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The guard on their heels was already making his jump.
Rehan slid from the tiles first, landing heavily on the solid wood stairway that reached the road below. He offered his arms, catching the girls as he helped them down. When his hands found Ace’s waist and her body slid down his, there was nothing but guilt writhing inside of her. Whether he felt that or not, she couldn’t know, because he only smiled in the polite way he always did before they set off.
People passed by on the street but few noticed the three who sprinted down the stairs. They drew more attention as they began weaving across the sidewalks, nearly knocking into a couple or two. The calls of the guardsman followed not far behind them. His voice turned into voices as he gathered others to his aid.
“Here!” Ace barked before darting intothe first unlocked door she could find. Darkness waited for them on the other side. Only their ragged breaths filled the silence as they listened for the guards to run by. Each of them tensed in turn as shouts approached then disappeared farther down the way.
Ace cracked the door open, allowing the day’s light to enter the space. Shelves stocked with jars of pickled vegetables, large wooden crates stacked in each corner, and an assortment of cleaning supplies on the farthest wall suggested some sort of storage. The back of a business, maybe? It didn’t matter though, because they were already moving again.
Edging into every bit of shade and shadow available, and making their way on the outskirts of the city, they made back some time reaching the castle. The back of Ace’s neck tingled with dull pain as she cocked her head back to look up at the castle that stretched toward the sky. Curling iron gates were opened, several carriages parked in the long drive that led to the clear door. Another event perhaps?
That didn’t explain why Queen Idalia stood at the stairs, her long red gown spread around her like pooling blood. Cool brick held Ace up as she leaned into the building they hid behind. The last time she’d seen Idalia she was being dragged through mud and fallen tree limbs. The last time she saw Idalia, her throat had been cut open.
With the memory fresh in her mind’s eye, her fingers brushed the scar at her neck. In answer, the gods growled.
Kill the queens.
Fix this.
Balance. This world needs balance.
Ace squeezed her eyes shut, so tightly that splotches dotted behind her eyelids. A warm hand gently touched her shoulder, the rough callouses catching on the fabric of her shirt. She sighed as she opened her eyes and stared into Rehan’s waiting fire filled gaze.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Ace managed, though her throat and mouth felt like sandpaper.
The rumble of a familiar voice caught her attention. Rehan’s hand fell away as Ace peeled herself off the side of the building, craning to see through the fence for Shelby. Margo’s slender frame pressed into her side as the girl did the same.
“There he is,” Margo confirmed with a nod of her head.
“And there is the Fae prince,” Ace whispered.
She’d not seen the Fae before, but even at a distance, there was a resemblance to King Osiris. Grease slicked the prince’s black hair down over his face, and where the sun caught the strands, a blue undertone shone. Much like the webbing of dark blue veins under his porcelain skin.
Queen Idalia took leisurely steps down to meet Shelby at his level. For every step she took, Ace’s heartbeat doubled in pace. When there was only a foot of space between her eldest sister and Shelby, it was an effort for Ace to even take in a breath.
“What are they saying?” she hissed to Rehan. No matter how she tried to slip into their minds, her concentration was running thin, nearly gone.
“He wants to give Queen Idalia the Fae prince in exchange for the warlocks’ freedom.” Before Shelby could even finish talking, Ace already knew what he was about to say. “Queen Idalia is going to kill him.”
“Of course she is,” Ace snarled.
“What? No. We have to do something.” Margo tugged on one of her braids, nearly fraying it as she fiddled with its end. “I can do more magic.”
“You’ve already exhausted yourself,” Rehan said softly.
“Please, Margo, you’ve done more than enough.” Ace’s heart ached for the young girl’s youth that was quickly being ripped away from her. “Stay here, we will go in and get him, meet you back here, and then we can set up camp outside of the city and make a plan from there.”
“We’ll have to get through the guards to get to Shelby,” Rehan said carefully.
We may have to kill innocents, was what he was really trying to say.
At this point, anyone that stood between Ace and Shelby, she did not consider an innocent.
When she reached for the holy fire that lived within her it was easier than it ever had been. Like plucking an apple from its branch, all she had to do was reach out and take a hold of it. Sparks of lightning danced under her skin. Heat surged from her chest all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. Ace could already feel the hilt of her sword in her hand.
Moving forward, she made it near enough to hear Queen Idalia doom him. “Seize him,” she commanded, “I want to kill him slowly.”
