Page 19 of King of Flesh and Bone

I grabbed a slice of bread, since the walk to Hemdale would take at least a day if I avoided the roads, leaving me no time to beg for food at nearby farms. “Will you bring water for a bath?”

“Ach, lass—”

“Please help me. I’ll try to run no matter what, but…” I set my pleading eyes on her, not knowing if I could trust this corpse, but I had no other options. “With your help, I’ll stand a better chance.”

After endless seconds, she cursed under her breath and walked toward the door. “Very well. If a bath is what ye want, I best hurry for water before it cools down.”

I grabbed the bread and pushed it between my breasts for lack of better storage. My stomach hardened when I walked to the door, and not only because of the groans resonating behind the bone. If I told the priests how I’d entered the Pale Court, would they call me mad? Or would they come for the King, finally serving him the justice he deserved?

Three deep breaths bought me a sense of calm no matter how brittle. I reached for the handle, my muscles tensing, readying themselves to fight through seven corpses.

No… not seven.

Six.

One was a cup now.

I pulled the door open wide and jumped back, only to brace my soles against the ground. With a hard thrust of my legs, I let myself slam against the two corpses standing there.

A limb thudded to the ground.

Thud.And another.

Putrid and biting, the stench of what had to be rot crept into my nostrils, making me nauseous, but I wouldn’t let that stop me. I elbowed my way through decrepit bodies, ignoring their groans, the snap of their teeth, those rough nails scratching along my arms, neck, calf until—

The corpse in front of me turned his head with such speed, his tongue slapped against his cheek like a dead snake, all because he had no lower jaw. “Ay-gaaah!”

The moment he reached for me, I ducked. One kick against his shin and the bone splintered, frayed edges cutting through his parchment-thin skin. He flailed his arms for balance, but hit the ground a moment later.

I didn’t look back. Ignored the tremor in my knees, the blur in my vision, the unsteadiness of legs threatening to snap… and ran.

Straight along the hallway.

Left at the first notch.

Right at the two next.

“Ayyy-gaaah!”

My butchered name resonated the hallway, the agony on the corpses’ tone blood-curdling.

Heavy footfalls sounded behind me.

Close. Closer.

My shoes slapped the bone bridge beneath me, eyes nervously flicking to the throne. Empty. My heart matched each beat with panic until…

No!

Sharp pikes of bone shot up from the ground around the dais. I skidded to a halt, the hem of my chemise catching on them, ripping with ahrrkas I turned to the next bridge. Was it the one to the Æfen Gate?

No matter.

Out! Just out!

“Going somewhere, my little mortal?” My heart stopped at the chuckle that followed. No, this couldn’t be. Where was he? “What entertainment you’ve turned out to be.”

The ground shook, lifting and thickening. I stumbled back and fell. Rolled. Rolled again until the chamber distorted into specks of light and dark.

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