Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Screams echo through the glittering ice halls as servants stampede towards the exits.
I let out a huff as a messenger slams right into me while skidding around the corner.
The impact makes me stumble back and hit the wall, causing the liquid in the small barrel to slosh loudly against the wooden sides.
For one single second, the messenger stares at me with terrified eyes.
Then he bolts down the corridor.
“Watch it,” Isera growls as a group of panicked dragon shifters dart past, jostling her in their haste.
But none of them stop, or even look back at her. With my and Orion’s magic wreaking havoc with their memories and their emotions, the entire castle is lost in blind terror and a mad scramble to get out. I keep my magic connected, increasing all those flames of panic.
Pounding feet and screams of fear echo all around us as everyone we meet rushes for the nearest exit. And not one of them tries to stop us as we weave through the throng in the other direction.
Alistair jumps out of the way as two male dragon shifters come hurtling around the corner before sprinting down the corridor in the direction we came. After adjusting the small barrel in his arms, he shoots me and Orion a look.
“I knew that you were scary from the moment I saw you standing there smirking on the other side of your wards,” he says to Orion before shifting his gaze to me. “But you, I can’t believe I actually tried to pick a fight with you during the Atonement Trials. You’re terrifying as hell, Soulstealer.”
I laugh. Warmth spreads through me when I think about how far Alistair and I have come from where we started. When this is all over, I look forward to just sitting down and sharing a drink with him. With them all. Goddess above, we really do deserve that.
“It’s here!” Isera suddenly calls.
I’m just about to turn towards her, but right then, an entire group of servants pours out of the stairwell to our right.
Leaping backwards, I press myself flat against the wall as they crash into the corridor so fast that they just end up shoving each other and not getting anywhere.
I decrease the strength of their panic a little.
The chaotic shoving stops long enough for the first couple of people to untangle themselves from the rest and start sprinting down the corridor. Once that gap has opened up, the rest finally follow as well.
I suppress a chuckle and shake my head.
Next to me, however, Orion is swaying slightly. But he quickly braces his back against the wall to hide that fact. We all saw it, though.
“Orion,” Isera says, her voice sharp. She is standing on the other side of the hall, holding open a door that reveals a staircase leading downwards. But her blue and silver eyes are locked intently on the Unseelie King. “Save your strength.”
“Save my strength?” he huffs, trying to look indignant while also battling exhaustion. “Who do you think I am? Some kind of damsel in—”
“Don’t make me threaten you.” She gives him a pointed look. “And besides, we’re already here.”
He draws his dark brows down in a scowl. But then the glow fades from his eye as he cuts off his magic. Dragging in a deep breath, he pushes himself off the wall and tries to walk as steadily as possible to the door she’s holding open.
Because Orion is larger than life in so many ways, I sometimes forget that we have a lot more raw magical power than he and the other Unseelie fae do.
He’s powerful. Incredibly powerful. And if it was just one person, or a handful of people, he could keep going for hours.
Like he did with me in his dungeon. But now, he has been using his magic on an entire castle full of people.
At the same time. Without pause. Ever since we got here.
No wonder his magic is draining unusually fast.
“Let’s go,” Isera says, and jerks her chin at me and Alistair.
“The archives are apparently not the only part of this basement. Lavendera said that there are lots of storage rooms as well, and if we’re going to have time to set these explosions in every corner and get out before it all blows up, we need to get a move on. ”
Alistair and I leap into motion. After cutting off the flow of my magic as well, I jog after Orion through the doorway, followed quickly by Alistair and then Isera.
Our feet thud against the steps as the four of us hurry down into the basement.
Once we reach the bottom, we end up in what looks like a library.
It’s not as massive as the Green Clan’s archives, which occupy an entire building down by the barracks close to the city, and it’s not nearly as neat either.
Rows upon rows of books look to have been shoved onto shelves in a haphazard fashion, and several of them even have loose papers sticking up from the pages.
I sweep my gaze over the chaotic space until it snags on a map that has been pinned to the back of one shelf.
It’s crooked, but it clearly shows this city.
The name Stonehollow is written at the top in ink so faded that it’s barely visible.
The humans were right. This city used to be called Stonehollow before the Icehearts claimed it as their own.
“There are four corridors,” Alistair points out, and nods towards the four doorways that lead away from the archives in every direction.
“Then let’s split up,” I say.
“No,” Orion snaps. “I just told you. Draven—”
“We’re still in the same place. Just opposite sides of what is basically one massive room.
” Shifting the barrel into one arm, I pull out the pocket watch Kath gave me.
My heart leaps when I see what time it is.
Looking up, I meet all of their gazes while trying to swallow a sudden flash of alarm. “And besides, we don’t have much time.”
Their faces pale when I show them the time.
Since the humans didn’t need to deal with the distraction, they could just run straight into the secret tunnels at the edges of the palace grounds without interference.
But we not only had to make it all the way to the middle of the castle, we also had to fight our way through a tide of panicked dragon shifters who were running in the other direction.
It has taken much longer than Kath and the others estimated that it would.
Orion curses under his breath but jerks his chin down in a nod. “Fine, we split up. But we all meet back here before we leave so that no one gets left behind. The four of us leave together or not at all. Understood?”
“Yes, Mom,” Alistair says, a teasing grin on his mouth.
Orion shoots him a warning look. But before he can start to threaten him, Isera speaks up.
“How are we supposed to set these on fire at the same time if Alistair isn’t there?” she asks while casting a stressed glance down at the pocket watch.
“Oh, good point,” Alistair answers, and carefully sets down his barrel.
Then he walks over to the nearest bookcase, grabs one shelf and rips it out.
Books tumble down on the floor in a heap, loose pieces of paper fluttering around them.
I wince, but Alistair just stomps his foot down on the wooden plank, shattering it into smaller pieces.
A small flame appears in the palm of his right hand while he picks up three pieces of wood with his other.
They catch fire with a whoosh as he brings his hand towards one side.
“These will burn through pretty quickly, though,” he says as he hands each of us a burning stick. “So better hurry.”
“We’re supposed to set the rope on fire in four minutes,” I say, nodding down at the pocket watch, which we only have one of. “So count out four minutes in your head and then set it on fire regardless of where you are. Then we all run like hell back here. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” the others echo.
After exchanging a long look, which confirms the apprehension we all appear to be feeling right now, we take off in opposite directions.
My heart pounds as I sprint down the corridor.
If I remember Lavendera’s map correctly, there are supposed to be several twisting halls and storage rooms spreading out on all sides down here. Ideally, we will all be able to reach the edges of the space so that the explosions come from every corner. But we don’t have much time left now.
I draw in a sharp breath as the corridor splits into two up ahead.
Shit. Left or right?
Going on just pure instinct, I choose the left one.
The liquid splashes around in the barrel as I veer left and dart down the next hall.
I make sure to keep the small barrel in my left arm while carrying the makeshift torch in the others, so that I don’t accidentally blow myself up.
But the fire is creeping farther down the wood with every passing second.
I cast panicked glances between it and the pocket watch that I keep wedged between the wood and my palm. If the fire reaches the end of the wooden stick before it’s time to set the barrel aflame, I’m screwed.
While willing the fire to burn slower, I sprint down the next corridor.
A ripple of stress shoots through me when another fork appears in the path. Two more doorways. Since I took a left last time, I take a right now. While hoisting the barrel into a better position, I turn right and rush in through that doorway.
And come face to face with a solid wall.
Skidding to a halt, I narrowly manage to stop myself from crashing right into it.
With my pulse thrumming in my ears, I whip my gaze around the small space I’ve ended up in. A few empty crates are stacked along one wall, but other than that, the room is empty.
Indecision flashes through me. Should I set the explosion here or turn back and try the other corridor?
Making a split-second decision, I dart back out and then take off down the other corridor instead. I need to make it as far in this direction as possible to make sure that the explosions really take out the support structure.