Chapter 44 #2
Several rooms open up on either side of me as I run, showing more crates and piles of everything from linen to food.
I ignore them all and keep going. More forks in the path appear, and I chose the directions randomly.
While casting stressed glances at the pocket watch, I try to remember each turn I take so that I will be able to make it back in time for—
I screech to a halt.
Dread crashes over me as I realize my mistake.
The farther in I run, the longer it’s going to take me to get back.
If I spend all four minutes running, it will take just as much time to get back.
And then the time we will have to make it up from the basement, through the castle, and then out past the blast radius, will be even shorter.
A terrible clanging starts in my head. Mabona’s tits. I need to go back.
Snapping my gaze down at the watch, I find that I only have one minute left now before I need to light the rope on fire.
I whip around while a panicked noise comes from the back of my throat. Sprinting back the way I came, I cast desperate glances down at the pocket watch.
The fire on the makeshift torch splutters.
With a jolt, I realize that the added draft almost made the fire go out. Yanking it back so that it’s in front of me instead, I hold the barrel as far away from me as I can. My muscles shake from the effort, but I keep at it while I hurtle back down the corridor.
The seconds tick by.
I need to start setting up the rope soon.
Dragging in short, shallow breaths, I look more down at the watch and the torch than I do at the path ahead of me.
I skid to a halt.
Wait. Did I take a right or a left back there? I was so focused on the time that I wasn’t paying attention to the corridor. I was supposed to take a right, but now I’m not sure if I did.
The seconds continue ticking by mercilessly.
With a cry of desperation, I slam the barrel down on the ground right where I am. I can’t wait any longer now, or I will miss our set window of time.
After carefully placing the torch on the floor, I grab the small barrel with one hand and pry open the cork at the top. Then I yank out the rope that Kath gave all of us earlier. It’s coated in some kind of stiff material.
Ten seconds.
I shove one end of the rope into the barrel.
Eight seconds.
Grabbing the other side of the rope, I pick up the torch as well and quickly start unfurling the rope as I move.
Then that flash of panic hits me again. I don’t know if I took a right or a left. If I did take a right, I should keep going straight ahead. But if I did make a mistake and turn left instead, I need to go back first.
Five seconds.
Goddess damn it, I need to know.
Four seconds.
I will just have to run back and check quickly first.
Three seconds.
Placing the other end of the rope on the ground, I straighten it as much as possible.
Two seconds.
I bring the torch down to the rope.
One second.
It catches fire.
And the other end of the long rope falls out of the barrel.
I cry out in panic.
Throwing the torch aside, I sprint forward. I was supposed to go back and check that this was the right corridor, but now I don’t have time. I need to fix the rope.
With my heart hammering against my ribs, I race down the corridor.
As soon as I reach the other end of the rope, I yank it up and then shove it back down into the liquid.
After making sure that it stays there this time, I cast one last desperate look back at the doorway that may or may not have been the right one.
Then I take off down the hallway and pray to Mabona and every god who will listen that I’m right.
Corridors and rooms flash past on either side of me as I race through the basement while panic clangs like giant bells inside my skull.
I take the same turns I did last time, but since the hallways all look the same and I didn’t have enough time to memorize what the different rooms looked like, I have no idea if I’m going in the right direction or not.
Please let it be right. Please let it be right.
Another doorway appears up ahead.
I throw myself through it.
And slam right into Isera.
She sucks in a sharp breath as I crash into her from the side, and both of us tumble down on the floor from the force of the collision.
Pain pulses through my hip as I land on some of the books that Alistair tossed aside earlier when he ripped down the shelf.
But all I can feel is the immense relief that flows through me when I scramble onto my knees to find both Isera and Alistair there.
“Mabona’s tits, Selena,” Isera huffs as she pushes herself into a sitting position as well. “You couldn’t—”
She abruptly stops speaking right in the middle of her sentence. Her eyes widen in shock as she stares down at one of the books she almost landed on top of.
Confused, I follow her gaze.
A thick tome is lying there on the floor, and on the front, the title reads: Register of Fae Life Slaves.
Isera yanks the book towards her and flips open the cover right at the same time as Orion skids into the room.
“Done,” he announces. “Let’s go.”
I scramble up from the floor, but Isera remains there on her knees.
Emotions pulse across her entire face as she starts frantically flipping through the pages.
“Isera,” Orion growls. “We need to go.”
She doesn’t even seem to hear him.
“Now!” Alistair snaps, and reaches for her arm.
She yanks it out of his grip, ice curling like spikes along her arms. Alistair stumbles back, wide-eyed, but makes no move to grab her again.
Paper rustles as she shoves sections of pages back. Then a snarl rips from her throat and she slams the book over on the other side and starts from the back instead.
“Just bring the whole book!” Alistair yells.
I whip my gaze down at the pocket watch. We now only have ten minutes to make it up from the basement, through the castle, and out of the blast radius before this entire palace explodes. This is going to be tight.
“Isera,” I call. “We—”
She sucks in a hiss. The pages fall open to reveal a drawing of a woman who looks almost identical to Isera. Lots of text is written on the other side. Pain crackles across Isera’s features, but she takes a firm grip on both pages and then rips them out of the book.
“Run,” she says as she leaps to her feet and shoves the pieces of paper into the pocket of her fighting leathers.
None of us hesitate.
Whirling around, we sprint back up the steps.
Air saws through my throat as we hurtle towards the door up ahead. We need to make it out. If we’re not far enough away from the castle when the liquid catches fire, we’re going to get buried underneath several tons of ice. And not even Isera would be able to protect us from that.
The door bangs against the wall as Alistair throws it open and darts out, followed by Isera.
I cast a glance over my shoulder to find Orion falling behind slightly.
Because he used up so much magic to clear the castle of people, he is still trying to build his energy back up, which isn’t exactly easy when we’re doing physically exerting things at the same time.
Reaching the top of the stairs, I grab the door before it can slam shut again after bouncing off the wall. Then I hold it open while Orion sprints out through it as well. He draws in deep breaths, trying to hide the exhaustion. But it lines every part of his beautiful face.
“We need to make it at least halfway down to the city,” Alistair says while he and Isera wait for us to catch up. “Otherwise, we’ll get caught in the debris.”
Isera’s eyes turn worried as she locks them on Orion. “Can you—”
“I’m fine.” He takes off at a sprint. “Just run.”
We all lurch into motion.
Stress courses through my veins like crackling bolts of lightning as we race through the glittering ice halls and towards the closest exit.
But at least the corridors are not clogged by panicked civilians anymore.
I try to estimate distances in this massive castle as we dart around the next corner and into yet another hallway. Now, we just need to—
“There they are!” a male voice bellows. “Attack!”
Skidding to a halt, I gasp as I find the entire corridor before us blocked by a mob of angry people.
Dread slams into me like a gut punch.
The horde of dragon shifters charges towards us.