42. Chapter Forty-Two #2
Strong arms wrapped around my chest from behind.
“Trust me,” whispered the crown prince, and as I was about to think how I had almost done just that, he jumped off the side of the bridge, taking me with him, and then we were falling and falling and falling, my stomach lurching into my throat.
The ground approached rapidly, and just as my fear peaked, we landed with a soft thud in a billowy mound of snow. A moment of disorientation enveloped me before I realized we had fallen into a snowbank. And that snowbank was rising into the air.
To my left, the sounds of ice cracking and shattering were followed by shouts of terror, then the thuds of bodies hitting snow.
From our small, snowy mountain, I could see hundreds of soldiers encroaching on us, and beyond the wall, faint outlines of buildings in Kagé City.
“Clear my view of the city. Please. I need to find the guild,” I instructed, and Prince Ren dutifully obliged, condensing the storm below our sight line to the royal grounds further down.
Pulling out Serafina’s map, I mentally superimposed it over the city grid stretching before me.
The abandoned guild was easy to spot, its rotund roof raised a story above the surrounding buildings.
I traced the curves of the path I would need to take, noting landmarks and alternate routes in case something went wrong.
“Great. Now I just have to figure out how to get there alive,” I muttered, watching as soldiers in silver and black roamed the city streets. Turning to the prince, I folded the map and placed it back in my satchel.
“Any ideas, Your Highness?”
Before he could respond, a low, distant scream pierced the howling storm, echoing from within the castle walls.
Suddenly, a torrent of shadows erupted from Blackstone. It hurtled over and past us, cascading across the city like a living shroud, obliterating the moonlight.
“That beautiful bastard.” The prince let out a short laugh, his face covered with a wide grin.
The familiar weight of Seok’s shadows curling around me calmed me, like a full-body hug.
“I can barely see you,” Prince Ren said as he looked me up and down. “You’ve become one with the night.”
Closing my eyes, I looked up to the black sky, catching snowflakes on my lips. Gratitude for the second prince welled within me, threatening to spill over and down my wind-burnt face.
“Let’s get you down there.” Ren’s words kept the tears at bay. “I can distract the guards so they think you’re still on this side of the wall, and I’ll keep the snow coming, but not nearly as hard. Just enough to cover your tracks.”
He extended his arm, just like he did before helping me up in the corridor.
“It’s been a pleasure, Ayse. And while I can never fully express my regrets to you, I hope someday our paths can cross again, albeit under better circumstances.”
I reached out my own hand and shook his, catching the pain behind his forced smile. I had enough people to be angry with.
“Thank you, Prince Ren. For what it’s worth, I think I forgive you.”
Ren smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Well then, perhaps next time, I’ll have the pleasure of dancing with you instead of just watching you disappear into the night. I can throw one wicked gala.”
“I look forward to that, then,” I replied with a watery smile, placing my free palm over our still clasped hands for a moment before pulling away.
As our hands parted, the prince winked.
“Enjoy the ride,” he called as the hill beneath us broke and stretched apart. I found myself atop a moving wall of snow on course for the wall. Glancing behind me, the prince stood at attention, giving me a playful salute.
If only Queen Xia was as kind as her sons. I wondered what their father had been like, since they both turned out to be such wonderful men.
As the wave of snow approached the top of the wall with speed, it crested and cascaded over the edge. I braced myself for the impact, but as it crashed, I rolled away without adding any new injuries to my running tally, slipping unseen into the shadows of the city.
In the darkness, I crouched low as I crept along, my senses heightened, scanning for any signs of guards. The billowing shadows beneath my feet masked the crunch of snow, each step painful—even though my body was numb from the cold. Exhaustion threatened to drag me under as I pressed forward.
I staggered through the maze of cramped cobblestone alleyways, likely resembling a clumsy ghost more so than the fugitive that I was. Towering brick and stone structures surrounded me, their occupants lost in slumber during these early hours before dawn.
Thankfully, my route had been clear of threats, and I didn’t have much farther to go.
As I turned another corner, I ran straight into a solid figure in my path—an Ittoran soldier.
With Seok’s cloak of shadows my best asset, I tried to fade into obscurity, holding my breath until my chest was about to rip apart.
My attempt at stealth was painful, figuratively and literally.
The soldier, startled by the impact, squinted into the shadows.
Recognition flashed in their eyes, and they drew their sword, charging forward.
Heart pounding, I gripped my dagger, unsheathing it with shaky determination.
Remembering Ren’s lessons, I aimed for the neck and struck with all my strength.
The dagger met their padded armor, causing the guard to recoil.
Backing up, I collided with the building behind me. The soldier grunted and charged. My hands shook so violently that the dagger almost slipped.
Darkness worked in my favor. Stumbling on an uneven cobblestone, the soldier hurtled toward me. I ducked to the side and landed on a snowbank. A thud sounded to my right, and when I looked up, the soldier was slumped over, having collided with the wall.
Without waiting to assess their consciousness, I fled, yanking my soaked cloak tightly around me.
Gasping for air, I sprinted down an adjoining alley, praying my legs wouldn’t betray me now. Almost serendipitously, an open door caught my eye. The building’s windows were boarded up, making it the most promising hiding spot I’d likely be afforded.
Without hesitation, I plunged into the refuge of the musty interior. The door creaked softly as I closed it behind me, and I pressed myself against the inner wall beside it, my chest heaving with exhaustion.
I first counted to ten, slowly, listening for the sounds of pursuit outside.
Then twenty. Thirty. Sixty. One hundred.
Counting higher than one hundred seemed unnecessary, so I counted to one hundred again.
Unbroken silence was all I heard—not even the scurry of a rodent in the boarded-up space.
I couldn’t discern what it used to be; I couldn’t see anything.
If it was dark outside, it was pitch black in here.
Feeling safe enough, I shimmied along the wall at my back, moving my feet sideways to avoid tripping on any unseen obstacles. When I reached a broken window covered with overlapping timber, I flipped around and peered out through a crack into the darkness, sighing with relief.
Across from where I hid stood the silhouette of a two-story structure with a domed roof. I had finally reached it—the old Weavers' Guild.