Page 37 of Her Blood Revenge

‘They reached the castle,’ the Shadow Master surmises. ‘That can’t be good. Hold back for a minute, Arch,’ he says. ‘I’ll talk to him first.’

Lifting my head, I watch him walk on and then hear the Dream Walker’s voice. They talk in indistinct whispers.

‘I didn’t mean to,’ I whisper, clinging to the fur beneath me.

That’s all I seem to be able to say.

‘I didn’t mean to run. To bite him the way I did or hit Leo. It all happened so fast.’

I can’t take the Dream Walker’s anger. I can’t face being put down in the cells they put me in last time.

The Wolf looks back at me and runs his tongue up my bare leg again, licking it in comfort and clearing it of dirt and blood.

With a blink, the Shadow Master is stood in front of me. Gently, he takes me in his arms and carries me inside. The Wolf shifts back to his human form and follows.

I keep my eyes closed and buried in his chest, dreading where he will be taking me. It’s not to the doors leading to the cells, but it’s not up to my room either.

It’s towards the room the Wolf was demolishing earlier.

I pass the Dream Walker, holding the door open. Once we’re all inside, he closes it. The gentle click was a far cry from the slamming I expected.

I’m lowered onto the bed, but I can’t deal with the space. The light. The world.

I slide to the floor and crawl to the underside of the bed placed in here, desperate for the dark and the quiet. No one bothers to argue. I think they’re all as traumatised as I am by what Cole just did to me. At how close he and Neve’s unseelie got to getting me.

The ground is pure soil, and I feel the soothing ebbs of the magic below. A few plants are brought in from outside, and rough patches of grass and moss are dotted about.

The pillows and blankets from upstairs have been placed beneath, and lanterns sit by each bedpost. I’m in the fetal position and focusing on my breathing as they continue to talk to one another.

‘You certain she’s healed?’

‘She is, Shaw, ’ the Shadow Master replies. ‘Physically, anyway. You?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘They attacked the house?’

‘Yep.’

‘They get inside?’

He sighs. ‘Yes. They got inside.’

There’s a knock at the door, and Leo steps inside.

‘Thought you’d want to know. Six of ours are dead, and two more have done arunner. And there are three dead unseelie in the grounds.’ He shuffles his feet. ‘And I’m afraid they took the dark-haired one from the cellar.’

The wardrobe door gets a damn good kick, and my entire body jumps. The Dream Walker’s livid.

‘The blonde one?’ the wolf asks.

‘They didn’t get her. She’s still down there. She was locked up tight.’

‘Now is not the time to be talking about that!’ the Dream Walker warns. ‘Leo. You let the barrier fall.’

‘Because your blood-drinking girlfriend knocked me the fuck out, Shaw. If I’d had known she was as strong as she was, I would have been more cautious.’

‘Is it back up now?’ the Wolf asks.

---