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Just like that, silence descended again, leaving behind only Mios’ hard breathing as he shifted back into his human form. He shrugged his tattered coat to the ground in pieces, wiping the blood from his fingers off on his pants with a scowl that rivaled her own.
“So… what now?” Violet asked. She sounded breathless even though she’d barely moved this entire time.
“Harry is waiting for us. He said there’s another way out of here that will prevent us from having to deal with the guards.”
Harry? So Myna’s father had released Gavin from wherever he’d been held. He must have told him that Julius had taken her here as well. She swallowed against the thick knot that formed in her throat. “Is it the exit by the crypts?”
Gavin tilted his head. “How do you know?”
“Laura mentioned it before I came to help you. I should have listened to her.”
Alas, her stubbornness had almost got her killed. Gavin’s belief in the good in people had saved them. Even after someone he clearly cared for had hurt him, he maintained the same spirit.
He trusted this lion shifter—who he’d only just met—hours after being betrayed. His faith in people was shocking. It lit a need within her to protect him from the evil out there that would take advantage of his goodness.
And yet, he’d been right. Violet hated to admit it, but she’d been wrong about that entire family. Damn it. She’d have to learn from this.
She’d never trust easily, not when everyone she’d considered a friend had betrayed her. But she would try harder. For once, she’d gained an ally in Gavin. A true friend. And she wasn’t afraid to admit she wanted more. Maybe they could grow closer while they traveled across the Obsidian mountains.
* * *
The temples of the gods were larger-than-life buildings made of cream-colored marble and rounded columns. Violet had only been to the one in the Iron City, back when she’d still revered the deities.
She hated them now.
This one was no longer standing. Instead, it was merely the ruins of a grand monument, tucked away in an overgrown garden amidst a mess of petrified weeds and half covered in melting snow. To her, these chipped chunks of marble and stone represented the fall of the gods. Dargan’s displeasure at their neglect must be great. Good.
They slipped past the fallen columns that held pieces of the crumbling ceiling afloat. Everything was now drenched in the fresh rain that fell over the city.
The crypts lay at the very back of the place of worship, hidden behind tall shrubs: an ominous building with massive front gates built from bent metal that formed intricate flowers. The rumor was that the crypt was cursed, and Violet was inclined to believe them. Neems—the haunted, angry souls of people murdered in horrible ways—hovered on certain magical grounds. The right components were present here to have them linger.
“She should have mentioned that I didn’t really have to go through the crypts to get to the governor’s house from here,” she grumbled to herself. In fact, the hidden path ran parallel to the crypts, which made for a swift entry and exit from the building, ultimately avoiding the spirits.
“What are you talking about?” Gavin turned to her, his wavy hair sticking to his face. His breath was a plume of steam in the chill air.
“Laura—” She shook her head. “Never mind.”
He looked at her like she was completely insane. Truth was, if she could blame someone else for her mistake, if only in part, then it would relieve the suffocating pressure on her chest. But it had been her utter lack of trust in people that had cost her so much. It could have been Gavin’s life next, if it hadn’t been for Harry. They could all be dead by now.
She chewed her lip, guilt and self-loathing clutching her tightly. Harry led them to a wall of laurel trees so thick and high that they completely shielded the outside from view. He pushed the leaves aside.
Behind them, a heavy wooden door slumbered, perfectly camouflaged by a cascade of stems and evergreen vegetation.
“Go to the inn.” He wrenched the door open. “Let Laura give you enough supplies so you can safely make it across the Obsidian mountains. Then leave. They will start hunting for you soon.” His eyes landed on her, and they softened. “I’m sorry this happened to you all.”
He said all, but for some reason she got the impression that he mostly meant her. And his pity would normally have set her teeth on edge. Except this wasn’t that… It wasn’t pity, not really. Not at all. It was sympathy. He’d saved Gavin and her. She was grateful beyond belief that her face was already wet because she didn’t care for strangers seeing her cry.
They were free, and Harry should be safe as well. Since so many guards had seen Julius bring Violet to his chambers, and she’d escaped unscathed, they’d undoubtedly believe she’d been the one to release the prisoners. Harry could sneak back under the cover of darkness and pretend he’d never seen anything.
They had at least until sunrise. Dawn was already beginning to break behind the stormy gray clouds and the peaks of the conifer trees dotted across the side of the mountain.
Hopefully she would never have to set foot in another garden of the gods again, or return to this place. Now they just needed to find the inn for a short refuge, to gather some food and warm clothes. And then they’d depart for the shifter village.
19
VIOLET
The streets were deserted when they left the inn and made their way toward the stables at the edge of the city. Violet had stolen a mare back in the Iron City, and she hoped that the stable boy had kept her well fed and clean. She’d paid him most of her coin for it.
