19. Chaos
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Chaos
Cassiel drove his foot into the door the path led to. Wood splintered and opened to a parlor I had never stepped foot in. Women sat before a small table with pastries stacked upon the silver platter.
One of them stood screaming, and it set off the rest of the women sitting about. Wineglasses splashed across gowns. Cassiel barreled through the crowd, vaulted over the couch, and was past them before more screams caught up with us.
Cassiel shoved past a servant, knocking into the platter they carried.
Doubt began to creep in. Insistent and overpowering, but this was our only chance of escaping. If we were captured, we would not survive. Cassiel rounded another exit and onto a long path denoting the sections between wings.
A body slammed into Cassiel, sending me into the air.
I grasped at the sword, effigy, and grimoire.
My weaker hip landed first, and the items skidded away.
Panic gave me the strength to claw my fingers against the polished floor and drag myself closer to them.
I just managed to slap my hand on the effigy.
At the same time, another hand had a hold of it. I followed the arm to Egan.
“No,” I spat. He crouched and took my arm, hoisting me up against him.
“Do not move!” he shouted, staring behind me.
‘Careful,’ Cassiel said.
I stilled, my mind attempting to catch up.
Cassiel stood slowly and quite a distance away. We were facing off in the hall, dusklight spilling in from the large window that spanned the wall.
“I do not want to hurt you, Amara,” Egan said, shaking me. “Stop moving about or I will crush him.” Egan warningly squeezed the effigy I had yet to release.
“I will do as you order.” I kept my voice even and faint.
“Release it then.”
I looked over at Cassiel. He had climbed to his feet. There was no way he would be able to close the distance without Egan crushing every bone in the lower half of his body. I turned back to Egan. His eyebrows scrunched together.
“Amara, I do not want you harmed. If you leave, I will turn a blind eye.”
I could only stare in surprise. Is he offering me an escape?
“Go,” Cassiel said. “Let her leave here. I will cooperate.”
I reeled, mind racing. He was not staring at me. His focus was on Egan. Was he trying to fool Egan? To lower his guard?
Cassiel straightened, and there was no hint to tell me what he thought. He was serious. That angered me, quite desperately. He would have me released while he remained captive.
“Cease making plans!” I shouted. Cassiel was telling Egan to get me out of here without him.
Panic squeezed my throat. Images of his crumpled body, of them using him for their entertainment, of his pain, filled my head.
“Egan.” I shook my head. “I cannot leave him. Please . . .” I croaked.
‘Stubborn,’ Cassiel all but growled in my head.
“I will not help him.” Egan yanked the effigy, but I held on tighter. “Amara, release it. I will not let him escape. But you . . . you can run.”
I drew straighter.
‘I want you to duck in three . . . two . . .’
He moved, and Egan’s eyes flicked up. His hand squeezed.
Panic seized my throat. I cried out, shoving his cheek with my palm.
A flare of pressure began in my stomach, traveling outward to my fingertips in a sweep.
Egan’s eyes rolled back, and he crumpled, hand going limp.
I hugged the effigy, backing away from his limp body as I panted.
What had happened?
A touch on my shoulder had me whirling.
“It is me.” Cassiel caught my arms. “What did you do?”
Not what occurred but what did I do . . .
My heart raced at an abnormal speed, pounding so hard I could feel it.
“I do not know,” I breathed, staring down at his unconscious body. I stared at my hand, then at Egan.
Cassiel whipped his head toward the empty path. “We must go.”
He grabbed the grimoire and handed it to me as he collected the fallen sword. He angled it as if about to slide it through Egan.
“No,” I blurted.
His eyes thinned. He opened his mouth, but before speaking he swung his head around.
“Fuck,” Cassiel snarled, turning so fast that I smashed into his back.
“What is it?”
“I hear steps ahead of us,” he answered grimly, pulling me opposite where he looked.
I staggered after him, still reeling, my chest still aching.
Shouts increased from down the hall.
An arrow swished past and thudded into the door sill behind us.
A second arrow sliced his arm, and blood welled. Cassiel tossed the sword with a clatter.
‘Hang on to me.’
He wound his arms around me and lunged forward, but not the way I anticipated.
Cassiel crashed his shoulder into the glass pane.
I choked on a scream, grinding my teeth as the impact drove the breath from me.
It could not have been more than a few beats, but it stretched, then we lay on the ground with a thud.
His hand on my head forced my cheek against his chest. Even though he cushioned me with his body, landing made my teeth click together and my head swim.
The grimoire and effigy slipped from my grip.
I grunted as the air was pushed out of my stomach.
Even before I caught my breath, I pushed up, ignoring the aches and pains rifling through my limbs. Cassiel remained on the ground.
A broken bone bulged on his arm, but that was not the most concerning injury. His ankle had completely bent to a sickening angle until bone pierced through his flesh. It seemed to be hanging on by ligaments.
My stomach lurched—not from the gruesome sight, but from the pain he must be feeling. The grimoire and effigy lay a few paces away from each other. I quickly collected both under one arm.
“Get up,” I ordered, tugging at the sleeve of his robe as I took in our surroundings. We had landed in the bushes lining the outside of the garden.
He groaned and moved his arm across his side. There was a rib sticking out through his skin.
“Get away from here,” he grunted.
“You are wasting your breath,” I chastised.
He bared his teeth, but despite the disapproval and shaking of his head, I quickly pushed against his free side, curling one arm around his waist. He did not press his weight into me.
Lurching a few steps forward was all he managed.
I pushed myself against his side where there were no ribs poking out from his skin and pulled his arm over my shoulder until he had no choice but to lean against me.
It almost tipped me over, but I locked my knees.
The only reason I was able to keep us upright was because my stronger leg was on the outside.
“There is a way out that way.” Cassiel jerked his chin deeper into the garden.
Fresh blossoms had replaced the destroyed flower beds, but the mylk flowers were gone.
We passed the inactive fountain. Cassiel’s breathing grew sharper, but we did not stop.
I gritted my teeth, attempting to grip onto the numbness that helped me move forward.
An alcove opened near the back into another bland hall.
Another servants’ entrance. The path stretched and stretched, seemingly forever.
We reached a circular section that opened in four different directions.
Cassiel coughed and spat blood to the side.
‘I am going to listen, be as quiet as possible.’
I did as he said, waiting. He closed his eyes.
He popped his head up and jerked his chin toward the second entrance. We shuffled on. Doors stretched here and there, but he did not stop until we had almost walked an obscene distance.
“There are servants’ quarters that way.” His foot began dragging a bit, and his movements became sluggish.
“Cassiel, we have to leave this place,” I whispered, squeezing the arm I held.
He hissed a breath out between his teeth and shook his head.
A fresh wave of resolve came over his features as we finally reached the door.
I opened it to an empty servants’ kitchen.
‘We are in the kitchens that serve the council wing.’ We crossed two wooden slats that led outside.
They swung shut behind us. It took a beat for me to orient my location.
Across the pebbled entrance was a stretch of woods.
We broke through the treeline. I gritted my teeth, fighting exhaustion.
With uneven, pained staggering, we managed to reach the iron gate surrounding the House of Lords and leading deeper into the forest. Cassiel let my arm go and, still favoring one side, caught two of the iron bars to pry them apart.
His breathing stayed ragged, but he did not stop until the bars gave way, leaving a gaping hole.
His hand on my back shuffled me through, and the bottom of my robe snagged on the jagged edge, tearing through it.
It took Cassiel more maneuvering to get through with his size, but finally we were past and the woodlands sprawled before us.
Cassiel took my hand, lacing his long fingers through mine. “We must reach the river.”
“There is a river nearby?”
“It is quite a distance, but if we reach it, we should manage to avoid detection from the hounds.”