Page 76 of Red Queen

The diversion holds, the battle rages on—a tempest of blood and fire—and I am the eye, calm and determined at the center of the chaos, my purpose singular: Save Eleanna.

I slip inside the castle, using the chaos as my camouflage. The fight swells with a sharp discord of colliding swords, as if the very air splits with their ferocity, punctuated by guttural cries of pain.

Like a shadow I move through the dark corridors with supernatural silence, listening for the slightest sound. The guards are distracted by the commotion outside, their attention fixed on the spectacle of violence orchestrated by my loyal warriors.

The scent of mold and old blood hangs heavy in the air as I reach the back turret, taking the long way, so as not to be seen.There’s an exit from down below the ground floor, part of a storage room. But this time I’ve that way and another route in mind, just in case the former is blocked.

I climb the stairs to the floor where she’s supposedly kept. My heart hammers against my ribs, not from exertion but from the anticipation of what I’ll find. When I finally spot the iron door of Eleanna’s cell, something primal within me stirs—relief, rage, love, all tangled into one throbbing ebb.

“Eleanna,” I breathe, taking down the bar blocking her way out that locks the door and I push it open with a strength born of desperation.

She lies there, chained, her red hair splayed around her like spilled wine on the cold stone floor. There are markings where a bed must have been. How like a cruel cunt like Catarina to take that way.

Eleanna blinks, her eyes, dull blue mirrors of the sky, lock onto mine, and for a moment, time ceases its relentless march.

“Alexandru,” she whispers, the sound slashing through my heart.

“Shh, save your strength, my Queen.”

I rush to her side, working to unlock the shackles that bind her wrists. My fingers are swift and sure, the metal softly clinking as it falls away. But my heart squeezes, full of worry for her, seeing her so weak and pale—a mere shadow of the fearsome queen she is.

“Damn Catarina and her thirst for power,” Eleanna murmurs, her fierce spirit still burning within her despite her weakened state.

“We need to get you out of here.” I can’t bear the thought of losing her now, not when we’ve just been reunited again.

With utmost care, I lift her into my arms. She’s lighter than I remember, too light. It’s wrong, a cruelty that reminds me sheis at death’s gate. But there’s no time to dwell on it—I need to move.

“Can you ride?” I ask, though I already know the answer.

She nods against my chest.

“Then hold on.”

We slip unseen from the turret, and the passage is clear. We make it out of the castle undetected. In the courtyard, Ivan, Nicolai, Marianne, and half my garrison fight. Staying low, we make our way through the courtyard and out the gates to where my horse waits, hidden in the dark.

“Get us out of here, fast!” I command the beast once I mount, Eleanna secured before me.

Its hooves strike the ground, each beat kicking up ice and snow in its haste. We charge through the terrain, the sounds of battle fading behind us, replaced by the pounding rhythm of our flight.

“Alexandru,” Eleanna sighs, her body pressed tight against mine. “Thank you.”

“Save it. Just stay with me, my beloved.” I urge the horse faster, the cold winter winds slapping at our faces as we race toward safety, toward hope.

Barely holding on to consciousness, Eleanna’s grip slackens. The rise and fall of her chest against mine grow fainter, a softness to her breath chills me more than the biting wind. She’s slipping away. “Stay with me, Eleanna.” My voice is raw, half command, half plea.

But she doesn’t respond as she yields to the poison coursing through her veins.

My fortress looms into view and I press my heels into the flank of my steed, urging it to one final burst of speed. The instant the gates open at our approach, I leap from the still-moving horse, landing with inhuman speed, cradling Eleanna in my arms. I rush inside and lay her body down on a bed.Unsure what to do next, I hover over her, mind racing and pulse pounding.

“Alexandru!” Nadia calls out, her eyes wide with fear as she rushes toward us, a vial clutched in her hands. “I have something that might cure Eleanna. A vial with elder vampire blood. Her father’s blood,” she says, pushing the vial into my free hand.

I nod, too focused to form words. The liquid inside the vial gleams darkly, an opaque beacon of hope. With each ticking second, I’m aware of the weight of Eleanna’s fate in my trembling grip.

Gently, I kneel beside Eleanna on the bed, her skin now ashen, the vibrant red of her hair dull against the pallor of her face. I unstopper the vial with a shaky hand, its contents more precious than any treasure.

“Drink, my love.” I bring the vial to her lips. “Come back to me.”

Eleanna’s throat works feebly as she swallows the powerful vampire’s blood.

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