Page 62 of To Save a Kingdom

Every muscle in her body spasmed as she reached the precipice and hurtled over it.

Elessan groaned her name as he followed right behind her.

Chapter 24

Aliya

Afist pounded on the door.

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

Aliya groaned, rolling over and brushing her hair out of her face.

Strong arms contracted around her, pulling her against a warm, hard chest. The scent of a pine forest after a spring rain filled her nostrils. Elessan.

She stretched, her inner thighs pleasantly sore.

Someone thumped on the door again. The frantic pitch in the messenger’s voice cut through the fog.

Her eyes slammed open as the weight of deep sleep snapped back from her mind.

They’d likely been knocking on her door for a while now. Valek.

“El.” She pushed at his arm. “El, let me go.”

He groaned, pulling her closer. Still asleep.

“El!” She shook him.

The pounding on her door game again.

Elessan jerked to awareness with a jump.

Aliya slid off the bed, wrapping a robe around herself. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Spinning on her heel, she headed into her study and toward the door.

The blankets rustled as Elessan threw them aside and followed her.

She held back an eyeroll. Of course he wouldn’t listen, but it was no doubt out of the desire to keep her safe, so she couldn’t get too annoyed. Not this early in the morning.

She clicked the bolt and turned the latch, opening the door to find a handful of guards standing outside, their eyes bulging and faces flushed.

“Your Majesty.” As one, they ducked their heads in a brief bow. The one who had been pounding on the door licked his lips. “Apologies, but there’s been an incident.”

Of course there was. This must be the universe’s way of punishing her for forgetting about her duties and responsibilities for a few hours last night. Judging from their red skin and flaccid expressions, it was more than a simple disturbance. Her blood chilled as the fine hairs on her arms raised.

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Elessan had managed to put some trousers on—he had. She stepped aside and opened the door so the guards could enter.

She wasn’t thrilled about having to face the sentries or her nobles without even being able to run a brush through her hair or clean her teeth, but this was urgent.

Moving to her desk, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Elessan came to stand behind her as he tugged his tunic into place. “Have a seat, Captain.” She gestured to the open armchair across from her. “What’s the emergency?”

The guard gingerly lowered himself and swallowed hard enough his throat bobbed. “A human with a red jewel and white eyes has taken over the eastern half of the castle,” he said, the words rushing out of his mouth as though he couldn’t believe it.

She froze, her heart turning to ice. No. Brooks couldn’t be here.

If he was, the Whisperers were, too.

“When?” The word rasped past her suddenly dry vocal cords.