But Keradoc only glared at me, the indignation in his eyes warring with his unchecked curiosity and, if I didn’t know any better, arousal.
Saying nothing, he finally turned and marched toward the door. This time, he didn’t stop to see if I was following, and for the briefest instant, I considered bolting in the other direction, taking my chances with another doorway, a window, anything but whatever Keradoc had in store for me.
But Gem had already betrayed us. The guys had been ambushed. Keradoc knew the game right from the start, and he’d likely planned for every contingency.
If there was truly another escape, he wouldn’t have turned his back on me.
I closed my eyes. Drew a deep breath.
Survive,I told myself, the word never far from my thoughts.No matter what.
It was my next piece of lasagna—make it through the night alive. Not just for myself, but for Jax and Elian. For Hudson, wherever he was. For my sisters. I had no idea if Melantha knew I’d failed in my quest to retrieve Keradoc’s blood, but right now, I had to hope she didn’t. Had to hope that my sisters were okay.
And as much as it burned me to admit it, that fae asshole was my best shot at coming up with a plan to keep them safe. Melantha was as much Keradoc’s enemy as she was mine. That right there was some common ground.
Something I could potentially exploit as readily as he was planning to exploit my Darkwinter connection.
Survive.The word echoed once more.
I nodded. Shored up my walls. Promised myself I’d do just that.
And right now, surviving meant putting one foot in front of the other and following my captor into the dark abyss that awaited me.
6
HALEY
With smooth, graceful steps, Keradoc led me down the long corridor outside the throne room and up a narrow, winding staircase that climbed so high, I grew dizzier with every step. There was no railing and no light to guide the way, only the glint of silver on his clothing a few steps ahead and the cold, damp stone surrounding us—sometimes smooth and polished, other times as rough and unrefined as the walls of a cave.
Again I thought about slicing my palm, trying to tap back into my magick. But I was running on empty, in desperate need of food and sleep, and worried about the guys. Fear and exhaustion? Perfect formula for sloppy mistakes. Keradoc would be expecting another attack, and we’d already encountered a dozen more guards, some pacing the halls, others scuttling down the stairs like roaches, their armor and weapons brushing my chest as I stepped aside to let them pass.
Best I just bide my time. Gather my strength. Observe, assess, and make a plan.
My thighs and calves burned with every step, but finally, after what felt like hours, we reached the top of the staircase. It was all I could do not to drop to my hands and knees and kiss the ground.
The landing opened up right in the center of a massive gallery that stretched out about fifty feet in both directions, with towering stained-glass windows at each end like some kind of gothic cathedral. The walls were the same rough-hewn black stone as the staircase, only now they glowed a soft orange from dozens of magickal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, the endless black rock broken only by a series of ornately carved oak doors. I had no idea what lay beyond them, but the whole place was, like so much of Midnight, strangely beautiful and intriguing.
“The entire castle was once a mountain,” Keradoc said, his voice softening with a hint of wonder that took me by surprise. “Legend has it the trolls carved it into a castle with their bare hands.”
“Trolls? They’re a thing here?”
“No one knows for certain. None have been sighted for a good five hundred years or so.” This time, the smile he shared was playful rather than cruel, and damn if it didn’t send a little spark to my heart. “Fear not, Miss Barnes. Should any trolls breach the walls and attempt to reclaim their home, I shall personally slaughter them and present their heads to you on silver platters.”
I shrugged as if his teasinghadn’tthrown me completely off guard. “If you’re looking for the perfect gift, K-Doc, I’m more of a chocolates-and-weapons kinda girl. Actually, if you wouldn’t mind returning that dagger you stole from me and sending me on my merry little way, we’ll call it even. Hell, I’ll even send you a thank-you card when I get back home.”
He shook his head, his eyes dancing in the light. He looked younger somehow, as if a little teasing had the power to erase years of brutal existence.
Maybe it did.
“Fair offer,” he said with a wink, “but I think I’ll pass, clever little thief.”
“Worth a shot, though, right?”
“I suppose so.” Still smiling, he gestured for me to follow him once more, and together we continued down the left branch to the very end of the hallway. He paused before a set of carved double doors, each side boasting one half of a massive tree lush with star-shaped leaves.
The craftsmanship was exquisite—a delicate, beautiful work of art that seemed out of place in this hall of rough stone.
“Wow,” I breathed, unable to stop myself from reaching out. At the slightest brush of my fingertips against the polished wood, the leaves glimmered with silver light. “That’s incredible!”
