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He brushed a strand of hair away from my wet face as he kissed the top of my head, my voice a whisper, “But your heart stopped.”
“No, firefly, it just slowed to an undetectable rate,” he said into my hair, kissing me once more before he pulled away, cupping my face. “I’d taken a preventative tonic moments before stepping into that arena that’d heal any injuries I’d receive. It was a risk you wouldn’t plunge that sword into my heart, but one I was willing to take. I wanted to tell you. Stars, I hated hearing your cries, but I needed your reaction to be authentic so the king would not suspect anything.”
“I don’t understand. Why?—”
“I’ll explain everything later, firefly. But right now, I’m here to make good on a certain promise that not even death can keep me from breaking.” A knowing smirk curled his lips. “If we plan on getting out of here before the king realizes you’re gone, we need to go now.”
Talon raised his brows expectantly as he held out his palm, his eyes searching mine as he awaited my decision.
As if I needed to consider anything.
Without wasting another second, I laced my fingers in his and followed close behind, twisting down different corridors, deep underneath the castle, to avoid being spotted.
Even as darkness consumed us and anxiety eclipsed my thoughts while we ran into the unknown, I’d never felt more alive.
Free.
I was finally going home.
Thirty-Four
Numbness spread to my elbows as we inched through the narrow section of the underground tunnel, our bodies compressed to the limit to avoid getting stuck. Exhaustion weighed on me, every muscle aching, while Talon took the lead, skillfully navigating us through the intricate passageway.
“Are we almost there?” I fanned away a large cobweb—my skin crawling as it wrapped around my hand.
“Just around this corner.” Talon contorted his body to fit through the stone, and I followed until we reached a dimly lit tunnel somewhere deep under the castle. I shimmied out of the shaft and hopped to my feet, flexing my arms to work blood back into them. Beams of light emitted through the wrought-iron gate at the end, and I felt thankful to be out of that wretched, dirty space.
Talon ducked into the shadows, and pulled me with him, our bodies slamming together. “Listen, when we get to the opening, run until you reach the stable. Don’t stop, no matter what. Understood?”
My eyebrows furrowed as I processed what he was saying. “What? I?—”
“Promise me, Elowyn. There’s a witch that lives in the woods. Her name is Minerva. Find her if anything happens.”
“I'm not going to leave you.” I squared my shoulders to meet his tight stare. He was mad if he thought I wouldn’t fight alongside him. There was too much at stake—and I was done running. And I was certainly done being afraid. “So, save me the lecture and give me a weapon because we both know I won’t take no for an answer. This is my fight, too, Talon.”
He clenched his jaw as he chewed on my words, likely devising a way to convince me otherwise. But it was a moot point. I motioned for him to get on with it, and with begrudging reluctance, Talon unsheathed the dagger at his hip and placed it in my palm.
I would’ve chuckled under different circumstances, but it didn’t stop a pleased smirk from tugging at the corner of my mouth.
“Watch my right, got it?” His hand didn’t leave mine as he spoke. “And don’t you dare, for one second, try to save my ass before your own.”
He pulled away before he could change his mind and pushed the metal gate open with quiet stealth, the muscles in his arm taut as he used the other to reach for me.
Guards materialized from what appeared to be thin air as soon as we stepped out, drawing their swords.
Talon held them back, casting balls of light from his hands, sending several of them flying back.
“Elowyn, go!” He demanded, keeping his focus ahead.
Magic spewed from his free hand as he fought the others off with his sword, blood spilling onto the ground. A rogue guard on Talon’s right watched me, calculating my every breath with predatory stillness when he lunged at me, running at me faster than my legs would allow.
There was a flash of light, followed by a snarl, when a wolf appeared at my side—its blade-like fangs ready to tear into my skin.
It rapidly closed the distance between us and gained traction, roaring as it pounced at my back.
I fell, flipping onto my side just in time to capture its front legs, fighting against the fae to avoid razor-sharp claws.
We struggled—fighting for the upper hand—yet neither of us got anywhere. Rolling and struggling on the ground, I punched and kicked at its open belly, but its fur was like a shield.
