Page 35 of Isle of Beasts and Shadows

“We don’t have time for this,” Jonathan’s voice was firm, sending chills down Airella’s spine. It was a tone she had never heard from him before. With no other option, she crawled through as he nudged her forward. “Don’t worry, I’ve picked up a thing or two from your father back when I was a kid,” Jonathan reassured her, trying to lighten the tone of the situation.

Next, he turned to Sirius, who was also hesitant to leave. Before coaxing Sirius to crawl through, Jonathan whispered something inaudible, a moment that piqued Airella’s curiosity. However, her focus shifted as the voices of the approaching men drew nearer, urging them to hurry.

Airella sat beside Sirius, their figures silhouetted against the castle walls as the lush green grass surrounded them. She gazed down the gaping hole, her heart pounding in her chest as Jonathan, arms raised in surrender, kneeled before the soldiers who swarmed around him. The clatter of weapons being confiscated echoed in the air, while the search for the remaining two fugitives intensified.

As Jonathan was led away in chains, his eyes met hers one last time, and Airella felt a knot form in her stomach. She turned to Sirius, whose expression mirrored her concern. Their next move was critical, but Airella’s thoughts lingered on rescuing Jonathan.

“We have to save him,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion as she remained on her knees.

Sirius hesitated, his gaze scanning their surroundings before he spoke. “We need to handle a few matters first.”

Airella’s eyes bore into his, silently demanding answers, but Sirius remained cryptic. With a resigned sigh, she wiped away a tear, knowing their current location was far from safe. The weight of their actions hung heavily in the air, marking them as outlaws since Sirius’s failed attempt on the king’s life.

As uncertainty clouded her mind like a dense fog on a moonless night, Sirius took the first step, setting off in a direction unknown to both him and Airella.

Intrigued and wary, Airella hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow him, her heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Their fates seemed inexplicably intertwined in the shadows of betrayal and intrigue, casting a veil of uncertainty over their every move.

“Where are you going?” Airella’s voice was hushed as she trailed after Sirius.

Sirius remained silent, his gaze fixed ahead, but a glint of determination flickered in his eyes, hinting at a deeper motive driving him forward. Airella sensed a hint of revenge in his demeanor, a resolve to fulfill the promises and threats he had made in the heat of the moment towards Duran.

“Stop.” Airella’s hand shot out, grasping the sleeve of Sirius’s cloak, bringing him to an abrupt halt. “We can’t leave Jonathan behind. We must go back for him; everything else can wait.” Her voice was urgent, laced with a sense of responsibility and loyalty to their friend. Airella met Sirius’s gaze, his yellow eyes piercing through her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. “We have to find Jonathan.” Her words hung in the air, a silent plea for understanding and cooperation.

Sirius regarded her for a moment, his expression softening slightly as he processed her words. With a nod of acknowledgment, he signaled his agreement, a silent promise to stand by her side on this precarious journey they had embarked upon.

Rather than attempting to retrace their steps through the labyrinthine passageways, Airella and Sirius opted for a riskier approach, seeking out a clandestine back entrance into the palace. Their footsteps were soundless as they navigated the hidden corridors, avoiding the grand rooms and evading the vigilant eyes of the palace guards. The air was heavy withanticipation, the thrill of the unknown guiding their every move as they pressed forward.

“Shh.” Sirius brought his finger to his pale lips as they hid behind a wooden door, side by side, their breaths synchronized in anticipation.

After ensuring the coast was clear, he gently seized her hand with his clothed one, guiding her into the open hallway with a silent urgency. Airella could feel a rush of heat creeping up her cheeks, but she willed herself to focus on the task at hand, pushing aside the self-consciousness that threatened to overwhelm her.

“Who goes there?” the booming voice of a soldier, accompanied by others, shattered the stillness behind them.

With a shared glance of determination, Sirius and Airella wordlessly agreed on their next move and bolted in the opposite direction, their hearts pounding in unison.

“Go, go, go,” Airella chanted inwardly, her mind a whirlwind of fear and adrenaline as they sprinted through the corridor. As they reached a junction with two diverging stairways, one ascending and the other descending.

“Find Jonathan.” Sirius’s urgent command cut through the chaos, directing her towards the path leading downward, presumably to where the dungeon lay hidden. Despite her reluctance to part ways with him, the urgency of their escape left her with no choice but to comply, the weight of the unknown consequences hanging heavy in her mind.

With a last look over her shoulder at Sirius engaged in diverting the guards, Airella descended the worn brick steps, the distant sounds of muffled moans and echoes of distant grunts growing louder with each passing moment.

Airella froze in surprise as she collided with a taller, brunette-haired girl who appeared slightly older than her. The brunette’s wide-eyed gaze met Airella’s, who then noticed a black-haired maid standing beside her. Strangely, Airella sensed an air of difference about the maid, with her pale skin and a mysterious smile playing on her blood-red lips as she fixed her gaze on Airella.

Feeling a mix of curiosity and caution, Airella drew Dawnbreaker from its holster, ready to defend herself.

“Step aside,” she commanded, trying to exude confidence.

The brunette girl, clad in a loose cloak and a silky purple gown adorned with gems, crossed her arms defiantly. It was clear from her attire that she was of noble birth, far removed from the life of a commoner.

“Who do you think you are?” she retorted, her tone haughty and dismissive.

Airella’s gaze hardened as she avoided the question, her suspicions growing. “What is someone like you doing down here?” she challenged, her voice tinged with defiance.

The brunette’s response was cutting, her words laced with condescension. “That’s none of your concern. Do not raise your weapon against me! Are you some poor excuse for a palace guard? How unladylike of you,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes in disdain.

Reluctantly, Airella lowered her weapon, deciding to bide her time and gather more information about this unexpected encounter. As she observed the girl more closely, a realization dawned on her—this could very well be Princess Thea, the king’s daughter, disguised and exploring incognito.

“I apologize, Your Highness,” Airella muttered with a deep bow, her voice laced with a mix of reverence and unease. Princess Thea’s piercing gaze lingered on her, and Airella could sense the weight of disapproval in the air.

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