Page 145 of Heir of Illusion

I save those thoughts for later. There’s no room for any of that now. All my focus needs to be reserved for my escape. With my back wedged against the wall, I carefully slide toward the doorway. From the corner of my eye, I see Baylor approaching myeidolon.

“You’ve made the right choice, pet.” He grabs her shoulders and pulls her into an embrace. “You won’t regret this.”

“I know,” she whispers.

Finally, he steps back and loops her arm in his. “Come. The guests are already arriving at the temple.”

As Baylor leads her to the door, Doral and Huxley finally step aside, allowing them to pass through. As soon as they’ve crossed over the threshold, I make my move. Darting between the couple and the guards, I finally slip into the hall.

Relief floods through me as Baylor leads Rose away, both guards trailing behind them. Not wasting any time, I hurry toward the servants’ stairwell at the end of the hall. My time is limited. I have no idea how long I will be able to hold my illusion. I’ve never sent Rose further than Baylor’s room before.

As the distance between us expands, I sense my connection to her growing thin. The moment she disappears, Baylor will discover that I’ve escaped. Then it will only be a matter of time before he begins tracking me through the collar.

And likely choking me as well.

I push that worry aside. Dwelling on my fear will only slow me down. Besides, there’s nothing I can do to stop the inevitable pain he will inflict. However, if I hurry there may be something I can do to prevent him from tracking me.

If the Fates are on my side, Darrow will still be at MASQ. For anenchanter, creating a ward to hide my location should be simple. Even if the king sends guards to search the premises, I can hide in the crawl space under Della’s office. I discovered the secret room years ago when I used to accompany Leona on her visits to MASQ. Back then, the idea of stepping foot down there was terrifying, reminding me too much of the memories I tried to bury. But now it may be my saving grace.

When I come to the bottom of the stairs, I dash into the kitchen. Thankfully, the noise and bustle from the servants chopping vegetables and boiling water is enough to mask my rushed steps. The back exit is within sight, but halfway there a large man enters my path, nearly whacking me in the head with a tray of golden-brown pastries. Spinning around to avoid him, my elbow accidentally tips over a bag from one of the nearby shelves. A dozen potatoes spill out, falling to the ground and rolling across the floor.

“Ugh, look at the mess you made, Jon,” an elderly mortal woman complains. “I’ve told you before to be more careful.”

“I didn’t even touch it!” the man insists as I navigate the minefield of fallen vegetables, careful not to trip.

Finally, I make it to the door and sprint outside. The temple is on the northern side of the palace, I head for the southern gate that will bring me closer to MASQ. Baylor’s voice echoes distantly in the back of my mind, filtering through my connection to Rose.

“You’re quiet, pet,” he whispers as they stand outside the golden doors. “Not regretting your choice, are you?”

The silence stretches a beat too long before she responds. “Just nervous.”

Her voice is almost monotone, lacking any emotion or conviction.

The faster I race through the gardens, the more frayed our connection becomes. A pounding ache begins in my temples, warning me I need to cut her loose soon.

“I’ll be at the end of the aisle,” he tells her, his eyes cold. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

A tingle along the back of my neck has my eyes lifting to the sky. In the distance, black wings flap overhead as Thorne rushes toward me. Tears well in my eyes at the sight of him and my chest swells with gratitude. He came. He found me.

Blood drips from my nose, and I know I can’t hold on to the connection much longer. Any moment now, Rose is going to disappear before their eyes. Hopefully, they mistake her vanishing for simply becoming invisible. I’d rather they curse me for being awraiththan suspect I might have fooled them with aneidolon.

I grit my teeth as I’m forced to give up my invisibility, no longer having the strength to hold both illusions. My skin stretches thin and I stumble to the ground. Thorne is close enough now that I can see the concern on his face. But even with him flying us to MASQ, there won’t be enough time before Baylor begins tracking me.

Rose finally makes it to the altar, coming to stand beside the king, and a reckless plan forms in my mind. At that same moment, Thornes arms sweep me off the ground, and we leap into the air. I’m vaguely aware of guards shouting, but in my mind, the priest is asking Rose to repeat after him. The connection ripples, seconds away from giving out. Mustering the last of my strength, I know what I have to do.

Rose’s hand wraps around the cool metal blade at her thigh as she pulls it free. Baylor doesn’t even have time to flinch before she drives it into his eye. Shock erupts through the temple as the king stumbles back and drops to his knees.

His scream is the last thing I hear as the connection fades and Rose disappears.

“Talk to me, Angel,” Thorne’s voice is desperate. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Get me to Della,” I beg him, too weak to lift my head from his shoulder.

His arms tighten around me, and my eyes drift shut as we soar through the skies.

Chapter

Forty

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