Nyra
The cell was a tomb, and I was done playing corpse. My back burned like someone had carved it open and poured salt in the wounds, but I shoved the pain down, letting it fuel me. Kaelen's warning still echoed in my skull... vampires were closing in, which meant I needed to get out of here fast. If I stayed, I'd either be killed by the wolves to prevent the vampires from getting their hands on me, or the vampires would take me for my blood. No way in hell was I letting
that happen. I'd claw my way out of this keep before I let anyone, wolf or vampire, decide my fate.
Still, I couldn't get my mind off that damn kiss.
The problem with kissing a man like Lucien was you can't stop thinking about it no matter how much you want to.
Not that I wanted to think about it. Gods, no. If I could scrub the memory from my brain with a wire brush, I would. But every time I sat still, it came back. The heat of it, the sharp taste of him, the way his hand had curled against my jaw like he hated himself for even touching me.
And the worst part is I'd kissed him back.
I groaned and dropped onto the bed in my chamber, staring up at the ceiling like it had answers. My shadows curled restlessly along the walls, whispering
in their low, hungry way, wanting more. Meanwhile, my wolf had never been more
happy.
"Traitors," I muttered.
They curled in response, amused. At least someone was having a good time.
Aria slipped in just before dusk, her tray rattling with bandages and a small vial of something that smelled like herbs and desperation. Her eyes darted to the hall, then back to me, wide with something close to panic.
"They're talking about you," she whispered, setting the tray down. "The council. Lucien told them if rogues attack, they'll use you as bait to draw Prince Adrian out into the open and capture him. But it's a huge risk because if they fail at capturing him and the vampires get their hands on you..."
I smirked. "Wow, Lucy's really leaning into the whole heartless Alpha shtick, huh? Bet he practiced that speech in front of a mirror." Inside, though, my mind was racing. Bait. The word hit like a slap. After that kiss,
those few seconds of heat and chaos in my cell last night, he thought he could just dangle me for vampires? The bond hummed in my chest, mocking me, and reminding me how perfect he is. Idiot. I shoved the thought down hard.
Aria's hands shook as she unwrapped my bandages. "It's not right. You don't deserve this. I… I want to help you get out."
I froze, studying her. "You? Risking your neck for the big bad hybrid? Aria, that's sweet, but it's also suicidal. Why?"
She met my gaze, steady despite the tremble in her fingers. "Because I know what it's like to be trapped and to have no one." She reached into her apron,
pulling out a folded scrap of parchment. "I drew you a map. It's not much though. Just some back passages and servant tunnels... but it will do. I'll slip the guards a sleeping draught at half past eleven. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, you move. You need to be gone before they wake."
I took the map, unfolding it carefully. Crude lines marked hidden routes through the keep, leading to an outer wall. "You drew this yourself? Impressive. Didn't peg you for a cartographer, little mouse."
She flushed but didn't back down. "Just promise you'll be careful. The pack's on edge. And those rogues… they're closer than anyone's saying."
"Yeah, I got the memo from my sister's creepy bird." I tucked the map into my torn shirt, ignoring the sting of fabric against my wounds. "Thanks, Aria. But if this goes south, don't expect me to come back and save your hide. I'm not that noble."
She smiled. "I know. Just… please don't die."
"No promises," I said, winking. She slipped out, leaving me alone with the map and a plan forming like a storm in my head.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Midnight couldn't come fast enough. I spent the hours testing my shadows, urging them to stretch toward the bars. They coiled around the iron, hitting and trying to probe for weaknesses, but the metal held firm, warded against my power.
"Come on," I hissed, sweat beading on my forehead. "You've torn through flesh before. You can bend a damn bar."
The keep's clock tolled eleven, each chime vibrating through the stone. I pressed against the bars, listening. The guards outside were quieter now, their usual grumbling replaced by yawns and sluggish steps. Aria's draught was working. Good girl.
I gripped the map, memorizing the twists of the servant tunnels–left at the kitchen, down the laundry chute, out through the eastern wall. Simple enough, if I didn't get caught.
A flutter at the window snapped my attention. I turned to see Kaelen's raven
perched there, black eyes glinting. Her voice slid into my mind urgently.
"We're running out of time, Nyra. Have you come up with a plan?"
"Yes, I've figured a way to get out of here. I have a map and the guards are drugged but there's just one thing... My shadows aren't at their strongest for some reason, and my wolf refuses to help. She doesn't want to be
away from Lucien. I think I need a boost."
I closed my eyes, feeling a surge of warmth pass through me, like a thread of magic weaving into me. The shadows at my feet thickened, pulsing with new strength. I pushed them toward the bars again, harder this time and they wrapped the iron, tightening like a vise. I heard a faint groan from the bars which implied they were starting to give. I summoned all my strength, gritted my teeth, and poured everything I had into it.
The lock cracked, a sound like breaking bone, and the door swung open.
"Hell yes," I breathed as I took a peek out. The guards were slumped against the wall, snoring softly, their swords lying uselessly beside them. I grabbed one.
"Sorry, boys. Gotta borrow this." I said as I slipped into the hall, shadows cloaking me like a second skin, muffling my steps.
The servant tunnels were a maze of damp stone and cobwebs, lit only by the occasional torch. I moved fast, map burned into my mind, sticking to the shadows where my power felt strongest. Left at the kitchen–easy, the scent of stale bread guided me. Next step was down the laundry chute. It was a bit tight, but I slid through, landing in a pile of linens that smelled like sweat and lye. My heart pounded as I ran, every nerve alive.
Patrols were sparse, just as Aria's map promised. I scaled a wall to avoid a pair of guards, my fingers digging into crumbling mortar, wounds screaming with every move. No time to care. I dropped onto a narrow ledge, the eastern wall in sight. The air was colder here, carrying the scent of pine and freedom. I was almost there.
Then... the alarms blared.
A horn split the night, followed by shouts and the thunder of boots.
"Damn it, Aria, you said midnight!" I said then sprinted, shadows flaring to cover my tracks, but the wolves were fast. I could tell from the way their howls echoed behind me that they were closing in. I ducked into an alcove just in time before a patrol thundered past, their lanterns casting jagged light across the stone.
"Find the hybrid!" one roared. "She's loose!"
I held my breath, shadows pressed tight against me, blending me into the wall. The patrol moved on, but the howls didn't stop. They were hunting me, and they weren't giving up.
I bolted again, my legs burning, as the outer wall began looming closer. I looked up to see a large wooden gate, half hidden by ivy. I shoved it open and ran through. First thing that hit me was the cold night air, as I saw the endless forest stretching far beyond the dark.
"Suck it, Lucien," I muttered, smiling and slowing to catch my breath.
I stumbled into the trees as the branches clawed at my arms, my breath was coming out ragged but triumphant. The keep's lights faded behind me, swallowed by the night.
I let out a triumphant laugh, the sound swallowed by the forest. I was finally truly free.
I kept making my way, weaving through bushes and shrubs while keeping to the
shadows just in case there were patrols out here.
Where should I go next?
That was the only thought on my mind when suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth, yanking me back against a hard chest. I thrashed, my shadows thrashing wildly, but the grip was iron.
I didn't wonder for long though, because judging from the way my heart was
hammering in my chest, and the way my wolf was suddenly active but not helping, I knew exactly who held me.
"And where do you think you're going, half-breed?" Lucien's voice growled in my ear.