Chapter 36
LYRAE
The jagged spires of Evernight Castle sliced into a frozen sky, a silhouette of sharp angles and menace dusted in snow. My heart thudded painfully as my ass bounced on the wagon seat, Varian shouting at the horses to fucking run faster.
Behind us, Grimbeasts howled, close enough I heard their thudding feet, and vaguely, Ryland’s lighter footsteps, racing just ahead of them.
The road was a slick sheet of ice, snow spinning around us on a wicked winter wind.
The loose straw in the wagon streamed behind us in a cloud of pale yellow, and all I could smell was rotten potatoes and chicken blood.
Stupid.
We hit a chuckhole and I bounced so high my feet caught air before my ass crashed down onto the hard, wooden seat. This was stupid and we were all going to die and Ariel would never be free of this awful fucking place because we came up with shit plans that never worked.
“Let us in,” Varian screamed for the third time at the still-locked gates.
“We’re bringing you fuckers your godsdamned food, now open up.” His fear wasn’t an act and hadn’t been, not for the past mile, when the guards had first spotted us racing for the safety of the castle and done nothing but watch, point, and laugh.
“We’re going to fucking die,” I grumbled, a knife in each hand, praying I didn’t poke one of my eyes out when the wagon went up on two wheels before crashing back down. Another hundred feet and we’d slam into the gates and this whole thing would be over.
“If we survive this, remind me never to agree to one of Ryland’s stupid plans ever again.”
“If I had a gilder for every time you’ve ever said that, Lyrae, I’d be rich,” he groaned. “Now open those fucking gates, you cocksuckers.”
Wonder of wonders, the heavy wooden gates inched open, a bevy of guards lining the top of the battlements, armed with flaming arrows, drawn and ready to fly.
The careening wagon dipped beneath Ryland’s weight as he heaved himself into the back, tossing a ratty blanket over himself.
The barrels of rotten potatoes were rolling all over, the poor horses were frothing at the mouths, since I was pretty sure this was the fastest—and the farthest—they’d ever run.
Even though I knew better, I glanced over my shoulder, holding the scarf over my braided-back hair, trying to maintain my non-threatening, hunched-over posture when I really wanted to let loose a foul curse.
“Damn, I shouldn’t have looked,” I grumbled, turning back to the slow-as-fuck opening gates.
“How close are they?” Varian aimed for the widening gap, though I had my doubts we’d fit through.
“Does the whites of their eyes ring a bell?”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be inside in no time,” he said cheerfully. “Then all we have to do is locate the Crown and your sister, then get back to the island alive. Really, that’s only three things. Should be a piece of cake.”
“I appreciate your confidence, Var. And your simplicity.”
“Are you saying I’m a simpleton?”
“Well, if the shoe fits, then I suppose…”
“Shut up, you two,” Ryland hissed from the back. “Every second counts, so focus.”
“You are always so grumpy right before a job, you know that?”
We flew through the half-open gates, the sides of the wagon grinding against the wood doors with an awful squeal, one of the wheels popping off as the horses panicked, sped up, dragging us across the bailey on three wheels, barreling straight into the front of the castle.
Behind us, arrows streaked up into the sky, lighting up the night, Fae soldiers shouted orders, Grimbeasts roared, and before they could fully secure the gates, two of the beasts slipped inside.
Big ones, high on bloodlust, probably from the trail of sheep’s blood we’d laid all the way here.
Good, that would keep these fuckers occupied for a while.
I hopped out of the wagon, keeping my weapons in both hands, as they circled a knot of Fae guards, those enormous jaws snapping loudly. The guards fought back with fire and blue magic—ice, maybe—but the Grimbeasts were faster.
Snapping teeth and powerful jaws backed by hunger made for dangerous foes, and two of the guards went down in a sloppy gush of black blood, spilled out onto the snow.
“That’ll keep them busy.” Varian unhooked the horses and slapped them on the asses, sending them crashing into an oncoming patrol of soldiers, as Ryland pulled down a torch and tossed it into the back of the straw-filled wagon.
The blaze was licking up the front walls when we disappeared into the castle, where the stone stank of decay, and somewhere in the distance, a crow’s caw cut through the stillness.
Rooke, keeping an eye on us.