, you’d have ratted me out. I couldn’t risk it.”
Elaran had made it into the hole in the wall. “There’s no rope.”
“I know,” Maesia said. “Just slide all the way down. You won’t need to get back up anyway.”
The wood elf gave her a nod and then pushed off. A rustling of clothes combined with a slight scraping sound rose as he disappeared into the chute. The star elf Storm Caster waved me forward just as Shade climbed into the mouth of the tube as well.
“Here.” She pressed a folded piece of paper into my hand. “This is where you’ll find the rest of our people.”
The thumping feet drew closer. Stuffing the paper inside my vest, I cast a panicked glance over my shoulder while Shade slid down the chute. We were out of time.
“I have so many questions!” I said in a desperate voice.
“I know.” Maesia pulled me forward and shoved me towards the hole in the wall. “But you have to go so make this one count.”
Folding up my limbs, I climbed into the top of the tube as well. “Did I really sell my soul to a demon to get my powers?”
“No.”
Profound relief flooded through me. That oppressive weight that had been crushing my chest for weeks lifted and I felt like I could breathe again.
A Storm of Glass and Stars (The Oncoming Storm Book 4) Page 23