Page 24 of Queen of Serpents and Shadows

He stilled.

“If we can get it so you can shift, you can kill him. Wehave to get him in the open. That gem can’t have that much power,” I said.

His jaw tensed and a vein in his temple bulged.

“Where’s your prince?” Kabir asked.

My stomach twisted. “He’ll be here.”

“We can’t wait too long,” Kabir replied. “I refuse to be ambushed and captured while fleeing.” His grip tightened on his weapon.

Ryvin would tell me to run. He’d tell me to leave them behind. “We wait a little longer. Not much. If he’s not here, we find our way out.”

Every heartbeat was excruciating. Every breath was a reminder that we were waiting in a hallway, unable to help. And giving our enemy more time to notice we were gone and find us.

“Princess…” Bahar said.

We’d already waited too long. I knew they’d given more than enough time. Reluctantly, I nodded. Ryvin and the others were on their own. They’d find their way out. I had to believe that.

We got a few steps down the hall when I heard footsteps behind us. My pulse raced and for a horrible moment, I thought the guards had found us.

It was Ryvin, Laera, and Vanth. All of them bloody and panting as they chased us down the hall.

“Don’t stop!” Ryvin called. “Keep going!”

I ran, but my friends caught up to me quickly. All of us were racing down the hall, blindly following Bahar andKabir. Thankfully, this was their home. They knew every exit.

Down stairs, through rooms, into servant hallways, down more stairs. Finally, we emerged into the kitchen and Bahar stopped, catching his breath. My sides ached and my lungs were burning. Keeping pace with shifters and fae wasn’t easy. My legs felt wobbly and I wasn’t sure I could sprint like that again.

A few servants stared open-mouthed at us. Then one of them started pushing a table toward the door. It screeched against the stone floor, making me wince. Two more servants joined in, aiding the first in moving the table. When they were finished, they walked toward the chairs and started carrying them to the table, adding them to the top. They were making a barricade.

One of them paused in front of Bahar. “What are you waiting for? We’ll hold ‘em off as long as we can. Get out of here.”

“We’ll be back with reinforcements. We will not allow him to hold Drakous,” Bahar said.

“We know,” the servant said.

Something slammed into the door and we all turned. My heart hammered against my ribs. They found us.

Kabir pushed open the exterior door and we left the kitchen, ending up in a massive garden. Before I could get my bearings, the dragon shifters bolted ahead, then stilled. Their bodies rippled and cracked. Similar sounds came from next to me where Vanth was changing into his wolf form.

Two massive dragons rose into the sky, flying away from the castle in the opposite direction we’d come from.

“They’re causing a distraction,” Laera said.

“We better use it then,” Ryvin said, he looked over at the wolf. “Stay with Ara. Get her to the caves.”

“Where are you going?” I was furious he was planning on leaving me.

“Right down the street, for all to see.” He grinned, a vicious smile that sent a chill down my spine. This wasn’t my Ryvin standing in front of me. This was the dark prince who brought fear and death in his wake. The warrior I’d seen ruthlessly kill his enemies.

“Finally, time to play.” Laera pushed her sleeves up, then winked at me. “See you soon.”

Vanth made a huffing kind of sound, then impatiently pawed at the ground. I got the message. “Fine. Don’t die,” I called to Ryvin and Laera.

Ryvin leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss. “Stay with Vanth and don’t do anything heroic.” He took off at a run before I could respond.

I sighed, hating that I was hiding away while my friends put themselves in danger to draw attention from me. I allowed one more breath of feeling sorry for myself, then started walking, following Vanth toward town.

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