Seraphina
Magnus stepped into the room like a hunting wolf, his pale eyes never leaving mine. The rope burned against my palms as I gripped it tighter, my heart hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it.
"I asked you a question, little bird." His voice was dangerously soft. "Going somewhere?"
Think, Seraphina. Think fast.
I forced my face into an embarrassed smile and stepped down from the windowsill. "Oh! Lord Magnus. You startled me."
He prowled closer, his boots clicking on the stone floor. "Did I? And why would you be startled, unless you were doing something... improper?"
"Not improper at all." I smoothed my skirts with shaking hands. "I was just... well, this is rather embarrassing."
Magnus stopped an arm's length away, towering over me. "I'm listening."
"I came to retrieve something for tomorrow's ceremony." I gestured toward the dusty storage chests along the wall. "My grandmother's prayer beads. They're supposed to bring good fortune to new brides."
His eyes narrowed. "Prayer beads. In a tower room. At midnight."
"I know it seems strange." I moved away from the window, putting space between us. "But I wanted them blessed by moonlight before the wedding. It's an old tradition from my mother's family."
Magnus studied my face like a cat watching a mouse hole. The silence stretched between us, filled only by distant music from the feast below.
"Show me," he said finally.
My blood turned to ice. "Show you?"
"These prayer beads. Show me where they are."
I walked to the nearest chest, my mind racing. Under my robes, Elena's stolen Academy scroll pressed against my ribs, a document that would damn us both if discovered. My fingers trembled as I lifted the heavy wooden lid.
"Here," I said, pulling out a string of old amber beads I'd spotted earlier. "They were my grandmother's."
Magnus examined them, turning the beads over in his massive hands. "Pretty. Though I wonder why you needed a rope to retrieve them."
"The rope?" I laughed, praying it sounded natural. "I wasn't sure I could reach the high shelves. I thought I might need to lower myself down to search the lower chests."
It was a terrible lie, but Magnus seemed to consider it. He dropped the beads into my palm, his fingers brushing mine. His skin felt cold as winter stone.
"You're a clever little thing, aren't you?" His smile showed too many teeth again. "I do enjoy cleverness in a woman. Up to a point."
"I should return to the feast," I said quickly. "People will wonder where we've gone."
"Let them wonder." Magnus moved closer, backing me toward the wall. "We have the rest of our lives to discuss your... creative tendencies."
The way he said it made my skin crawl. I clutched the prayer beads like a shield.
"The ceremony is tomorrow," I whispered. "We shouldn't be alone together before then. It's bad luck."
Magnus laughed, a sound like grinding millstones. "I make my own luck, little bird. But you're right, tomorrow will be soon enough." He traced one finger along my cheek. "Sleep well tonight. It may be your last peaceful rest for quite some time."
He turned and walked from the room, his footsteps echoing down the stone stairs. I waited until the sound faded completely before I dared to breathe again. There was no time to waste. Magnus might be suspicious enough to post guards now. If I was going to escape, it had to be immediately.
I tucked the prayer beads into my sleeve and hurried from the tower, taking a different route through the servant corridors. The stolen Academy scroll crinkled softly against my ribs with each step, Elena had risked everything to get it for me. It contained a pass that might get me through the kingdom's borders, if I could reach them alive.
The stables sat behind the main hall, filled with the horses of tonight's guests. I could hear voices and laughter drifting from the feast, but the stable yard was empty except for shadows and moonlight. I slipped through the heavy wooden doors, breathing in the familiar smell of hay and horses. The animals stirred restlessly in their stalls, sensing my nervousness.
"Easy, girl," I whispered to Father's fastest mare, a bay called Whisper. "We're going for a ride."
I'd ridden Whisper since she was a foal. She knew me, trusted me. If any horse could carry me to safety, it would be her.
My fingers worked quickly on the bridle, muscle memory guiding me in the darkness. No time for a saddle, I'd have to ride bareback. Whisper snorted softly as I led her from the stall.
"Lady Seraphina?"
I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat. A stable boy stood in the doorway—young Tom, who'd worked here since he was barely walking.
"What are you doing here so late?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "And why are you taking Whisper?"
Think fast. "Lord Magnus requested a midnight ride," I said, hoping my voice sounded steady. "He wanted to see how well I handle the horses."
Tom frowned. "In your fancy dress? That doesn't seem.."
"Please, Tom." I stepped closer, letting desperation creep into my voice. "Don't make me explain to Lord Magnus why I was delayed."
The boy's eyes widened. Even he had heard the stories about Magnus Blackclaw.
"Of course, my lady. But maybe I should.."
"No need to trouble yourself." I was already leading Whisper toward the door. "Go back to sleep."
I made it three steps before Tom's shout shattered the night.
"Help! Someone's stealing Lady Seraphina! Help!"
Curse his honest heart. I vaulted onto Whisper's back, my silk skirts bunching around my legs. The mare danced nervously as shouts erupted from the direction of the hall.
"Sorry, Tom," I called, and kicked Whisper into a gallop. We burst from the stable yard like an arrow from a bow. Behind us, voices shouted orders and torches flared to life. The thunder of hooves filled the air as riders scrambled to give chase.
I guided Whisper toward the servant trail that wound through the forest, a narrow path the hunting parties used. If I could reach it before the guards cut me off, the trees would hide us.
"Faster, girl," I urged, leaning low over Whisper's neck. "Faster."
The mare stretched into a full run, her hooves pounding against the packed earth. We reached the tree line just as the first riders rounded the hall. Their torches looked like angry stars in the darkness behind us.
The forest path twisted between ancient oaks and towering pines. Branches caught at my hair and dress, but I pressed on. Whisper knew these trails as well as I did, we'd ridden them countless times during happier days.
As we galloped through the moonlit shadows, my mind wandered to the stories Elena used to tell. Tales of brave knights and distant kingdoms. Her favorite was always about Kieran Stormbane, the High King's champion, a warrior who'd never lost a battle, who fought for justice and honor.
"Imagine meeting someone like that," Elena had sighed just last week. "Someone who'd fight for you, protect you, treat you like you mattered."
Now, racing through the darkness with Magnus's men behind me, those stories felt like childhood dreams. Heroes like Kieran Stormbane lived in Elena's tales, not in the real world. In the real world, girls like me were sold to monsters like Magnus. The sound of pursuit grew closer. My heart sank as I realized the guards knew these trails too. They were gaining ground.
An arrow whistled past my left ear, so close I felt the wind of its passing.
"There she is!" a voice shouted. "Don't let her reach the river!"
Another arrow hissed through the air. This one grazed my cheek, drawing a line of fire across my skin. I gasped, one hand flying to my face. My fingers came away wet with blood.
Ahead, the trees opened into a clearing where the Silverrun River cut through the forest. The water gleamed like polished metal in the moonlight, moving fast and deep.
I heard the creak of bowstrings behind me, more arrows coming. Without thinking, I threw myself from Whisper's back and dove toward the riverbank just as the night exploded with the whistle of death flying overhead..