Page 47 of Dark Reign

This time, an incredulous laugh slipped from his mouth. “Again with the games,” he muttered under his breath.

My eyes darted toward him. “That part was true,” I insisted, inadvertently acknowledging that not muchelsehad been.

His gaze drifted out to the open road again and he said nothing. It was safe to guess he didn’t believe me, and probably wouldn’t from now until whenever he got rid of me.

The density of tall structures thinned as we neared the edge of the Capitol, concrete roadways submitting to rolling hills and narrow passages, much like the one that brought us to a gate—polished brass that extended to a brick border wall. It didn’t take long to realize it was heavily guarded, and once it dawned on me where we were, I knew that added measure of security had been put in place to protect the royal family.

The entire property, based on my team’s research, had been designed to keep intruders out, and away.

Designed to keep those allowed inside held prisoner, until they were permitted to leave by a member of the royal family.

My heart lurched inside my chest. The longer this debacle continued, the more certain I became there’d be no way to escape, no way to wriggle out of these unsavory circumstances.

Elle came to a complete stop.

“The guards will make her roll down her windows once they detect two lifeforms inside the vehicle instead of one,” Julian informed callously, and within seconds, that was exactly the way things played out—all four tinted windows disappeared inside the thin slots of the doors and one guard approached from the booth. He didn’t say a word, just looked to Julian to give the all-clear, letting him know I was in fact a guest of his.

But I was no guest. I had not been brought here of my own will.

With Julian’s short nod, the windows rose again, sealing us inside before the massive gates parted. I’d just been granted access to the one place I never, not even in my wildest dreams, imagined myself visiting—an Ianite emperor’s palace.

Despite my certainty that being here meant I was as good as dead, a smile nearly broke free. It was at the thought of how their kind would respond if they knew who I was, if they knew who they’d just allowed to infiltrate. Emperor Westower had put a hefty bounty on my head three years ago and with each new mission, that amount only increased.

There was no mistaking he wanted me dead. Perhaps even more than the Butcher.

The driveway was more like a private avenue—long and winding, lined at either side by trees as old as the property, and lit by mounted lanterns encased in glass with flames that danced inside. Eventually, much further off the road than expected, a sprawling estate came into view.

I stared, not because I hadn’t seen flashes here and there on our makeshift television. I stared because I was struck with a feeling as I tilted my head back to take in the breadth of it—it’s brick façade and towers stories high, a castle on a stretch of land set apart from the Capitol’s urban hustle and bustle.

A wave of panic crept up my spine and I would have torn at the door to escape if I thought there was somewhere to go, but … there wasn’t. I was, literally, right in the depths of the lion’s den. Inside the giant of brick and mortar, tyrants dwelled, the real-life monsters.

How in the world did I let this happen?

We continued to creep along the road past the main estate; those sets of headlights behind us never letting too much distance grow between them and us. Eventually, our drive ended in front of a sprawling manor. This one beautiful and foreboding, but paling in comparison to the size of the first. That one was nothing short of a castle.

The car locks disengaged, and my heart raced.

A guard approached from the right to open Julian’s door and he stepped out instantly. I watched him, how despite tonight being a disaster, he still maintained a sense of regality. A few words passed between he and the guard, and I assumed they discussed what was to be done with me for the night. I’d now seen the towers for myself, and could only imagine how terrifying the cells inside them would be.

I guessed I’d find out soon enough.

But then, something strange happened. I wasn’t sealed inside the vehicle again while Julian disappeared inside his home. No, to my surprise, one of the tall, thin men came around tomyside, and the next second, the door swung open. A wiry hand extended my way as I peered up into chilled, red eyes. There was no feeling there, only the trained, emotionless face of a Dynasty Guardsmen—the crème de la crème of the Capitols sentinels, who’d been handpicked by the emperor himself to guard his home, his family.

“Corina, please. It’s late,” Julian grumbled from the opposite side of the car. I knew he was weary when he didn’t flinch at calling me by what he assumed to be a fake name. He was irritated from the night’s events, irritated with me. My failure to trust his guard seemed to only make it worse.

“It’s perfectly fine. According to data I’ve collected, it appears Guardsman Colin fed roughly one hour ago. Meaning, you’re in no danger, Corina,” the A.I. eagerly offered.

Great, now it knows my name.

But I also knew theguard’sname—Colin.

Against my better judgment, I slipped my hand into his, cold and firm—like that of a corpse. My bare feet touched down on the uneven stones of Julian’s driveway, and at the sound of the car door slamming behind me, my heart skipped a beat. We followed the prince and my eyes never left him, waiting for the moment he’d command one of his men to usher me to his dungeon for the night. It wasn’t ideal, but I’d definitely slept in worse places.

We began our ascent on what I estimated to be roughly ten steps. Halfway up them, the large wooden door at the top swung open and light from inside flooded into the night. In the center of this light, the silhouette of a woman appeared. Stepping closer, her shadowy details became clearer.

She was young, roughly twenty or so. Her skin was as flawless as any Ianite, pale against the dark-brown of a short pixielike haircut. Her eyes were the usual crimson, and a fashionable, white pantsuit cloaked her svelte figure. We approached the doorway and she stepped aside, but her gaze never left me as we entered. All the while, a smile ghosted on her lips, as if she might have recognized me.

Only, I was positive that if she or anyone else on this side of the tracksdidrecognize me, they wouldn’t be smiling.

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