Page 33 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
As they crawled out of view, just like I instructed, I continued my deadly path.
The arrows hissed louder, as if they felt I was slowly crawling away from their range. Another corner, more survivors, this time Serpents struggling to scramble underneath the stone benches with their large capes and oversized snakeskin shoulders.
I whisper-yelled the same instructions to them–but I still had my arrow cocked on them.
People did stupid things when frightened. I hadn’t trusted the Serpents before the wedding, I wasn’t about to now–especially ones who narrowed their eyes on me like they would have loved nothing more than to drive one of these arrows straight into my skull, but were too scared to actually face me in combat.
“Crawl, don’t get up,” I said. “And take that ridiculous jacket off you, it’ll only slow you down.”
This time, I didn’t stick around to see if they followed orders as I heard more cries up ahead. I’d given them a lifeline, it was up to them to grab it.
My body shook from the effort of crouching and keeping my bow steady, but each new survivor I met renewed my vigor.
The maze quieted as each of them followed my instructions and crawled away.
A rustle up ahead made me move faster.
I rounded the corner, arrow aimed, only to be greeted by Clara.
Her gorgeous blonde hair had been tousled with twigs and leaves, her dress as torn as mine. She’d ripped a strand of her skirt to wrap around her hand as she clutched a broken piece of jagged glass hard enough to bloody her hand.
“Thank the gods,” I whispered the moment I saw her.
Clara was alive.
Shaken, but alive.
“You’re alive.” Clara breathed out, on the verge of crying in relief. Then she took a deep breath and composed herself, like any good First Family member in a time of crisis. “Thank Xamor, Allie.”
Our gazes both turned to the left at the same time, as the biggest wave of arrows sliced the air–heading our way.
“Duck!” I roared.
Clara and I both tucked our chins into our chests and tumbled backwards, only stopping until we met twin marble benches, laying on opposite sides of the path.
We barely had time to creep under each one as the sky darkened with arrows. There were so many of them now that they rained down poison drops on the corridor between us, charring the grass.
We both laid down, facing each other, like we did back when we were kids and slept in my bed, whispering until nothing but sleep finally shut us up. Silas used to drop Clara off at our house more often than he bothered to look after her.
Through the sickening green drops and smoke, I looked at Clara and tried to give her a reassuring smile, even as my own lips trembled. “Just like when we were young.”
“I much preferred your fancy bed to this.” Clara gulped and forced her own smile. “If you start snoring again, I swear to gods–”
A painful cackle of laughter, born out of anguish and terror, burst past my lips. “Says the one who used to kick me all night.”
Clara laughed, even as the corners of her eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. The marble above us began to sizzle under the weight of the poison.
We used to play in this maze.
Now we might die here.
“We’ll survive, Clara,” I said, trying to convince us both.
“Out of sheer spite, if nothing else.” She breathed out, voice shaky. “They’re hunting you, too.”
“What?” I glued my back to the hedge, trying to put as much distance between me and the poison.
“Whoever’s attacking us is sending more arrows after the most powerful.” She gulped. “Someone wants us all gone.”
