Page 289 of Cursed Evermore
Gods, I had to get to her. But how?
And how could I keep going when she might be in danger? I looked around, and my heart hammered as I realized I was completely alone in this dimly lit hallway. Panic seized me, and I couldn’t breathe.
My chest was so tight it felt like my lungs had locked down and would never work again.
Think, Elariya. Think.
If I got to the dragons, I could get them to help. They’d listen to me. And I could fly Hedion.
Whatever I did, I couldn’t give up. Wolfe wouldn’t want me to. And I wasn’t the kind of person who did. I was a fighter. I might be out of my element here, but I always tried.
A tremendous crash shattered the silence, and the candles flickered ominously, making every shadow look threatening. I gripped Wolfe's dagger tighter, trying to get my bearings.
The shifting hallway had deposited me in the middle of the manor, somewhere near the kitchens. If I could make it through there, I'd have a clear path outside to safety.
I moved quickly but carefully, my footsteps silent on the stone floor. My heart hammered with every step, expecting something to leap out of the darkness at any moment.
I reached the doorway, pushed through, and nearly collided with Zyrra.
"Elariya!" Zyrra steadied me, her hands gripping my shoulders. "Thank the Gods you're safe. I've been looking everywhere for you." Her face was etched with worry. "I was visiting my mother's garden when I heard the commotion."
Relief flooded through me. Finally, someone who could help. "Arielle and I got separated. She's still trapped somewhere in the house. I have to go back for her."
"No!" Zyrra's grip tightened. "The rebels broke through that way. It's too dangerous. The caves are your best chance. I can get you there safely, then circle back to help Arielle."
"Thanks so much. I think she might be hurt.”
"Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to her.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me forward. “Come, let’s go."
Zyrra pulled me through the corridors at a frantic pace. She kept glancing back over her shoulder, checking we weren’t being followed.
"We can cut through here," she whispered urgently, guiding me through a doorway I didn't recognize. The house must have created it during the hallway shift.
We burst into the dining room, and I expected her to keep running toward the back exit, but instead, Zyrra suddenly stopped.
She dropped my hand and stared at me.
And then she started laughing.
A hearty stream of laughter flowed from her. Not the warm, infectious laugh that had cheered me up at the library.
This was something cold and sharp, like glass breaking in the dark.
Ice raced down my spine as I stared at her in confusion.
"Zyrra?" My voice came out small and uncertain. "We need to keep moving. Why are you laughing?"
There was nothing funny about the situation. But she just kept laughing, the sound now making my skin crawl. In the moonlight, something about her face looked different.
Wrong. And not like her.
She sighed and shook her head at me. “You know, I almost, almost feel bad.”
Every nerve in my body tightened. “What are you talking about?”
“So naïve, gentle, sweet.” She reached out and touched my cheek. “And very foolish.”
A lump grew in my throat, so huge I couldn’t catch my breath. “What is going on?”
