Page 232 of A Touch of Poison
Lungs begging me to gasp for air, even though it would be noisy and undoubtedly heard by keen fae ears, I tried another door and another. No fucking luck.
Shit.
“Kat?”
I blinked.
“Kat?”
Wait, I knew—
Around the corner bounded a white hound, ears, eyes and paws wreathed in red flame.
“Fluffy.” Followed a moment later by Rose, peering around the corner. I sagged as Fluffy circled me, rubbing against my legs, her tail wagging.
Soon Rose, Ari, Ella, and Perry surrounded me. With brief hugs, I assured them I was all right and they reassured me of the same. That was a start.
“Bastian?” I glanced at Perry and Ari. “And the others?”
Their gazes dropped.
Ella pursed her lips, a smear of blood on her cheek, which I hastily wiped away for her. “We haven’t seen them.”
“We were separated when the attack started.” Rose frowned back the way they’d come. “But I know Faolán snuck a knife in, so they’re in a better position than we were.” She had no weapon, but had shifted her fingers to make them long and clawed. “Looks like you’re doing all right though.” She nodded at the sword.
“Not that I know how to use it. But I think a former pirate might.” I offered it to Perry. “Think Bastian snuck a blade in, too.”
“And last time I saw them, they were together.” Perry nodded as she took the sword. “Plus I think Asher and Lysander were talking.”
“Fingers crossed, that means no one’s alone.” Rose smiled and reached for my shoulder. She hesitated.
“It’s all right—I’m safe to touch.”
She huffed and squeezed my shoulder. “Now we’ve found you, no one’s alone. So, what now?”
Ari glanced back the way they’d come. “Do we go back to the ballroom?”
“There may still be fighting back there.” Perry shook her head. “If the attackers get bedded in, the guards could take hours to get past their lines. We’re better off steering clear.”
I ran my thumb over the unfamiliar leather-wrapped hilt. “Do we know if there’s fighting in Dusk’s side, too?”
Ella shook her head. “We haven’t got much sense out of anyone since it all broke out. The crowd went a bit…” She shuddered, and I understood.
“All the more reason to steer clear.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “In that case, let’s try to find a lodestone and get back to Dusk. Once we’re there, we’ll be safer—or with our own people, at least. And maybe there’ll be word of the others.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to me, and one by one, my friends nodded as though relieved to have a plan.
Action was always better.
And my plan might not be the most intricate or even the best, but with the information and resources we had, it seemed the right choice.
Perry checked out a window, confirming the sun’s position, and made her best guess of which way was south—the southernmost part of the palace was the grand hall, and it would give us a route back to Dusk.
We set off, watchful and tense, Fluffy at my side. It was long minutes before we hit another major corridor and she whined softly, ears pricking.
Rose cocked her head and raised her hand, calling us to a halt. “There’s someone ahead,” she breathed.
I swallowed and nodded back the way we’d come, but as we turned, her hand flew up again. “And that way.”
