A blood-curdling scream from above stopped Silas dead. He made for the nearest door but stopped himself as he held the handle. He couldn’t risk it. One empty room was lucky enough. The scream had to be something to do with Mara. The burning hole inside Silas had simmered down to an ache. The boy was close.
He edged forward. The noises from above came louder as he stood at the bottom of another set of stairs. Whatever fight was going on happened on the very next level. He removed his blade, held it at his hip, and moved up.
Silence came, his breathing the only remaining sound. At any moment, he could stumble into a twitchy guard and end up with a sword through him. Or a few more may run up behind him. What the hell am I doing? He shook away the doubt. Mara, he needs my help.
Silas blinked at the ceiling, mouth open. He’d been hit hard and slid backwards down the stone stairs. He looked to see his own blade buried up to the hilt in his side. The pain came fast. He moaned through gritted teeth, touching at the handle sent shocks of horrendous pain from head to toe. “Fuck.” His vision went blurry, and he wanted to puke.
A small hand grabbed his shirt at the shoulder. He shouted in pain as he was dragged backwards along the floor. He grabbed at the hand, trying to peel away the fingers. The knife handle in his side caught the door frame as he’d passed through. An intense wave of pain washed over him, taking his breath away and turning his vision black.
Mara blurred into vision, crouched next to him, wearing strange red velvet clothes peppered with blood.
Silas coughed, a sharp pain flashing up his side. “Is it really you?”
Mara frowned. “Yes.”
“I came to save you.”
“You shouldn’t have come.”
“But you were captured.”
“And now I am free.”
Silas groaned.
Mara clapped a hand over Silas’s mouth. “Be quiet. They’ll kill you if they find you.”
Silas looked in Mara’s grey, emotionless eyes. “What did they do to you?”
Mara touched gently at the edges of the blade where it pierced Silas’s skin. “I think I can help you.”
“You need to run. The Shadows want you dead.”
Mara’s head twisted as his gaze came back to Silas’s. “Dead?”
Silas felt cold suddenly, and it felt like Mara’s eyes drove his head into the floor. “Yes. Leave now, run away, and never come back.”
“No. I will kill them. I will kill them all.” Mara looked up at the wall. “Help him.”
Who is he talking to? A warm feeling crept through Silas’s body. He felt calm and pain-free. His thoughts clouded. Strange screams echoed from far away. Then nothing. He lay completely still, unable to move or talk.
Mara undid Silas’s blade sheath and tied it around himself, then tucked Silas’s blade in it. “Don’t follow me, Silas.”
Mara’s eyes were cold. Silas felt like they looked into his mind. I’m sorry. You should not be part of this world. This is all my fault.
Mara stood. “Do not be sorry. Without you, I would be nothing.”
Silas fought to stay awake as a coldness spread over the warmth. Come with me.
Mara walked into the barrel room. The servant boy was nowhere to be seen, nor were Mara’s old clothes. Which wasn’t a bad thing. He had no idea how long he’d been in the castle. All the days had merged into one. He knocked on the tunnel door three times.
“Hello?” the guard said.
“Open the door.”
“Who’s there?”
Mara sighed. “You said you’d be waiting for me.”