Page 40 of Cages and Crowns
“Get off!” I scream. White flashes in between us and he flies off of me, his body hitting the wall before crumpling on the ground in a still lump. My heartraces, my breathing labored as I force myself to sit up.
My hands are glowing white, and I stare at theveins streaking down my arms.My gods.I squeeze my hands into fists and tiny dots fling off of them, sparkling like stars.
Rushing footsteps pulls my attention away and I glance up just as the door opens, revealing a staircase.
“Your Grace!” One of the men yell, rushing to Tobias’s side. The other two look at me with a combination of hesitance and duty fighting in their minds.
“Stay down, Your Grace.” He orders. I grit my teeth and pull my feet under me. Primal rage pounds through my blood, filling every pore of my being.
“I will not be chained any longer.” I say slowly. White once again fills my peripherals and I watch as their eyes widen. A shaky hand lifts a sword and I run at him, my scream echoing around the room.
He reaches for me, and the scent of charred meat fills my nostrils as he cradles his burning hand to his chest. I push past the other guard, my hand melting through the metal of his chest plate, before racing up the stairs.
My bare feet slip on the cold, stone steps. Rubble still rains down from the ceiling and I can feel my breath coming in short pants as exhaustion pulls at me. My legs feel numb, but I can feel the warmth trickling down my skin as the wound continues to bleed.
“Hold it together, Elaenor.” I whisper to myself as I reach the top of the stairs.
I barrel through the door and gasp at the destruction around me. Glass and stone lay everywhere, coating the floor. I take a step further into the hallway, feeling it slice through my feet.
A feeling I know all too well.
I bite my lip and pick up the pace, racing down the hall. The stables. I have to get to the stables.
Rhythmic marching sounds in all directions and I skid to a stop. Two groups of men rush at me from either side, shields up and swords out. I glance atboth of them, only a few feet away.
I can’t take them on.
As I turn towards the other group, the wall of windows snags my attention. The glass is gone, leaving it open to the courtyard.
A courtyard that leads to the stables.
Panic wells in my chest and I swallow it down before I run.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Bound
I hear men coming from all directions. Yelling about the queen. Yelling about the king being injured.
Enzo and I step out of the shadows as another group of men race by, paying us no attention. I glance out across the mist-shrouded courtyard. Flashes of silver armor and swords glint off the moonlight.
“We can’t get through them all.” I say softly, defeat barreling through my head. I grit my teeth and clench my hands into fists. “We aren’t leaving—” I start to say, and then I see it.
Pale hair, the color of the moon, flows in the slight breeze. Skin the color of ash, covered in blood and not an ounce of clothing, jumps through an open window.
“My gods.” Her eyes are frantic, her arms pumping as she races across the courtyard, but she isn’t fast enough.
I can feel my heart break, feel it stop as time slows. She glances behindher, fear filling her features as shesees the crowd following. She pumps her arms harder, racing as fast as she can.
“She’s not going to make it.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Caged
My arms can’t move fast enough, the sounds of their armor racing behind me. My heart is pounding, ready to break through my chest.
I’m not going to make it. There is no way I can outrun them. Tears prick at my eyes as realization that my death truly is upon me, hits me like a horse.
