Chapter Twenty-Seven
The guards finallygave up and moved to let us through. A few soldiers remained, surrounding the guards so they couldn’t go running off to the king. I guessed the dragons and royals training with the soldiers worked and got them on our side. Or they were sick of the royal guards acting like assholes and this was their chance to get back at them. Either way, it was a win for us.
Indigo snatched the keys off the belt of the guard Whist and Saber still held against the wall at knife-point, then she dragged me down the stairs into the dungeon below.
My heart pounded, terrified of what condition we’d find them in. Or if Bastian had changed his mind, deciding being with me was more trouble than it was worth.
Elora appeared right behind us, Sky and Lysander trailing her.
Two levels below the surface, we found the jails. We raced past the cells holding all sorts of people, some of them the musicians who sang my songs. My steps slowed, but Indigo jerked me along.
“We’ll come back for them. We aren’t letting them stay here. But the dragons and then my father first.”
Right. Priorities.
And Bastian was my number one priority.
At the end of the murky hall, we found Bastian and Darius. They were a little filthy, but standing and unharmed. Indigo unlocked the cell, and we shoved inside, throwing ourselves at them.
Bastian grunted when I slammed against him and I tried to pull away, an apology spluttering from my lips, but he growled and yanked me closer.
“Mine.”
I tightened my arms around his neck, trying to bury myself in him, relief pouring over me in waves. “I’m so sorry. We got here as soon as we could.”
“It’s all right, little dragon. It’s all right. I’m all right.” He grabbed the back of my hair to pull my hair back so he could take my lips in a kiss.
I sank into him with a whimper, wanting to climb his body.
Sky wrapped his arms around both of us. “As much as I’d love to join this touching and seriously hot moment, we should probably get out of here.” He smacked a kiss on Bastian’s face. “Glad you’re alright, dragon. We were worried.”
“I knew the lot of you would come for me.”
“Of course.”
Indigo and her kindreds pulled away from their four-way embrace, happy smiles on everyone’s faces.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
Sky snorted. “They’re right outside making sure we don’t somehow get locked up in here. Not that the crowd the two of you drew would let them.”
“What crowd?” Bastian asked.
“We’ll explain later. Indigo, we’re taking Bastian and Rhapsody to the safe house and then we’ll meet you to handle the king. Do you want us to take Darius as well?”
Indigo nodded. “Yes.”
“No.” Bastian, Darius, and I said the word at the same time.
Sky sighed at us. “The king is after you and he’ll definitely be after Rhapsody after this.”
I sighed right back at him. “After this he’ll be after all of us. We’re with you until the end. Whatever end that is.”
Bastian and Darius nodded. “Agreed.”
“Fine. Stubborn fools. Let’s go then.”
We rushed through the gloom of the dungeon back up the stone stairs, blinking in the bright light of the sun, jerking at the sights and sounds greeting us at our exit.