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“I’ve no reason to run. Finding Celeste is the best chance at clearing my name. As soon as she’s caught, you’ll get the real story of what happened that night.”
Rayu considered him for a moment, then sighed. “I’m no’ saying I believe your story…but I want to. The gods know it hasn’t changed in all these years.”
“You never wanted to believe me before.”
“I did. We all did. That night . . . was madness. We came to celebrate your engagement and found your father slaughtering his men . . . his wife. And then you . . . standing over your fiancé Lizbet with murder in your eyes. Holding the weapon that had slain her. Her family demanded justice.”
“And you gave it to them, did you?” By locking an innocent man up.
“What else could we do? When we heard your story, we searched for evidence of witches. We tore the place apart looking. There was none. None of your soldiers or staff supported your story. And we all recall your father lamenting his hatred of witches. Why would he invite two into his kingdom?”
It was true. Everyone was shocked the day his father introduced Elora and Celeste as his special guests at court. None more so than his mother, who was not even consulted before his father gave orders to set up rooms for them in the guest wing.
Rayu shot a worried glance through the tent flap where he had a view of Xanthia, still sitting by the fire. It seemed he didn’t like the idea of leaving her out there alone where she might make mischief. “We found it impossible to believe he would invite them into his court. We could only conclude it was a lie you concocted to evade punishment.” As Khalstorm opened his mouth to respond, Rayu raised his hands. “I know you want to say it was a spell, but not a single witch we consulted could confirm that such a spell existed, let alone could be cast over an entire kingdom.”
Khalstorm’s jaw tightened. It was the greatest cruelty, leaving him with the memory of what they’d done while stripping knowledge of their existence from everyone else. It had made him appear as mad as his father.Maybe I am.
When once more Rayu glanced toward Xanthia, Khalstorm grumbled, “I would no’ leave her alone with your men for long. No telling what mischief she plans . . . if this is, as you suspect, a trap.”
Rayu met his gaze. “Doyouthink it’s a trap?”
“I think we will need to be on our guard every step of this journey.”
Rayu nodded in agreement and stood. Before leaving, he said, “If all you claim turns out to be true, I will do everything in my power to help clear your name. You have my word.”
After a beat, Khalstorm nodded. Rayu had once been a trusted friend, and Khalstorm knew that once he made a vow, he stayed true.
Too bad I’m about to break his trust yet again.
Once he was alone, he lifted his hand and examined the scratching stick that he’d been concealing in his palm. Plucking two of the prongs off and leaving the sharp center one, he began fiddling with the lock of his right shackle. A soft click rang out in the tent and the cuff broke open. He easily picked the second lock and then hid the restraints under his pallet.
A couple knapsacks had been piled nearby, stuffed with supplies. He peeked through the tent flap to make sure no one was coming. Rayu had returned to the fire by Xanthia and two other guards had joined them in conversation.
As quietly as possible, he rummaged through the knapsacks, pulling items out one by one and pilfering the only supplies he thought necessary for his purpose: A loaf of cloth-wrapped bread and a sword breaker; a remarkable dagger with hook-shaped teeth that ran along one full edge of the blade. It was used in battle to catch a sword mid swing in the jagged teeth and lock it into place, essentially giving the wielder control over his opponent’s weapon. The opposite edge of the blade was razor-sharp and could slice through bone with ease. An ideal weapon for both defense and attack.
He carefully replaced the useless items and arranged the knapsacks under the blankets of his pallet so it would appear as though he was there, sound asleep.
Satisfied with his work, he crept to the back of the tent and used the sword breaker’s sharp edge to open a small slit in the woven material that, gods willing, may just go unnoticed. With a final glance behind him, he crawled out of the tent and emerged into darkness with the forest just ahead. crouching low, he slinked into the brush.
The moons were high and bright in the sky, making it possible for him to find his way without too much trouble. He didn’t know how long it would take for his absence to be noticed. Minutes? Hours? When he was sure he was far enough away that the sounds of his escape would not be heard by the group, he moved faster, until he was practically crashing through the forest. Though there was still a full day and a half of travel until he reached Garnath, he knew the way better than anyone.
When Rayu and the others discovered his absence, logic-minded Rayu would assume Khalstorm simply planned to escape, vanish, never to be seen again. He’d probably send word back to the castle, but a proper pursuit would have to wait. For now, Rayu would cut his losses and continue with the mission to find Celeste and bring her back to Windguard for the sake of Jessie. Only then would he hunt down Khalstorm.
Too bad for him Khalstorm’s plan was going to make it impossible for him to complete either task. He hadn’t lied to Rayu before. Finding Celeste and forcing the truth from herwasthe only way to clear his name. But now, he no longer cared about that. He’d lost his kingdom, his mother, his father. Clearing his name would gain him nothing of import. She’d taken everything from him that mattered.
All he wanted was revenge.
He ran all night on the fumes of his fury, crossing rivers and bogs and mountains. When he came to a clearing, he changed into his dragon form and launched into the sky. A single dragon flying in the night wouldn’t draw too much attention. He kept low to the trees all the same. The witches could have sentries scattered about, and a lone dragon was easy prey if witches were on the hunt.
By the time the moon had crossed the sky, his wings burned from pumping them hard and fast. And still he went on. He felt no exhaustion, no weariness. Only the determination to see his deadly task completed.
He imagined her expression when he finally confronted her. When he took his new sword breaker and plunged it into her flesh the way she’d done to Lizbet. He imagined her gargled pleas, and he would watch with righteous satisfaction as the light dimmed from her eyes. And even though the image sent a twisted pang through his heart, he imagined the gratification he would feel when her body grew cold, and his thirst for vengeance was fulfilled . . .
When he could finally be free of the terrible hold she still had over him.
4
Celeste dreamed of him again. Khalstorm’s strong protective arms came around her, holding her close as the sun warmed their skin. She gazed up at his handsome features with fascination. His kind eyes creased at the edges as he smiled at her, his lips parting as though he’d never been happier than in this moment. She knew the feel of those lips. Soft and warm. Addictive.
