Page 150 of Rook of Ruin
“Freedom.”Truth.
“Power, my future queen,thatis where freedom lies. Even Anna understood that before she—” His light brown eyes show wild malice. He reaches forward, and I step back. Callan speaks smoothly. “Orlaith, I realize you may feel nervous, but trust me when I say this is for the best. What other choice do you have?”
I stand still, so still, I’m afraid to breathe. He gently lifts my veil, his light brown eyes go soft, and he physically relaxes whenhe sees my rune-marked face. Calmly, I tell the truth. “I choose me.”
I quickly bring up my hand and squeeze the pouch so light purple liquid splashes out, coating his face. Callan screams as the poison takes effect, red bubbling blisters covering his eyes. This will blind him and kill him very slowly. I take off for the glass door, easily dodging Callan’s flailing limbs. Warriors in black show up at the window, and behind them, warriors in black and silver.
“Don’t fucking touch her. She is mine!” Callan screams with his arms out wide, trying his best to find me.
I open the glass door as arrows fly into the warriors who would knowingly allow an Untouchable to be cornered and unwillingly touched by their prince, binding us together.
Callan’s hysterical laughter follows me as I sprint out to the garden. “There’s no place I won’t find you! You aremine!” Callan stumbles around.
Dove holds the reins of a mare for me as her stallion prances. I mount her quickly, and we take off toward Lautterum. Splitting from us, Bow and Crusher race in the opposite direction to notify Red and Viper that Callan has made his move. We ride hard, but loud shouts and hooves ring out from behind. I don’t dare turn around to look.
We ride at neck-breaking speed. The town becomes a blur as we take hair-raising turns through the dark streets to get to the docks quickly. Small vessels rapidly come into focus, and I pull on the mare’s reins to slow before hitting the wet wooden planks. Dismounting in front of Isle, she directs me to a large waiting rowboat, my hands shaking as I hold on to the ladder’s slick rungs. The adrenaline in my body spikes when my feet slip before I catch myself at the last moment. Stallion makes no movement to help me, waiting patiently as I gracelessly topple into the rowboat and plop down. He maneuvers his body in frontof me, shielding me from a sailor and a mischievous-looking man with fiery red hair, ready to row.
“Zane?” I gasp in shock. “I thought you were dead! What are you—”
“I am dead. My body just doesn’t know it yet.” Zane turns fully to see me. I suck in a breath when I notice the eye patch over his right eye and the deep black lines marring the right side of his body. Zane smirks. “Hesent me to rescue you, and I had to live for a once-in-a-lifetime covert princess rescue.”
Stallion glances at me. “The boy is already on board. And I double-checked with your contact—he received Sal and Elliot,” he says as he grips his sharp axe and frowns at Zane as if he is a threat.
Zane narrows his blue eye at Stallion. “Mark my words, horse man, you and I are going to be besties too.”
“Damn it! Go!” Isle’s voice booms from above.
“Get her out of here!” Dove shouts out as she scrambles back up the ladder.
“What are you doing? Get down here!” It’s only then I see the flashes of black leathers in the moonlight and hear the clashing of metal. Zane and the sailor begin to row. “Stop! We can’t leave without them!” I turn back to my warriors. “Jump! We will get to you!”
“Go!” Isle yells from above, her sword striking through the flesh of another Bethalian warrior.
“Inaeternus fidelis, Beast!” Dove screams over the sounds of swords colliding.
Isle roars, “The honor is ours!”
“No!” I stand, and the boat sways.
“Sit down! Or all of this was for nothing!” Stallion demands.
“I can’t lose them too,” I plead, not just to Stallion, but to our Maker above.
Stallion says nothing, and that nothing says everything. We will lose them, and we will give them the honor they deserve by keeping their names. I sit down on the hard wooden bench, completely shaken. Dove cries out, and her body falls at a cruel angle against the dock. We watch helplessly as one of Callan’s warriors raises his sword and strikes down. I inhale sharply.
The honor has always been mine.
Tears blur my vision as I search for Isle in the fray of Bethalian warriors. Hate licks a burning path through my veins, and light flickers at my fingertips before shrouding us in darkness . . . before I can see what happens to Isle. But I know she is gone.Theyare gone.
My reckless rage pours out of me, and I silently scream out into the darkness.
I once was the Rook who became Ruin and recklessly destroyed the future king of Bethal. I am now the Beast who will betray anyone who gets in my way of me killing the queen of Acros.
We quickly approach our vessel, and our small boat is hauled aboard.
“I’m sorry,” he says through the thick darkness before stepping into the light. My eyes are drawn to the points of his ears. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me.”
The air is thick with violence as dark red blood flows down the wooden walkway from one of the warehouses in Enthe. The smell of iron and the sea should be calming, but no amount of death will be enough, not now, not ever. Especially after we found eighty children locked up in cages.
