Kindred Souls Complete Series: Books 1-4

Chapter Twenty-Six

Indigo wound her armthrough mine once she stepped off the ledge, keeping me at her side as we led her people away from the square.

She squeezed my arm. “Sing. Something we all know.”

Most of the songs everyone knew weren’t the most proper for a protest march, so I chose a kindred love song. I’d always hated it, but now that I’d met my kindreds and was falling for them, I had a new appreciation for the song.

Indigo’s voice joined mine first, but soon we had an entire choral choir at our backs, harmonizing with us, so loud the whole capital must have heard us. So loud it must have made the palace tremble. I hoped the king could hear us. I hope it terrified him.

Because we were coming for him.

Indigo and I led them towards the dungeons, our voices raised, our marching steps pounding out the beat. I didn’t know where our kindreds were, we’d been together long enough the bond had settled so it didn’t hurt to be separated from them. Just from Bastian. Missing him was a constant stabbing pain in my chest.

But the closer we made it to the dungeons, the more the ache eased. I felt the tension in Indigo release as well. The entrance came into sight and I sang louder, wanting Bastian to hear, wanting him to have hope, wanting him to know I was coming for him.

That we all were.

He wouldn’t be lost and forgotten to spend the rest of his days in a Faligrean jail. Not for me. Not because of me. He’d still be safe in the dragon lands with his books and papers if he hadn’t come with us, if I wasn’t his kindred. Even though he didn’t want the bond in a romantic way at first, he still wanted to help us. To get to know me.

A line of soldiers and royal guards waited for us at the entrance of the dungeons.

Indigo marched us right up to them. “Move. Now. That’s an order.”

A guard shook his head. “Sorry, highness, but the king gave us strict orders that none of you are allowed in.”

A line of nobles dressed in their most elaborate outfits pushed through the crowd at our backs. Most of them off the council. It was more than the fifteen we needed. It was at least double that.

The war minister led the charge. “I suggest you stand down, soldier. That’s the crown princess you’re denying entry to. Along with the entire council and a member of the ministry of war. Let us handle the king.”

The guard winced. “I’m sorry, ma’am. And highness. But we were ordered to defend the dungeon with force if it became necessary. Our orders come directly from the king. And I’m not a common soldier. I’m a royal guard.”

Indigo got right up in his face. “And I’m the fucking crown princess. When my father is no longer on the throne and I am, do you want me to remember your face? Your name? Or do you want to stand aside and obey your princess and the council and the people of Faligrey?”

He swallowed hard. “I have my orders.”

I rolled my eyes. “He has orders, but he clearly has no brain.”

Indigo tried to cover her snort, but she wasn’t successful. I hadn’t meant to be funny, it was true. The man was clearly an idiot.

He glared at me. “How dare you speak to me? You are barely recognized by the king as the prince’s kindred. He wants you dead.”

Indigo shook her head. “Oh, he definitely has no brain.”

Saber and Whist emerged from wherever they were hiding, a knife on either side of the guard’s throat.

“What did you just say about our kindred?” Saber asked, death dancing in his eyes.

The guard stuttered. “I-I my apologies. I meant no disrespect.”

“There is no way you could have been less respectful. To our kindred and to the crown princess and to the council. What do you expect your future to hold now? Hmm? Do you expect your beloved king to protect you? From us? We can find you when you least expect it and disappear before anyone knows we were ever there.”

The guard trembled between my two assassins, terror leeching all the color from his face. Saber’s eyes swirled with deadly rage, his knife biting in so deep, a trickle of blood ran down the guard’s neck. I couldn’t see Whist’s face from my position behind him, but I assumed it was similar.

Regular soldiers pushed through the guards, shoving them out of the way. “Let them through.”

The guard’s eyes bulged. “You don’t give us orders. We give you orders.”

The war minster huffed. “Unless you want to end up sliced up by the assassins and the rest of you taken down by a bunch of common soldiers, I suggest you stand the fuck down.”

More and more soldiers poured in, joining the capital citizens who watched and stood behind us.