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With my heart pounding brutally against its cage, madness and anger take over. My feet fly to the other side of the room where Naveen braces himself against the wall, and my heavy fists fly at his face.
He tries blocking my attack, so I switch it up and land a few hits to his side where the blood seeps through his shirt, then move back to his face. He falls to the ground, and I climb on top of him like a savage.
It would be easy to pick up my sword and drive it through his heart, but he doesn’t deserve a quick death. I’m going to make him suffer.
Her voice brings me out of my rage. “Grey, please,” she says, tugging at my shirt. I look down at my bloody hands, flexing them. I can barely feel anything over the guilt and regret. They should hurt. I can see the damage I’ve done, but I’m numb to my own pain.
I look over my shoulder to see her sorrow-filled eyes staring back at me. Her pouty lips tremble, and it breaks something in me. Something I never even knew was there, not until her. I’d do anything to take that pain in her eyes away.
Jumping to my feet, I wrap my arms around her trembling body, holding her against me as the blood from my hands soaks into her tattered dress. Her shoulders fall as she buries her face against me.
“I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry, kitten.” I kiss the top of her head as she sobs, and the last pieces of my heart shatter with the sound of her cries.
I fucking failed her.
All my years of training, and I couldn’t protect the one person I love most in this world. The person I vowed to protect with my life.
I’m drowning in my own guilt, and there’s no coming up for air. I won’t let this ruin her. I’ll take all her darkness and swallow it just so she can keep shining.
“Uh, hate to break this up but we need to go. Now!” Cal shouts.
I pick up my sword and pull her into my side. She stops to tuck her dagger back into its sheath and picks up one of the fallen guards weapons. “I’m ready,” she says softly.
“We need to find Dom and Tristan. Let’s head to the queen dowager’s room and see if they are still in the tunnels,” Cal says.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Robyn
“Robyn, if something happens and we get split up, head straight for the stables, get Koa, and ride south. There’s a small villagethat serves Lord Marin, my family is there. They will keep you safe until we come for you,” Cal instructs.
I blink back the tears that are threatening to fall from my eyes. “Don’t worry, Sunshine. We’ll always come for you.” Cal plants a swift kiss to my temple, but it does nothing to ease the fear bubbling inside me.
Greyson slips an arm around my waist, pulling my back to his chest as Cal checks the hall. He signals for us to move right. “Quickly,” he says, waving us forward.
My heart races as we make a break for it. We are in the north wing of the castle. Mortianna’s chambers are in the east wing near my own, and lucky for us, Windemere was designed with several halls leading in each direction. All of them come full circle surrounding the great hall and throne room.
“Stop them!” a guard shouts, from the other end of the hall, and we begin to run.
My adrenaline kicks in, and I lead the way with Grey and Callum following closely behind. I’ve never been more grateful for all the years I spent playing hide and seek with Rami. I know every inch of this castle like the back of my hand.
Sprinting from one hall to the next, we pull away from King Naveen’s knights. Every corner we hit puts more distance between us until we are racing down the east wing and closing in on the queen dowager’s chambers. Naveen’s men are in foreign territory, whereas this is my domain. I’ll be damned if I let them catch us in my home.
I burst through the door and immediately run to the area where Tristan found the hidden passage. My hands glide across the books, tugging each one until I finally find it.
The door pops open the same way it had before.
Grey grabs a candle from the nightstand and quickly lights it. Cal stands guard by the closed door. I hear shouting comingfrom the hall as we enter the cold, dark tunnel and lock ourselves in.
Grey moves ahead of me, holding the candle high as we move.
My eyes dart around the space, getting a good look at the area where Tristan and I shared our first moment together. There are cobwebs lining the walls, and the dirt covering the stone floor makes it easy to spot the footprints leading to the stairs.
“Watch your step,” Greyson calls out.
We reach the bottom of the stairs, entering a large, open space with several tunnels leading in every direction.
