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“I was just asking, no need to be a bitch about it,’’ he says, letting me go. Matitus opens the drawer next to him, passing me some socks. I eye them, snatching them from him.

“Sorry, I miss home,” I tell him. I do miss being on the run constantly, anything is better than being stuck here. I never thought I would miss living like that. When living it, I wished for better. Wished for boiling water or medicine for my grandmother. We were lucky to have electricity in part of the house; most didn’t even have that. But most of all, I missed my grandmother.

Matitus watches me for a few seconds but says nothing until I go to walk out.

“I will speak to Silas; I know Abigail wants to visit her daughter. I will see if he will let you go with her.”

I nod eagerly, anything to get out of this castle and the memories of what Silas did the other day to those poor girls.

“Ask me what?” Silas says.

“She wants to leave the castle and go with Abigail for a few hours.”

“No, not happening.”

“We can send a guard with her,” Matitus says, peering at Silas. I stare between them for a few seconds as they eye each other. I furrow my brows, wondering what they are talking about. “Fine, but you run, and I will tear apart this city looking for you, understood? And you stay with the guard,” Silas tells me.

I nod, excited I’m going to get out of here, even if it is only for a few hours.

“Go tell Abigail,” Silas says, his eyes meeting Matitus’s. Why do I have a strange feeling it is a little too easy to convince him to let me go? Rushing downstairs, I find Abigail in the kitchen. She peers up when I enter, dropping her head back to the list she was reading.

“I have some good news,” I tell her.

“What, you found out how to break the curse and free every one of the Dragon Kings, so they stop their rein of hell on the city?”

I shake my head disappointed for a second, if only that were true.

“No, they are letting you visit your daughter, and I am coming with you. I have to take a guard, though,” I tell her, and her eyes light up.

“I can see my baby?” she asks, tears brimming in her eyes. I nod and she hugs me. Shocked, I take a few seconds to react and hug her back.

“Wait, when can we go?”

“I’m not sure, I can ask.”

“You leave in fifteen minutes,” Silas says walking into the kitchen. “Eat first though and don’t forget a jacket. Meet Taylor at the front door when you’re done.”

I nod. I don’t know who this Taylor person is, but I’m excited to leave the castle grounds and also meet Abigail’s daughter. Silas leaves and Abigail comes over, making sure he is gone. She pulls me over to the tap and turning it on full blast.

“You can escape if you give Taylor the slip,” she whispers to me, and I stare at her.

“How?” I whisper back.

“Take the tunnels,” she says. But then we hear footsteps, and she straightens, turning the tap off. It’s just one of the cooks. The cook eyes us suspiciously and I grab an apple from the bowl along with Abigail. Striding down the corridor toward the front door, Dragus is waiting with a jacket and cloak. He helps me put them on and I sit, placing a pair of boots on he brought down. Dragus then goes to a cupboard and grabs another pair when he sees Abigail only has her flats. He hands them to her, and she looks a little shocked. Abigail sits next to me and puts them on.

“Stay with Taylor, please don’t wander off. I don’t want you getting in trouble with Silas, okay?”

I nod, and he kisses my head then walks off.

Abigail and I walk out and are greeted by a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair that is styled messy, her black eyes showing she is a Werewolf which I think is odd. She is slender and athletic looking, wearing a leather jacket with jeans and boots. Most of the time Werewolves aren’t permitted in the city unless looking for their mates. So, the fact she is here makes me think she must be important to the Dragon Kings.

“Hi, I’m Taylor,” she says, extending her hand. I quickly shake it, her eyes not even darting to Abigail, not even acknowledging her existence or the fact she is standing right beside me. She then turns on her heel and starts heading toward the gates at the front of the castle. The Vampires standing guard open the gates, allowing us to slip through, closing them behind us. Lots of people are staring, some even running off as we walk down the streets. Some whisper “a Fae.” It is expected; Fae are rare creatures, and those who remain—if any more remained—hide in the shadows hoping to go unnoticed.

Taylor did not stop or look back at us. Abigail remains quiet, and I assume Taylor must know where we are headed because Abigail never once gave her a direction. When we trot around four blocks away, we turn up on a desolate street. Only a few houses are intact, the rest abandoned or destroyed.

“That’s my mother’s place there,” Abigail said, pointing to the last house on the street. The house is old and weathered. The gardens look overgrown with exotic looking plants, which is a little odd because we are in one of the worst snow seasons we have ever suffered through.

Taylor looks back at us but doesn’t say a word, just continues on. When we are nearly to the end, Abigail nudges me, and I glance to her direction. She stops walking and points to the gutter. My gaze darts down; she is pointing to a drain. And I know she is telling me these are the tunnels she was talking about. I’m familiar with the tunnels for the underground labs, but they are on the other side of town, so I’m unfamiliar with this side.