Page 16 of The Crown of the Last Fae Queen
“We don’t have time,” Herja said between labored breaths. Her skin was still pallid, and it seemed to take all her energy to just run. “It’s better if we report back and let Sijur know what’s happening?—”
“Sijur is dead.” As she spoke, Kolfinna’s ears pricked and she glanced over her shoulder. Rakel was coming, and fast. She couldn’t see the elf woman, but she could hear her light-footed steps.
They had maybe one minute.
“What?” Herja’s mouth hardened, but she turned away, her fire-like hair curtaining her face for a second. “We still need to let our superiors know. This army is bloodthirsty and powerful. We know more about their power than the others. We must warn them?—”
“Herja.” Kolfinna opened her mouth to tell her about the half-elf, about how she was his daughter, about their plan to freethe queen, but her throat closed up and no words came out. The images of Katla’s severed head in Lord Estur’s hand flashed in her mind. The jeers of the Royal Guards bounced in the back of her memories like phantoms. A cold, freezing panic filled in her seconds.
“What?”
“I …” She couldn’t trust Herja. She couldn’t trust … anyone.
Before she could speak, she heard another crash from behind them. She quickly looked over her shoulder. No one was behind them, but Rakel was gaining on them. How much time did they have?
“Go up the stairs,” Kolfinna finally said, pointing to the end of the hall where the staircase led. “Escape and tell everyone that the elves and fae are aiming for the capital. Leave, and fast! I’ll find another way to escape.”
“No—”
“Herja.”
They stopped at the end of the staircase and Kolfinna grabbed the red-headed woman’s arm, her eyes wide. Both of their chests rose and fell in quick succession Herja’s beautiful curls stuck to the sweat on the sides of her face and her neck.
“Listen to me, Herja, they’re coming after the capital. They want to free the evil queen. You have to convince the black ranks to work together. It’s the only way we’ll defeat them.Please.”
“Where will you go?”
“I’ll run to the other staircase,” she said quickly. “Rakel will follow me. I’m more valuable to her. Use that to your advantage and sneak out.”
Herja opened her mouth to argue, but she must have seen the grimness on Kolfinna’s face because she nodded quickly, and pulled Kolfinna into an unexpected, quick embrace.
“Survive.” Herja pulled away and stared at Kolfinna with a determined, hard expression.
Kolfinna’s throat thickened with emotion and she only bobbed her head in agreement. Herja spun and raced up the stairs while Kolfinna continued down the hall. In a matter of seconds, she could hear Rakel’s curses from behind her.
“You—ungrateful—princess,” the elf hissed.
Kolfinna’s thighs burned as she ran faster. She was sure there was chaos erupting all over the fortress as the soldiers scrambled to find her; she hoped Herja was able to escape during all the confusion.
She had just rounded the corner of the corridor when she collided into two fae soldiers. One of their sharp, clawed wings sliced through her shoulder as she crashed to the floor. Her knees cracked on the cement and blood gushed from her injury. She struggled to push herself up from their tangled limbs and sweeping wings.
One of the soldiers, a vibrant eyed fae, clamped her wrist tightly. “You?—”
Kolfinna punched him square in the face; his nose crunched beneath her fist and he released her as a rush of blood erupted from him. Kolfinna sprang to her feet, only for the second fae to grab her ankle and yank her down to the floor again. She pulled her foot back and heel-kicked him in the face. He yelped, freeing her as well.
Just as Kolfinna scrambled up to her feet, slipping on her own blood and her wobbly knees, Rakel shouted, “There you are!”
Before she could spin around and face the woman, a beam of light shot at her back and she flew across the hall and crashed into the wall, which cracked and crumbled on impact. Iron-tasting blood filled her mouth as she fell, her body crumpling. White-hot pain smoldered her back and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She saw stars dance in her vision, and through them, two leathered boots stomping toward her. Rakel wassnarling something at her—wicked words, she was sure—but she could barely hear them in her daze.
She pushed herself up on trembling arms when Rakel was suddenly in front of her. The elf woman slid her hand into Kolfinna’s thick hair and yanked her back until she was staring straight into her furious, murder-tinged red eyes.
“You insolent fool,” the woman sneered. “Sleep well, for when you next wake, you’ll regret stepping out of line.”
Rakel pulled her fist back and punched her face. It was the last thing Kolfinna felt as her face slammed onto the cold floor.
6
SIX – BLÁR
