As he turned to better see inside the alcove, I leapt out. As much as I had the element of surprise, he was well trained and already prepared for the attack. His arm came up to protect his head and the sickle sank into the meat of his forearm with a thud. He grimaced and groaned, shooting out with his other arm, cracking me in the shoulder. I pulled the sickle back quickly and pivoted out of his reach. I had limited mobility in the confines of the hall, but there was enough room for now.
When he came for me again, I feigned left and he took the bait, shifting his weight that way. He was strong and well trained, but speed was not his strength. With that in mind, I switched directions, and using every ounce of my wolf prowess, slammed the sickle into his neck, cutting halfway through, and he fell to his knees, gurgling. Not one for prolonged and painful deaths, I shoved the sickle further in and ended him.
Dragging his limp body into the alcove, I quickly searched him, taking a ring of keys and his sword, leaving the sickle behind. I would have loved his jacket but it was covered in blood. I would have to find another disguise. Stepping back out into the hallway, I came face to face with a prisoner, a very tall, dirty-blond, male fae. He had the high aristocratic features that I associated with royalty in this world, his eyes a mix of blues and greens.
He was up against his cell bars, those stunning eyes wide, having watched what I had just done. He was wearing an ankle-length warm-gray woolen cloak. I held out the keys in my hand.
“Give me your cloak and I’ll give you the keys. Just promise me that you will wait one hour to escape, and you will free every other innocent prisoner in here.”
He was a highborn fae, and my nose told me he was from the Summer Court. Somehow I could detect the slightest difference in the floral scent. I hoped he would know who was innocent and who wasn’t in this hellhole.
“I promise I will do exactly as you’ve asked. You have my word,” he said as he ripped his cloak off and shoved it through the bars.
As I grabbed the warm garment, I dropped the keys at his feet. “There’s a slave entrance that leads to the woods. It’s only guarded by one man,” I whispered. “That’s your best way out. Don’t leave any children behind.”
He gave me a nod, and returned my whisper, “They will be safe in the Summer Court.” I had been right. Looked like I was slowly connecting to the fae side of myself.
He reached down and snagged the keys, tucking them deep in his pants. I turned to leave, before pausing to say, “Oh, and the queen was planning on using a little girl as leverage against me. She’s about five or six, and they cut her face.” I pointed to the spot on my own forehead. “If you see her at any point, please take her with you.”
He nodded again, but spoke no more. I had a good gut instinct about people, and my gut was saying to trust him. Slipping the cloak over my shoulders, sword on my hip, I ran the rest of the way down the hall to my freedom.
I’m coming for you, Kade.
I made it through the castle and out into the courtyard without seeing anyone. I had been lucky. It was nighttime and it seemed only a minimum staff were around. Most of those were servants, and they were neither observant or trained in detecting escaped prisoners. No alert had sounded, which meant the guard had not been discovered yet, but I knew I was on borrowed time.
The moment I was free of the castle grounds, I called out for Finn and Kade. There was a flicker of something at the end of our bond, but neither of them responded, which freaked me out. Of course, there was no time for any sort of breakdown – and I was long overdue for one – so I decided to stick with the plan and hopefully everything would work out. The winter queen must have done something to me when I was passed out, blocked or suppressed communication of my bonded mates. Or maybe the magic born blanketed the entire city. Either way, I was on my own, which wasn’t ideal, but I would trust in Kian.
Speaking of, his note had said that he would rescue Kade and that I needed to meet his wife with the getaway cart. With that in mind, I headed east, slipping my way through the shadows of the winter village. Even though it was quite dark, just a few lit fires on poles, I had no problem seeing obstacles in my path. I was used to having great vision, but this was even better than usual. I was changed, no doubt about it, so I needed to learn how to utilize my new skills. I needed to speak with a fae, preferably one who wasn’t stark raving mad, and find out what exactly I should expect from this new energy inside of me.
When I figured I was about halfway to the gate, I had to hide behind some carts as a bunch of drunk men stumbled out of a tavern-looking building. It was more than a little frustrating hiding like a rat in the straw, but it was the best solution for now. Taking on a dozen idiots would be cathartic, but I had no time for that.
As the last male emerged, and the door slammed shut, I was preparing myself to start moving again when I caught sight of a familiar face. Shit! It was Kian, and he looked absolutely wasted as he slung an arm around a dirty looking ogre. Everything in my world went a little red around the edges then. I had to fight my wolf with more effort than ever before to stop her shifting and attacking the bear. His note had said he was going to free Kade, so what was he doing here, drunk, cozying up to the fae?
Had he already rescued Kade and this was a distraction? Or had the entire thing been some sort of setup to get me to leave without my mate. Either way, I couldn’t risk it.
Kade! I tried again, my mind pushing and searching. But again, nothing. With an almost inaudible sigh, I followed the drunken fae, all of them laughing and singing through the streets. They were slow, so it was very easy to stay with them and not leave the cover of the shadows. I kept my eyes locked firmly on Kian. The moment he was alone, I was going to show him that it was unwise to mess with a wolf. Especially one who was missing her bonded mate.
One by one, the fae stumbled into their homes. It was like a drop-off service, but the slow and on foot kind. Eventually there was only Kian and the ogre left, and I had reached the end of my very limited-to-begin-with patience. I did a few quick steps and slipped in behind a bushy garden, about three feet from the pair. They had stopped right in the middle of the cobbled street. Kian started to speak and my heart literally ached at the sound. He sounded so much like Kade – that deep rumbly gruffness that sent chills up my spine.
“Come on, Ollie, you promised me you’d sneak me into the fights. You know I’ve never been before.”
The ogre threw back his huge ugly head and laughed voraciously. “You outsider. You not allowed in. But since you drink me under the table, tonight you will get the chance.”