Page 42 of A Kingdom of Destruction

It was a sweeter statement than she expected.

She had to be careful.

Her observational skills had been a huge necessity in the past. She needed to be able to see the various outcomes of a fight before it occurred in order to position her men in exactly the right place to optimally defend Grimrose.

On that front, she’d failed abysmally. It cost her more than she’d been willing to pay.

Currently, her ability to calculate several steps ahead might make the difference between a life of pain and a life of semi-comfort where she actually felt like aguest. Yet she still wanted to escape.

“If you want to try to get to know each other, then I’m not going to stop you,” she said through her teeth. Forcing herself to smile at Cillian, knowing her time was limited. “Now, if you don’t mind…” She hiked her thumb over her shoulder.

Cillian arched a brow imperiously. “Why would I mind?”

“I’m quite sick of Roran’s company, and I’m tired. I’d like to rest in my room.” And end the conversation immediately. Her insides squirmed, and so far, she’d gotten lucky in hiding her wand.

Said luck wouldn’t hold forever.

Something sharp poked at her heart when Cillian reached out and tucked a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I’ll let you rest and come check on you later, then.”

“I’m sure you have too many other things to handle. There’s no need to watch out for me,” Aven insisted.

“It would be a pleasure.”

The moment froze between them.

His gaze raked over her from top to bottom, and she wondered distantly if he was able to see beneath the facade to her core and soul. The wild, unbreakable pulse beating in her body that demanded she take her freedom back. The time was ripe for it.

If one group of poorly organized humans got through fae defenses—and they’d have to be in order to be cut down so easily—then another had a decent chance of success. Which meant it was only a matter of time before she broke out of here.

She didn’t want to wait.

Couldn’twait, not with the rope tightening around her neck. The princes paid her too much attention. It may lessen as the days and weeks went by, but what if it got worse?

Finally, Cillian’s attention drifted down the hall, and he nodded again, this time in farewell.

She popped into her room to check for Nora and found it blissfully empty. Aven went still for only a moment, her mind shifting through several different scenarios. With the palace coming out of lockdown, the guards would no doubt be busy trying to check on the noble subjects and the royal family.

Roran and Cillian would be distracted, along with their bastard of a sire.

What better time for her to run?

Let the countdown begin.

She had nothing to bring with her, to burden her on her way back to Grimrose. Food might be an issue, as well as finding sources of fresh water, but she’d lived off the land before during excursions to spy on enemy camps.

She’d never backed away from a challenge before.

The idea grew inside of her, winding everywhere until she knew she had to go, urged into action immediately.

The halls of lavish opulence all bled into one another, and if Aven hadn’t spent days traversing them, memorizing them, she knew she’d have gotten lost in an instant. Her blood went cold thinking of what would happen to her if King Donal caught her trying to escape. The thought sharpened her mind, had her eyes narrowing. She might not be able to fight him with magic, her wand all but useless in the face of fae magic in their stronghold, but she might be able to outrun them all if she got a head start.

Confidence did nothing to calm her racing heart. She’d rather take this chance than face a future with a marriage shackle to one of the princes.

Aven pretended to take her time walking through the hallways toward the main entrance. Marking enemies andhiding places, although none of the guards she passed paid her any mind. She had no weapons to draw their attention.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs, she scanned the steps, the entry hall below, carefully watching and listening for anything amiss and finding nothing.

Trusting her instincts led her to victory before. Perhaps not this last time?—

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