Page 40 of Staff of Nightfall

Regulus pulled her to him and kissed her urgently. Adelaide tangled her fingers in his black curls. If passionate kisses could ensure his survival, she’d make sure he lived to be a hundred. When they finally separated, she rested her forehead on his shoulder, her chest heaving and stomach doing flips.

“I need to go,” he whispered. “The sooner I get to Arrano, the better.”

She didn’t want to let go, but she did. They gave each other one last embrace that said everything they couldn’t articulate. He handed her his satchel with the last bits of food they had, and they mounted their horses.

“Swear to me you won’t go near your parents’ castle.”

“I swear it.” She swallowed back her sorrow.

“And promise you’ll keep practicing your magic, even while riding.”

“I promise.”

Regulus turned toward Arrano. Adelaide watched him disappear into the twilight, then she adjusted course for the palace. She had a king to warn, and as much distance as possible to put between herself and Nolan.

Chapter 16

Regulus rode throughthe night without stopping, and all the next day, too. Concern for Adelaide preoccupied his thoughts as the sun beat down on his back. He prayed she would truly head for the palace; that she would avoid any run-ins with Carrick or the sorcerer. While he believed separating had been their best chance at success, it would be days, perhaps weeks before he saw Adelaide again, and his anxiety for her safety added to his exhaustion.

He missed her. Her absence felt like when he reached for his sword but found he wasn’t wearing it. It was a lost, unanchored sensation, and he wanted to remedy it as soon as possible. So, he shook away the drowsiness and rode on.

The sun had long set when he approached Arrano. The stars and a waning moon half-hidden behind clouds cast pale light on the outlines of his castle. Regulus rode toward the main gate, posture drooping. His dry eyes itched. A shadow on the ramparts above the gate moved.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

“Lord Hargreaves,” Regulus called back wearily. He recognized the man’s voice but couldn’t connect it with a face. “Who’s on watch? Maxwell?”

“Lord Hargreaves?” The guard sounded stunned. “Gerald, my lord. Maxwell’s home with his family.”

“Ah. Could you open the gate, Gerald?”

“The gate! Of course! Apologies, my lord!” Footsteps slapped hard and fast on the stone. A few moments later, a chain rattled and clacked, the portcullis lifted, and the great double doors of the gate groaned as they swung inward. Regulus nudged Sieger forward. The gate closed behind him and the portcullis settled back down with a clang. A torch bobbed toward him across the courtyard, held by a bleary-eyed stable boy, his shirt half-tucked in and twisted around his torso and his boots unlaced. Regulus dismounted and headed for the castle before the stable boy even reached Sieger. He called a thank you over his shoulder as his boots tapped against the cobblestones leading to the front door.

He didn’t want to wake Harold, but he couldn’t risk oversleeping. It took a couple knocks before Harold answered his door.

“My lord!” Harold blinked several times. “What—you’re okay! But... I—”

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