“Psst.”
My eyes struggle to open, my head foggy as I come to. And once I do, I wish I hadn’t because there isn’t a single piece of me that doesn’t ache. My bones feel brittle, my muscles atrophied from lack of use, and I’m quite certain it’s been days since I’ve had a drink of water.
“Tristan,” a small voice chokes out, and when it registers who it is, then I do force my lids open, staring down into the horrified face of Simon, his toy sword limp at his side and his face scrunched in terror. “What have they done to you?”
My tongue swipes over my chapped lips and my mouth pries itself apart, unsticking my dry tongue from the roof. “Little lion,” I rasp out. “You shouldn’t be here.”
His eyes glance around the courtyard, the sun setting behind the horizon and casting an orangey glow on the ground. I flick my gaze to the guard standing at the side, his eyes looking at Simon and then to me, but not moving from his spot.
“Leave, Simon.” I try to infuse strength in my voice but come up short.
He hiccups, stepping closer, and when he does, the guard moves too, tightening his grip on the rifle at his side.
“Simon. Leave.” Urgency spreads through me.
He shakes his head, big fat tears spilling from his eyes. “I can’t… Where’s lady? Why isn’t she here?” His voice grows manic. “She could save you, why di-did they do—”
“Simon.” Pain tears through my side, the scabbed over wounds reopening, and I grimace. “Go to your mother, okay? I’ll be fine. This is just…”
The guard moves over now, stepping in front of me and blocking my view, and my chest splits open, realizing that this is the last time I’ll ever see Simon’s face. The last time I’ll get to hear his voice or tell him he’s strong. The last moment that he’ll see me and know that I’m not.
He doesn’t even know we’re family.
Simon rages, throwing his toy sword up at the guard. “Unhand him.”
The guard chuckles. “Might want to work on that roar, kid. Get out of here. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Something cracks in the distance and all of our eyes turn toward the noise.
“What was that?” the guard asks.
Another sound, this time closer, and although I can’t explain it, a feeling trickles down my spine, infusing me with a bit of strength.
Simon’s gaze locks on mine. “I’m going to save you.”
Panic wraps around my middle, not knowing what’s about to happen, but feeling in my gut that whatever it is, it’s no place for him to be. “Someone already is,” I lie. “Go wait for me in the tunnels, okay?” My voice is breathy, and weak. “I’ll meet you there.”
His lower lip trembles. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
Something tugs at my wrists, causing the worst physical pain of my life as my arms drop from where they’ve been hung. My eyes spring open, meeting the silent, pitch black of the night, and my body drops to the ground.
Delicate hands grab at my face, and I try to shake the fog from my mind so I can focus on what’s in front of me.
Something in the air has shifted.
Something has changed.
Water dribbles over me, and I tilt my head back, opening my mouth, gulping the liquid, allowing it to soothe my parched throat and sore muscles. Finally, logic filters back in and Sara’s beautiful, perfect features come into my view, looking like an angel of death as she grins.
She’s tied her hair in a bun, but curls fall out of the edges, and there’s a deep red line smeared across her cheek that looks a lot like blood.
“Are we in Heaven?” I murmur. I try to lift my hand, but agony shoots through my limb.
She grimaces. “No, my love. Right now? We’re in hell.”
I cringe when she helps pull me to a sitting position, and I shake my head of the haze and glance around. The guard from earlier is dead, sprawled on the ground with a shiny dagger sticking from the front of his throat.
“How?”
“Shh,” she whispers, her arms running down my naked chest and over my torn up body. “I’ll have to relocate your shoulders.” Her eyes meet mine. “It will hurt.”
I manage a soft smirk. “No more than thinking you were dead.”
She smiles, leaning in to press a soft kiss against my lips, and with a sharp snap of her body weight, there’s an acute, agonizing pain, followed by a dull throb.
Groaning, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip until I taste blood.
“One more time, ready?”
“Ye-”
She snaps it back into place before I can finish the word, and I let out another groan of pain. Glancing around, she digs a small bottle out of her pocket.
Laudanum. “Are you going to drug me now?”
She lifts a brow. “Just take a little. For the pain.”
I grab the bottle and allow the bitter liquid to slide down my throat, and then she helps me to a stand. My body is worn and tired, shaky and bruised. But I’m alive. She’s alive.
“How is this possible?”
Shouts sound in the distance and she places her hand over mine, looking at me. Fear squeezes my chest. I just got her back, I’m not ready to lose her again.
“Can you run?” she whispers.
I nod, and she pulls me along with her, my muscles screaming in protest and my lungs burning as we sprint from the middle of the court to the far east side, hiding behind a wall that leads into the tunnels.
The courtyard lights flare to life, and dogs bark in the distance, and I know before anything is said, that means the military will be flooding here soon. If I hadn’t convinced Michael to send away most of his troops, she wouldn’t have even made it to me.
“What did you do?” I ask, gripping her face.
“You left the rebellion,” she says, smiling up at me. “So I brought the revolution to you.”
My heart cracks wide open and I need to kiss her; even though I shouldn’t, even though I’m beaten and worn, and I’m sure I smell like death. I bend down anyway, shoving my tongue in her mouth and dragging her into my newly formed scars reveling in the pain it causes, because if we’re going to die, I’ll be damned if I don’t get to taste her one more time.
Moaning, she gives as good as she gets, and then she breaks away. “I have them in the tunnels.”
My stomach cramps. “The rebels?”
She nods. “I wasn’t sure if Michael knew of them, but it was our best chance to break into the castle, to make our way here without being shot at and killed. Edward’s with them, and they’re ready to fight, Tristan. We can do this.”
I bob my head, taking in her words, even as shouts sound closer now than they were before, and a gunshot rings from outside of the castle walls. Any moment now, and we’ll be caught.
And then a sick thought hits me and my heart ramps up in my chest, exploding through the cavity as I grip her arm. “Sara.”
She looks up at me from where she was peering around the corner.
“Simon is in the tunnels.”
Horror overcomes her features, her mouth parting wide and her eyes growing big. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Tristan, you have to get him out.”
I shake my head, my jaw tensing as my soul tears in two, fighting between what I know is right and what I refuse to do. “I’m not leaving you here.”
She grins, although I see the turmoil brewing in her dark gaze. “Do you think you fell in love with a weak woman?”
My chest pulls, emotion wringing my bones.
“I can take care of myself,” she promises, her words tasting like the most bitter type of lie. “Go save your nephew.”
My breath whooshes from my lungs. She knows. Of course she knows.
Doors from the castle slam open, echoing through the nighttime air and as I peer around the corner, I see at least two dozen uniforms with dogs pulling at their leashes.
“Sara.” A loud voice rings out. She falters from where she was just pushing at my chest, her eyes narrowing as she spins to face away from me. “There’s no escaping us, sweet niece. Come out and surrender and we shall grant you mercy.”
She moves forward, her anger so potent I can see it singeing off her skin.
“Are you fucking insane?” I snap, grabbing her arm. “Do not go out there.”
“We’ve found all of your friends,” her uncle continues. “If you both surrender, we’ll let them live.”
“Go,” she demands, prodding at me.
I shake my head back and forth, a ball of absolute terror expanding in my chest, making me hyperventilate as I struggle to breathe.
“Tristan, listen to me,” she pleads. “You know the tunnels like the back of your hand. You’re the only one who does.” Her eyes well with tears. “I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to him, and even though you won’t admit it, neither will you. You have to save him. Please.”
Talons rip through my chest cavity and tear out my heart, throwing it on the ground at her feet. I don’t bother picking it up, knowing it only beats for her, anyway.
My nostrils flare as I grip her face in my hands, my eyes soaking up her features as I rest my forehead against hers. “You are not allowed to die. Do you hear me? I will come back for you.”
Her lip trembles. “I know.”
I pull her close when she tries to turn away, pressing her lips to mine one last time. “If something happens, know that I will find you in every lifetime, Sara Beatreaux. You are mine, and not even death can keep you from me.”
She muffles a sob and shoves at my chest, and I turn and run, sprinting toward the tunnels.
