Page 127 of Lady Knight and the Thief

Cypress’s eyes went wide as Cade slowly dropped to the floor, the hilt of her sword sticking out of his chest and his back.

Fuck. Fuck.

What had she done?

The door behind her creaked, but Cypress couldn’t look away from Cade’s face, his gaping mouth now filling with blood.

“Lass, it’s time to move,” Torren said quietly, his footsteps silent on the stone floor.

Cypress nodded and took a step away from Cade.

Fuck.

Cypress just killed the Prince of Grethnah.

Oh, Fuck.

She thought she might be sick.

“Lass,” Torren hissed again, and dread pooled in her gut.

The hall just outside was filled with the distinct sound of armored steps thundering down the corridor.

Guards.

“Any ideas?” Cypress asked. “The tunnels are out of the question. We’ll get trapped like rats in there.”

He had something clutched in his hands, but it didn’t look like a…scepter.

Whatever it was was roughly the length of her forearm and about the width of her wrist.

“Is that what you came for?” Cypress asked.

Torren nodded.

Then the door was flung open, and the entire Prince guard strode through, Oswald at the helm.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Oswald asked while drawing his blade.

Panic began to settle into Cypress’s veins.

There was no way out.

She didn’t even have a weapon. Her sword was still sticking out of Cade’s chest, his blade some distance away from where she now stood.

There was no way she’d get to it before Oswald.

Torren’s hand found hers and squeezed it tight.

Cypress’s heart pounded, but she returned the press of Torren’s fingers.

And then, a clarion call sounded outside. The three lonesome howls of the Winged Hound.

Deja.

“Do you trust me?” Cypress whispered.

“What’s your plan?” he breathed back instantly.