Page 22 of Court of Bone and Amethyst

“How far does this tunnel lead?” Merla asks, her voice hushed with awe.

“I don’t know exactly,” Sarielle responds. “It should be far enough from the castle so we can escape unobserved.”

“I’ll go first,” I say, summoning a ball of magic in my palm to light the way.

Sarielle takes her reins back from me and follows as we descend into the darkness. The steps do not lead far, just deep enough to tunnel beneath the walls. Where the stairs end, the tunnel continues for as far as I can, straight and just wide enough for one horse at a time. Merla follows behind Sarielle, and Owyn takes up the rear.

The tunnel continues for a mile, more or less. In places it is damp, no doubt from the marshes above. Then another set of earthen steps begins to rise toward the surface. I can only hope that wherever the tunnel leads, Sarielle is right and it’s somewhere we won’t be seen when we exit. I don’t know exactly how many of Avonia’s forces have now gathered beyond the walls of Castle Otreyas, or where she has scouts located in the surrounding lands.

The earthen steps end at a wooden door set in the ceiling above the final step. It leans at a slight angle, like one might see at the entrance to a cellar. I drop the reins of my horse and step in front of him, then pull the wooden latch set in the door. But when I try to push the door outward, slowly, it doesn’t budge. It feels like something is blocking it. Perhaps even dirt or sand. In the twenty years since anyone maintained the castle grounds, and perhaps substantially longer since anyone used this tunnel, had the marshes shifted, the tides pushing layers of dirt over our only exit?

I suck in a calming breath and call on my magic, sending a blast at the door. It shudders but holds. Another wave of magic, and this time there’s a little give. With a third push of power, the door swings partially open. It’s not earth covering it. It’s a fallen oak tree.

“Need some help?” Owyn calls from a dozen paces back, his voice echoing through the tunnel.

“There’s a tree fallen on the door. I can move it, I just need to give it a few more blasts of magic to clear a path.”

“That could draw attention. Hold on, I’m coming.”

I suppress the growl that rumbles in my chest, scowling over my shoulder into the dim light to watch as Owyn comes forward, his own vibrant ball of magic palmed and ready. He squeezes past Merla and Sarielle and joins me under the door. I’m not sure why he bothers me so much, and I’m even more irritated because he’s right.

“I can levitate the tree,” he says. “Just hold the door out of the way so I can see.”

I bite back another growl at his command, something I amveryunaccustomed to receiving, and do as instructed. If it weren’t for the fact that we’re still entirely too close to Avonia’s army for comfort, I wouldn’t need his help.

A hum of power moves around Owyn’s body, and a faint shimmer of light moves through the gap in the door. A moment later, there’s a rustling sound as the giant oak branch shifts to the left, moving off the top of us, followed by athudas it falls back to the ground. Owyn wastes no time, pushing the door open another couple of inches and peering out. With a huff I join him, both of us scanning our surroundings for signs of the enemy.

It is quiet, and the light dappled coming down through more trees. It appears the door comes out in a small, forested glen, meaning the tunnel had angled further north than I realized. We must be a little beyond the marshes. Tree cover is perfect,it should shield us from anyone watching the area beyond the castle walls.

“I’ll go first,” I say in a low voice to Owyn. “You follow with my horse.”

He nods, and I climb out through the narrow gap of the door onto my stomach, inching out along the leaf-covered ground until I can get a better view. When my body is all the way out, I roll and do a quick scan on the other side of the door where we hadn’t been able to look before. I see nothing but trees and thick brush. Sarielle’s ancestors had chosen this place wisely.

I climb to my feet and pull the door all the way open, clearing a few smaller limbs out of the way so the horses’ feet don’t get tangled. Owyn steps through with my horse, followed by Sarielle and Merla. Owyn’s horse follows on his own, not keen to be left behind in the dark. I grab his reins as he steps out last.

“Everyone stay here while I see how many warriors are posted on this side of the castle,” I say.

I hand Owyn the reins of his horse and take a moment to get my bearings before heading southwest through the trees. I stay to the shadows as I approach the fringe of the forest and lean only my head out from around one of the oaks as I look back toward the castle. I spot only a dozen warriors on this side, spread out along the northern wall. The majority of her forces must still be by the main gates.

Satisfied, I head back to the group and tell them what I’d seen. “We can’t take the main road north, of course,” I say. “But I know my way across these lands. We’ll stay close to the coast until we’re almost to the Court of Memory.”

“Let me work a quick spell to make you less trackable, Sarielle,” Owyn says, fixing his gaze on her.

“What kind of spell?” I ask.

“It will cover her scent, and her magic,” he explains. “In case a nightmare tries to follow her again. Or any of the others. They can all sense her because she’s their Queen.”

Sarielle says, “That sounds helpful. Thank you.”

Owyn raises one hand and a thrum of power moves across the glen. His trademark lavender light settles all around Sarielle, like a cloak resting on her shoulders. He nods once. “That should do it.”

We mount up beneath the oaks. My horse prances beneath me, seemingly eager to be out from beneath the ground and breathing fresh air again. I hold the reins in one hand, guiding him between the trees, heading away from the castle. If we can get some distance between us before Avonia figures out we’ve escaped, we might still make it north unscathed.

As we approach the northern edge of the glen, I catch a peek of the plains beyond, the marshes just to the south. “We’ll ride hard to put some distance between us and Avonia’s army,” I call over my shoulder. “There are a few bogs here and there, so follow right behind me.”

Stepping out from beneath the trees, the morning sun cuts across my eyes. I turn my face to shield it, and it’s that movement that saves my life as the arrow whistles past, barely grazing my cheekbone.

I jerk the reins and spin my horse around on his haunches as three more arrows fly into the space we occupied just a split second before. Arrows coming from either side of me, meaning there are at least four assailants. I respond on pure instinct, my shadows roaring up and out of me, consuming all in my path. A scream of agony rises to the right, and the scrambling of boots as the others, however many there are, attempt to flee.

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