Daselis stood at the top of those stairs, a young girl with her—obviously her niece. She was helping my aunt, and together they handed each prisoner a cloak with a pocketful of jewelry and gold coins—stolen from the nobles in the ballroom, the bedrooms of the courtiers who lived in the castle, and the room where their cloaks had been stored.
The prisoners wearing little more than rags were given the dresses, shirts, and breeches that Telean had spent the past two days stealing—with Daselis’s help today. As the queen’s seamstress, Telean had unrestrained access to every closet and drawer in the castle.
The prisoners each took a bundle, ready to change once they were in their carriages. Shoes were a problem—but one we’d had no solution to. They’d have to use their coins to buy shoes as soon as they were away from here.
“Pris.” Asinia was suddenly next to me, her eyes glistening. “I wish you could come with us.”
“I’ll be fine. Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.”
I glanced at Demos, who was standing behind Asinia, wild anticipation in his eyes. “See you soon,” he said.
“Soon,” I promised, my heart light as Demos grabbed Asinia’s arm, hauling her away.
Asinia would have her life back. And Demos… Demos would get to smell the grass while he gazed at those clouds he loved. We’d watch the sun set together and get to know each other properly. I just had to get through the next part of our plan.
“You did it.” Dashiel grabbed my hand as he reached the top of the stairs behind me. I squeezed his hand back.
“I did the first part. It’s up to all of you to work together for the rest of it.”
The prisoners were running now, some of them stumbling, a few falling—only to be hauled up by the others. They moved as a group, splitting off as we’d planned and piling into the carriages that waited. Madinia had done it. She’d managed to convince Davis to let her into that map room, where she’d taken control. Even now, she would be with him. Hopefully, he was unconscious and she’d already ordered these carriages to go to the city walls.
If he wasn’t unconscious…
No. I would figure that out if it happened. For now, I had to believe Madinia had done her part.
Blood poured from my nose now. So much that it was only a matter of time before I would collapse. If that happened…
It was all over.
Lorian took my arm.
“Go,” I told him. “You have to take them and go. Now.”
He didn’t look pleased. His eyes were molten in a face that was set in hard lines. I held up my hand. “Blood vow, remember?”
He cursed, capturing my hand and bringing it to his cheek. “Stay alive. Just stay alive, Prisca.”
I attempted a smile. “You think I can’t handle it?”
“I know you can handle it. Because I trained you to handle it. That doesn’t mean I won’t wait with my gut in knots until I see you’re still breathing.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and then he was handing me a piece of his shirt for my bleeding nose once more. Only this time, I didn’t resent the way his scent engulfed me. No, this time, that familiar, wild scent steadied me in a way that few things could.
We didn’t have time for any more words. With a nod, he was gone.
Now it was time for me to do my part. But first…
I darted back into the ballroom. I had to release my grasp on my magic soon, or time would resume with no input from me. And I’d have no power left for my own desperate retreat from the castle.
But the king’s assessor? This was personal.
He stood just foot-spans away. I smiled, stalking up behind him. And then I released him, allowing him to know a tiny hint of the confusion and terror that his victims had felt.
He stiffened, but I was already swinging my blade. My knife sank into his side, and he screamed. “This is for Ardaric,” I hissed. “And his parents.”
I ripped the knife free and stabbed again. “This is for Thayer and Dashiel.”
He fell to his knees, and I dropped with him.
“And this? This is for everyone else you murdered.” I slashed my knife over his throat, something in me awakening at the sound of his gurgles. Something vicious and deadly.
Something that craved the blood of my enemies.
Prisca would owe me for this. Not only was I on horseback, along with Rythos, Marth, Galon, and Cavis—all of us killing anyone who attempted to stop the carriages from reaching the city walls—but behind me, Tibris and Demos bickered relentlessly on the horses Marth had stolen for them. I should have locked them in a carriage together.