Page 94 of Ruby & Onyx

Vito immediately begins working on the lock to the iron door.

Bas sets Guylita down and turns to address the rest of us. “Remember, we’re not done yet. When this door opens, we must run straight to the alcove by the sea. We have a skiff hidden, which we can take to the ship. Do not use magic, or else they might stop us before we get there.” He nods to each of us, affirming that we understand the plan. And despite how badly I need to rest, I nod my agreement. Then he adds, “Run like your lives depend on it.”

“They do, brother,” Amin adds.

Chapter 40

The lock clicks open before I can comprehend the full weight of that statement.

“Right. Well, let’s get to it then,” Bas says, barely showing signs of the exhaustion wracking through him. His chest is heaving, but his hands are steady.

“Wait! What about Moose?” I don’t know how long I’ve been in the dungeon. Has he gone looking for me? Does he know that I didn’t abandon him intentionally? That is, assuming they didn’t throw him out… or worse.

“What the hell is a Moose?” Amin asks.

“My dog! I can’t leave my dog! We have to find him before we leave!” I beg, but I can see in their eyes that they’re calculating the gentlest way to let me down.

“Radya, we don’t –”

I interrupt Bas before he has a chance to say no. “I am not leaving without him. That’s a promise.”

Amin and Bas exchange a look that says I’ve lost my wits. And maybe they’re right, but I will not leave without him. “Fine,” they say in unison, a touch reluctant.

Vito pulls the door open, sticks his head around the corner, and waves us on once he confirms the coast is clear. Amin yelps at the sudden onslaught of daylight, having been deprived of it for so long. And I nervously tiptoe out behind Bas, terrified that Vani, or worse, Olly, might be lurking behind the corner.

It might be the dumbest decision I ever make, but I yell, “Moose!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Amin’s eyebrows pull together angrily as his face reddens. “Why don’t you just yell, ‘hello! I escaped from your dungeon with two other prisoners and the gods-damned King of Umbra!’ while you’re at it?”

“Calm down! I need to call for him. He will find me.” That pathetic attempt at an excuse only kindles more of Amin’s anger. Bas, on the other hand, is grinning from ear to ear. I want to ask him why, but before I can say anything, I hear the tippy taps of Moose’s paws running toward me. He’s running at full speed, tail wagging, and aiming right for me. I pull him into my arms when he reaches me. As he licks my face, I can tell that he missed me as much as I missed him.

“Tills?” Amin and Bas say at once, surprise lacing their voices.

Moose runs from me to Bas and hops into his arms, where they snuggle into each other. “I thought I’d never see you again!”

“How do you know Moose?”

“His name is Tills,” Amin grunts his correction.

“Tills ran away from us when we were outside of Carcera. We feared that he’d run through the barrier and –” he chokes on the unpleasant memory and digs his nose into Moose’s neck to aid in forgetting. “But he made it. He made it, and he found you.”

“He chose me.” I had thought it at the time, but I didn’t understand why. Now I see. Moose didn’t just happen upon my cottage. He was looking for me. Could he sense the connection to Bas even when I couldn’t?

Moose hops down and sits between us, wagging his tail like he’s pleased with himself. He was on a mission this whole time, and this is his moment of achievement. All of us are staring at this little dog, who is far smarter than any of us knew. Though, I should have recognized his intelligence as soon as he snapped at Olly.

“Radya?” My heart skips a beat as the realization of who’s speaking settles in.

At the end of the hallway, I see bright teal hair and sparkling wings. My heart does a backflip as I cry out, “Gemma!”

She rushes toward me, but Bas places a hand on my shoulder to hold me back. “We can’t tell her anything. It’s too dangerous,” he whispers in my ear.

“I need to talk to her.” I don’t even know what I’m going to say, but I realize now that I took the coward’s way out by not speaking to her directly. Did she read the letter? She must have. I’ve been gone for… a couple of days? Hours? Gods, I don’t even know.

“Shall I go search for the throne room while we’re at it?” Amin runs his hands through his hair like he might pull it all out. “I’ll walk right up to the king and place my head in his bloody lap!”

Gemma ignores him entirely. “Are you okay? Where have you been? And why are you covered in blood?”

Oh, gods. I forgot that my clothes were stained with blood from Olly’s experimental stabbing. “There’s no time to explain. And I can’t say much, but… why don’t you come with me? We can all leave together!”

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