Liam and Thom shift to my sides, Corren covering my back.
I lift my sword and point it at Niethal. “The only thing Iwilldo is kill you.”
His harsh laugh echoes through the room, and without another word, the guards move.
My shadows drip to the ground, slithering toward the guards and yanking at their ankles, wrenching them to the floor. Liam bellows as he lunges and slices, opening from neck to hip the first guard who reaches us. Thom stabs the next in the neck, while Corren pushes a gust of wind in the guard’s direction, knocking several back into the rows behind. But they keep coming. Wave after wave fall to our blades and magic.
Reagan stands with Niethal near the back of the crowd. The scar on his cheek is pulled tight with tension as his gaze bores into mine, disappointment in the depths of his eyes.
Thom huffs beside me. “There are too many. We need to retreat, regroup.” He slashes another male, who shrieks as the blade slices his chest.
Corren knocks another line of guards back with a gust, but one sneaks around and stabs his side. Liam growls and kicks the male with an audible snap of bone, sending him flying back. Corren holds his blood-soaked side, baring his teeth.
Shit.
My eyes dart around the room at our impossible odds. “Make for the rear door!” I wave them toward the back of the room before sending shadows down a guard’s throat. But our retreat halts when the doors bursts open and a dozen more guards file in. “Fuck!” I whirl around and slash one and suffocate another with shadows.
Liam lunges, taking two down, but it’s not enough. One grabs for Corren, but Thom guts the male and slings Corren’s arm around his neck for support.
Shouts sound from the far side of the room, and an energy raises the hair on my arms. I rub my eyes to reaffirm what I’m seeing is true; that’s Mikal, sword drawn and electrified, slicing and stabbing his way into the space.
Thom hisses, “What is he doing? He’s going to get himself killed!” Thom drops Corren’s arm and rushes the guard before him, cutting his way across the room with Liam right behind him.
Mikal meets my stare, his lips pressing tight in a slight grimace as he stabs another guard. My mind chantswhere’s Grace?over and over, hoping he can see the thought on my face. A shadowy figure suddenly blocks Mikal from view, and when the haze fades, Niethal stands before him, gripping the sides of his head.
“No!” If he gleans Mikal’s thoughts, if he sees the cabin…
A guard slices my side, and I hiss as blood soaks my tunic. But this can’t wait. Gritting my teeth, I yell across the bond, hoping she hears it,“Run, Grace. They’re coming.”I deflect another blow, but I’m slow, and the blade catches my bicep.“Go!”
I make it halfway across the room before Niethal releases Mikal, and he crumbles lifelessly to the ground. Thom and Liam reach him then, but guards swarm. Not even Liam’s strength is enough to fend them off.
To my left, Corren is held face to the floor as iron cuffs are placed on his wrists.
Shit.
Reagan stalks toward me with a brilliant white light whip in hand. “Don’t fight this, Isiah. I don’t want to hurt you.”
My eyes bounce between him and the whip, and I sneer. “Fuckoff, Reagan.” I clutch my side and stagger forward, but as I do, Niethal fades before me and places his hands on my temples. The barriers surrounding my mind snap up, but it’s not enough. He’s too strong.
“You will see things my way.” His voice grates inside my head, but then my eyelids become heavy. “Sleep.”
And the world goes dark.
CHAPTER 25
GRACE
B
eing alone in the cabin is far worse than when Mikal was here to distract me. I’m left with only my thoughts and what I can gather from the bond, which isn’t much. It’s too murky to discern anything but feelings—more anger and rage.
Damn it.
I lie on the cot and cover my eyes with an arm. If I don’t distract myself, I’ll go mad in this silence. I try thinking of anything and everything aside from what horrible things could be happening at the castle, but it doesn’t work. This is pure torture.
Time hangs heavy as the sun drifts across the sky toward the horizon. It’s possible I may have dozed for a time, but I can’t even be sure of that.
A sudden intense pain crashes through the bond, and I grab my head to keep it from splitting open. Wave after wave of pain lashes my mind before Isiah’s voice comes through, and he’s yelling,“Run, Grace! They’re coming.”A moment of silence before a final, pained word.“Go!”Another surge of agony washes through my mind that leaves me seeing stars.