Chapter 33
Elara
Jack was dead.
And Thatcher had been the one to kill him.
Time had come to a standstill. We were all frozen with shock.
What was happening?
Cai’s eyes were wide. He didn’t move.
My first instinct was to lift my dagger and head straight for Thatcher. If not to kill him then to disarm him. My fist tightened around the handle and there was a taste of blood in my mouth.
One of Aries’ guards had tried to kill me. Rhen was quick to step in to protect me. While the soldier was occupied trying to fight off Rhen, I took my dagger and stabbed him in the neck. His blood now coated my clothes, and I felt sick at the thought.
There were more of them now. It was as if they had multiplied somehow while most of our guards lay dead on the ground. At this rate we would be outnumbered within minutes. Outnumbered and dead.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins, finally shaking me out of it. I grabbed Cai’s arm. I’d been betrayed enough in my life to know exactly what was about to go down. There was only one way we would make it out of here alive.
“We need to get out,” I said under my breath.
Thatcher stepped away from Jack’s corpse and let out a menacing laugh. “I’d been waiting a while to do that.”
I wanted to scream as I watched Jack’s blood cover the floor beneath his body.
“What the hell are you doing?” Rhen called out, about to step up to Thatcher, but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. Thatcher wasn’t here in some foolishly heroic attempt to help us. In fact, I was willing to wager that Thatcher had been at Mistwood Palace for some time now.
Cai hadn’t moved yet, hadn’t said a word. He was staring at Jack, completely still. It was only a few seconds that passed but it felt like an eternity.
Rhen had his sword still. We needed to run. While the remainder of our guards were occupied. While we still had the chance. As much as I hated the idea of fleeing, of leaving Jack’s body behind, I wasn’t a trained fighter the way they were, and Cai and Rhen would only be able to hold out for so long before the Argonian soldiers surrounded us.
Thatcher made his way across the throne room, walking away from us. “I really hate to do this, Cai.” Cai’s eyes didn’t move away from Jack. “I mean, I’ve known you for as long as I can remember.” He stopped in front of the throne and turned around to face us again. “Which is also why I know you have no business being king. Really, you give me no choice but to do this. Someone has to stop you from running this kingdom to the ground.”
I hadn’t let go of Cai. Clutching his arm, I slowly took a step or two backwards.
Run. Run. Run.
“You must know that I took no pleasure in killing your family, but Aries made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Thatcher continued, and then he slowly sat down on the throne, like he was relishing every moment.
“Norrandale needs the strongest king possible, and it needs Argon as an ally. You were always too blind to see that. But now...” He smirked. “Now we’re going to change history and make Argon and Norrandale the most powerful kingdoms the world has seen.”
“Cai, we need to leave now.” I tried to shake him out of his daze, but he wouldn’t budge.
“You should listen to her, Cai,” Thatcher said. “You should run away as fast and as far as you can, because once Aries catches up with you, whatever pieces of you are left behind will be beyond recognition. So yes, I would run if I were you.”
I didn’t hesitate this time. I yanked Cai as hard as I could and pulled him out of the throne room with all my strength, Rhen swiftly in position behind us, making sure none of the Argonians caught up. I could still hear Thatcher laughing as we made our way out of the palace and into the courtyard where our horses stood.
“Get up,” I said to Cai, forcing him onto his horse. There was no time for kind words or sympathies. We needed to get out alive first. Rhen mounted one of the horses and I climbed on another.
We kicked the horses into a gallop, rushing out of the courtyard and the gates. I could hear the Argonians coming out of the palace. They wouldn’t be far behind us. We’d have to lose them in the woods. My horse huffed beneath me, hoofbeats loud on the path.
“Where to now?” Rhen shouted over the wind.
“Back home. Back to Everness.”
THE END