Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Caged
Dust rains from the ceiling, coating us in a fine mist. Tobias’s eyes are wide and red, his pupils dilated. His gaze travels from my feet to the top of my head where it lingers. A single trail of blood drips out of his nose.
“My gods, Ela.” He croaks. A large cracking noise sounds above us, and I glance up to see a fissure forming in the ceiling. I catch sight of him in my peripherals before his body slams into mine.
My skull snaps off the stone floor and I am momentarily dazed.
“What are you?” He asks as he sits on my bare thighs. “What have you not been telling me?” His hands wrap around my throat, holding me down. I grip his wrists with my shaky fingers, a subtle buzzing sound filling my ears.
“Get off me.” I croak, my voice weak.
“What are you?” He yells this time, his face inches from mine.
“Get off!” I scream. White flashes in between us and he flies off of me, his body hitting the wall before crumpling on the ground in a still lump. My heart races, my breathing labored as I force myself to sit up.
My hands are glowing white, and I stare at the veins streaking down my arms. My gods. I squeeze my hands into fists and tiny dots fling off of them, sparkling like stars.
Rushing footsteps pulls my attention away and I glance up just as the door opens, revealing a staircase.
“Your Grace!” One of the men yell, rushing to Tobias’s side. The other two look at me with a combination of hesitance and duty fighting in their minds.
“Stay down, Your Grace.” He orders. I grit my teeth and pull my feet under me. Primal rage pounds through my blood, filling every pore of my being.
“I will not be chained any longer.” I say slowly. White once again fills my peripherals and I watch as their eyes widen. A shaky hand lifts a sword and I run at him, my scream echoing around the room.
He reaches for me, and the scent of charred meat fills my nostrils as he cradles his burning hand to his chest. I push past the other guard, my hand melting through the metal of his chest plate, before racing up the stairs.
My bare feet slip on the cold, stone steps. Rubble still rains down from the ceiling and I can feel my breath coming in short pants as exhaustion pulls at me. My legs feel numb, but I can feel the warmth trickling down my skin as the wound continues to bleed.
“Hold it together, Elaenor.” I whisper to myself as I reach the top of the stairs.
I barrel through the door and gasp at the destruction around me. Glass and stone lay everywhere, coating the floor. I take a step further into the hallway, feeling it slice through my feet.
A feeling I know all too well.
I bite my lip and pick up the pace, racing down the hall. The stables. I have to get to the stables.
Rhythmic marching sounds in all directions and I skid to a stop. Two groups of men rush at me from either side, shields up and swords out. I glance at both of them, only a few feet away.
I can’t take them on.
As I turn towards the other group, the wall of windows snags my attention. The glass is gone, leaving it open to the courtyard.
A courtyard that leads to the stables.
Panic wells in my chest and I swallow it down before I run.