Fear claws up my throat, and the words barely get out as I push out of his embrace. “We need to leave the castlenow, Isiah. Niethal knows. Heknows!”
Isiah doesn’t say anything, but his anxiety fills the bond. He grabs his things from around the room, tossing them into a bag. While he packs, I pace in front of the window, occasionally watching for any guards coming to seize us. A knock sounds at the door, and Isiah draws a dagger and looks at me. “Hide, quickly. Get out of sight.”
I search for a place to hide butdamnitthere aren’t many choices. The only half-decent spot is behind a chair next to the fireplace, so I crouch and hold my breath. The hinges squeak as he cracks the door open. “Shit, get in here.”
Several footsteps enter the room, and I peek over the arm of the chair to find Isiah’s four friends staring at him, confusion written all over their faces.
As I stand from my hiding spot, their eyes snap to me.
“What is going on, Isiah?” the blond male asks, eyes darting between the two of us.
The tension in the room grows thick once they notice my cheek.
“What happened?” the large burly male says, his words icy.
“One of Niethal’s guards, Ellis, hit her.” When Ellis’s name crosses Isiah’s lips, a flicker of hostility shines in his eyes, a promise of retribution.
“Well,shit!” the handsome male with golden-brown hair huffs.
I come out from behind the chair to join them. We don’t have enough time for proper introductions, so I spit out the bad news. “Niethal knows about Isiah and me.”
“Fuck. We have to go. This meeting will be about more than a war vote,” the blond one says to Isiah, who’s already grabbing his bag. “We need to get the horses and make for the border, cross back into Daminae as fast as we can.”
I don’t even know their names, yet here I am, ready to run with them. But if Isiah trusts them, then I guess I do, too.
The handsome brown-haired male steps forward and puts his hands on my shoulders. “Grace, it’s lovely to meet you. I wish it were under less rushed circumstances, but welcome to the family!” The surprise must show on my face because he chuckles and embraces me, his laughter rumbling in his chest as he squeezes me tighter. He seems so genuinely happy to meet me that I find myself grinning and returning the hug.
After pulling away, I glance around the room, meeting each set of eyes that watches me. “It’s lovely to meet you all, finally. Isiah speaks so highly of you.”
They glance at each other and laugh, and Isiah rubs his neck as a slight flush reddens his cheeks. “All right, we can do the official welcome once we are out of the castle. Brothers, are you ready?” When Isiah speaks, they become serious. They may be his chosen family, but they still respect him as their prince.
“Yes, let’s get out of here. I’m sick of this place, anyway.” This time, a tall, lean male speaks from the back of the group. His rich black skin and amber-colored eyes are stunning.
The male leads us out the door, where the group then circles me, blocking me from view. We make our way through the hall and stairwells that only moments ago I ran through. The fact I could find my way to Isiah is still shocking.
When everyone abruptly stops, I nearly run into the male in front of me. I don’t know what’s wrong, but we need to keep going.
I open my mouth to ask Isiah what’s happening when voices echo from the bottom of the stairwell. The tension in the air is palpable as we wait, listening intently. Thankfully the voices fade into the distance, and everyone lets out a collective sigh before we move again.
We’ve been lucky so far, but is it too lucky? Where are the guards?
I imagine at least Reagan is searching for me unless he’s still dealing with Ellis. The way he pulled the whip tighter around Ellis’s neck makes me reconsider what he said about wanting to be my friend. Maybe I didn’t give him enough of a chance.
Our group stops again, but this time, I see why. We stand at the top of the spiral staircase that leads to the main foyer. The front entrance is down a short hallway. From there, only the courtyard stands between us and the stables.
Isiah brushes my mind.“If the guards spot us, we may need to run. Are you ready?”
I can’t stay here. This is my chance to escape, and I won’t back down now.“I’m ready.”
Turning to his friends, he whispers, “Be quick. Don’t stop for anything. Straight to the stables.”
We rush down the stairs, not wasting any time, running through the main hallway, entrance, and courtyard before entering the stables. Once inside, only a few servants are there, but none turns at our appearance.
Strange.
I stop in front of a servant, and there’s something off about him. His eyes are clouded—dull, milky white, and unseeing. What’s more startling are his ears.
“The first human you’ve seen here?”Isiah asks through the bond.