Page 10 of The Reign of Blood

I’m scared. So scared, but Daddy’s hand wrapped around mine promises me he’s right there.

“Come, Addi. Keep a hold of Nora’s hand, too. We must hurry,” Daddy whispers in a worried voice that I don’t really recognize. He’s always so calm and collected; this is nothing like him at all.

My dress is heavy, weighing me down, and I can see Nora is struggling too, her little fingers tangled with mine as our father drags us down the darkening corridors. I know every inch of our home. I could walk it with my eyes closed and come out unharmed, which is why my tummy twists with worry when we take the right corridor.

“Daddy,” I breathe, the panic evident to my own ears too.

He glances over his shoulder with a sad smile on his face. “It’s going to be okay, my love. It’s all going to be okay.”

Something about my vision is grainy, my eyes struggling as the castle grows darker. I know how many steps to take in the right direction, the issue is, I really don’t want to be here.

My father comes to a stop at the hidden doorway that leads to the secret passage. It’s my least favorite. I’ve taken it only once, leaving my parents panicked, but I vowed never to do it again when I reached the other side. It’s scary out there.

“Daddy,” I murmur again, my bottom lip wobbling with worry as I look up at him.

His free hand rests on the access point while he squeezes my fingers firmly with his other. “Addi, I promise you, everything is going to be okay, but we’re no longer safe here, and keeping you and Nora safe is my number one priority. Always.”

I stare deep into his eyes, the blue pools brewing with unspoken words, and despite the fear that continues to cling to me like a second skin, I nod. His crown glistens in the darkness, his clothes dirty and stained red. I don’t understand what’s going on, but I trust him with my whole heart.

Shouts ring out from behind us, echoing through the halls, and Nora cries out in panic.

“Mama!”

I feel my father’s hand slip as he releases me to console Nora. “She’ll come soon, my love. Soon.”

Frowning, I tilt my head at him. He said it the same way he always says things that aren’t true. He’s been teaching me how to tell a lie. That was one right there. I open my mouth, ready to point it out, when a deathly snarl looms around the corner.

“Quickly, girls, quickly!” he orders, opening the latch and edging us through the passageway.

It’s pitch black in here. The uneven floor makes it difficult to take each step as the feeling of cobwebs brushes against my arms. My tummy turns as I bite back a sob. A glimmer from the moonlight peers through the opening at the other end of the passageway, and as much as I fear it, I fear the snarl of the creature just as much.

Holding on tightly to Nora’s hand, I stay at the front, leading the way, while my father holds up the rear to make sure no one is following us. Pressing my foot onto the open ledge, I steal my breath as panic tightens in my chest again.

The choppy water laps at the rocks below, beckoning us to take the leap and feel the fall. Nora tugs at my hand, clawing with her free hand at my wrist to release her, but if she thinks my hold is too painful, she has no idea what could happen if she falls.

Keeping to the edge, I take a deep breath, pressing my back against the wall behind us. Nora follows suit, but her fighting against me doesn’t stop.

“Daddy,” I call out, my words far quieter than I would like, but he manages to hear me over the howling wind. He doesn’t respond; he simply signals for me to take the steep slope to my right.

I’m cautious and careful, taking one step at a time. Although I’m probably going too slow for Daddy’s liking, he doesn’t rush or hurry me. Hope blossoms in my chest as I see the ridge of the meadow at the top of the incline, safety steering us closer.

“Let go of Nora’s hand, Addi. Then I will lift her up to you, okay?”

I peer at my father before dropping my gaze to where Nora’s hand rests in mine. My gut tells me not to let go, to keep her at my side and protect her at all costs, but despite my protectiveness, there’s no way we will get up into the meadow otherwise.

Nora sniffles, her eyes puffy, tired, and full of tears. My nose twitches with a burn that I know means I’m going to cry too, but I can’t. Not yet. I have to keep it together for her. Lifting her small hand to my lips, I press a little kiss to her knuckles, and the corner of her mouth tips up. She does the same, as we always do. I take another deep breath and release her hand.

I don’t want to waste a single moment, so I turn for the ledge and curl my fingers into the top, using the exposed tree roots to push up as fast as I can. The second I’m perched on the edge of the meadow, relief flooding my body, I turn and outstretch my arms, ready to help Nora.

Daddy does most of the work, lifting her up high, but I still wrap my little arms around her waist and pull tightly. So tightly that we stumble backward in a heap, a giggling pile of mischief as we forget our circumstances for just a moment.

Her big blue eyes shine under the moonlight. She is my sister, my best friend, my everything. If we just lay here like this, then all of the darkness will go away.

As if hearing my thoughts, Daddy appears a moment later, hovering over us with his hands planted on his knees as he glances around the open space. A curse breaks past his lips, and even in the thick of night, with only the moon to guide us, I watch as the color drains from his face. His eyes latch on to mine as he reaches his hands out to cup both of our faces.

“Run, hide, I’ll find you,” he whispers, a solo tear tracking down his face. “I love you,” he adds. Before we can even offer a response, he takes off.

Frowning, I roll in the grass so I can lift to my knees and get a good view of what he’s doing, but when my eyes latch on to the glint of my father’s crown, horror claims me.

---