Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 136061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 454(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 454(@300wpm)
I still didn’t totally trust them, but we needed them. So we hurried through the tunnels, not even second-guessing the turns at this point.
“How’d you get the map of the tunnels?” Denski asked as he easily kept pace.
No one answered him as we met the others, waiting by the door with anxious expressions. When they saw me running toward them, relief bled through their faces, followed quickly by confusion when they spied the guards.
“Long story,” I said as the way cleared and I stepped aside for Govam at the door. I gave him plenty of space, just in case he planned to turn toward me and stick me with a knife.
“What’s happening?” someone whispered.
At least I wasn’t the only one struggling to get my head around things.
“I knew it. We’re all gonna die,” Elex whined.
“We’re not, but you might if you don’t shut your hole,” Hadriel grumbled.
“It would be best for you all to pretend to be in our charge,” Govam said as he swung open the door and waited for me to go through. “As I said, we were planning to meet you at the boats. The patrol would’ve assumed we were pursuing you. That would’ve given you time to kill most of the demons, capture one of them, and realize he or she was useless. It would’ve given me a better bartering chip.”
“We could’ve just captured you then,” I replied, quickly walking forward with him at my side—though still more than an arm’s reach away.
“I had considered that. Worst case, at least one of us would be able to leave and try to bring about change.”
I shook my head as we reached the stairs leading to the side entrance, mulling that over. I glanced back at Hadriel, who nodded. If the demons pretended they were escorting us outside, it would inspire curiosity, but it wouldn’t bring people closer to investigate. It would ensure we didn’t have to fight our way to the boats, which would hopefully buy us more time before we were discovered.
One thing was infinitely clear—Govam and his crew really were dooming themselves. Dolion would be furious if he found out they’d failed to capture us. He’d kill them on the spot.
We’d become their lifeline.
“Fine. Hurry.” I let him lead us up the stairs, his guards fanning out around us. Except Sonassa, who changed her appearance to look like one of us, beautiful but still bedraggled, malnourished and beaten down. I wondered why she’d bothered with a red dress.
“There won’t be anyone out on this side of the castle,” Govam said as we reached the magical lock at the top. He stopped and put up his hand, twitching his fingers before pulling the spell away and continuing on. “We can run. When we reach the corner, though, we’ll need to walk. It would help if you all hunched a bit.”
“What about the wolves?”
He glanced down the stairs. “They should shift. They’ll be naked, but that’ll be less interesting than being wolves.”
I relayed that back to Weston, confident he would take care of it.
Govam’s voice dropped, almost like he was talking to himself. “I have no idea what Dolion was thinking, taking away your suppression. I’m obviously glad he did, but it was a shortsighted move. Did he misjudge your power?” He shook his head. “I’ve been studying him and his strategies for years, and his reasoning completely eludes me.”
“He doesn’t know shifters like you do,” Sonassa said. “He surely misjudged her power, yes. I doubt he thought she would be strong enough—or motivated enough—to free the dragons or do any real damage. He thinks shifters have the intelligence of animals. I’ve heard he fears the golden dragon and only the golden dragon. He doesn’t fear any of the other shifters. Not in the same way.”
“I don’t know about that,” Denski said as the wolves shifted back and we jogged along the castle wall. “He had a lot of plans for her before she killed half his guards and two of his most prized magical workers that tried to remove her bond. I think that widened his eyes a little. He kept her at more of a distance after that. That couldn’t have been a coincidence.”
“True,” Govam murmured as we reached the corner. He slowed to a stop, putting up his hand and beckoning me closer. “Time to play the prisoner, Finley. I know that you can kill me. You know that I know that you can kill me. Let’s use some civility.”
So we put on a show as we made the journey across the rain-soaked and windswept lands. Deep night had fallen, no stars visible in the cloud-choked sky. Two demons walked to our right a ways, hunched against the gale. If they noticed us, they gave no sign.
Near the beach, a handful of demons patrolled the area in pairs, their uniforms decorated with different symbols than the other guards. They did notice us approach, taking us in first and then looking to Govam.