Page 9 of A Court So Dark
“He was here just now. We’ve been looking for Cardian and Varamede, but no luck there, so we came back, and another blow was waiting for him.”
“What do you mean?” I pressed a hand to my chest, bracing myself for it. Kalyll had been through so much already. What else could…?
I froze, looking over Kryn’s shoulder as a warning rose in my chest. His hand immediately went to the sword at his side, and he started to turn.
“No!” I cried out as Cardian, who had appeared behind Kryn, raised a dagger and plunged it into the side of Kryn’s neck.
A horrible gurgling sound escaped Kryn. Despite the terrible wound, he grabbed Cardian’s wrist and whirled on him, blood streaming down his neck, staining his jacket. He drove Cardian back, using his weight, and slammed him against the wall.
Cardian pulled the dagger out, a weapon that looked more like an icepick than anything else. Now, the blood spurted from the wound in a jet. Panicked, Kryn smacked a hand to his neck to contain the flood. He stumbled backward, eyes full of dread.
“Run, Dani!” he ordered me.
When I just stood there and watched him topple to the floor, it was the pleading look in his eyes that made me hesitate. I wanted to run to him. I could heal him, give him back the life force he’d lent me. But he wanted me out of here. His eyes told me that my safety mattered more to him than anything else.
Except, I couldn’t leave him on the floor, bleeding to death. I took a step toward him. I had to…
Cardian stepped in front of me, dagger raised.
“Run!” Kryn said again.
I shook my head.
Cardian took another step, a gleeful smile stretching his thin lips. “You’re coming with me, Sleeping Beauty.”
No. I couldn’t let Cardian take me. For all I knew, I would end up a prisoner of the Unseelie King. They were working together. I took several shaky steps back, my eyes locked on Cardian’s blood-stained dagger. Behind him, Kryn kept bleeding, and still, his only concern was for me.
“Run!” Kryn’s voice again, this time accompanied by a gurgle.
I obeyed. As fast as my weak legs allowed, I ran on bare feet. I heard Cardian behind me, his boots tapping with purpose. My knees wobbled. My head swam. I was too weak to escape.
I made it to the door and staggered into the hall.
Cardian laughed. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Holding on to the wall, I managed to go down the first flight of the tower’s winding steps. At the landing, there was a fork. The one to the left led to a door that spilled into a garden, while the one to the right led deeper into the palace. That was the way I should have followed, but I kept leaning on the wall and veered left, too weak to move away from its support.
Suddenly, I heard voices and rushed steps coming from the right. Help was on its way. I stopped and glanced over my shoulder, my vision going dark around the edges.
Cardian was a few steps up, dagger still in hand. He was frozen with indecision, his head cocked toward the approaching sounds. He glanced in my direction and met my eyes for just an instant before he tightened his hand around something and disappeared, leaving nothing behind but air.
The darkness encroaching on my vision rapidly shrank. I stood there for a few seconds, my body swinging precariously. Through my blurring vision, I saw several shapes run past, bounding up the steps, dashing through the exact space where Cardian had been standing just a moment ago.
They’ll help Kryn,I thought.He’ll be all right.
But the sounds of a struggle ensued. Why? Had Cardian gone back to the room?
Weakly, I reached out a hand and murmured. “Kryn.”
Then I toppled backward and rolled down the stone staircase, unconsciousness sinking its claws into me, even as the pain of the fall jarred my bones.
CHAPTER 4
KALYLL
“Kryn,stayhere.Larina,find my uncle. Tell him I want his best guards to come here and protect Daniella.” I told him.
He gave one solemn nod, and I knew he understood watching Daniella was the most important thing I could ask of him.
