“Harper,” says Jake, his voice dark—though he doesn’t touch me this time. “You can’t do this.”
“I can.” I kneel and pull the boots over to Grey. “And I will.”
Grey is sweating and pale and breathless by the time he’s replaced the surviving armor. I want to beg him to wait. But he holds my gaze and I know he won’t. If I won’t come, he’s still going back. If Rhen is gone, he has people to protect.
Jake hasn’t said a word. He’s silently fuming, watching all this from where he stands, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“At least wait until morning,” says Noah. “One night. Six hours. Give the stitches time to set.”
“I do not have a night, healer,” says Grey. His voice is breathy. “Nor does Emberfall.”
“How are you going to keep her safe?” says Jake. “What if you go back and you’re attacked?”
“We will be cautious,” says Grey. He grips the table to help push himself to his feet.
“Cautious? You’re crazy. All of this is crazy.”
A knock sounds at the door and we all freeze.
It’s nearly midnight.
What did Jake say when he came in with coffee?
There’s a car outside. I think it might be Lawrence’s guys.
I look at Jake. “What do we do?” I whisper.
He doesn’t have time for an answer. Wood splinters, men shout, and two men burst through the doorway, guns drawn and aimed. “Those necklaces were worth a lot. What kind of game are you playing here?”
Jake shoves me behind Grey. Noah’s weight presses against my back.
“There’s nothing,” Jake says. “We don’t have anything.”
“Who’s this guy?” says one of the men.
Grey moves. Drawing a weapon, I think. I can’t see.
A gun is cocked. A bullet will beat a blade. This is all happening too fast. We need a plan. A course of action. We need—
The gun fires. I flinch.
And then we’re in the woods, autumn warmth pressing around us. In the distance, torches hang at regular intervals, marking the castle territory. I’m still half ducking. My ears ring from the gunfire.
We’re in exactly the same position we were before: Grey and Jake in front of me, with Noah beside me. Everyone is standing. Everyone is breathing. My heartbeat is so loud I almost can’t hear anything else.
“What just happened?” says Jake. “Where are we?”
“Emberfall,” I whisper.
“But—what happened?”
“Wait,” says Noah. “Wait.” He sounds like he’s on the edge of panic. I remember that feeling.
Grey turns and looks at me. He’s so pale, even in the dark. “We must walk. Karis Luran’s soldiers have moved close. The castle could be …” He blinks hard. “We must walk.”
Without warning, he’s falling again.
Jake catches him like he did in the doorway.
“This feels super cautious,” he snaps. But because he’s Jake, and he does what needs to be done even if he doesn’t want to, he gets Grey’s arm around his neck and holds him upright.
“You there! Halt!” Three soldiers appear from between the trees. Bows are drawn, three arrows pointed at us from all sides. In the dark, I don’t recognize any of them.
“It’s the commander!” one yells. “Lieutenant!”
Grey is all but unconscious, most of his weight supported by my brother.
I don’t know if they recognize me, but I’m in jeans and a sweatshirt—not exactly princess attire. They definitely don’t know Jake and Noah. Our situation does not look good.
A fourth soldier steps out of the trees with a sword drawn. “Explain yourselves.”
I recognize him. Thank god. “Jamison.” I’m so relieved that I almost run forward to hug him.
He sees me and blinks. “Princess.” I watch his eyes flick up and down my form, and then he looks at the soldiers. “Stand down.”
They lower their arrows—but not all the way.
That alone tells me how far I’ve fallen in their esteem.
Mentally, I’m trapped between Emberfall and DC. I wasn’t ready to snap right out of my kitchen into the role of Princess Harper. I need to get it together or I’ll unravel whatever’s left. “Commander Grey is injured. He needs assistance.”
“We saw the monster seize him.” A weighted pause. “We searched for his body. We thought he was dead.”
He’s looking for some kind of explanation.
Think, Harper. Think.
“I was returning to the castle when the monster attacked my entourage,” I say. “My carriage was destroyed. We were forced to proceed on foot. We came across Commander Grey, and luckily my healer was with me.” I glance at Noah.
He’s staring back at me incredulously.
Please, I think. Please don’t mess this up.
I imagine what Rhen would do in this same situation.
“Have your men carry the commander,” I say. “I’ll need a room and supplies for my healer. We’re prepared to assist with those injured by the monster.”
“Harper,” says Jake, his voice low and warning.
The soldiers all turn to look at him. Arrow points raise a few inches.
“Who is this man?” says Jamison.
I look at the sword hanging in his hand. The arrows sitting nocked. Whatever happened with Karis Luran has deeply damaged any trust Rhen and I built.
“My brother,” I say. “Prince Jacob. Heir to the throne of Disi. Captain of … of the Royal Army. We’ve heard of the lies spread by Karis Luran, and we are here to fight.”
Jamison hesitates—but then he gives Jake a nod. “Forgive me, Your Highness. We are on alert. There have been rumors of soldiers from Syhl Shallow in the woods. And the monster, of course.”
“Forgiven,” says Jake. His voice is hollow. I reach down between us and squeeze his hand.
“Help the commander,” Jamison orders his men. He gives me a nod as well. “We are pleased to have you return, Princess. We’ll escort you to the castle.”
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
MONSTER
Harper?
Pain.
Sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTY
HARPER
The castle is darker than I’ve ever seen it, even at night—every window has been barred. Candles burn through suddenly claustrophobic hallways. Two of the soldiers have taken Grey to the infirmary, but Jamison personally leads us to my chambers.
The stationed guardsmen at the end of my hallway study me warily now, but Freya sweeps me into her arms when she sees me. “Oh, my lady,” she says, her voice hushed because so much of the castle is asleep. “I’ve been so worried. The talk has been so troubling. How is your mother?”
She’s so warm and soft and smells like home. I didn’t realize how desperately I needed a hug until her arms came around me. I cling to her. My voice breaks. “Freya. She died. I barely made it in time to say goodbye.”
“Ah. So sad.” Her hand strokes up my back. “I am so sorry.”
Then I see Zo, a short distance back. My guard. My friend. If she looks at me with distrust, I don’t know if I’ll be able to take it.
She strides forward and tackles me with a hug that nearly knocks me off my feet.
I hug her back. Tears spring to my eyes for a new reason. “I missed you so much.”
“I thought I would never see you again,” she says. “I asked the commander to allow me to come after you.”
A man coughs behind me, and then Jake says, “Uh, Harp?”
His voice isn’t unkind, but it’s a reminder that they’re stuck here with me—at least until Grey can wake up. I sniff and get myself together. “Sorry.” I straighten. “Zo and Freya, this is my brother, Jacob.” I force myself to speak without hesitating. It’s one thing to play a role myself; entirely another to rope my unprepared brother and his boyfriend into it. “The Crown Prince of Disi. And Noah, the king’s personal healer.”
�
��Oh!” Freya offers a curtsy to the men behind me. “Your Highness. My lord.”
“Welcome,” says Zo.
Jake and Noah stare at both women and say nothing. They both still look shell-shocked.
“Our carriage was destroyed,” I say. “We will rest in my chambers until Jamison can find rooms for Jacob and Noah.”
“Yes,” Freya says. “Yes, of course. I will have food brought.” She heads for the staircase.
Zo studies me, then my brother and Noah. “Perhaps clothes as well?” She hesitates, a slight undercurrent of curiosity between her words. “If your things were destroyed?”
Freya believes the best of everyone, but Zo is more savvy. She doesn’t distrust me, but she knows something is up. I want to tell her the truth, but it would unravel everything we’ve promised the people of Emberfall.
“Yes,” I say to her. “Thank you.”
She glances at my brother and Noah again. “Yes, my lady.”
Once she’s gone, I lead Jake and Noah into my rooms, then close the door. A fire rolls in the hearth, and every sconce on the walls is lit. They both turn in a full circle, taking it all in.
“I don’t quite believe this,” Noah says finally. “I need you to pinch me.”
“I’m too busy pinching myself,” says Jake.
Noah gives him a rueful look. “At least you get to be the prince. I got stuck with healer.”
“Fine. Let’s trade. You be the fake prince.” Jake folds his arms across his chest. “When can your friend take us back?”
I frown at his tone. “Back into the house with the men who were about to shoot us? Maybe you should give it a few hours.”
He flinches and looks away. “We can’t stay here, Harper.”
“Well, I can’t take you home, and Grey needs rest.”
Noah has moved to the fireplace. He runs a hand along the mantel. “Are we in the past?” He frowns and shakes his head. “That’s a ridiculous question. That’s impossible. But this is impossible—”
“Not in the past,” I say. “They call it the other side. Or maybe our side is the other side—somehow our world runs parallel to theirs.” I’m suddenly exhausted. I need to find out what rumors have been spread. The state of the army. What Karis Luran said.
I head into Arabella’s closet and dig through the dresser until I find the doeskin breeches and knit pullovers I’ve grown accustomed to wearing when I spar with the soldiers. I pull the door halfway closed and speak around it while I change.
“Okay, look,” I call to them. “Freya is going to come back with food and clothes. Put something on so you don’t look like such outsiders. Have something to eat. Rest if you want. I don’t care. But don’t mess with what’s going on here.”
“What are you going to be doing?” Jake’s voice is incredulous.
“I’m going to find out what happened while I was gone. I’m going to find out where the monster is. I’m going to talk to Rhen’s army and see if we can figure out a way to save his people.”
“Oh really?”
I pull a vest over the shirt and lace it up. “Yeah. Really. There’s no one here leading these people. They’re worried the royal family is dead.”
“And you think you can lead them?”
No. I have no idea.
“Yes,” I say. I yank a dagger belt out of the chest under the dresses and loop it twice around my waist as I come out of the closet. I lace the leather together in a practiced motion. “Do you think you can stay out of trouble for an hour?”
Jake sputters as he looks at me. “Harp—what are you—just who do you think you are?”
“Princess Harper,” I say. “And you’re my brother, the Crown Prince of Disi, so you’d better damn well act like it.”
“How do I act like a prince? I don’t even know where we are!”
“You’re in Emberfall. And acting like a prince generally means acting like an arrogant know-it-all, so you shouldn’t have any trouble at all.”
The castle is packed with people who’ve taken shelter from the creature. Karis Luran’s soldiers have moved east of the mountains, preventing any access to the passage to Syhl Shallow. Any who have attempted to engage in battle have been slaughtered. Messages are sent from city to city once per day—and messengers travel in packs of three. Many don’t return. People fear that Rhen is dead, that the King of Emberfall is dead. Many of them thought that I was dead.
I learn of the rumors that say Rhen is not truly the heir, that Emberfall will fall to the armies of Syhl Shallow, that escape is impossible now that the creature has returned with a taste for blood.
I tell them that Disi has been attacked by the enchantress’s creature as well, and that my traveling party was nearly all killed. Luckily I have returned with a skilled healer—and Grey’s survival is proof enough of that.
We can’t run without risking an attack by the creature. We can’t stay here without risking an assault by Karis Luran’s men.
Our people are tired and afraid, and looking for guidance. Even the most seasoned soldiers want orders, a chance to act.
Every story of the creature is more terrible than the last, and I don’t know where truth ends and fear begins. All I can do is listen. And reassure.
And worry.
By the time I return to my chambers, I haven’t been gone for an hour. I’ve been gone for four. Jake and Noah have fallen asleep in my bed. I can’t remember how long it’s been since I last slept. My leg is aching, but I ease out of the room and head to the infirmary.
It’s empty aside from Grey. He’s asleep on a narrow cot in the far corner, a thin muslin blanket thrown over him. We’re in the basement of the castle, down the hall from the kitchens, and early-morning light streams down from windows near the ceiling.
I gently ease a stool over to his bed. The wood drags on stone just the slightest bit, but it’s enough to startle him awake.
“Sorry,” I say quietly. “I was trying not to wake you.”
He squeezes his eyes shut and runs a hand down his face. Rough, dark stubble has formed on his jaw. “Forgive me.” He puts a hand against the edge of the cot and forces himself upright. He’s shirtless, but Noah’s bandages are still tightly wrapped around his chest and upper arm. The blanket pools in his lap.
“You didn’t need to get up,” I say. “I really just came to check on you.”
His eyes flick over my face. “You look as though you are more in need of a bed than I am.”
“Probably.” I can’t sleep, though. Not knowing that everyone in this castle is living on borrowed time. “You said that Karis Luran gave Rhen a week to have his people leave Emberfall. It’s been three days. Did Rhen have a plan to defeat her? What was he going to do?”
Grey shakes his head. “Sending our army to face hers would be sending our people to their death. We may be able to stop her front lines, but she would have replacements and we do not.” He frowns. “His final order was to have the generals evacuate the people. To head south and then to board ships at Silvermoon, bound for the southern shores.”
He was saving his people by giving up. Knowing Rhen, I understand how difficult a choice that would have been for him. “If we try to do that now, Rhen-the-monster will attack?”
“Or Karis Luran’s soldiers will. An attack could come at any moment. I fear for those who live outside the castle territory.”
“Will he attack her soldiers?”
“Maybe—but he would destroy ours as well. His attacks are quite indiscriminate. But he was injured when I drove my sword through his wing. That may have bought us a reprieve. There is no way to know until he attacks again.” He looks back at me. “Have you spoken to anyone since arriving?”
“Yes, of course. I’ve talked to everyone. We’re going to meet with the generals at mid-morning.”
Some mixture of surprise and sorrow flickers across his face.
“What?” I say. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He shakes his head, then meets my eyes. H
is voice is low and quiet in the warmth of the sunlit room. “I could have chosen no one better, my lady. Truly.”
A blush finds my cheeks before I’m ready for it. “Thanks, Grey.”
“I was unsure you would return with me once you knew the truth.” He pauses. “I am unsure what we can do, even now.”
I give him a rueful smile. “I was kind of hoping you would wake up and have all the answers.”
He gives me a sad smile in return. “The prince generally has all the answers. I simply follow his orders.”
“What would Rhen do?” I say.
“He would likely order his soldiers to hunt this creature and destroy it. Or at the very least, lead it away from Ironrose so the rest of the castle can escape. But it is a mission of martyrdom either way—to lead the monster away from the people would mean heading directly into Karis Luran’s forces.”
A mission of martyrdom. Just like Rhen jumping from the parapet in an attempt to save his people. I swallow. “I’ll do that. I’ll take Will. He’s fast and steady. You get them to leave.”
His eyes widen in alarm. “I did not mean for you to—”
“It’s fine.” I take a steadying breath. “I’ve spent weeks convincing these people I would help them. It means nothing if I don’t really do it. This is my choice.”
“I will go with you.”
“No! Grey—”
“This is my choice.” Grey’s tone is unyielding. “He will come after me before any other. I think even in this form he knows me—though he may not know why.”
“You’re hurt.” I set my jaw. “I could order you to stay.”
He sets his, every bit as intent in his own way. “In truth, you could not. Prince Rhen released me from my oath. I am sworn to no one.”
I draw back. “Really?”
“Yes.”
And still, he stayed. He came for me.
For a blinding moment, he is not Commander Grey, oath-sworn and duty bound to obey the Crown Prince of Emberfall. No uniform, no weapons, no men here to command. He’s just Grey, and I’m just Harper.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely Page 34