Page 118 of Rise of the Vicious Princess

Taking the stairs two at a time, she and Tal sprinted into her chambers. She couldn’t go back to the Farragin house for her mother or any of the rest of her people. There were too many Rakuuna. The knowledge sank into her, slick with despair, and she fought it.

She had to do her best to make sure those who were in the palace stayed alive.

“They’re afraid of horses,” she yelled to Tal as she tore her dress off and grabbed her sailing clothes instead. “If we can get to the stables, we could be safe until we get everyone ready to go to the dock.”

He ran from his room, still buttoning his shirt. “The armory is beside the stables. We’ll have weapons, too.”

“But no food.”

They stared at each other for a blink.

“We’ll figure out the food issue once we aren’t in danger of being torn limb from limb,” he said.

She was pulling on her boots when an idea struck. “The ships!”

“What ships?” He was lacing his boots too.

“Those ships with the green lights. They must have come into the harbor. Or be just outside it.” She grabbed her sword and strapped it on. “If most of the Rakuuna are on land, the ships might be vulnerable.”

“You’re saying we burn them?” He snatched his coat and sword.

“All but the one we take.” She strapped her daggers to her wrists and turned toward the door. “We use the boat to get us close enough to board one. Then we use that one to burn down everything else. They’d be stranded here, and we’d have their home away from home.”

“What better way to learn their secrets?” He reached for her hand as a scream echoed. “They’re inside the palace! Let’s get everyone to the stables. We’ll plan our way to the docks from there.”

She reached up and kissed him. Hard. “Don’t die.”

“You don’t die either. Ready?” He hefted his sword.

“Ready.”

Forty-Three

THEY WRENCHED OPEN her bedroom door and found pandemonium in the hall.

A Rakuuna clung to the wall, halfway up, her head turning at an impossible angle to follow Tal and Charis as they ran into the fray. The creature wailed, the cry rising and rising until the humans dropped to their knees, clutching their ears.

Answering wails echoed from the stairs below.

“That’s not good,” Tal said. “Everybody to the servants’ stairs. Go!”

Vellis, Reuben, and a tiny chambermaid named Polly ran, leaving three other guards bleeding out in the hallway.

Charis and Tal backed toward the stairs, but the Rakuuna didn’t attack. Instead, she crept along the wall above them, her black eyes following their every move while her tongue made rapid clicking noises.

“She’s telling the others about us,” Charis whispered.

“Why doesn’t she attack?” Tal asked.

They reached the stairwell and found Reuben waiting for them. The others were already halfway down.

“Maybe they won’t attack me because they think they need the royal family alive?” Charis said.

“Can’t be or they wouldn’t have killed your mother.” Reuben shoved her toward the stairs and kept his sword out, his eyes on the approaching creature.

Charis locked eyes with Tal. “Father!”

Whirling, she sprinted down the stairs, burst into the servants’ corridor, and ran for the east wing.

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