Page 66 of Destiny Redeemed
When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard, our breaths mingling in the cool night air.
“Do you believe me now?” he asked, his voice husky.
I raised an eyebrow, trying to appear composed despite my racing heart. “How does kissing have anything to do with believing you?”
“I don’t have a habit of kissing criminals, Princess.”
“Well, Highness,” I said, smoothing my hands over his partially opened shirt, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath my palm, “I do like your method of convincing me. But I think I might need a bit more… convincing.”
Anderic laughed, the sound rich and warm against the backdrop of rain. He leaned in, his lips hovering just above mine. “Your wish is my command.”
Just as his mouth was about to meet mine again, lightning struck a tree mere meters away from us. The crack was deafening, the flash of light blinding. I jumped, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Was this the gods’ way of telling me to stop making out next to dead bodies, or just really bad timing?
Lightning tore through the sky, shattering the moment and sending my heart racing for entirely different reasons. I stumbled back from Anderic, suddenly remembering the dead body at our feet and the storm that was rapidly becoming more than just an inconvenience.
“We need to leave,” I said, rainwater streaming into my mouth as I spoke. “The tunnels flood when it rains this hard.”
Anderic’s mouth twisted into a grimace. “Too late, Princess. That path is already underwater. The lake rises fast during storms like this.”
Wonderful. I’ve gone from noblewoman to prisoner to murderer to drowned rat in less than a day.
“Laurel!” I gasped, panic seizing me as I wheeled around toward the tunnel entrance. “She might be trapped in there!”
I lunged forward, but Anderic’s hand closed around my wrist, his grip firm but not painful.
“Don’t worry about Laurel,” he said, pulling me back. His golden hair was plastered to his forehead, making him look younger somehow. “She left quite some time ago. She’s safe on the other side.”
I sagged with relief, the adrenaline that had been keeping me upright beginning to fade. “Thank the gods.” Then reality set in again as another bolt of lightning illuminated our surroundings. “But we’re trapped on this side now. We can’t go anywhere in this rain.”
The night had settled fully around us now, the darkness only broken by the occasional flash of lightning. In those brief moments of illumination, I could see the lake’s waters rising steadily, the hungry tide already lapping at Gareth’s boots.
“Did you come here alone?” I asked, suddenly wondering who else might stumble upon us—and the body.
“Yes.” Anderic stepped closer, his hand still around my wrist. “I left Lennox behind when I realized it was you orchestrating this prison break. I didn’t want to risk anyone else finding out. Though it doesn’t matter, I’ll have to tell him anyway.”
Another crack of thunder, so close it seemed to shake the ground beneath us. Anderic’s eyes scanned our surroundings, his brow furrowing.
“Don’t worry about that now,” he said, tugging me forward. “We need to find shelter for now. You’re shivering.”
As if his words were a spell, I suddenly became aware of the violent tremors wracking my body. My teeth chattered as the chill seeped through my sodden gown and into my bones.
Anderic looked around, squinting through the rain. “If I remember correctly, there’s a cave nearby. We can spend the night there.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, my curiosity momentarily overriding my discomfort.
His lips curved into a small smile. “I used to come here with Noah and Seb when we were boys. We’d swim in the lake during summer. The cave was our secret hideout.”
I followed his gaze toward where the edge of the lake met the tree line, suddenly remembering something crucial.
“Wait,” I said, grabbing his arm as he turned to lead us away.
Anderic looked back at me, rainwater streaming down his perfect face. “What is it?”
“I forgot something.” I splashed back toward Gareth’s body, which was now partially submerged as the lake continued to rise. Kneeling in the mud, I wrapped my fingers around the jeweled hilt of the dagger and yanked it free with a sickening squelch.
I wiped the blade against the sodden hem of my ruined gown before slipping it into the hidden pocket sewn into my skirts.
