Page 58 of Ember and Eclipse
“Wherearewe?”sheasked after several tense moments of walking.
“Old service tunnels and escape routes for royalty during times of war or siege. Forgotten to time, and most of the entryways are either hidden or sealed. And even down here, a lot of the passageways are inaccessible from collapse or flooding. This tunnel is mostly clear and will lead us to a temple on the outskirts of the city, though.”
She supposed that the idea was that no one would attack or destroy a temple.
“How did you come by the passages?”
He didn’t answer, halting them to listen to something she couldn’t hear. Finally, he waved her on again. “My quarters have an accessway set into the stone. The only reason I found it was the smell of the passage’s air was so different. And between that and having too much time on my hands as a young Lunae, I explored them. Who knew it would be useful to smuggle a fugitive out of the keep someday?”
They settled into an encompassing silence. She knew she was slowing him down. Despite whatever Devdan had given her for the pain and the day of rest, her body was frustratingly weak, and she felt drained of not only her magic but of her very life source.
“Why are you doing this?” Her voice was no more than a ghost of a whisper.
“It’s complicated.”
“I want an explanation.”
“And you’ll have it as soon as I get us out of this, hopefully, alive.”
Us.
“You’re leaving too?”
“Do you think I can stay after I’ve gone against the pack? Not to mention the Imperator?”
“Where will you go?”
He looked over his shoulder at her, his mercurial gaze searching. Then, “I’ll figure it out.”
“And I thought youcouldn’tgo against your pack? That night, you made it seem like youhadto do what you were ordered to, no matter what. You said you’d have to keep hunting me.”
“That still remains true. However, I have been given no orders. Therefore, I’m free, in that sense, to do as I please.”
“And you decided to, what? Suddenly have mercy for me after you brought me here?”
He stopped and turned toward her. She had never seen him look so conflicted.
She crossed her arms over herself, waiting.
“That night, I didn’t know that members of my pack would be sent to look for us. With our delays, and no sighting of us on the Romul-occupied side of Heigar’s Pass, Asear sent them to search for us. Well, for you more than anything. When I finally scented them, it was too late. We were at a disadvantage—our scents had traveled to them long before theirs got to me.”
“And then you decided to let them take me.”
“I didn’tdecide,” he started harshly. Then, taking a calming breath to collect himself, tried again. “I didn’t decideto let them take you. My orders still stood, and so did theirs. I can’t kill members of my pack except for in certain circumstances, and our situation was much too precarious.”
“And these orders have you going against your own morality?”
“Yes, actually. And I know you don’t understand,” he rushed on, “but again, I can’t say any more than that. Despite what I’m doing right now, I’m still a pack member and therefore can’t speak on it.”
“Fine,” she conceded, “but then whose blood were you covered in?” The dead Maester and guards came to mind, but that would have been over a day ago.
He clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw flexed in a pulsing pattern.
“Who?”
Icy and emotionless, he said, “Light blue eyes like the sky on a clear day. Hazel eyes with blonde brows. Almond-shaped brown eyes so dark they appear black. And the Maester.” He shrugged. “And some guards.”
“You knew them? You—”
