No, she gasped inwardly.
At the top of the staircase stood at least a dozen Gray Guards, and at their center was the smirking King Navok.
“Nice try,” he said. “But if you think I didn’t expect something like this —”
He broke off when his gaze moved from Kiva to Ashlyn. His expression turned disbelieving, then furious, as he realized what it meant that Evalon’s general was there, dressed as she was.
“Get us outside,” Galdric whispered to Ashlyn. “Once we’re out in the open, I’ll be able to —”
He didn’t finish before Navok barked, “Xuru!”
The dark-eyed man stepped into view, flames coming alive at his fingertips.
“RUN!” Ashlyn yelled, shoving Kiva forward just as a fireball soared toward them. A wave of the princess’s hand forced it to slam harmlessly into the obsidian wall, and another wave threw Navok, Xuru, and all the guards backwards off their feet, opening a space for Kiva, Galdric, and Ashlyn to sprint through.
“I can’t take on all of Navok’s guards if he summons the entire Blackmount garrison — and he will,” the princess warned as they bolted along the hallway toward the castle entrance. “My magic has its limits.”
“We just need to get outside,” Galdric said again. He was panting loudly and turning pale beneath his bruises, but he still kept up with them step for step. “Then I can —”
“STOP!” came Navok’s shout.
Another fireball soared over them, narrowly missing Galdric’s head.
“Ashlyn,” Kiva hissed. “Too close.”
The princess flung her hand blindly backwards, and the floor behind them made a cracking sound as it opened up, forming a crevice in the middle of the hallway.
“I can’t do much else, or I’ll bring the castle down on us,” Ashlyn said, breathing heavier now that her magic was sapping her strength.
“We’re nearly there,” Galdric said, pointing to a familiar set of large doors up ahead. Beside them stood two pairs of Gray Guards who came to attention at the sight of them hurtling down the corridor, but another flick of Ashlyn’s wrist tossed all four of them a substantial distance down the opposite hallway.
“So much for sneaking out without Navok noticing,” the princess complained. “Just pray that he doesn’t lock down the city before we can make it through the outer wall.”
“Where do you intend to take us?” Galdric asked urgently as they ran through the front doors and out into the brisk night air. “When we reach Evalon, where would you have us go? Raven’s Watch? Highworth Keep?”
“Stoneforge,” Ashlyn answered shortly, leading the way across the castle courtyard in the direction of the drawbridge, not bothering with stealth, since there was no longer any point. “It’s closest, and no one would dare follow us all the way there. If we ride hard, we can make it in under a week.”
“We won’t need —”
“Enough!” came Navok’s voice from behind them, cutting Galdric off. His command brought all three of them to a halt in the middle of the courtyard. But it wasn’t his word that had stopped them; it was what they saw standing in their path.
“Look around,” the king said needlessly, since it was impossible to miss the rows and rows of Gray Guards between them and Blackmount’s first iron gate. “You’re surrounded. And before you think of doing something foolish, dear Ashlyn, you should know that Xuru isn’t the only anomaly I have under my command. Be very careful what you do next.”
Despite Navok’s warning, Kiva was just about to tell the princess to use her magic in any way she could. But Galdric spoke first.
“Quick, take my hands,” he ordered, thrusting his palms out for them.
“Why —” Kiva started.
“Just do it,” he urged, but then he took the choice from them, reaching for both Kiva and Ashlyn, his grip like steel. “Now take a deep breath — and try not to throw up.”
Kiva wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, but then she locked eyes with Ashlyn, and that was when she felt it.
Wind.
So much wind, manifesting out of nowhere, slamming into her hard enough to steal the breath from her lungs. But that wasn’t all it did, because suddenly, her feet were no longer on the ground as a vortex of air twisted her violently around and then swept her up into the night’s sky.
A scream left Kiva but then she shut her mouth as she spun around like a human tornado. She felt Galdric’s tight grip anchoring her to him and had a moment to marvel that he was somehow doing this, but her wonder paled in comparison to the stomach-churning queasiness she felt as she continued to spin, spin, spin.
She could see nothing but the smeared inkiness of the night as the wind continued to pummel her, the air bitterly cold, the force of it enough to make her feel as if she were being bruised all over.
Then, after seconds that felt like hours, it finally stopped, leaving Kiva on solid ground once more. Her head was so dizzy that she fell straight to her knees, and while she was vaguely aware that they were now in a moonlit clearing with the faint lights of a village in the distance, that was all she noted before she had to slam her eyes shut against her nausea.
Ashlyn moaned from somewhere to her left. “What in the name of the gods was that?”
Galdric collapsed before he could answer.
Kiva reopened her eyes at the thud of him hitting the earth and pushed through the last of her dizziness. “Galdric?”
Ashlyn’s vomiting was the only response Kiva received, so she crawled unsteadily over to the ex-rebel leader to check his pulse.
“Ugh,” Ashlyn mumbled once her retching ended. But then, louder, she asked, “Is he dead?”
There was a strong heartbeat beneath Kiva’s fingers, so she answered, “I think he just fainted.”
“I’m not surprised,” Ashlyn said, standing shakily. “I’ve never seen wind magic used like that. I didn’t even know it could do that.” She squinted toward the village, trying to get her bearings. “He must have transported us at least —” She broke off with a gasp.
“What?” Kiva asked, seeing her shocked expression.
“I know this place,” Ashlyn said with disbelief. “That’s Sudbury. Stoneforge is barely two miles from here.” She stared at Galdric’s prone body. “That must have been why he asked where I was planning to take us — so he could bring us here himself.”
Kiva gaped into the darkness. “Are you saying — are we back in Evalon?”
Ashlyn nodded, the moonlight dusting her features silver. “I wouldn’t believe what just happened if I hadn’t experienced it myself.” There was a dazed look on her face, but she shook it off and moved back to where Kiva knelt beside Galdric. “Don’t try to heal him — we don’t want to draw attention,” she said, not that Kiva needed the warning. “He’s too heavy for us to carry him all the way to the base, but there’s an inn at the edge of the village.” She took hold of his shoulders. “The innkeeper is trustworthy — we can leave him with her until I can send someone to collect him.” She jerked her chin toward Galdric’s feet. “Anytime you’re ready.”