Chapter Forty-Three
Andi
Screams echo through the walls. Startled from my sleep, I toss my blanket to one side and rush to check on Andrina.
So small and fragile, she rustles in her sleep, her face screws up in a pout.
I pick her up to comfort her as someone bolts through the bedroom door, the light from the hallway snakes along the floor.
“Ma’am, I do apologise for the intrusion. Something has happened in the castle, we need to get the two of you out of here,” my maid Teagan says as she hurriedly grabs light clothes and a cloak, laying them on the bed. “Please, there is no time.” She rushes up and takes Andrina from my arms.
Reluctantly, I hand her over, the insistence in her voice and the solemn scowl on her face tells me that something has her scared. “Teagan, what is going on? What is happening in the castle? What is that screaming?” I ask, getting dressed as fast as I can, grabbing some boots from the closet.
“I—I—I don’t know…exactly…but…” Teagan holds on to my baby tight, kissing the top of her forehead; tears build in her eyes as her bottom lip quivers.
“Teagan. Tell me right now.”
“There’s a man in the castle…he’s…he’s killing people...” She sobs into the bundle of blankets that keeps Andrina snug, her words almost inaudible, but the last part couldn’t have been clearer.
“Killing? Who?” I swallow my words. “Who is dead, Teagan?” I take my baby from her arms as tears stream down her face. Teagan buries her head in her hands and sobs. “Teagan!”
“Everyone. The king is dead.”
Shock runs through me like I have been stabbed with an ice shard, my heart stops beating for a split second, before pounding so rapidly I can hear the drumming in my head.
They’re dead. All of them. How? Who could have done this?
Why? My last words with him were in anger, now I’ll never get the chance to make things right.
Shouting from the corridor snaps me back into reality, and heavy footsteps stomp towards my room.
Teagan pulls me towards the servant’s door hidden behind a curtain in the corner of the room.
I follow her blindly into the tunnels, ducking into the dark.
I don’t ask questions; I trust Teagan. She has always been a friend to me, regardless of our station.
Always treated me as such and spoke candidly when she felt it necessary.
Whatever is happening in the castle tonight, it has her frightened.
We slink through the tunnels for what feels like hours.
Thankfully, she knows them well, or we would be lost in this labyrinth of pathways and doors.
We come to a stop deep in the castle, down further than even I knew existed.
Fixing the blanket around Andrina, somehow, in all the commotion, she has settled back to sleep.
“Teagan, please, what happened? I need to know.”
“I was awoken by some younger maids, shouting within the main rooms below had caused them to be alarmed. Mae and Rose snuck out to see what was going on, they’ve always had a nosey streak.
Only one returned. Mae watched as guards struck down Rose, but they weren’t our guards, she said they had no signet on their breastplates.
Mae saw a tall, cloaked man attacking your family.
The poor thing was shaking so much she could barely get her words out. That’s when I came to you.”
Crouching down beside an old, broken wooden door, Teagan peeks outside to make sure the path is clear.
Heading out the door, I realise we have somehow made our way across the entire castle and out behind the stables.
My knees threaten to buckle at the sight of bodies scattered across the ground, the guardhouse obscured with flames.
Screams wail from inside the castle walls. I can’t help them now.
Misneach, forgive me. I focus on Andrina, on getting her out. That’s the most important thing.
We creep alongside the wall, hiding within the shadows, into the stables, but the stable door is wide open, and all the horses have fled into the night.
Teagan groans, pulling me around the stable wall, heading to the portcullis.
I rock Andrina, hushing her, willing her to remain sleeping in my arms.
Loud men’s voices mumble from around the corner of the castle, growing louder with every second.
Teagan and I make a run for the already open portcullis.
The night is dark, most of the torches have been extinguished, but the keep is brightly lit by the fire in the guard house.
I look back, scanning for the voices; silhouettes of men slip around the castle walls, blood dripping from their weapons and armour.
This was not an attack, but an execution.
Teagan yelps as a man steps out in front of the gate, his large size covering the open portcullis, tall and broad. Mae was right, he stands in front of us, arrogant with a bare breastplate, which can only mean one thing: whoever attacked us is using paid mercenaries.
I pat my pockets, groaning, I have nothing to tempt his loyalties. He holds his sword in one hand and a huge iron shield in the other, dark red blood oozes from both. Glowering at us, he sneers, raising his sword.
Teagan picks up a rock and throws it towards him, smacking him on the head. He lowers his chin and growls under his breath, stomping towards her.
“Go!” she shouts, pushing me to the side, retreating into the keep.
I sidle out of his way, but not fast enough, his sword swoops down and slices me in my side.
The gouge is piercing, burning a hole in my stomach, and I scream in pain.
Teagan takes a step towards me. The guard grabs her by the throat, lifting her off the ground, and she gasps for breath.
Her eyes locked on mine and gave me a small smile; with a twist of his hand, the guard snaps her neck.
Crying out, I reach my hand towards her as the guard dumps her body on the ground before turning his attention to me. My eyes focus on the guard's face, scarred and covered in blood.
My people’s blood. My family’s blood.
Anger seethes out of all my pores, raising my arm, a blast of silver lightning shoots out, his body spasms, until he falls to the ground dead. I struggle to stand up, rushing as fast as I can out of the gate, into the woods.
The dawn begins to break as we leave Eilia, my legs give in, and I fall to the ground. Slumping against a tree hidden behind the bushes, unable to move, I feel life draining from me, my injury too severe. There was something on his blade, I feel it burning my skin, forbidding it from clotting.
Andrina coos in my arms, unaware of the horror we escaped.
I need to get further. I need to find somewhere safe for her.
I lose myself in her beautiful brown eyes, her dad’s eyes.
They flick side to side, observing the leaves swaying above our heads, so innocent, unaware of all the horrible things life has to offer.
I pray to Misneach, and all the gods, that she will know love and happiness in her life. Tears fall as I picture the woman she will become, strong like her father and caring like me. Andrina’s lip begins to pout as if she understands we won’t have each other in the future.
“Don’t cry, beautiful girl,” I whisper.
In front of me, the darkness moves in a swift motion, creeping closer towards me until I am faced with Death himself. He stands tall before me, his black hood covering his face, but I feel his eyes watching me.
“Help me,” I beg.
Footsteps along the path scare me, rustling through the bushes closer to us, I try shuffling backwards, but I can’t move.
I am caught between Death and this new presence.
I know I’m not long for this world; I feel my life slipping away with each breath, my wound is now numb, my top soaked with blood, which continues to seep out of my side.
A man and a woman edge forward, leaning down towards me, “Don’t worry, we can help.”
Death edges closer, so close I can feel his icy breath. “Please help her, she has no one.”
I don’t know what I expect of Death. To spare her, to bless her?
If that’s even possible. Death reaches forward, his dark skeletal fingers emerge from his robe.
I flinch as he trails his brittle nail down Andrina’s head.
A glowing red streak snakes from her forehead down her eye to her cheek, fading away when he lifts his hand as though it was never there.
Maybe it wasn’t, and I’m imagining things.
“What unusual eyes. We’ll look after her, we promise,” the woman says beside me. Calmness washes over me, and I no longer feel any pain.
“Andi. Andi, wake up.”
My eyes slowly open to see Ronan leaning over me.
“You were having a nightmare.” He leans back on his heels, holding an arm out to help me sit up.
Ignoring his arm, I push up on my elbows, reaching for my canteen.
Ronan keeps his eyes on me, his eyebrows knitted together, a muscle in his cheek twitching.
“What? You’re staring at me.”
Ronan’s eyes widen, he shuffles about in the tent before sitting at the edge of my bedroll, his hand resting near my own.
“You sounded like you were in pain. I thought something was wrong.”
I think back to the dream, I could feel the terror in my mother’s voice, the agony she felt hearing her family had been killed, the need to get herself and me to safety. I felt her power, similar to my own, the feeling that took over my body was the same.
Death’s finger, trailing a red glow down my face, my finger copies the motion down to my right eye, the odd one, red like the glow. What does this mean? What did Death do to me? Did Death gift me some of his power?
Ronan’s splayed hand stretches out towards mine, grazing my skin.
I can’t ignore this intoxicating spark between us, but I just can’t.
Not now. Not after everything. Instinctively, I lift my arms, clutching my body.
My heart is not ready for this kind of connection, my body still aches for Myles, for the man I thought he was, the man who loved me.
The broken shards of my heart are still being glued back together.
But even when it’s finally healed, there will forever be a piece missing.
A piece Myles took with him. It will never be whole again.
“It was just a dream, I’m fine. You can go back to your post.”
Caelan brought along two tents, one for me and the other for the off-duty men, each taking a turn guarding my tent.
“I can listen, I’m good at listening,” he says with a gentle smile, one I don’t think many folk get from him.
“I don’t need to talk about it,” I say, rubbing the sore muscles of my neck. I had gotten too comfortable in my time in Nu’cov, forgetting the unbearable pain of bedrolls.
“You sure? Talking helps, it’ll be good for you.”
Scoffing, I grab my boots and shove them on my feet. “Don’t tell me what’s good for me. You don’t know me. You don’t know what I can handle.”
I storm out of the tent, muttering to myself. What an arrogant arsehole. Who does he think he is? Like, I don’t know how to feel.
I’m a princess for fuck’s sake.
Stomping through the trees, leaves, and twigs crunch behind me, I spin around to shout at Ronan for following me.
“Maybe you should…” My words catch in my throat as a man stands before me, in a deep purple robe, with gold stitching along the front. His hood covers his eyes but shows his wicked smile.
I step back, the man doesn’t move, just watches me grinning a horrible smile. Ronan appears behind the man, shoving his large dagger up through the robed man’s chest. But he doesn’t flinch, he doesn’t move.
Ronan’s face drops. “Run!”