Page 54 of Bride of the Midnight Prince

Chapter 17

Kat

Theroarofthewaterfall is so tremendous I don’t hear Tailor until he grabs my elbow. “Kat!”

“We need to get over the bridge!” I mouth back at him.

His spectacles are sprayed with water, droplets running down the strained lines of his face. He does not protest further, however, and follows me as I swing onto the rope bridge. It sways wildly. I crouch where I am, holding the rope, balancing on the wood planks that keep me suspended in the towering green trees. Once it is steady enough, I start walking. Tailor is so clumsy on the bridge that my lungs nearly end up lodged in my throat.

We do not fall, thankfully.

We slip into the abandoned guardhouse, high in the trees, that we use for Revar Court raids. Tonight though, it isn’t abandoned.

Four forms huddle in the darkness.

A man and his three sons.

I sigh in relief. They all got out. We don’t have to hunt through the Court for them.

“This way,” I whisper. “We’ve got to move fast.”

Tailor grabs my elbow again. “Where is the cart?”

“Not here. Long story. I—” My words die as two of the sons, who look to be about sixteen and twelve, carefully lift their father to his feet. Or, rather, hisfoot. He is missing half of his left leg and balances between a crutch and a boy. Did a fae do that to him? Was it recent—could I have prevented it if I’d come sooner?

Of all the raids where I didn’t have my cart!

“He won’t be able to walk the entire stretch of Path,” Tailor hisses.

His unspoken concern lingers in the silence:We might have to leave him behind.

I grind my teeth together. We arenotleaving this man behind. We arenotseparating him from his sons. All of them have waited long enough for their freedom. I won’t be responsible for their separation. I look at Tailor fiercely. “We will make it.”

He meets my gaze, and there is resignation there. He always tries to make me more cautious. It will never work.

He would strangle me if he knew my current . . .situationwith Prince Rahk.

“We’ve got to get him across the bridge,” I say to the eldest of the boys. The youngest looks to be only four or five, and hides behind his brother. “And down a lot of stairs.”

The oldest boy links his father’s arm around his neck. “It will be slow, but we can do it.”

“See?” I say to Tailor.

Then we’re off.

It takes us nearly an hour to get across the bridge and climb down a series of stairs and ladders to get to flat ground again—without getting caught. We are soaking from the waterfall, but I will gladly accept it for the camouflage of its roar.

I make everyone stop and slather mud from the riverbank over their feet before I lead us onto the Path. Just in case someone tracks us. And just in case myolleahas worn off.

“I’ll see you at the next raid.” I give a casual wave as I take the little boy’s hand.

Tailor waves back and then slips away.

Every time we say goodbye, I always fear it is our last.

“Follow me,” I say, tugging the little boy after me into the Wood. He starts crying, snot dribbling from his nose.

“Be brave, sonny,” says the father. He tries to hide his wince as he leans between his older sons. “We’re almost free.”

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