Page 10 of Royal Hunt
“Come on, or they’ll find you and kill you!” I whispered fiercely.
He blinked at me, but accepted my words easily enough and started to move as I ducked under his arms, supporting him as we both staggered forward. I would carry him out myself if I absolutely needed to.
“What’s going on?” he asked roughly, his voice a pained rasp. I winced, debating how much to tell him.
“Rebels stormed the hall. We need to get you away. You’re in no shape to fight,” I snapped sharply at him.
He glanced down at me, realized he could barely stand, and the fight left him as he slumped. “Fine. Over here.”
We limped along the length of the garden walls, Ellis counting and tapping every so often. Halfway down the row of hedges, one of his taps went through the hedge. Ellis weakly pushed aside the rest of the foliage to reveal a small crawl space in the castle’s own walls. Together we stared into its inky depths.
I shot him a panicked look. “Where does it go?”
He propelled himself forward with great effort. “Doesn’t matter. Come on.”
Ellis disappeared into the black hole, and I had no choice but to follow behind him. His voice chastised me in the darkness, “Hurry!’
I did, cutting us off from the cool night air. The last thing I heard was the faint sound of Prince Hector screaming above me, then nothing.
Four
No sooner had I’d pushed the hedges back in place when heavy snoring filled the passageway. The darkness was all-encompassing, and to be honest, terrifying. My hands flew out, touching hard stone one all four sides, very close together. I reached out in front of me, tentatively feeling the outline of the prince’s body.
“Ellis? Ellis!” I hissed.
He snorted, then scowled and curled further onto his side. I decided to leave him to it, confident at least that he’d stay in one place and wouldn’t be found. It was better than trying to stop him from tearing off after his family’s murderers, wasn’t it?
If he could stand, that is. He’d likely hate me for keeping me away from them, but at least he’d be alive to hate me.
I awkwardly climbed over him, fighting claustrophobia as the walls and ceiling pressed in on us. There was barely enough room for our bodies. With a grunt I squeezed by him, our bodies pressed inappropriately close together. Though I suppose he and I were past that point.
I squinted into the inky darkness and breathed, fighting back panic. I was safe. I was fine. The darkness and lack of space were simply fears. A fear couldn’t hurt me.
Taking one last deep breath, I crawled on my elbows into nothingness. I learned quickly to keep my head tucked in and lead with my fingertips, lest I bash my head against a sharp corner or something else unexpected. I inched my way through the passageway afraid of the unknown, yet more terrified of being stuck here forever. Did it lead outside? To the hallways? A secret lair of some kind?
Nausea rose in me, and I took a moment to close my eyes and take a few more calming breaths. I’d never thought myself to be claustrophobic, but it was growing harder not to panic in such a tiny, enclosed space. Climbing back over Ellis and forcing my way outside seemed like a better option by the minute.
You’re fine. You’re safe.
I resolved to take only one more turn, then go back the way I came. It made no sense to make any decisions until Ellis was awake and could tell me more about where we were. A drunken louse he may be, but he’d grown up here.
I took one more left, inching forward on my knees and elbows. I didn’t mourn the dress I was ruining, even if it was my mother’s; there wasn’t time. The sound of muffled voices reached my ears, and I froze. I could hear them coming through the walls on the right. I focused harder, and recognized Trenton’s voice, along with Gregory’s.
My childhood friend sounded angrier than I’d even heard him. “I couldn’t find her anywhere. Don’t forget what you promised!” he yelled.
I winced, not used to hearing him raise his voice. Ever.
Trenton grunted, and there was a scuffling sound. “Don’t you forget that our plans are more important than some country chit. We are this close to finally securing the Northern Realm and freeing it of magick’s curse!”
There was a moment of silence, then Gregory spoke more quietly. “I just don’t see why you had to kill the children. We could have exiled them, sent them away, or—”
Trenton jumped down his throat. “You little fool, you never leave your enemies alive. Exiled children grow up to be vengeful heirs! We need to find Prince Ellis, and end this!”
Gregory let out a tired sigh. “He’s probably on a beach somewhere in the Eastern Realm; you’ve heard the rumors about him and their queen. I don’t see how he’s our problem. It’s not like he’s going to come back once he hears the news. He’s always been a little coward.”
I shifted slightly, the feeling of pins and needles shooting up my arm from leaning on it for too long. He was definitely talking about Ellis.
Trenton continued, satisfaction oozing from his voice. “I know he’s here, but it doesn’t matter where he goes. He’s in just as much danger wherever he is, as you well know. He’ll have no choice but to come crawling back here eventually. That’s what he always does when he runs out of money.”
