Page 68 of Ties of Shadow

Chef’s stoic features flushed a glorious ruby, and she bopped him gently on the head. “That’s enough of that. Go on now.”

We rushed outside. The sky swirled in ribbons of black. Distant thunder rolled while the clouds brightened in waves from the prince’s fires. A roar rumbled from the other side of the castle. My father lifted the cover of the wagon and ushered us all inside. The Shade offered me his hand, but as I took it, a scream rent the air. My head flipped toward the noise.

“Inside, Dayspring.”He pressed lightly on my back to urge me forward.

I climbed into the wagon, tucking myself against the wolf’s furry side. The tower wall burst out, and stones fell in the distance. The roof of the tower fell slowly, landing in a heap on the cobblestone street. After covering our view with a tarp, my father climbed into the driver’s seat and took off down the path that led away from the castle. The horse clopped quickly at first, but soon, we were surrounded by panicking people, and we slowed considerably.

“We’ll get you to safety, to start,” the Shade muttered. “I’m not sure the manor is far enough away, but the animals will protect you. Then, I could retu—” He winced as we heard another scream.

My breaths grew shallow. I turned back to the castle, peeking between the cover and the wall at the home of my youth. And we werejust…fleeing. I turned to the Shade. His knowing expression told me he read my thoughts. The green of his eyes swirled with shadow, and his jaw clenched.

“We can’t just leave them,” I whispered. “There are good people here. The queen is here!”

A spark of mischief flit across his face. “What are you saying? Don’t you want to go where it’s safe?”

“I’m saying…” I reached forward and grasped his fingers. “I have a home at the manor, not the coast. And being safe isn’t everything. What did Uncle Koll say about risk earlier? Mankind was not made for boredom but for risks. The right risk at the right time is worth all the stars in the skies.” The Shade leaned toward me to reply, but he was interrupted as Uncle Koll’s cry cut him off.

More rocks fell from the tower and the castle wall striking the side of the wagon and panicking the horse. My father tried to steer us straight, but with a crack of splintered wood, the wagon tilted to one side, dumping its contents—and all of us—to the ground. My landing was softer than it should have been as I found myself wrapped in the embrace of shadows and two strong arms.

People sprinted around us in the dusky morning light—too early for the sun, too cloudy even as it rose—jostling one another as they fled from whatever was on the other side of the castle. We had grabbed the battle potions from the manor. Though I might not have magic of my own, I wasn’t helpless anymore.

“Let’s go save your mother,” I declared, pulling him to his feet.

The Shade’s expression turned fierce. “After you.”

Shadows pulled Uncle Koll upright. My father brushed himself off and caught the reins of the horse, steadying him before unlatching him from the wagon. Masses ran around us in the dim dawn light, shoving past each other to escape.

A long, loud bellow came from the far side of the castle. An enormous open-mouthed worm emerged behind the shattering tower. Six tiny eyes glittered on each side, and its gaping maw revealed rows upon rows of teeth that whirred in circles—first one way, then the other. A spinning cave of death. The worm was easily twice the size of the tower and nearly as long as the castle itself. Its massive body writhed and wriggled. Its skin looked as thick as leather but was devoid of any plated armor. Rolls of skin whorled around the creature, much like the twisting marks in the stone tunnels from earlier—this creature must have made them.

“Death. And pain. And death.” The voice was lower than thunder and buzzed against my skin like a lightning strike too close. It sounded familiar—the voice in the cave.

The Shade pressed me behind him. “Well, Dayspring. There’s your caterpillar.”

I squawked. “What?”

“You said you liked caterpillars.”

“This isnotthe kind of caterpillar I was referring to!” I grabbed his hand before shouting behind us. “Father, go home if you’d like. We are going to stop that worm.”

We rushed up the road through the crowds. A flame came from a balcony and blasted the beast’s neck. Its head turned and battered the tower, collapsing the top few levels.

“What is his weakness, do you think? Maybe I could just ask him to go home?” I shouted.

“Death. Pain. Death,”the worm moaned in our minds.

Uncle Koll panted beside us. “I don’t think it can be reasoned with.”

The Shade laughed. “Hello, dear sir, could you please return to your place of slumber. It’s breakfast time.”

“Okay, okay. Fine. Overwhelming force then.” I veered through the castle gates. “Why am I leading? You know this place as well as I do,Your Highness.” I threw a glare his way. At least the Shade had the decency to look mildly sheepish. But he waved me ahead.

“To the ballroom.” I ducked through an unguarded door into a library, then we rushed down a back hallway until we reached the steps leading from the kitchens to the back of the ballroom. The larger castle halls were faster, but I didn’t want a forward-thinking guard to take hold of the Shade before he reached the front lines.

The far ballroom wall was in shambles—the pristine stone floor now covered in debris. Several soldiers cared for the wounded, and the northern wall had a new gaping hole to the courtyard below. A large boulder sat in the center of the room—perhaps it was what had made the hole in the wall. The prince stood on the dais with three galers on each side, hurling gusts of fire. The galers’ wind made his flames grow larger, carrying them toward the beast and wrapping them around it as the creature bellowed in agony. The worm’s tail lashed forward and knocked down an outer wall of the courtyard. Soldiers filled the garden. Most threw spears, though a few dared get close enough to stab the worm with their swords; like the arrow shot from the window, each spear fell harmlessly to the ground.

“Uncle Koll?” the Shade asked. “Are you well enough?”

“Maybe, yes. I took my potion this morning.”

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