“What is this place?” Amber asked as he pulled back a large burlap sack.
“The tunnels. Yer ancestor thought it wise to build an exit that wounds through the land. He dug the tunnels first before building the keep.”
“Lavina said that the keep was a place where our family smuggled liquor,” Amber countered.
“And how would she ken that?” Theo shook his head. “The books. That woman needs a proper library. Nay, the keep wasnae used for smugglin’ liquor. But that’s neither here nor there. The fact is, we can use this passage and others to get people out.”
“Council chambers?” Amber asked as her little eyes grew wide with curiosity.
Theo’s lips curled into a smile. “Where do ye think we’re goin’?” he asked as he rounded a corner.
His heart leaped into his throat when he saw Lavina. There she was, as he had hoped, waiting for him.
“Theo?” she cried, rushing toward him.
She wrapped her arms around them both as she planted kiss after kiss on his forehead.
“It’s good to see ye, too.” He chuckled.
The ground quaked under Theo’s feet. Something massive had plowed into the walls—something that could level the place in a matter of minutes.
“We’re out of time,” he said as rocks fell around them, sealing them off from their only exit.
“Theo?” Lavina gulped, turning to him for an answer.
Despite the direness of the situation, Theo wouldn’t break. He pressed his lips to hers, savoring all he could.
“This is goin’ to stop. Yer uncle is goin’ die,” he hissed as his future suddenly faded from his view. “Stephen, Marcus, ye both ken the tapestry of the fountain in the foyer.”
“Ye cannae think we can make it there,” Marcus gasped in disbelief.
“What choice do ye have? Ye stay here and have the roof cave on ye, or make it to the tunnels,” Theo snapped. “I dinnae ken about ye, but I want to see ye live.”
“Then come with us.”
“I cannae. Yer uncle will keep huntin’ ye down, and I willnae be able to live with meself kennin’ that I did nothing to stop him. Nay. I’m goin’ to end this madness now. Keep them safe.”
“Theo, nay, ye cannae do this to us,” Lavina begged.
Stephen wrapped his arms around her, pinning her to him.
“Get her out of here. I’m goin’ to stop the war.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Hold on, we’ll have ye out as soon as we can.” Lavina spoke to the wall of rocks. She let out a heavy sigh. Just hours before, there had been a massive tunnel system running below the keep. It was supposed to be a means to escape, not of being buried under.
Guilt pricked Lavina. How could she be alive when so many had fallen? After all, she’d been running through those very tunnels moments prior. Had it been fate, or destiny that stole her away from such terror, she didn’t know. But she found herself grateful to be on the other side, helping to free those still trapped.
Swallowing hard, Lavina pushed aside such thoughts. They wouldn’t help get the servants who were still trapped in the tunnels out. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she turned her attention back to the wall of rocks covering the opening to the tunnel from the council chambers.
The pleas for help grew fainter and pulled at her heartstrings. Lavina threw herself back into the work of clearing the debris.
She pulled the rocks as fast as she could, trying to free the people who’d gotten trapped in the tunnels.
But the truth was, no matter how many rocks she pulled out, more tumbled down to take their place. It felt like a never-ending task the devil would play on a fool. Lavina dropped her head as thoughts of Theo bombarded her mind.
It had been hours since he had vanished, determined to stop the attack on the keep. Still, there wasn’t even a whisper of his whereabouts. Although the barrage had ceased, the tension lingered in the air like flint ready for a spark. Lavina didn’t know how much longer the truce would last, and that terrified her.
