Page 92 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

“I’ve been preparing,” he says with a feline grin, baring his teeth in a way that makes him look every inch the predator. “Taking things the guards leave lying around,” he clarifies, before looking me up and down with a frown. “You’re not wearing shoes.”

Glancing down, I see my toes poking out from under the fabric of my dress. “I ran from the banquet with the king. He was going to kill my friend, so I refused to let her eat the chocolate and then ran away. I came straight here,” I blurt out, knowing from his confused look that I’m not explaining myself very well. “We have to go.”

“It’s early spring, you will freeze without any shoes,” he retorts, and looks around the room, hunting for something as he walks up to each guard.

“I’m used to it.” Shrugging, I watch him numbly. I’ve survived the harsh Arhaven winters with nothing more than some rags and an old blanket I managed to steal from the trash.

He turns sombre at the reminder of my past, looking up at me. I expected to see a sympathetic expression, I’m used to being pitied, but instead he appears thoughtful. “Still, we have a long way to go.”

Turning back to his task, he starts removing shoes from one of the guards. “These will probably be a little big for you, but it’s better than nothing.” He tosses the shoes towards me, and I stare at them for a moment before putting them on. He’s right. They’re simple black leather boots that lace up the front, so I’m able to tie them tightly so they won’t fall off. They are a little big, but not too bad a fit. As I look back up, I see he’s walking towards me with a fur-lined cloak. He drapes it over my shoulders, and I hum how warm it is.

“Where did you get this?”

“It belongs to one of the guards, but you’ll need it once we leave the castle.”

It feels strange to be wearing the clothing of someone who died, someone who was killed in front of me, but I don’t have time to think about it. I know it will upset me once all this is over, but we’re in survival mode at the moment.

“Are you ready?” he asks, and fear suddenly hits me.

Are we really going to do this?Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and touch my Goddess mark for strength. I smile as her love fills me like a fresh, reassuring breeze.

“You are ready, my beloved,”the Great Mother whispers into my mind, and I know we are doing the right thing. Opening my eyes, I see Vaeril watching me calmly. We’re both aware of what’s at stake here and that we don’t have time to waste, yet he doesn’t rush me, just simply waits for me.

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

Too late now,I think to myself, but I appreciate him asking. He could have left days ago, but he stayed, he waited for me because he knew I wouldn’t have a chance of escaping without him.That’s not strictly true, Tor would have helped you escape.My gut clenches painfully at the reminder of Tor and Grayson. I wish I could have said goodbye and explained everything. When Grayson finds out I escaped with an elf…

“Yes, there are no other options now.”

He stares at me for a few moments before nodding and gesturing towards the staircase. It’s time to go. We hurry up the many stairs, him leading the way, and a thought comes to me.

“How did you know I was coming?”

He almost misses a step at my question, but brushes it off as he continues upward. “We must stay silent now,” is his only response. Biting my lip, I nod my understanding, even though I know he can’t see it. After a few seconds of silence, I hear him sigh. “I felt your fear, I knew something had happened.”

I want to ask so many more questions about what he said, about how he plans to get us out of here, but when I hear the pounding of many sets of feet, I know I need to stay silent. Reaching the top of the stairs, he pauses before turning to face me as he places a finger over his lips, reminding me to stay quiet. I nod my head, and he turns back and presses his ear to the door, his eyes closing as he listens, his face tense with concentration.

After a minute or so I start to fidget, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from asking questions. Suddenly, his eyes open and he pushes the door outward slightly, slipping through and gesturing for me to follow. Entering the hidden alcove, I see him peering around to check that the coast is clear before holding his arms out to me.

“Come here,” he murmurs, expecting me to just jump into his arms without any questions. Raising an eyebrow, I give him a look.

“What?”

Sighing as if I’m causing a fuss for no reason, he takes a step closer to me and gestures with his arms again. “I’m going to carry you out. It will be faster, we don’t have time to waste.”

I want to argue, this is not how I imagined escaping the castle with the elf. I thought of suggesting we ask Tor for help, but I know the mountain tribes don’t trust the elves much morethan we do, and I don’t have time to explain everything to him. Uncertainty and discomfort fill me, but that pull within me tells me I can trust him. Taking a deep breath, I nod and take the final step into his arms. Before I can change my mind, he’s scooped me up and I’m pressed against his chest.

The elf checks the corridor once more before slipping out into the darkness with me in his arms. I can only pray that we are doing the right thing as my doubts swirl through me. The only thing I am certain of is that my life will never be the same again.

The hallways are blessedly quiet, and I get the feeling that the Mother has something to do with that. I expected to have to hide from the guards, since they must be looking for me after my spectacular exit from the great hall.

I feel small in Vaeril’s hold and he carries me easily. My arms are wrapped around his neck, and in this position my head is resting against his chest and I can hear his heart beating. It sounds calm and steady, unlike mine which is pounding in my chest like it’s trying to rip its way out of my ribcage. We’ve stayed silent since we left the underground room, which is probably for the best. I’m worried that if I open my mouth all my uncertainties will come flooding out.

What am I doing? Am I safe with Vaeril? I’m escaping with the enemy of my people, what am I doing?

The thoughts just keep circling around in my mind, but I take a deep breath and focus on my connection with the Mother. She wouldn’t let me do this or encourage me if I was doing the wrong thing, right?

A jolt of fear shoots through me so hard that I think I’m going to pass out, and I grip onto Vaeril’s arm tight enough to bruise. “Stop,” I whisper, barely loud enough for even me to hear, but he hears me and freezes. Looking down at me, he sees my fear and his eyes widen.

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