Page 92 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“Which way?” Rion asked.

Gavin’s mouth opened, his breath still ragged. He stared at the door they’d just come through, then clenched his jaw. They all had a million questions. A million comments about the violation they’d just witnessed. But it was clear now wasn’t the time.

Gavin’s eyes were wide and wild as he glanced down each hall, trying to gather himself.

He’d been raised in these halls. He’d stood in his grandfather’s presence and knelt at his feet. But it was clear he hadn’t known the extent of Vairik’s atrocities.

It was easy to conform to something you were raised in. Easier to ignore issues that glared in the face of others. It took someone brave and possibly a little reckless to upend the system they were born into.

The hall to their front rose in an upward slope, curving in a way that blocked their view. The hall to their left was short, with only a handful of doors on the right side, each made of iron. After the creatures they’d just encountered, she wasn’t sure she wanted to open them and find out what might lie within.

The hall to their right was long, once again hosting doors along its left side, all the way down.

Gavin pointed straight, but she didn’t hear his words when a shadow moved to her right. Arianna’s head whipped around and she nearly stopped breathing at the sight of a familiar face.

Arianna’s lips parted and she slowly turned, studying the dark hair and bright blue eyes that stared back.

Her hair had been pulled back into a tight braid that crowned her head. Arianna had never seen her sister wear it insuch a fashion. Her clothes were midnight black and Arianna swore she could see blades tucked within holsters around her thighs.

Ellie just stared, expression unreadable. Did she see her? Did she recognize her?

Arianna’s heart beat wildly and she stepped forward, scarcely willing to believe.

The moment stretched on forever, then Ellie pivoted on her heel and disappeared around the corner.

Arianna sprinted after her. She didn’t turn to check if her companions were following, . They were always following, always watching. They’d scent Ellie and know. Hell, they’d hear her heartbeat and realize something was amiss.

But why was Ellie here instead of in chains? Why had her sister looked bathed and clean rather than dirty and tortured?

Arianna rounded the corner and found her sister waiting, staring at her again. Her eyes were strangely vacant, like she hadn’t slept in days.

“Ellie,” Arianna called to her, but Ellie just disappeared behind the corner again.

Arianna took off at breakneck speed, reaching the end of the corridor only to find Ellie disappearing behind the next and the next and the next.

Arianna couldn’t catch up, no matter how hard she ran, but she wasn’t giving up either. Not when her sister was right here in front of her.

She could grab Ellie and run. Flee from this place and reformulate a plan with Conall and his rebels at a later date. They could take on Vairik’s entire army and destroy Ashling later. As long as she had Ellie, she could take on the world.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rion

Rion saw his mate take off and sprinted down the hall after her. Conall cursed and followed with the others close behind.

He didn’t know what had made her run, only that something had grabbed her attention enough that a jolt had shot straight down the bond, nearly knocking Rion off his feet.

Gavin had pointed them in another direction, but the male had seemed unsure, as if he didn’t recognize this part of the castle. After seeing his horror-struck expression, he’d likely never been here. Rion didn’t recognize it as part of Gavin’s drawing either.

The entire place was enormous with multiple floors and hidden rooms. Rion was certain there were more than a few secrets Vairik had chosen not to share with those he deemed beneath him.

Arianna sped around a corner, somehow pulling ahead of him. He could nearly feel her heart racing down the bond, beating with a desperate sense of urgency.

Rion furrowed his brow. He’d always been able to keep pace with her, but when he rounded the next corner, she was already disappearing beyond his line of sight.

A desperate plea fell from her lips that had Rion’s heart racing with anticipation.

Ellie.

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