Paintings of bearded men and solemn-faced women seemed to watch us as we passed. Normally I’d be curious about them. I’d wonder whether some of them were Laurie’s ancestors. But right now, I was focused on getting the fuck out of this place.
Voices floated through the air. Before I could question whether it was courtiers or guards, I heard the undeniable clatter of armor. Laurie dove to the side, pulling me with him, and I found myself in a place within the wall that had been adjusted to fit a column. We were tucked behind it, mostly out of sight, but if either of the guards rushing by bothered to look, they’d find us without difficulty. Where was Gil? I craned my neck, hoping he’d found a hiding place of his own.
The vampire peered back from across the hallway, tucked in an identical nook. Seeing the overly bright sheen in his eyes—his hunter’s instincts and bloodlust kicking in—I sent a feeling of encouragement down the bond. He sent an identical feeling back, silently reassuring me. I’m fine.
He wouldn’t be fine for much longer if he didn’t get some human blood.
I hid the thought from Gil and shifted out of sight again, breathing more calmly now that I knew where he was. The Guardians hurried past a second later, their clanking armor oddly synchronized. It felt like every bone in my body had turned to ice. I stood in the thick shadows, trying not to think about what would happen if they found us.
I would use my powers. I would feast until I was delirious. And then I’d kill every living creature inside this palace. Since the return of the Nightmare, I had been so worried about Belanor using me for his spell that I hadn’t thought about the other dangers. The entire reason I’d asked Cyrus for his help.
Great job not thinking about it, Fortuna. Just as I finished the thought, I noticed that the synchronized clatter had faded. Were they gone? I refocused on Laurie, wondering why he hadn’t moved. The moment our gazes met, I comprehended that we were still smashed together, chest-to-chest in this gilded pocket.
I knew the exact moment Laurie realized it, too—his eyes darkened and his arms clenched harder around me. Whether it was intentional or not, I didn’t know. All I knew was that his heartbeat was nearly identical to mine. It became the loudest sound in the universe, like fragments of a crashing meteor hitting the ground. Boom. Boom. Boom.
“They’re gone,” Gil said, making me jump. He stood near the pillar. I hadn’t even heard his approach.
Laurie must’ve heard him coming, though, because he didn’t react. After another second, he tore away and his expression smoothed into a neutral mask. I watched his silver eyes scan the hallway. Deeming it safe, the faerie slipped into the open, and I quickly moved to follow.
I started when I felt Laurie’s fingers skim the tender skin along the inside of my arm, then fold into the spaces between my own. I glanced up at him, but he didn’t look back. Laurie led us silently through the shadows again, keeping close to the wall.
We’d nearly reached the end of yet another hallway when he let go of my hand. Laurie took his phone out of his pocket, activated the flashlight, and held it out to me. I took it, more questions hovering at the back of my throat. I swallowed them all—after everything he’d done, Laurie deserved my trust.
“This is the only place the guards won’t search,” Laurie muttered. The lines of his body were tense, which spoke volumes, as Laurie never worried about anything. When I saw that, my own anxiety heightened until it was practically a hum at the back of my head.
We stood in front of a narrow door made of cherry-toned wood. Faeries apparently liked their carvings, regardless of which Court they were in—intricate lines and shapes had been cut into that smooth surface. Feathers. Dozens and dozens of feathers, I thought.
Without another word, Laurie reached into his pocket and knelt. I watched as he began to pick the lock with expert precision. I didn’t know why I was surprised; Laurie had probably learned how to get inside forbidden rooms before he was out of diapers. I pointed the light so it shone on his hands, even though he probably didn’t need it. Only a few seconds later, we all heard a click. Laurie quickly got to his feet, opened the door, and ushered us in. I barely had a chance to register the familiar smell of dirt before Laurie closed the door behind him.
We were in a passage between the walls—it was obvious from the closeness of the space and the wooden beams.
“I’ll go first,” Gil muttered. In spite of what I’d told him in the cell, he didn’t trust Laurie. I could sense his wariness within that beautiful dust floating between us. When he started off, I followed automatically.
Laurie brought up the rear, and he didn’t make a single joke about the view or anything else. His silence was unnerving. He held up his cell phone again, lending us the small glow of the flashlight app. It only made everything look more sinister.
From what little I could see, the passage swiftly became a tunnel. The walls farther down seemed to be formed of rocky earth and precarious-looking wooden archways, and there was an abandoned feeling that clung to the cold, as if no one had been here in a long, long time.
My instincts balked at going deeper into the darkness. I was tired of running from scary faeries underground. Why wouldn’t we fight for our lives on the surface, like normal people? My agitation began to rise, and the weak nudges of comfort from Gil had no effect.
“Can you move through the entire palace like this?” I murmured, trying to distract myself.
When Laurie didn’t respond, I looked over my shoulder at him. He shook his head, wordlessly answering the question, No. His silence made me wonder if our voices could carry to the guards searching for us.
The path sloped downward. Eventually the hard floor became dirt. There was a strange smell in my nostrils, but I couldn’t define it. It got stronger and stronger with every step. My stomach began to churn. Something doesn’t feel right, instinct insisted.
Then Laurie turned his phone off.
As soon as the flashlight was gone, the darkness was absolute—there were no windows or cracks of light around us. I resisted the urge to search for Laurie’s hand, and he didn’t offer it again. For several seconds, all I had to guide me through the oblivion were their faint footsteps. Then we walked around a curve in the tunnel, and indistinct shadows flickered over the walls. There were probably torches farther down the path.
Soon after that, we arrived at a gate.
It might have been black, once, but time and damp had reduced the bars to rust. Did this lead to sewers beneath the city? Were we leaving palace grounds?
Flakes drifted off the gate when Laurie pulled on a latch. Strangely enough, the hinges barely made a sound. My brow furrowed. Someone must oil them regularly, I thought.
Gil was already through the gate and in the tunnel beyond it, but Laurie paused to press something into my hand. A pocketknife, I realized after a moment. It wasn’t nearly as small as the one Gil had hidden in his boot—this blade could do some real damage. Why give it to me now? I grasped the handle, mentally reaching for the Nightmare inside just to make sure she was still there. I wasn’t human anymore. The reminder made it easier to hold back another rush of questions.
I stepped through the gate.
Laurie closed it so gently that I only heard a faint click. I stared at the tunnel ahead, straining to find the source of that distant glow. Wherever it was coming from, the firelight was far enough away that I still couldn’t see anything. There was only Gil, who stood waiting. His mind was a cloud of hunger and protectiveness. For me.