his arms just as more guards appear. Tor jumps back into the shield, but not before I see his expression—frustration, anger, and pain. “We will see each other again, Clarissa,” he calls out, and although I know it’s unlikely, I cling to the promise.
Vaeril waits long enough for the guards to see him before turning and running from the courtyard, holding me tightly against his chest as we move at a supernatural pace. Cries of “Elf!” follow us, along with running footsteps, and I know our distraction has worked. We’ve done the right thing, so why does my heart ache?
“Could we not have gone with Tor?” I ask quietly, and I know I’ve hit a nerve when he stiffens, his arms tightening around me as he runs.
“No, he had to help the woman and child escape. His injury would have made him too slow to come with us. He needed the distraction, otherwise the guards would have found them. And he needs the help of his people to heal,” he replies, his voice low as he lists the reasons. I know he’s right, but I can’t shake the feeling that we could have made it work if we had more time.
“I feel bad, just leaving him like that...” I reach up and touch my lips as the memory of his kiss fills me with warmth.
“We didn’t have a choice,” he reminds me, gruffly this time.
Didn’t we?
We fall silent again as we dart through the dark castle corridors, criss-crossing as we go, and I know we have lost the guards—at least for now. Coming to a large window, Vaeril reaches out and pushes it open before climbing up onto the ledge.
“Wait, what are you—” I’m cut off as he pushes away from the ledge and jumps out of the window, stealing my breath. For a second, it feels like we’re suspended in mid-air, like we are flying, but then that sinking feeling comes over me as we fall, plunging to the ground. It’s a long drop, but the elf lands gracefully in a crouch. I had barely moved during the whole thing, and I have to remind myself once again he’s not human, so I shouldn’t expect him to meet human expectations.
“Can you run?” he asks me suddenly as he stands, setting me on my feet as he straightens. Looking around, I see we aren’t far from the walls that surround the castle. There will be guards patrolling, so we’ll need to be quick.
“Short distances, yes,” I reply, hoping my stamina has improved since I’ve been ‘Lady Clarissa’ and had hot meals and full nights’ rest.
The elf nods. “Follow me.”
He takes off in a jog and I run to catch up with him, only just managing to keep him in sight. I keep running, using the bushes as cover. My legs hurt and my lungs burn, but I keep going. I’m used to pushing my body to its limits, but the last few weeks of inactivity have made me soft. Vaeril suddenly darts behind a bush and I hear a shocked gasp. Panic flares inside me and I push myself harder. Just as I reach the bush, he steps out, and I see a pair of booted feet lying on the ground, poking out from the foliage.
“The coast is clear, come,” he calls, and I raise my head, realising why he asked me to run. This way, he can sprint ahead and check if anyone is hiding in wait. He can’t fight if I’m in his arms.
We run over to the large wall and I look up at the vertical climb. I have no idea how I’m going to get up there, and Vaeril must be thinking the same thing. “Climb onto my back,” he instructs, and I pause for a second.
Is this safe? I snort at the thought. None of this is safe, but we need to go, and climbing this wall is the only way out. Blowing out a breath, I hurry over to him, and as he kneels down, I climb onto his back, threading my arms around his neck. Taking a step forward, he reaches out and places his hand against the wall. Suddenly, his body stiffens and he cries out, stumbling back. The wall seems to ripple, and shouts arise from the castle as a bell tolls, waking the whole castle. We must have set off some sort of magical alarm.
Vaeril jerks his hand back and falls to the ground in pain. I just manage to