by Gwen Knight
Tears blurred my vision. I didn’t like imagining this scenario. When I pictured how today ended, Oren was always at my side.
He cupped my face and held fast. “Promise me.”
It took two tries to get out the words, but finally I nodded. “I promise.”
His eyes shut, and he sighed. “Good. Good.”
Before we could say anything else, an alarm rose—a piercing shriek that had us both whirling back toward the city. In a matter of seconds, people came flocking out of their homes and flooded the market. But it was the backdrop I eyed. In the distance, I watched the fight unfold. Fae against fae as our people lured out the guards and led them away from the estate.
“Show time,” Oren murmured. He touched my arm, and without asking, he used a glamour to disguise my appearance. Unlike last time, I didn’t object. Whatever helped us in the end. I did, however, glance down and chuckle when I found myself in yet another inappropriate gown decked out with gems.
Typical.
“It’ll wear off in a few hours,” he murmured.
Then he leaned over and stole one final kiss before taking my hand and leading me through the hole. We rushed toward the market, hand in hand. Thankfully, everyone else was so distracted by the battle that no one paid us any mind. We bolted around the edge of the market, and I led Oren through the back streets—the same I’d used the last time I’d escaped to the Foundry.
Much like last time, the alleys were abandoned, which made our infiltration so much easier.
“This way,” I whispered, leading him toward the kitchen entrance. This time of the morning, it would be bustling. I only hoped it would work to our advantage.
Oren wrenched open the door, and we slipped inside.
The moment we stepped into the room, the cooks and servers all paused, their wide eyes turning toward Oren.
“My lord!” one rushed toward us. “What’s happening?”
Oren ignored the question. “Don’t you hear the alarm? Out with you all!”
A moment’s pause, and then they all bolted for the wide-open door, their voices raised as one.
“Come on.” Oren tugged on my hand, pulling me through the kitchen and into the nearest corridor.
A few right turns and a jaunt down the long hall, and we’d have found my old room. Not that I had any desire to return to it. There was nothing in that room other than a few ratty dresses.
He took us left instead of right. I’d never been down this direction before.
“There’s a safe room,” Oren murmured as he jogged onward. “Protocol is for Leith to take us there whenever the alarm goes off.”
“Wait.” I pulled on Oren’s arm and drew us to a stop. “That means Leith will be there.”
“Probably with a small contingency of guards. They would never leave us alone.”
“But Markos—”
“Don’t trust Markos, remember?”
I glanced back and shook my head. “This was a trap. He sent us here just the two of us knowing Dask wouldn’t be alone.” I turned back to Oren. “And you let him?”
“No matter what, we need to finish this. We need to get to Dask. At least Markos and I both agreed on that.”
“Can you handle them all?”
Oren shook his head. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. There will be at least four guards and Dask. But if we’re lucky, they won’t know you’re here.”
I blinked, astounded by the level of stupidity in this plan. “This is bad. This is idiotic! You and Markos are just throwing people at the problem. We could have brought more people, could have planned better.”
“Look, I know this seems rash, but we can do this.”
“We could have waited a few more days!”
“And what would that accomplish? The people need to be made aware of Dask’s betrayal. I can’t let him get away with this.”
I raked a hand down my face and groaned. “He’s going to know I’m here. No doubt they know I escaped with you.”
“Then make sure you aren’t seen,” Oren urged. “Please, Keira.”
“And what if they kill you?”
He shook his head. “They won’t. Dask is going to want to string me up in front of the whole city. Much like I want to do to him. Keira, I need you here.”
“I know you do. I just wish we’d been more prepared.”
“Well, it’s now or never. Ready?”
Like I had a choice. “When this is over, we’re going to have a few words.”
Oren flashed a grin at me. “I’d like that.”
“Let’s go then.”
“There’s a back door. Continue down this hallway, take two rights, and you’ll see a large wall hanging. It looks a little like a carpet. Behind it is a sealed door. Flex a little magic into it, and you’ll unlock it. It’s a back-up entrance into the safe room, but hopefully no one will see you. They’ll be too busy with me.”
Before I could argue abandoning him, he bent down, stole a kiss, then vanished into the safe room.
This was so stupid. Neither he nor Markos had mentioned this part to me. And why would they? They knew I would have argued it until I was blue in the face. We were feeding Oren to them like a sacrificial lamb. And hoping it would be distraction enough for me to get behind Dask.
What if Oren were wrong?
What if Dask decided a dead brother was better than one who could speak the truth? What if they didn’t wait to drag him in front of the entire city?
Cursing under my breath, I sprinted down the corridors and followed Oren’s instructions. Two rights, and sure enough, a massive carpet-thing caught my attention. Hideous wall treatment, but it served the purpose of hiding the door. I shoved aside the carpet and ran my hands along the seam, finding a small break.
Flex a little magic.
Thankfully, I knew how to do that now. I willed my magic to life and grimaced when a silver tendril slipped between the cracks. A second later, the door popped open of its own accord.
I slipped into the darkness, praying Oren still lived.
Silence greeted me. I hadn’t known what to expect, but I’d thought I’d hear some form of fighting, or maybe the sound of Oren’s voice. Instead, there was nothing but a yawning abyss of darkness.
A shiver rippled down my spine. It reminded me of the dungeons, the emptiness and threat of nothing. Oren had said to follow the corridor, and it would lead me into the safe room, but right now I could barely see a foot in front of my face.
Focus, I told myself. This was too important for me to space out and lose myself to panic. Oren needed me. Which meant I needed to put this fear behind me.
I reached out and stumbled forward until I felt the walls before my fingers. Feeling my way would take too long, though. Had I not been so terrified, I might have slapped my forehead.
Fire.
Of course, fire. That would certainly light the way.
I knew how to conjure the spell now. I lifted my hand up in front of my face and let my magic warm my body. My blood came alive, sparking with power. A little concentration and…
The hallway illuminated with a dim glow.
My fireball was hardly as beautiful as Oren’s. Very little shape or form. It was nothing more than a mess of flames dancing in my palm, but it gave me something to see by. That was all that mattered.
“All right. You can do this,” I whispered to myself.
I straightened my shoulders and started at a quick pace, careful not to slam into the walls. After another couple of turns, I heard my name ring out through the corridor.
Except, it wasn’t Oren’s voice.
I turned around to see movement in the direction I’d come. I sucked in a sharp breath and grasped at my magic, willing the fire larger. No one knew I was here—there was no need for anyone behind me.
“Keira?” another hissed whisper.
That voice. I recognized it. I braved a step forward and said, “Markos?”
His shadow took form as the soft firelight lit hi
s face. “There you are.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were with Logan and Gavin.”
“They’re fine,” he assured me. “I told Oren I’d be here to help you two. Is he in the safe room?”
I nodded. “I’m supposed to sneak in and get behind Dask.”
“I know. Let’s go.” He took the lead and continued forward, easily navigating the tunnels.
“Where are Logan and the others?”
“With Taly,” he said. “They’re still leading the rest of the guard on a merry little chase. They weren’t prepared for all of us. Which is good. The room is right ahead, so we need to be quiet.”
I nodded and trailed after him. With Markos here, at least we had one other person on our side—someone to help fend off Leith and the other guards. Three was certainly better than two.
After a few more minutes, Markos turned to me and held a finger to his lips, then gestured toward another door. The moment I spotted it, I nodded.
This was it.
The moment of truth.
If everything went well, we’d walk out of that room with our heads held high and Dask in our custody.
Markos lifted his hand and placed his palm against the door. I felt the surge of his magic, felt it call to my own. The fireball in my head flickered briefly, but after a moment’s concentration, I regained control.
The door popped open with a quiet snick. Markos glanced back at me and lifted his brow.
I nodded again. Now or never, as Oren had said.
Markos gestured me forward. I stowed my fireball and slipped past him. Light welcomed me the moment I stepped through the door.
But the second I stepped inside, an arm wound around my throat and wrenched me backward.
17
Few in Osvea are better at glamour than the Brooke family. It’s both a gift and a curse, and many happily speculate about their real appearances. Sadly, we might never learn the truth.
— Anonymous
What the hell!
I gasped, my hands rising to the corded arm at my throat. I dug my nails into the flesh of my attacker and thrashed around, attempting to dislodge his hold. But it wasn’t until I summoned my magic that a voice hissed in my ear.
“If you so much as twitch, I will slit Oren’s throat right in front of you. No reaping, understand?”
Markos. That was Markos’ voice!
I squirmed against him, my eyes darting to the upper corner to catch a glimpse of his face.
“What are you doing?” I rasped.
Instead, he placed the sharp end of a sword against my back and jutted me forward. Crying out, I stumbled into a mess of curtains, then out the other side. The sight that greeted me was far worse than the one at my back.
Oren was on his knees, surrounded by Leith and a small contingency of guards.
Leith held Oren up with one hand on his shoulder, while the other held a precarious sword placed against his throat. The five guards watched as Markos shoved me forward, then forced me to my knees in front of Oren.
“It’s done,” Markos growled. “Where are the others?”
“In the dungeons,” Leith responded.
This whole time, Oren had told me not to trust his uncle. And I hadn’t. But I’d never imagined his betrayal to this degree. Never imagined that his uncle would outright hand us over to Dask.
Dask…
I took a second to gaze around the room, startled to find Dask missing.
Of course he was. Markos had betrayed us. Meaning Leith and his men never would have agreed to Dask’s presence. He was probably tucked somewhere safe, completely protected from these events.
We were fools.
“Oren…” I sighed, wincing when he didn’t so much as move.
His head hung at an awkward angle, his face veiled by his thick bangs.
“Oren?”
Markos dealt my thigh a swift kick. “Shut up.”
Fear swelled within me when Oren’s body swayed to the side, and I caught sight of blood streaming down from his temple.
“Oh, my God!” I knocked Leith’s hand free of Oren’s shoulder and let him fall against me. “What have you done?”
Another solid kick, one that had me coughing for air.
“The same thing we’re going to do to you if you don’t shut up,” Markos snarled. “Is everything in place?”
“Yes, my lord,” Leith answered.
Too concerned with Oren, I tuned out their voices. I brushed his hair back from his wan face, tears welling in my eyes at the sight of the bloody gash. They must have been expecting him when he’d entered the room. Markos would have revealed our entire plan. And the four of them had easily overpowered him. Exactly as I’d feared.
“Get her up,” I heard Markos order.
Leith reached for me and wrenched me to my feet. No one so much as batted an eye when Oren toppled to the ground, pale and lifeless.
Markos stepped into my line of sight, his one eye narrowed on me. “Let’s get this straight right now. You’re going to do exactly what I say. If I feel so much as the slightest bit of magic from you, lover boy here,” he tapped Oren’s side with his foot, “gets a knife in the face.”
Anger churned deep in my gut. Suddenly, I was fourteen years old all over again, standing in front of Arik as he dictated my new life to me. And if I disobeyed, my father and Logan would pay the price.
No.
I refused to stumble down that rabbit hole again. I refused to belong to someone else. I cared for Oren—hell, I maybe loved him—but I refused to give up my life.
Markos’ meaty hand clamped around my throat and squeezed. “Did you hear me, girl?”
“Why are you doing this?” I rasped, heat rising to my cheeks as I sputtered for air. “I thought you wanted freedom for humans. You believed in a world where everyone was equal.”
His mouth curled into a cruel grin, his laughter echoing through the room.
Then, right before my eyes, Markos began to change. His muddy brown hair turned black, his empty eye socket filled with a pale green eye, his nose sharpened and lengthened, and his mouth widened, brimming with sharp teeth.
Dask.
After a moment’s pause for me to take it all in, his hand dropped away from my throat. I bent at the waist and sucked in a grating breath, all the while trying to wrap my head around this new development.
When I straightened, it was to find Dask before me, his eyes as cold as a winter’s night. Disgust twisted my gut at the sight of his tanned face lighting up with mirth.
“Where’s Markos?” I demanded.
Leaning forward, Dask wrapped a finger around a lock of my hair and wrenched me close. His lips widened, flashing me a mouthful of terrifying teeth before he leaned down and whispered in my ear. “Dead.”
I froze. Dead? When? How?
“And Logan and the others?”
“Likely about to share the same fate.”
My heart dropped into my stomach. The floor opened up beneath me, and the world swayed as his words sank in. I forced myself to swallow, then shook my head. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You killed your own father, why not your uncle too?”
“Oh, you stupid girl.” Dask gave a sharp tug on my hair, then released it. “Markos has been dead for months. You think I’m stupid enough to kill my father but not his sanctimonious older brother?”
“What? Months? But…” Everything started to fall into place. Markos’ disappearing acts, testing me to see how much power I could wield. “Why remove our bracelets then?”
“I never intended for my brother to do that. But at least I knew where you were,” he answered. “And a witch without her bracelet can store a hell of a lot more atern. Can’t she?”
I felt sick. Everything had gone according to his plan.
“Granted, I didn’t expect there to be any survivors from the Foundry. But once you sprung that little tidbit on me, how could I refuse the bounty laid out before me? Seven witches against the ent
ire fae guard?” Laughter rolled off his tongue. “Your friends are likely dead. And soon you’ll reap them. They’ll be worth their weight in atern.”
“And me?” I bit out.
“I can honestly say I was surprised when my brother broke you out of the dungeons. I didn’t think little Oren had it in him.” Dask glared down at him and shook his head. “He didn’t realize the man he thought was my uncle was me. Foolish boy. So when he told me he was going to bring you to me, I let him.”
“And then what? You just played along? Let him think that he could take the throne?”
“Why not? The people of Osvea are already questioning where my father is. How best to solve that little problem than to let my little brother take the fall. And after today’s events, no one will question me when I explain that my brother had been planning his treachery for years. He murdered our father in a fit of rage and kidnapped our Reaper. Then he put together a team of rebels in an attempt to storm the castle. It’s a very vexing tale. And since the entire city has witnessed his attempt, they’ll agree with my sentence.”
“What sentence?” I whispered.
“Death.”
My stomach twisted.
“Of course, I can’t actually kill him.” He walked toward me and stroked a thumb down my cheek. “If I did, I’d have no means of controlling you. So I’m thinking a life of imprisonment in the dungeons, weakened to the point where he can barely move. And if you ever try to go against me, well, I’ll just have to take it out on my brother, now won’t I?”
“You’re completely insane.”
Dask turned his shimmering eyes to me. “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve only just begun to witness the extent of my madness. I should thank you, though. Falling in love with my brother was the perfect leverage I needed. Your father’s death was regrettable. It left me with few options. But then you had to go and sleep with my brother.” He laughed and clapped his hands together. “Simply marvelous.”
“Screw you,” I said, my lip curled.
I felt the blow before I saw him move. My head snapped to the side, my jaw burning as blood trickled from my bottom lip. The crazed part of me wanted to push him further, incite a fight, but I was outnumbered. If I so much as laid a hand on Dask, Leith would kill Oren. I’d attacked two guards at once before, but that didn’t account for the other three standing at Leith’s back.