Page 16 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

Nico took the torch from Fallon. “This way. We’ll follow the tunnels to the eastern side of the castle. We can make our escape from there.”

We followed behind Nico in silence. I let my mind go numb. Time became irrelevant as we walked through the dark maze beneath Mathenholm Castle. Nothing mattered. I simply put one foot in front of the other. The monotony was a mercy. I felt Lucius hovering nearby, but I couldn’t even find comfort in that. I was in shock. And I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to come out of it.

I was no stranger to grief. I’d lost my parents when I was eighteen, not long after the doctors gave me a terminal cancer diagnosis. I had a slew of fucked-up coping mechanisms to choose from. The stage when your brain checks out because it can’t accept what’s happened—that’s my favorite. The fact Ihada favorite phase of grief told me I’d had more than my fair share. And with that came the knowledge that it wouldn’t last long.

The king’s tunnels dumped us into the wilderness, just beyond the castle ramparts. The full moon was still high overhead. My life had completely upended in a single night—and it wasn’t even over yet. I gripped my bare arms as a cold breeze raised goosebumps across my skin. Tucked away in the confines of the castle, the sunny days seemed warm and inviting, when in reality, it was more like a crisp autumn night in London. I steeled myself against the cold, willing my teeth not to chatter. I’d be damned if my shivering drew any more masculine attention.

“Where are you going?” Luca asked as Nico led us to the thick, coniferous forest surrounding the castle. “Bruin Castle is this way.” He gestured northward, and our group pulled to a nervous halt.

“Think, Luca. We can’t return to our lands. That’ll be the first place Johan looks. We head to Whisperhold. The Caldreim River is only a mile east. We have to reach the water if we want even the slightest chance of escape.”

Lucius and Luca both nodded in agreement, while Fallon and I remained silent. There were only two options: follow the princes blindly, as I had since the beginning—or throw myself at the mercy of that vulture, Johan. I chose to keep my blinders in place, at least for now.

We walked single file into the forest, close behind Nico. I didn’t know how he knew the way. The moonlight barely piercedthe dense canopy. He’d snuffed out our torch as soon as we left the tunnels, letting the darkness cloak us from our enemies.

I heardthe rush of water creep into the silence of the night long before we arrived. I let out a sigh of relief when we broke through the trees. We’d made it to the river—our only chance at salvation. The surface shimmered like liquid silver in the moonlight as it meandered through the forest.

“Come on, Mic. I’ll carry you.” Lucius offered his hand.

“Carry me? I don’t need you to carry me. I can walk.”

“We have to walk in the water. It’s the only way to mask our scent. Johan will send trackers as soon as he realizes we escaped. You won’t be able to make it through in that dress.”

I stared at the rippling surface, and suddenly it didn’t look so beautiful.

“Or I can carry you, if you prefer my company over his,” Luca offered, elbowing Lucius aside.

“Or I,” Nico added, sounding hopeful.

The last thing I wanted was to be carried like a child.

I reached into my skirts, pulling out the eidris Gunner had given me. My heart squeezed at the sight of it. Without hesitation, I began hacking at the dress. I slashed through the fine silk with wild abandon, hot tears spilling from my cheeks.

“I didn’t like this stupid fucking dress anyway,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

No one said a word or tried to stop me. I couldn’t hold back the anger or the heartache. I knew it was irrational. It didn’t make sense. I’d only just met Gunner. I’d survived losing my parents—the two most important people in my life. His death shouldn’t have broken me like this, and yet it did. A part of me had died in that room with him. Gunner had offered the promise of something more. And once again, I’d been cheated out ofanother choice. The Reaper had been denied my soul, and now it delighted in destroying it instead.

When I finished, the once-beautiful gown now had a ragged hemline that hung to my knees.

“All right, gentlemen. Shall we?” I stepped into the river, feeling a bit lighter, both mentally and physically. I hissed as the frigid water swirled around my ankles, but I welcomed the cold.

Nico followed behind, cradling Fallon in his arms. She’d been a ghost of herself since the Crownspire. Luca and Lucius flanked me. I knew they were waiting for me to make a misstep and fall, but to their credit, they let me find my footing on my own.

“I know you’re not thrilled with me right now,” Lucius said. “But at least take my shirt. I can hear your teeth chattering.”

“How’s my sister?” I asked, deflecting.

He sighed but indulged me. “She’s good. Probably sore as hell after marrying five husbands.”

“Eww! I didn’t need to hear that, Lu!” I smacked his shoulder.

“Five husbands, you say,” Luca added. “That’s nothing. Seven would be a better number—one for each day of the week.” He cleared his throat, and the cheeky smile faltered. “Then again, maybe seven isn’t the lucky number we thought it was.”

Lu reached out, laying a hand on Luca’s back. “Gunner saved all of our asses back there. He died an honorable death. He wouldn’t have settled for anything less.”

Luca looked at me, brows drawn together as he studied my face. “I thinkshewould’ve made him want to live a very long life.”

We made camp at dawn—if you could call it that. I’d nearly collapsed when we reached a towering wayward pine. If I hadn’t been so exhausted, I would’ve marveled at its massive size. Something I would have believed only existed within the pagesof a fairytale. Its boughs, heavy with needles, hung low to the ground, creating a hidden sanctuary beneath.

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