Page 51 of Deliverance

Chaos breaks out as figures appear everywhere. Guards in uniforms swarm the area, but they are met with long-limbed humanoid creatures, their faces twisted into grim smiles. Long talons extend from their fingers and toes, slashing at anyone who gets too close. Smaller creatures that look like gnomes are climbing the walls. They are around knee height and wear glistening red hats. Redcaps. I was warned about them, vicious male gnome-like creatures who soak their hats in the blood of those they killed. From the way they glisten, I would assume they have already found at least one victim.

This is like something out of a nightmare.

“Iris!”

My heart thuds painfully in my chest as Alaric comes into view, running across the courtyard, swords drawn. He slices his way towards me, taking no prisoners. His movements are so fluid that it’s almost like watching a dance, his blades glistening with blood as he races up the stairs towards me. He’s barely out of breath as he sheathes his swords and pulls me roughly into his arms.

I’m so relieved to see him that tears roll down my cheeks as I bury my face into his chest. Days have passed since I last saw him, which is far too long in the best of circumstances, but I thought I was going to be taken before I could see him, before I could tell him—

Pulling back enough so I can look up at him, I memorise his features. “Alaric, I love you.”

Joy and surprise shine in his eyes, giving us a moment of light in this dark situation. “I love you too.” He leans in and presses his lips to mine. “I just wish I had more time to show you exactly how much.” Brushing my hair back from my face, he cups my cheeks and stares into my eyes with a firm expression. “This is not goodbye though. Iwillsee you later.”

My answering smile is bright as I nod in agreement despite the fact a small voice in my mind is telling me that he’s wrong. I’m sure that he knows exactly what I’m feeling, but he doesn’t bring it up. He turns to his friend at my side and claps him on the shoulder. “Blaise, take care of her. Don’t let them take her.”

The two of them share a moment, and I look away to give them privacy, feeling overwhelmed by how much this feels like a farewell. The fighting continues in the courtyard, and it’s a miracle that no one has made it up the steps to attack us yet. That probably has something to do with the guards who are battling against the myriad of terrifying creatures below.

Hands land on my shoulders, the bond telling me that it’s my mate’s touch, before he pulls me around to face him. He places a searing kiss on my lips, his green eyes locking with mine. They say everything that words aren’t able to.

With impossible speed, Alaric forgoes the steps and leaps over the stone barrier that protects us from falling, pulling his swords free before he’s even landed. In a flurry of movement, he battles his way towards one male in particular.

“We need to get somewhere safe, come on.” Blaise grabs my hand and tugs, pulling me along behind him. Having to put all of my attention into just staying upright, I send out a prayer to anyone listening to keep Alaric safe. Darting around the side of the castle, Blaise leads me through a less manicured part of the garden, which quickly turns into overgrown bushes and tall plants.

“Catch them. We need her!” Ciaran calls out loudly from somewhere behind us. He’s met with a chorus of howls and screams, thunderous footsteps following behind us.

“What about Alaric?” I ask Blaise as we run, pushing through rough bushes and sharp leaves. I have no idea where he’s taking me, but I trust him, so I continue to stumble on.

“He can hold his own against Ciaran. He will be fine,” he shouts over his shoulder. This should reassure me, but it sounds like he’s trying to convince himself more than me, which only makes me worry more.

Stopping, Blaise makes a noise of success and ducks, disappearing from view. Eyes wide, I glance around, panic starting to rise in me like a flood. Before I can say anything, he tugs on my hand. “Duck,” he orders, and I just manage to do as he says as I pass through a hole in the palace wall.

On the other side, I stand and look back at where I was in wonderment. The hole is completely disguised by plants, and without Blaise’s guidance, I never would have found it. Why has the king never ordered it patched up? A breach in security like that could have led to an attack like today’s. Obviously, I am very glad it was available to us, but I am still surprised it’s here.

“Hurry,” Blaise calls, snapping me from my stupor.

Terrifying noises on the other side of the wall get louder, and I know it won’t be long until they find the hole and follow us through. My palms are sweaty, and my legs feel weak, but I need to stay focused if I have any hopes of getting out of here alive.

With the castle built into the rock, there is only so far around we can go before meeting the cliff, so I’m not sure where Blaise is planning on going next. The plants around us are getting bigger, and just ahead is the edge of the forest. The valley city is surrounded by the rocks of the cliff and the forest, the trees less dense the closer they get to the castle.

“We’ll stick to the forest, as it offers us more cover,” Blaise explains quietly as he releases my hand and slips into the treeline. The pace he sets is punishing, but he makes sure to check that I’m still keeping up with him, offering me his hand over fallen logs and on rough terrain.

The trees run parallel on either side of the city, the area steadily getting wider until both sides meet up with the main body of the forest. We lost view of the city a little while ago, and now we are in a denser part of the woods. My hopes begin to slowly rise. Sounds of trackers and terrifying creatures following us died off, the only sounds we hear currently coming from the attack in the city.

Guilt grows in me with each garbled scream and cry of a child as we flee the city. I could be helping in some way. I may not be a fighter, but I could tend to the injured. Instead, I’m running like a frightened little girl. You have to stay safe for the sake of both races.The thought keeps circling around my brain and is the only thing that stops me from turning around and going back.

A sharp pain pierces my chest, and I lose my footing, dropping to the ground with a hiss of pain. The bond aches and twists, warning me ofsomething, but I’m unable to figure it out. Part of my discomfort is due to the distance I’m putting between Alaric and me, but this new feeling is different. Something has happened to Alaric. I suddenly realise what’s happening. He’s blocking his side of the bond, most likely in an attempt to keep me from worrying about him, but this only has the opposite effect.

“Iris!” Blaise calls out, concern making his brow furrow as he leaps over to me, crouching as he checks me over. “Are you okay? Did you injure yourself?”

Flustered, I shake my head and struggle to separate my own feelings from that of the bond. “No, it’s the bond, something is wrong. We need to go back.”

The forest pulses around us, and everything happens very quickly.

A pile of boulders just ahead of us suddenly shifts, standing upright as two glowing red eyes stare back at me. Standing at least three times my height, the behemoth fills my field of vision. My scream catches in my throat, and only my expression of horror gives Blaise any warning that something is happening behind him.

He turns with his hand on his dagger, but it swings its mammoth fist and smashes it into the side of my friend’s body.

There was no way he could stand against a blow like that, his body flying to the side and falling to the forest floor. Blood drips from his nose, his twisted body completely still. Why isn’t he getting up? I need to know he’s okay, and I start to move forward but freeze at the sound of growling. Slowly turning my head, I see hound-like creatures that must be the dread hounds I was warned about. They are nightmarish, their bodies almost the same size as me when I’m standing.

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