Page 63 of Destiny Redeemed
“And if they don’t?” My fingers closed around the cold metal.
Laurel reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin set of metal tools I’d never seen before. “Did I mention my father was a locksmith before he became a gardener?”
Who in the seven hells was this woman, and what had she done with my meek little handmaiden?
I approached Gareth’s cell, the keys cold in my palm. The iron bars cast striped shadows across his face, giving him the look of a caged tiger. He lounged on the threadbare cot as if it were a feather bed in some nobleman’s chamber, a smug smile spreading across his face when he saw me.
“So you’ve finally come,” he drawled, rising to his feet with a lazy stretch. “I was beginning to think you’d abandoned your father’s faithful servant to rot.”
I slid the key into the lock, the mechanism grinding with a satisfying click. “Faithful is hardly the word I’d use. Now shut up if you want to be free.”
“The lady has teeth tonight,” he chuckled, sauntering toward the door as I swung it open. “I didn’t think you had it in you, arranging a prison break. How… cunning.”
I tossed a dark cloak at his face, enjoying the momentary muffled curse as he caught it. “Put that on and keep your mouth shut. You’re worth nothing to me if you’re caught.”
I kicked his shin, perhaps harder than necessary. “Move. Now.”
Laurel glanced nervously over her shoulder. “My lady, we should hurry. The guard change happens soon.”
We moved through the dimly lit corridors, past the snoring guards—Laurel’s handiwork—and into a narrow passage hidden behind a wooden panel. The musty scent of disuse filled my nostrils as I led them deeper into the maze of tunnels beneath the palace.
“How fascinating,” Gareth whispered, his voice echoing slightly against the damp stone walls. “I didn’t know Lady Ilyana would be familiar with such hidden paths. I doubt even the king knows of these tunnels.”
“Do you ever stop talking?” I hissed over my shoulder.
“No wonder if anyone could find these tunnels, it would be the cunning brain of yours,” he continued, ignoring my glare.
The tunnel narrowed as we descended, the air growing colder and heavier with moisture. My hand trailed along the rough-hewn wall, muscle memory from my past life guiding me through the darkness. Every twist and turn was etched into my mind—memories of fleeing through these same passages when soldiers came for my family.
After what felt like an eternity, a gust of fresh air brushed against my face. We emerged through a hidden door set into the base of a cliff, Lake Calista stretching before us, its surface rippling with the first drops of rain.
I need to go back quickly. The tunnels will flood in rain.
“This is where we part ways.” I threw a heavy pouch at Gareth’s feet, coins clinking as it landed in the mud. “That’s all I can do for you. Follow the cliff path to leave the city. There’s a ship waiting at Tiberix port. I’ve kept my promise—now disappear and never show your face in Aetheria again.”
I turned to leave, motioning for Laurel to follow, when a sharp intake of breath froze me in place. I spun around to find Gareth holding a jagged piece of glass against Laurel’s throat, his arm locked around her chest.
Where did he get that? A small voice in my mind nagged.
“Did you really think I would let you both leave so easily?” His lips curled into a snarl as rain began pelting down harder, plastering his hair to his forehead. “You D’Arcanes are all the same—think you can use people and discard them when convenient.”
I should’ve known better.
My heart hammered in my chest, but I kept my voice steady. “Let her go, Gareth. This is between you and my family.”
“Doesn’t matter. I want every one of you dead,” he spat, pressing the glass harder against Laurel’s throat. A thin line of crimson appeared on her pale skin.
“I won’t ask twice.” My hand inched toward my hidden pocket.
Gareth laughed, a hollow sound that mixed with the growing downpour. “What will you do, my lady? Run crying to your prince? Or perhaps—”
I lunged forward as lightning split the sky, illuminating Gareth’s shocked face. He shoved Laurel aside and met my attack, his weight and strength almost overwhelming me. We crashed to the muddy ground, rolling dangerously close to the lake’s edge. His hands found my throat, squeezing until spots danced before my eyes.
Everything happened so fast. I didn’t even realize what I was doing before it was too late.
My fingers scrabbled desperately at my skirts, finding the pocket where Anderic’s dagger lay hidden. With the last of my strength, I pulled it free and plunged it into Gareth’s heart.
His expression shifted from rage to disbelief as the life drained from his eyes. His body slumped forward, heavy and warm against me as rain washed his blood across my hands and bodice.
