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Chapter24
“Your Majesty!” I screamed and lunged forward, watching the scene play out before me like the world was moving in slow motion.
Before I could shout to warn them, the cloaked figure jumped out of the darkness of the alcove, diving toward the queen with their dagger raised. Noah, shoved his mother behind him in a swift, graceful motion and held out his arm against the attacker while protectively shielding the queen.
The dagger glanced off Noah’s arm and he cried out, falling on one knee as the blade bit through his arm, splattering blood on the stones beneath Noah’s feet.
“No!” I cried, rooted in place a few steps behind them.
The cloak still covered the person’s face. Their movements were quick, and despite the prince bleeding they weren’t finished yet.
The attacker moved as Noah kicked out, knocking him off balance. A deep grunt slipped out as the attacker fell, twisting and taking the queen down with him in a heavy crash. Her head bounced on the ground and went limp.
“Mother!” Noah shouted as he lunged for the cloaked figure once more.
The king shoved me to the side and unsheathed a dagger from his cloak. This calm, demure man from moments ago now looked every bit the King of the Warrior Unseelie as he ran toward the attacker himself.
“Guards!” The King’s voice echoed down the halls.
But no one came fast enough.
The attacker was cunning and jumped to their feet as they watched the king making a move toward them. Noah looked at his father only once before moving toward the queen and placing his fingers on her neck to check her pulse.
His shoulders sagged, and I couldn’t tell if it was from relief or despair.
The king fought the attacker with his own dagger, and I flinched at a few blows that didn’t go his way. The king’s eyes went wide. I couldn’t breathe.
The enemy had sunk his own blade into the king’s gut.
The king grabbed the knife by the hilt as he fell away, pulling the attacker’s weapon with him.
Even without the dagger, the attacker turned and lunged for Noah’s head with a well-timed kick. Noah was faster even though he was hurt. He blocked the attack and rose to his feet. The enemy seemed to assess the situation quickly, and instead of staying for a further fight, fled down the hallway.
Noah hesitated, looking like he wanted to run after the intruder, but instead turned to his parents.
I had been rooted in place, terrified as I watched the scene play out. And then everything snapped into place. I wasn’t defenseless and I wasn’t going to watch us have zero leads again.
I looked at Noah, and he knew why. He shook his head ever so slightly, but I didn’t stay. Didn’t want to waste precious time that was already slipping away.
“Cora!” I heard his voice calling mine, but I couldn’t stop.
I pushed myself into an all-out sprint down the hall after the attacker. I’d be damned if I didn’t do something to help after being too afraid during that fight.
The cloak flowed behind the runner ahead, sweeping the hallways, and I kept pace, even gaining some ground as we moved. Where the hell was everyone?
I had yet to pass a guard as we raced in and out of a few additional hallways, moving through and navigating the palace like it was second nature. No, I wasn’t navigating it like that, the attacker was. Whoever he was knew the pass very well. Too well.
We passed a few doors to the outside, and I wondered why he wasn’t taking them to leave the palace altogether. Instead, the person halted and turned onto a staircase right before the hall opened to the doors that would have led to Noah’s library.
I skidded around the corner, following them upward. I took the stairs as quickly as I could, hearing the attacker’s feet pounding ahead of me.
I stuttered a few times as the stairs continued to climb, opening onto strange landings as we made our way up. I hadn’t been here before, but the attacker’s rhythmic pounding sounded as though they were keeping a steady pace.
I caught sight of the cloak so close in front of me that I jumped, grabbing it successfully and stopping the enemy.
It did nothing to unveil whoever this psycho was. Noah had said something about the fae being able to glamour, and I wondered if that included keeping this asshole hidden even as I desperately tugged at the cloak.
The hooded figure snarled low and the voice gave me chills. “Let go and run along.”
