Page 184 of The Call of Crimson
“I’ll let her know we’re coming,” Elijah offers.
“There’s no time,” Cillian argues. “I sent a rider her way already. She’ll be expecting us.”
“Fine, but there’s something else Imustdo before we leave.” Elijah’s tone shifts, tinged with desperation. “More than just our lives depend on it.”
It’s enough to make Cillian acquiesce to his request. “You have ninety seconds, then I’m walking out this door with Ophelia, with or without you.”
Elijah nods, closing his eyes tightly. A few moments pass before they fly open again, finding Cillian. They take on an eerie quality that I’ve come to realize is someone else seeing through his eyes.
“General Jade.” Elijah’s voice is steady and clear. “Consider this your final order to retreat from all fronts. Evacuate what civilians you can, but do not delay. Your only objective is to protect our people by whatever means necessary.”
The command strikes me as strangely vague, but Elijah and Jade knew each other far better than I knew either of them. Perhaps they had a code or a language all their own.
“My mercenaries are at your disposal, General,” Cillian adds before Elijah severs the connection.
My head tilts, taking in Cillian before I ask, “You knew?”
“It’s my job to know, sweetheart. Time to go.” Cillian ushers us out of the door.
The halls are eerily quiet as we take back corridors and hidden passages, exiting through the castle’s side entrance toward the stables. Except for a few guards, the halls are empty. It’s a silence that sets my nerves on edge.
As we step into the night air, the first thing I notice is two figures dressed identically to us. Their faces are obscured by the hoods, but judging by their stature I can tell they’re male.
The second thing I notice is the lifeless eyes of the castle guards that stare up at me.
Cillian’s hand wraps around my mouth right as a scream erupts from me.
“Shhh,” he hushes me, an arm banding around my waist to hold me in place.
Blood pools around the bodies, their throats slit deep for a quick death.
“They were traitors,” he explains calmly. “I got to them before they had the opportunity to let in the angry citizens coming for your heads.”
I relax enough that he releases his hold on me.
With a firm hand on my lower back, he ushers us forward to the stable. Three horses wait, fully saddled for our journey.
Elijah approaches a sleek chestnut mare, patting her neck lovingly as he murmurs, “Hi, beautiful.”
Beside her is a smaller white Arabian that I assume is meant for me. I approach cautiously, laying my hand on his snout. Immediately, he nuzzles into my touch, huffing a warm breath against my hand.
“What’s his name?” I ask.
“That’s Alanis,” Cillian explains. “Most call him Beast, though.”
“Beast?” I ask, my brow arching.
“Don’t let his smaller stature mislead you.” Cillian chuckles. “He came to us wilder than hell and with a penchant for biting his handlers. Well, except for me.”
“Why is Ophelia riding him?” Elijah asks, stepping between Alanis and me.
Beast swings his head, smacking Elijah hard enough to make him curse.
With Elijah out of the way, Alanis nuzzles my shoulder. “Hi, Beastie,” I coo with a giggle.
“Seems like she’s handling him just fine,” Cillian says, smirking. “He’s also the fastest mount we have.”
An all-black destrier horse towers above the others. The animal is massive, standing at least eighteen hands tall if I were to guess.
