Page 145 of A Reign of Roses
Mari’s face crumpled and I knew mine had done the same.
“Octavia should have burned at the stake long ago,” Briar murmured from the couch.
The guttural wrath that warped Kane’s face as he interlaced his fingers tighter in mine was ancient and deep-seated. For Dagan, for me, for his mother…
But Mari wasn’t listening. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
I faltered for words. Neither had I.
“He knew you had gotten to safety,” Griffin said behind us, his voice hoarse. “He saw you flee the temple.”
I didn’t know if Griffin was lying, and I didn’t want to. Possibly a vestige from my more naive days, but I couldn’t stomach the thought that Dagan’s final breaths had been occupied worrying about Mari’s or my or anyone else’s safety. I told myself he’d died doing what he couldn’t so many years ago…saving children. Perhaps nothischildren, but Leigh and Ryder, even little Beth—they were as close as it came for him.
And for Dagan, I’d do the same. I’d save everyone I could.
I moved purposefully for the southern windows.
Nobody followed me.
“We’ve sent for reinforcements from Willowridge,” Eardley told Kane behind me.
“There are fewer men there than stationed here,” Griffin said, too low.
The study was on the highest floor of this wing. Though not as tall as the library or the temple, it was elevated enough that the sea of gray surrounding Shadowhold’s gates looked like dirtied snow to me at first.
So much so, I’d almost felt a rush—thought Lazarus and his men might have vanished altogether.
It was like discovering your shadow was actually a cloud of buzzing flies—not snow at all, but thousands and thousands of Fae warriors. Spilling deeper into the Shadow Woods, poised on foot, on horseback, on winged mercenaries. And past them, through pockets of the forest—golden armor and rusty red as well. Amber. Garnet. All of them.
They outnumbered us at least fifty to one.
It would be a bloodbath.
“We can’t fight them.”
My eyes hadn’t left the window, and Eardley’s snort behind me shook my focus. “We sure as shit won’t surrender without trying.”
“Can’t you see?” I turned to face the room. All the worried, dirtied faces. “We’ve already lost.”
“How long will your wards last?” Mari asked Briar.
Briar patted down the wrinkled silk of her fine lilac skirt. She had dressed so nicely for our wedding. “A couple of hours. At most.”
“And then they’ll breach the walls with ease,” Kane promised, ice sliding through the room with his words. “They’ll take Shadowhold before nightfall.”
“Can we run?” Mari asked, no shame in the question.
“There’s nowhere we could go where he won’t find us,” I said. “And we’ll just rack up more death while we delay the inevitable.”
“Arwen…” Kane cautioned.
We were powerless.
I’d been powerless to stop Dagan’s slaughter and the deaths of so, so many more. Had almost seen both Leigh and Ryder killed—the thought alone like an arrowhead to my heart. We were at the mercy of Lazarus now, and Kane knew, whether or not he could admit it.
I had one final weapon in my arsenal. “But I have an idea.”
Kane stepped toward me, face drawn with bleak understanding. “Why don’t we discuss—”
