Page 61 of Heir Of Sun And Moon
“Are you ready to go, Bella?” I ask, words I never thought I’d get to say to her. She follows me back down the stairs, and together we walk to the front door. My hand pauses on the handle as I look back over my shoulder at the place that I’ve been trapped in for nearly twenty-two years.
With a gentle nudge from Bella’s snout and another deep breath, I turn the handle and swing the door open, taking a step towards freedom for the very first time. It’s strange to hear the door close from this side, a slight echo working its way down the staircase. My boots make quiet scuffing sounds against the eerie gray stone as I walk to the first step. A small window is cut out of the wall, and I stop in front of it, taking in a new view that faces the castle. I knew it was big, but seeing it straight on like this makes my lips part on a breath in wonder. It’s so massive, much larger than anything I could have dreamed up.
Shaking my head, I turn back to face the stairs and take my first step down. Then another. And another. Until I’ve rounded the first of many spirals. Bella follows closely, moving with grace and agility while I keep a hand on the wall for support and balance. The center of the tower is hollow after that first spiral, providing a clear look to the ground below. Looking down makes my stomach clench, so I keep my gaze on the steps in front of me.
Minutes drip by as we continue down the tower, pausing anytime I think I hear a voice or a noise. As we descend, the fading golden light of the sun peeks in through small windows, illuminating just enough of the steps to make sure I don’t trip. Finally, after what feels like a small eternity, a landing appears in front of me. I can either go through a door or continue farther down into darkness.Is there a part of the tower that goes underground?
“We have to be at the ground level by now, right? Do you hear anyone?” I ask, leaning my ear against the door. I watch Bella as her ears twitch back and forth, but her demeanor remains calm. I wait another few moments, hoping that we’re at the bottom and out of sight of the guards. All I need is ten seconds to walk out of here and run towards the meadow. Ten more seconds and we’re free.We’re free.
Steeling myself, I slowly open the door, the hinges surprisingly quiet. The setting sun shines directly into my eyes, blinding me for a moment. A hand goes to my forehead to try and shield them from the waning light. When my vision clears, I suck in a breath, my eyes widening. Though the space is empty, I quickly realize that I’m not at the bottom of the tower. Panic curls in my stomach at my mistake. A large gray stone bridge is in front of me, the width so much grander than I ever could have imagined.How could I forget about the bridge?My eyes dart to the sides, confirming that no one is here at the moment—ahugestroke of luck. Despite knowing that I shouldn’t and that I’m risking getting caught, I can’t help but take one step out onto the gray stones.
Birds soar overhead as I tilt my head back and look up to the place that’s been my prison, my cage, for my entire life. An odd pang of despondency flickers inside of me. The tower just looks so unassuming from the outside. Inside, it was my entire life. Everything about me was confined within those stone walls, but now that I’m out here gazing at it… it just blends in with everything else. Like it wouldn’t matter what orwhowas in this tower at all. It feels like confirmation that my very life has been an insignificant speck in the grand scheme of existence.
Bella nudges my hand, bringing me back to reality.
“Okay, Bella, we should keep going down the stairs,” I say in a low voice as my eyes catch on something farther down the bridge. I hadn’t noticed it before, with the sun practically blinding me, but now I see two black and gold figures talking with each other. Slowly, I start inching back to the tower door, beckoning Bella to follow me.
“Hey, you!” a male voice shouts, followed by the sound of footsteps. Bella and I take off, darting back to the staircase inside the stone column. I chastise myself, knowing that, in my haste, I made a mistake. I can only hope it won’t cost us our chance at escape.
My feet start to ache in my boots as I move in the near darkness, going down farther and farther with Bella right next to me. I hear the tower door to the bridge open, boots on steps sounding closer and closer behind us, yet we still haven’t reached the bottom. Finally, as we round the stairs, I can see the golden light of the sunset outside filtering in around the edges of a door. Just a few more turns around the staircase and we’ll be there. My heart beats in my ears as I command my body to move as fast as it can. My legs pound and arms pump as the echoes of footsteps surround me. I finally reach the landing just a few steps after Bella. My hand reaches out for the door handle, the tips of my fingers barely grasping it to turn. Bella uses her head to push it all the way open, darting outside. I follow closely behind, the tip of my boot making it through the door—the view of the meadow that leads to the forest right there in front of me.
A rough hand grips onto my arm and yanks me—my back slamming into something firm as a scream rips from my throat. Another arm bands around me, hot breath skating across my hair. “What are you doing?” he asks as I turn and see the face of the guard who had just dropped off the box of supplies.
I try to jerk and get out of his grasp, but his hold doesn’t falter. The door in front of me closes as Bella—noticing I’m not with her—turns around. She darts back towards me, but it’s too late. I scream at her, pleading for her to take her freedom, “Keep running, Bella!”
The door closes on her, sealing us into different fates.
Chapter Thirty-One: Rhea
“Ihavetoadmit,Princess, I didn’t think you had it in you to try to escape. And was that a fucking fox? Have you been hiding that beast up there with you this whole time?” He hauls me around to face him.
“Let me go!” I shout, trying again to rip out of his clutches. But his hand is firmly wrapped around my arm.
“Back up to your room,” he growls before pushing me towards the stairs.
“No!” I yell, my boots scraping on the stone as I try to push myself away from him.
“We don’t have time for this. Back. Upstairs,” he grits out before he hoists me over his shoulder, my shriek reverberating off the walls.
My magic starts to writhe inside of me, pushing against the barrier of my skin like it will somehow beuseful. But I’m not sure how having the ability to heal can help me get free, so I ignore the sensation in favor of trying to break free of this guard. He pins my arms to my sides as he climbs the stairs, ignoring my attempts to wriggle free from his tight hold.
A noise sounds above us, like that of an opening door, and then I hear a familiar voice. “Xander, are you down there?” Flynn shouts. I nearly answer in return before I stop myself at the last moment.
“Yeah, it’s me,” the guard holding me shouts back, the sound a bit breathless before we round the final curve of the staircase and come to the platform that opens out onto the bridge. “I caught the princess trying to escape.” Flynn’s boots step into my line of sight, and I trail my eyes up his body until I meet his rounded gaze. Shock contorts his features as he lowers his drawn sword.
“Sun—” He clears his throat, stopping himself from using his nickname for me. “Trying to escape?” he asks, his eyes leaving mine to meet the guard’s.
Xander’s black hair tickles my arm as he nods his head and answers, “She had a fox with her as well, but it was able to escape through the door. We’ll have to alert the others to be on the lookout.”
I grit my teeth together, my body jerking side to side as I try to free myself. He snorts, my strength nothing compared to his, as he squeezes me more tightly to halt my movements. I hiss through my teeth in frustration, my body deflating as I all but give up my struggle.
“She’s more fiery than I would have given her credit for,” Xander mutters, turning somewhat so that I can see Flynn again.
I watch as his eyes fixate on Xander’s hold on me, the hand on his sword flexing tightly. “Are you taking her to the king?” Flynn questions, his voice laced with a dark challenge as he shifts subtly so that he’s blocking the door.
Xander tenses faintly—a motion felt more than seen—as he shifts his body again so that he’s facing Flynn, my own view of him now blocked. “No,” he says slowly, “I’m taking her back upstairs.” A strained silence clouds the landing, my own frustration at being held like this adding to the tension.
“I’ll inform the others about the fox,” Flynn states. Xander moves his head in what I assume is a nod and then turns, beginning to climb the stairs back up to my prison.
