Page 51 of Nightmare's Dance

The jester followed with his burden, and Ember was right behind him.

“Just to make sure we get away,” I growled at Baz. “You and I are going to have a little chat. Jester, get them out of here. I’ll catch up.”

“Yes, your highness.” There was no mocking this time, just compliance as the jester led Ember and her knight away from the ruin that had come over Nightmare Castle.

My heart clenched, watching them go, but when Ember stopped and looked back at me, a tiny spark of hope eased the pain in my chest. Concern narrowed her eyes and creased her forehead, as if she didn’t want to leave me behind. Maybe not all was lost.

“I thought you were content with your corner of this wretched land,” Baz said.

“Just biding my time, Baz. The consequences for your actions are coming due.” I tightened my grip on my asshole brother.

“You—” His words cut off in a gurgle as I pressed harder with my blade.

“Just stop before I decide to see what happens if I slit your throat.”

He didn’t reply, but he also didn’t push the issue, and I settled in for an uncomfortable wait. I wanted to give Ember and the jester a reasonable head start before I slipped through the shadows and joined them. While I waited, I considered options for our escape plan.

Ember

“Geraint,” I whispered once we were away from the castle.

He groaned in reply.

“Later, Ember,” Robby said.

“Is he going to be okay?” Please let him be okay.

“If Nic will help him once he catches up with us,” Robby adjusted Geraint’s arm over his shoulder. “Now help me get him as far away as we can. Once Nic catches up, we won’t have long before Baz sets his troops on us.”

“He has hounds,” I said, voice shaking with the memory of being chased.

“Even better,” Robby muttered. “Get your arm under Knight and help me.”

“It’ll hurt him.”

“Better us hurt him than we get caught by Baz’s hounds and they hurt all of us.”

“Damn it,” I grumbled and did what Robby ordered. Geraint smelled of both old and fresh blood. He really needed a shower, but that was the least of my worries right now.

The last time I’d fled the castle, I’d hidden in shadow. This time, nothing obscured me from the rest of the land, and we caught a lot of attention from barely seen creatures in the darkness. We followed a path through a thick wood full of twisted trunks and reaching branches. Hints of color shone through the shades of blacks and grays. It wasn’t dark. It was more that it simply wasn’t very light out. My eyes adjusted, but I tripped on the occasional branch. Each jolt made Geraint groan, though that was preferable to nothing at all given the situation.

Eyes glowed in the darkness, blinking and staring but not approaching. A few globes of light hovered off in one direction, but after nearly falling into a bog the last time I was here, I didn’t fall for the will-o-the-wisp’s lure again.

I didn’t have the breath for questions, and I didn’t have the energy to worry about anything other than my knight, and I hoped Robby would know what to do if something attacked us.

The leaves rustled and a darker shadow slunk through the trees.

Robby quickened his steps, but Geraint cried out in pain, and we had to stop completely as he collapsed.

I fell to my knees next to my lover and simply refused to look into the darkness. This is how you stayed safe, right?

Something yelped in the forest. Branches cracked and snapped.

I whimpered and focused on Geraint. Robby stood over us, and I relied on him to protect us.

“It appears you’ve attracted some attention.”

I shrieked, jerking around, but it was only Nic, stepping from a shadow, though he seemed to take a lot of it with him as he appeared more shadow than man as he approached.

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