Chapter 23

E lla followed Nicholas down the hallway to a set of stairs. He led the way down with Ingrid in between them. At the bottom, a guard waited. Nicholas wasted no time in disarming him and taking his sword. He pulled the dagger from his waist and handed it to her.

“Here. Just in case.”

She clutched the dagger in her sweaty palm, not sure how to use it but grateful for the weapon nonetheless. Ingrid clung to her side as they charged into the grand hall.

And were confronted with a swarm of guards, forcing them back to the wall. One of them, who appeared to be in charge, stepped toward Nicholas with his sword raised.

“It’s back to the dungeons for you all,” he said.

Ella watched as Nicholas took in the surroundings, glanced upward, then to the side. An idea ignited in his eyes. He gave them a smile.

“Are you certain about that?”

He swung his sword, not at the guard, but at a rope tied off near his head. He sliced through it cleanly. Overhead, a candelabra fell from the ceiling, trapping the rest of them. Nicholas ran around them, heading for the exit, Ella and Ingrid followed.

They were almost home free.

Until they made it into the courtyard and realized they were once again faced with more guards. None of them noticed their arrival since they were busy with whoever was on the outside of the wall—Captain Bart and Gustav, no doubt. But they were a skeleton crew. How could they hold their own against so many of Malvina’s men?

“We should have gone out the way we came in,” Nicholas said.

“Don’t worry, dear.”

Noella arrived in a puff of glittering magic. With a wave of her hand, she tossed something shimmering at the three of them. Ella coughed and sputtered. So did Ingrid. Nicholas merely closed his eyes and took it as if it was something he was used to dealing with.

“The concealment spell won’t last long,” she said, urgency in her voice.

“What about you?” Nicholas turned to her, gripping her by the arm.

“I have one more task to accomplish.”

Nicholas started to protest when she poofed away again.

“Let’s go,” he said with a wave.

Ella and Ingrid exchanged a glance as they took off after Nicholas. He wove his way around the men who seemed not to notice them at all. With her heart in her throat and the dagger clutched in her hand, they were almost to the gate.

It was difficult to traverse the rocky ground, though, in the slippers. She tripped and started to fall. She managed to release the dagger, throwing her arms out to break her fall as she crashed against the ground.

Ingrid gasped. “Ella!”

Nicholas halted and spun toward them as Ella turned round to sit. Her right ankle throbbed and her left wrist ached. She grimaced, as she tried to get to her feet, but it hurt too much. Nicholas was at her side in an instant. He wrapped a hand around her upper arm and helped her to her feet. She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth when she tried to put weight on her right foot.

“You’re hurt,” he said.

Ingrid bounced from one foot to the other in front of her, her youthful face creased with worry.

“I twisted my ankle,” she said. “It hurts to put weight on it.”

The gate was too far away for her to hobble to it, especially in the slippers.

“I don’t think I can make it,” she added.

“You have to make it,” Ingrid said as tears pooled in her eyes.

“I’m not leaving you here.” Nicholas tossed the sword to the ground. He removed the dagger sheath from around his waist. “Ingrid, grab that dagger. We may need it yet.”

She bent to pick up the dagger Ella discarded when she fell. He handed her the sheath. She stuck it inside as though she were a natural at such things, then tied it around her waist. Nicholas wasted no more time as he scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest. Ingrid’s face broke into a bright smile.

“You’re going to carry her?” she asked.

Nicholas met Ella’s gaze and her pulse throbbed wildly. “I am. Lead the way, Miss Ingrid.”

The girl took off at a sprint. Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he started for the gate. Not at a run like Ingrid, but at a brisk pace that jostled her against him.

She didn’t mind.

His body was warm and solid next to hers.

“When we get back…” he panted, “I’ll have my healer look you over.”

She opened her mouth to protest.

“I’ll not take no for an answer.” He gave her a wry smile.

Ingrid was out the gate and spun to face them, waving them on with desperation to hurry. Finally, Nicholas and Ella made it out of the walls of Malvina’s fortress. He paused to catch his breath, lowering her slowly to the ground. He kept an arm wrapped around her waist to steady her and keep the weight off her injured foot.

Ahead, she saw Captain Bart, Gustav, and a few of the sailors crouched behind a line of trees firing off arrows toward the guards on the wall.

“Look!” Ingrid pointed, seeing them, too.

“Captain Bart really was here to save us,” Nicholas said, as though he were surprised.

“You didn’t believe Noella?”

He chuckled. “She surprises me sometimes, so I should have. She must have helped them here. Can you walk?”

“If you help me,” Ella said. “I think I can manage.”

“Hopefully that concealment spell is still working,” Nicholas said.

Ingrid took off at a run toward the group, clearly ready to be done with Malvina’s fortress and all her guards. Ella stifled a chuckle. Nicholas’s arm tightened around her waist as he helped her limp toward them. Thankfully, they made it behind the tree line without anyone noticing them. The concealment spell must still be intact.

As they approached, she heard the distinct whinny of a horse.

It seemed her fairy godmother thought of everything.

Suddenly, the firing arrows stopped and everything went silent. Ella, still clutched by Nicholas, glanced back toward the fortress. The guards were no longer along the wall. As if they had merely disappeared.

Noella appeared, her long silvery hair billowing in the late morning breeze.

“Well, now. That was fun, wasn’t it?” She flashed a bright smile.

“What happened to them?” Gustav asked, glancing from her to the fortress and back again.

“No need to worry about that, captain. Just know Malvina, Queen of Darkness and Shadow,” she snorted at the title, “will be of no more bother to the rest of us. Now…where is my son?”

“Here, Mother.” Nicholas cleared his throat.

Ella’s head snapped in his direction. “Noella is your mother ?”

“Ah, yes, of course dear.” Noella blew a handful of fai ry dust their direction. It landed on all three of them, removing the concealment spell.

Ella stared at her fairy godmother and then cut a glance at Nicholas. “ She’s the queen of Rovenheim?”

“She is.” Nicholas gave her an affirmative nod.

“And you are…the crown prince?” Which was something she already knew, but she wanted to confirm that she was, in fact, standing in the arms of the prince of Rovenheim.

“Of course, he is, dear,” Noella said.

She looked from Nicholas to Noella and back again. It was as if her vision cleared and she saw the family resemblance. He had his mother’s eyes and the same cheeky smile.

It was all too much for Ella. The blood rushed to her head, leaving pinpricks of tiny dark spots and making her lightheaded. She did the only thing she knew to do and fainted straightaway.