When my own fist connected with his jaw, the crack of bone was so loud it echoed off the walls. Wrath ignited all my muscles. The hidden magic of the city vibrated through the rocks, into my body, giving me strength. I would end this man.
While he stumbled back, I punched him hard, my fist smashing his nose. Blood poured down his face, and he stumbled, losing his balance. He fell hard on his back, dazed. I darted back, snatching the dagger from the ground.
But as I did, he grabbed me by the calves, pulling with a grunt. I fell back into the unforgiving rock, but I kept my grip on the dagger. From the ground, I kicked the guard hard in the head. I sprang to my feet.
While he was trying to right himself again, I slammed the back of my elbow into his skull.
On the floor, he moaned. I brought the dagger down into his back, exactly where the long blade would pierce his heart. He went silent and still.
I stood above the carnage, catching my breath. The dark feeling that had electrified my body was starting to subside, and I was left here with the sound of my own heartbeat, my own ragged breathing.
Because now, I had a whole other problem on my hands. In fact, I had two dead bodies at my feet that I needed to get rid of.
I really didn’t need Samael knowing I was slaughtering his soldiers.
How could I dump the evidence? The part of the window that opened looked too small. I peered out at the old broken bridge that jutted out from the tower.
That might be my best bet. At one point, people would have crossed between the towers, which meant there must be a door leading out to that giant shard of bridge.
I dragged the first guard by his feet into the hallway, and it wasn’t far until I got to the door to the old bridge. It was locked from the inside, so I slid the iron lock across and then pushed the door open. I dragged the guard out onto the bridge. It must be well past midnight now, and no one was walking below at this hour. Not to mention that the storm had picked up again, rain slamming down hard.
Beneath my feet, the stone was slick. When I peered over the side of the crumbling bridge, dizziness swooped through my head. The bridge was only about twelve feet long, but twelve stories in the air.
Once I dragged the soldier's body halfway, I got down on my knees and pushed him. The bridge had a one-foot ridge on one side, and it took considerable effort to lug his body over it. First, his torso. Then, his legs were free, and he started to fall.
Lightning pierced the sky and a thundering boom rolled across the horizon. Crouching on the edge of the bridge, I watched him plummet. It felt like some kind of dark sacrifice. In the old days, that's what they used to do, sacrifices to the Dark River. I wiped a hand across my mouth and realized my whole body was shaking violently.
But war was ugly, wasn’t it? And we were at war with these people.
I crossed back to the room with the blood on the window. There, I grabbed the feet of the second soldier. As I dragged him across the floor, I saw that his body was leaving smears of blood on the stone. More to clean up.
Grunting, I dragged the second corpse out onto the bridge. While I caught my breath, I stared out over the river. The distant lights of South Dovren twinkled far away in the rain.
Lightning struck again, touching down just across the river. On the fragmented bridge, I got down on my knees again. First the torso, arms and head. This soldier was heavier, and I grunted, straining. Then I lifted him by the legs until his hips slid over as well. He plunged, and as I watched him, fear slid through me. I thought for an insane moment I might jump.
Shivering, I ran back into the Tower of Bones.
Now, I needed some cloth to clean the stones. I hurried back into one of the servant’s rooms and snatched an old uniform. Rushing outside, I held it into the rain, so it soaked up the water. When it was drenched, I carried the sodden fabric back into the hall.
On my hands and knees, I started scrubbing the floor, rushing to get it done as fast as I could. I sopped it up with a second, dry uniform.
When I finished, I tossed the blood-soaked uniforms into the river. My legs still felt weak, shaky, but I closed all the doors. I left behind the room where my sister might have died.
And as I walked down the stairs, I slid my hand into my pocket, running it over Alice’s charm necklace.
In the courtyard I kept to the shadows, making sure that no one would notice me if they were to look outside. I peered back at the Tower of Bones, swallowing hard. Then, I climbed the wall again, trying to forget the dizzying feeling of watching those soldiers plummet.
I’d left the armory window open a crack, and all I needed to do was swing it open.
I felt numb as I crept inside. Once my feet hit the old wooden floor, I turned to close the window behind me.
I waited a moment, listening for signs of movement in the castle. But it seemed completely silent tonight, and I heard not a footstep. I exhaled a sigh of relief, trying to stay focused.
But as I started to walk through the armory, my blood went cold. The sound of guards talking floated through the hall. Quickly, I slipped behind one of the suits of armor. Quieting my breath, I pressed my back against the mirror. The torches guttered on the wall.
Where was that draft coming from? I was sure I’d closed the window properly.
I could hear their voices moving closer. In my hiding spot, if they came in for a quick look in the armory, they might miss me. But if they were doing a thorough search, they’d catch me here.
I swallowed hard. They were speaking in Clovian, so I couldn't understand what they were saying. But their voices were loud, agitated, echoing off the walls. It must be after one, though I’d lost track of the time. I wasn’t sure how many people strode around the castle at night, but I imagined that by this point, they’d found the two sleeping guards outside my room. And with that, the fact that I was missing.
I’d never planned to take this long, but nor had I planned to kill two people and clean up the mess.
Behind the knight’s armor, I slid my gaze toward the entryway, and my heart kicked up a notch as I watched two soldiers cross into the armory. I could stay very still in the shadows, hoping they missed me in the dim light. But I heard the sound of more soldiers coming, more frantic voices in the hall.
With my pulse racing, I watched as a guard started searching the other side of the room—very closely. Peering behind the armor on the other side. Behind the tapestries. I was lucky that the armor was enormous, but if they looked closely, it was all over.
As soon as they turned to inspect this side, I'd find myself at the wrong end of five swords.
21
Lila
My breath quickened. Closing my eyes, I turned to knock against the wall, to ask the Raven King for help. As I did, I caught a glimpse of my hair caught in the air, as if the wind were toying with it. I wondered again where the wind was coming from.
From beneath the mirror. There was a cool draft coming up my legs.
I’d heard once that castles had secret passages, and perhaps I’d just found one. When the Albian kings had gone to war with the warrior monks, both sides had carved secret tunnels and passages over Dovren.
My gaze slid down the mirror’s gilt frame. And on the right side of it, an onyx raven was set into the wood.
I went very still, and faintly I thought I heard the sound of whispering coming from the mirror, a language both familiar and foreign at the same time. Ancient Albian. This was an entrance, wasn’t it?