I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “You said the emperor wanted his zoraat back, right? It makes sense he’d be interested in you.”
“I don’t like the idea of that.”
“I wouldn’t either.”
I knew what it was to have the attention of Emperor Vahid, and he was merciless.
We stepped over the bodies and crept down the hall of the infirmary, easing open the door. Outside was dark and eerily silent, but more importantly, there were no guards in sight.
We skirted around the building toward the opposite perimeter wall, the one not along the cliffside. My breath was trapped in my chest, the pressure nearly unbearable.
The other guards may not have been alerted yet, but soon they would notice Thohfsa and the others missing.
We had to be as quick as possible.
We crawled along the grass, avoiding the roving torchlight from the guard towers. Thohfsa’s watchtower was next to the main entrance, and we headed there to climb up and over the perimeter wall. My breath was a white puff in the cool air.
A few more minutes and we would be free. A few more steps and we’d leave this prison behind.
But as we crouched in the grass, I froze at a yell in the distance.
Noor bumped into my back. “What?”
“I heard a shout.”
After a moment, the noise was impossible to ignore. Multiple guards called out, their voices coming from the direction of the infirmary. The stamp of feet pounded the grass.
They were close.
Then, the worst sound—the sharp ringing of bells echoed through the prison.
My blood froze. Now they were looking for us.
I clutched my swords tight, like they were an anchor.
The last time I’d faced the guards head-on, it hadn’t gone well.
But this time, it was different. This time, I had weapons.
With swords in my hands, I was invincible.
Noor’s own sword nearly flew out of her grip when the bell sounded and she whirled on me.
“Every time you turn, I think you are going to stab my eye out,” I muttered as I shifted away from her swinging sword tip.
“I told you I didn’t want to hold one!” she snapped.
“You don’tholda sword, you wield it. And it’s helpful to have in case we—”
The unmistakable hiss of a blade leaving its sheath cut underneath the chaos around us.
I could identify that sound in the middle of a storm.
I stopped short at the edge of the infirmary and dared a glance around the corner.
Half a dozen guards stood, their scimitars raised, looking for us.
“You’re going to need that sword after all.”
