Page 41 of Glass and Bone
“Princess!” I hear someone screaming behind me and I pick up the pace. My breathing is labored, my heart racing. I can’t even think. I can’t breathe. What the hell is happening?
I turn again and see an open balcony at the end of the hallway. It doesn’t take long for me to reach it, and without thinking, I fling myself over and into the night.
Chapter Seventeen
I land hard onto the grass, and I cry out in pain as my legs collapse under me. I pull myself to my feet, my knees protesting, and run straight to the open palace gates. The courtyard is long, but I make quick work of the distance as I reach the stone wall. Men on either side holding torches look at me bewildered, their mouths open, questioning what to say.
“Your Grace?” One of them says as I fly right past them. I can feel their hands trying to grip my arms, but I slip between them, their leather gloves sliding over my flesh. My feet ache as they slap against the gravel, but I ignore it. I run straight into the stables, the hay crunching under my feet. I can hear people yelling, running towards me, but I can’t let them get to me.
She’s going to be there if I look back.
She’ll be right there.
It doesn’t take long for me to find Sybil in the back, her coat glowing in the moonlight. She has a bridle already on and I thank the gods. My hand grasps the latch to her stall and the door flies open. She steps out, whining. I grip onto her bridle and start to pull her out into the light as quickly as I can.
“Stop, princess!” Someone yells from behind me. I pick up the pace, dragging her along with me, and she doesn’t protest. I run out of the stables and see a small stool to the right. I pull her over there and jump onto the stool.
Laris, Tano, and Tobias are running towards me, but I don’t take a second to think about it as I see my bloody body running behind them, chasing me. Her entire dress is soaked in blood, dripping onto the ground. Every time her mouth opens, water pours out as if she is drowning.As if I am drowning.
I jump off the stool and onto Sybil’s bareback. She grumbles at the feeling of my body slamming into her and takes off before I can react. I can feel the brush of someone’s fingers as they rip part of my nightdress. I nearly slide off her slick fur, and I hold onto the leather reins as tight as I can. The cold air whips around me and I force myself to take a deep breath.
I can’t tell which direction I am going, but when the road forks, I urge her to the left. I don’t even have to push her, she just runs. I look back, my thighs gripping her back as tight as possible, causing them to cramp. Horses are starting to chase after me, but running right next to them isme. My dead face is grimacing at the pace, even though she is easily able to keep up with the guards’ horses. Running as if she wasn’t human. Running almost as fast as my midnight mare.
“Sybil, go!” I scream, urging her on.
“Elaenor!” I hear Tobias screaming, but I can’t look back. If I do, she’ll be there. Chasing me. Waiting for me to join her. “Elaenor, stop!”Gods, I’m going crazy. I am actually losing my mind.
We run as fast as we possibly can, and it is taking every ounce of strength I have to stay on Sybil’s back. I don’t know where we are going, but time passes at a pace that is unbelievable. I feel like we are flying through the woods and before long we’ll end up at the edge of the continent.
“Gods dammit, Elaenor, wake up!” I scream at myself. This is a dream. This isn’t real. I look back and they are farther behind, Sybil’s long legs creating distance between us. I feel something fly past my leg and I look back again to see archers aiming at Sybil’s legs. They are going tokillher. I tighten my hold on her back, and she responds, picking up her pace. She easily makes the turns to stay on the path as more and more space is put between us.
I can see the trees break up ahead and the bright orange glow of a line of torches. A stone wall that is open in the middle appears in front of us. Tents, bonfires, small buildings all litter either side of the path. People are looking up at us confused.I’mconfused. This can’t be one of the borders. They are all a few hours ride away, this is impossible. How long have I been running?
“Stop her!” Someone yells behind me, and the men reach for their swords. They don’t have enough time to react as Sybil and I jump through the gap in the wall and land on the grassy plains behind it.
There is nothing but darkness and hilly land ahead of us as we continue on. I look back to see the horses stop at the edge of the wall. Tobias is in the middle. I can tell he is yelling for me, but I can’t hear him. Her face,myface is right next to him. She gives me a bloody smile before dissipating into nothing, gone. I pull back on Sybil’s bridle, and she slows before stopping.
I look towards the darkness, the grass that dips into pitch black. She led me here. Shewantedme to come here. Why?
I look back at the wall and see Tobias, Laris, Tano, and Theo all off their horses standing on the border. Which country did I stumble into? When did Theo join them? I rack my brain trying to think of the map, but I come up empty. It’s not Chatis, is it Rakushia?
Guards form a line behind them, waiting and ready with arrows nocked. I can go back right now, but would she just find me again? If I don’t go back, are they going to just shoot me?
“Elaenor, please!” I can hear Tobias yelling, begging me to come back.
There is a reason I am here. There is a reason I was led here.Right?I can’t go back. Not until I see this through. I look away from them and squeeze my thighs, Sybil takes off into the darkness, leaving Noterra behind.
We slow to a trot as the darkness envelopes us. Small hills line the grassy path, and we continue to follow it. The stars are bright against the night sky, and I shiver against the cold. I am still in my nightdress, a thin cotton in a light blue, but part of it is ripped, exposing nearly my entire right side. My bare feet are throbbing as they hang off either side of Sybil.
I don’t know how long we are trotting forward, but I grow tired. I let go of her reins and lay flat, my stomach resting on Sybil’s back and my arms wrapped around her neck. I can feel her slow down as I blink back at the sudden brightness. A torch is being held up to my face and I flinch away from the heat. Dark eyes and black hoods surround me and Sybil. I sit up and tighten my hold on her reins.
“Who are you?” I ask as more and more of them appear from behind small hills. “Who are you?” I yell louder as they whisper amongst themselves. I look around to see them circling us, maybe seven or eight individuals wearing matching cloaks. One of them pulls on her bridle and she makes a shrieking noise. “Stop it!” I yell as a cold hand wraps around my ankle and yanks me off her back. I don’t land on the ground and instead end up in someone’s arms. “Put me down!” I scream and kick out. Someone restrains my legs and I fight against their grip.
“Knock her out.” Someone says and I can feel something stabbing into my neck. I scream out in pain as fire spreads through my veins.
“Stop.” I say. My blood starts to burn, and my breathing slows. Hooves from behind us start to fade in and the one holding my legs drops them. I am heaved over a shoulder, my head hanging across his back.
This position is familiar. The same position Jeremiah held me in. I can’t let that happen again. Ican’t. I fight against the cloudiness in my head and slam my elbow into the space between his spine and neck. He yells out and drops me into the dirt. Hooves grow louder and I pull myself to my feet, but someone grabs my legs, slamming me face down into the ground. I wince as my nose hits the hard dirt.
