Chapter 13

Chapter

Thirteen

~ Princess Blake ~

T here’s a large group of rebels and prisoners already in the tunnel, and it’s chaos as we step over the bodies of fallen guards. My mates and I grab the guard’s discarded weapons, and my males stay close to me as we make our way through the prison, and past empty cells that reek of urine and mold.

“Looks like you’ve been busy,” I say to Shade as we pass a guard that’s lying in a pool of blood, his head severed from his body. “Why didn’t you warn me you were almost here?”

“I thought you were still with the king in The Haven,” Shade replies. “I didn’t want you to risk using magic around him.”

I nod. “Well, you obviously found the rebels.”

At the front of our group the rebels lead the way, charging at any guards who cross our path. It takes a group of around ten cuffed rebels to take on a single centaur guard, but somehow, we keep moving, making our way through the tunnels.

A few paces in front of us, one of the female prisoners falls, crying out as her knees buckle, but the male with the blue eyes scoops her up, barely missing a step. She wraps her thin arms around his neck, and I note the scars visible on the male’s back through the tears in his ripped clothing. I’m still struggling to believe this male is Celzar’s brother, and the image of him on that battlefield haunts me.

He walks faster, picking up his pace. “We need to move quicker!” he shouts to the group. “The other rebels won’t be able to distract the remaining guards for long. Reinforcements will arrive soon.”

No one argues, and everyone matches his speed, surging onward through the prison.

“Blake, look out!” Shade squawks as two guards come from a tunnel on my left, shouting obscenities as they gallop toward us. I brace, ready to fight, but then my mates are there. I’m guessing it’s due to their pent-up rage from being imprisoned, but I’ve never seen them so angry. They work together, cutting down one guard in a matter of minutes, and quite literally leaving him in pieces, while a group of prisoners and rebels take down the other one.

There’s more shouting from the prison mines, but we avoid the guards, navigating to an exit the rebels have opened up and slipping into the tunnels adjoining the prison. It takes a while for all of us to make it out of the gap, but then we’re scurrying down a series of winding tunnels that grow darker. The light dims as we turn down one tunnel then another, and soon we’re walking in complete darkness. My vision adjusts, allowing me to see the edges of the tunnel walls and the path ahead, and everything is silent except for the shuffling of feet, and the sounds of panicked breathing.

“Soooo, are you going to explain why you’re all naked yet?” Shade asks, sitting relaxed as she remains perched on my shoulder.

“I’m not naked, I have a robe,” I protest.

“Yeah, a robe and hooker hair,” she teases. “Did you have to play out King Celzar’s weird fetishes as punishment?”

“What? No. Faking the bonding ritual was my idea.”

“Faking the bonding ritual?” Shade squawks.

“It was the only way to get King Celzar to bring me to Dante and the others,” I explain. “I knew if I told him about the power increase that comes with bonding, he wouldn’t be able to resist letting me bond with them.”

“Hold up. So, you just turned up to the prison looking all bangable, and the king watched you get freaky? I’m guessing you didn’t actually…” she trails off.

I grin in the darkness. “No, we didn’t bond. I still have the cuff on, remember? I couldn’t risk the king getting control of that kind of power.” I go on to tell her about King Celzar’s confessions and of what happened with the witches.

She whistles in my head. “Well that is…”

“I know,” I reply. “So fucked up.”

“You can say that again,” she says. “Well, in any case, I guess it’s lucky we turned up when we did.”

My lips curl upward. “Never doubted you.”

“Oh, puhleeze, even I doubted me!” she retorts.

“That’s because you forget about all the awesome things you do.”

She’s thoughtful for a moment. “Hmmm, yeah I guess I am pretty amazing.”

“And seeing as you’re amazing,” I tell her. “Do you know what his story is? Celzar’s brother?”

Shade adjusts her grip on my shoulder. “From what I’ve heard, after King Celzar created The Haven and started cuffing everyone, Prince Mason and his sister Princess Nerelia started speaking against the king, trying to convince centaurs not to agree to the cuffs.”

“Nerelia?”

“The princess in the palace,” Shade tells me. “The one in the crystal garden.”

I’m not sure how she’s figured this all out, but I’m grateful she’s helping me piece this all together. “And so what, King Celzar imprisoned them?”

“Yep. And anyone who was loyal to them.”

I blow out a breath.

“Our new princely friend here is second in line to the throne after Nerelia,” Shade explains. “I’m pretty sure he’s been in prison for a long, long time.”

My expression softens, and I stare ahead at where the male, Prince Mason, is still carrying the female prisoner. I think about how lonely I’d been as an only child. “And to think I always wanted a sibling,” I muse. “Maybe I was better off alone.”

“It’s times like this when it’s good to remember that you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family,” Shade replies.

“Unless they’re friends who turn into family,” I amend, and she practically preens on my shoulder.

Nate brushes against my right side as Dante keeps close on my left, and I suppress the urge to reach out and grab them. And you also don’t get to choose your mates, I muse internally as I clench my fists to stop myself from touching my shifter and my demon. Even now while we’re escaping, I can’t help but think about the way it felt to have my mates around me, to have Dante inside me, and I bite my lip, glad for the darkness. Dante is the only one who has happily accepted that we’re mates, and his hand curls around my waist, pulling me tighter against him. I lean closer to the demon, trying not to make it obvious how badly I want him, because I hate that he has power over me. That all of my mates do. Everything in me wants to be around them, but now that I am, I’m reminded of how out of control they make me feel.

I try not to think about it as the minutes blur by, and eventually we reach what appears to be a dead end. There’s chatter up ahead, and then the massive wall of rock that’s blocking our path starts to move, revealing a wide opening. Light floods the tunnel, and we pass through quickly before the passageway is sealed again behind us.

“I hope we’re doing the right thing by following these guys,” I mutter, blinking as my eyes adjust to the light.

Dante’s hand squeezes my waist. “We’re together and out of the prison. I’d say it’s a good start.”

We continue to follow the rebels and prisoners ahead of us until the tunnel starts to widen even more and then opens out into a large cavern. I stop walking. “Okay, when I heard we were going to a rebel camp, this is not what I pictured,” I say to Shade.

“What had you expected? A tiny group of refugees huddled in a cave?”

“Uh, yes. Something like that.”

“Yeah, well, me too,” she laughs in my head. “It’s amazing, right?”

I peer at the small city still some distance away. The narrow streets are packed with rebels who are chatting and rushing to and fro, weaving between buildings made from stones. Bird creatures, just like Prax, the creature I met in The Haven, pull carts amongst the crowd, and crystal lanterns line the streets, emitting a warm glow. Around the cavern walls, large holes dot the space, separated by thick, rocky walls, and I stare in fascination as I see even more rebels milling about inside these spaces.

“Are those…houses?” I ask out loud in disbelief.

Shade follows my line of sight. “Yup. But with an open area that overlooks the city. From what I’ve learned, they started building those homes as the city grew larger.”

“Looks like it,” Nate replies, unaware that Shade has already answered my question. “Reminds me of the bunny burrows back in the beast realm.”

I raise a brow at him. “Bunny burrows?”

“Yeah, you know. The burrows the bunny shifters make. What? You didn’t think all shifters were sexy jaguars like me, did you, gorgeous?”

I stare at him. “I know there are different types of shifters. I guess I’m just wondering what you were doing in a bunny burrow.”

He grins and winks at me. “Let’s just say, sometimes I go there when I’m feelin’ hungry.”

My cheeks heat as he holds my gaze, and I purse my lips.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s not talking about eating food,” Shade points out unhelpfully.

“You think?”

“Hey, don’t take it out on me,” Shade squawks. “He’s the one talking about banging bunnies. Remember that place, No Bunny Blues? You don’t think that’s where he’s talking about, do you?”

I think of the club we’d once had to visit in the beast realm. Dad had tasked us to collect information from an informant there, but the shifter had come out to meet us on the street, so we never had to enter the club.

“I’m still salty about how we never got to see any bunnies,” Shade says, and it’s only then that I realize she’s still been rambling this whole time.

“Maybe Nate can take you there one day,” I reply bitterly, not annoyed at her, but at my shifter mate. I know I shouldn’t care that Nate’s been with other shifters. Just like I shouldn’t care that Dante has probably bedded half the demons in Seral, but the thought of my mates being with other females has irritation spiking up my spine.

Like he can sense it, Nate leans close, his lips brushing along my warm cheeks. “Somethin’ bothering you, gorgeous?” he asks wickedly.

I force a breath out through my nose, and I turn my head so my lips are almost touching his. “Just thinking about those innocent bunnies,” I lie.

He chuckles, and the rumbling sound in his chest makes my insides twist. “Oh, I can promise you, love, they’re not innocent.” His gaze turns predatory. “How ’bout I tell you all about it?”

“Uh, yes please,” Shade says excitedly in my head.

My heart pounds as Nate waits like he’s actually expecting me to answer. “Does he really think I’d want to hear about all the depraved shit he’s gotten up to with other females? Hard pass.” I force my lips to curve as I press even closer to him. He responds, his nostrils flaring as he breathes in my scent. I part my lips like I’m going to kiss him, but instead, I say, “And to think I was almost considering fucking you,” I murmur, then I pull back, continuing to walk through the tunnel and leaving Nate standing there.

Dante smirks, clearly amused by the situation, and even Prince Callan’s lips lift slightly. It takes Nate a few seconds to wipe the look of shock from his face, and then he’s striding through the mob of prisoners and rebels, finding his way back to us.

When we near the edges of the rebel city, a guard shouts, “They’re here!” That’s all it takes for the message to spread, and soon dozens of rebels are streaming out of the city, swarming our group and fussing over the freed prisoners who collapse with relief.

“Your highness,” one of the newcomers says as the group rushes forward. They each stop before Prince Mason and bow their heads in a gesture of respect.

I watch the prince, noting the way his body becomes rigid, and a look of unease crosses his face as they await his command. “Rise,” he tells them. He passes over the female he’s holding to the one of the rebels. “See to it that she gets the care she needs. The rest of you assist the other wounded.”

The rebels are quick to follow his orders, separating and joining our ranks. Quite a few of the rebels openly gape at me and Prince Callan, and it takes me a moment to realize they’re staring at our wings.

“We’ve worn these cuffs for so long, there are many who can hardly remember what it feels like to have our own,” a feminine voice says, and I turn to see one of the female rebels close to us.

My brow creases. “What?”

“Your wings,” she goes on. “There are many who will be envious of you, and many more who will be wary because you’re outsiders.”

“That’s Eliza,” Shade quickly explains. “She’s one of the main rebel leaders.”

“We’re not interested in causing trouble,” I reply.

She nods as she assesses me, and I get the sense that she hasn’t yet decided whether she believes me.

“How long have the rebels been here?” I ask, indicating to the city.

“Many have resided here since the first uprising three decades ago,” a masculine voice answers before Eliza can speak, and I turn as Prince Mason strides toward us accompanied by a male rebel.

“And we’ve been building on it ever since,” Eliza adds. “With so many residents in such a confined space in The Haven, it took a while before the king noticed some of the residents and his resources were missing.”

The male on Prince Mason’s other side smiles at us, and I recognize him as one of the rebels who came to the prison. “Name’s Waylen. Good to have you here.”

Nate grins. “Glad to be here. Thanks for breakin’ us out.”

Dante squeezes his hand around my waist, and Nate, Alaric, and Prince Callan stand nearby, all of them so close that I’d barely have to reach out to touch them. Prince Mason, Eliza, and Waylen stare at us curiously, and considering my mates are still butt naked, it’s a credit to them that they’re able to keep a straight face.

“Thank the bird,” Eliza says, tipping her head to where Shade is still perched on my shoulder. “You’re only here because of the message she carried.”

“Finally, someone appreciates me,” Shade preens.

“I appreciate you all the time!”

“Yeah, but you’re biased because you like me,” she replies. “It’s nice to be appreciated by others.”

“Hmmm note to self: show Shade less gratitude so it doesn’t go to her head,” I muse, and she shoots daggers at me with her beady black eyes.

“You have my thanks as well,” Prince Mason says, his glittering blue gaze lingering on me before moving to Shade and my mates. “I’ve waited for this chance for some time.”

“Is it just me…” Shade chirps in my head, “or are his eyes dreamy? It’s hard to tell with all the hair and dirt, but I’m already starting to see why King Celzar hated his brother so much. Clearly, this guy got all the good genes.”

“Do you have to perve on everyone?” I ask her.

“I’m just saying,” she hisses, “that for a prince who’s been beaten, tortured, and forced to carry out manual labor for decades, if not centuries, he’s looking pretty good.”

I’m not sure why, but my stomach cramps at the thought of the prince being tortured for such a long time. I decide it’s because I can still picture him on the battlefield, the witches closing in around him. Scars cover the prince’s body, and I wonder just what he’s been through. When I lift my gaze again, I realize he’s watching me.

“So, you’re royalty, huh?” I blurt, not sure why I feel like I’m caught out.

Shade cackles in my head. “Guess, I wasn’t the only one who was perving.”

“Shut up,” I send back, and she laughs again.

“I was,” he replies, his expression hardening. “Now, it’s just Mason.”

Waylen and Eliza shift uncomfortably at his response, but they don’t comment.

“Eliza will see to it that you’re given clothes, supplies, and a room where you can rest,” Mason says.

“And the cuffs?” Prince Callan asks, speaking for the first time in a long while. “How do we remove them?”

Eliza lifts up one of her pant legs revealing a cuff around her ankle. “If there was a way, we would have found it by now. Only King Celzar can take them off. We do, however, have a barrier around the camp so it’s harder for the king to detect us. That’s as good as it gets.”

Dante frowns. “So, we still won’t be able to access our power?”

Eliza purses her lips. “No.” Someone shouts something behind us then, and she takes that opportunity to turn and start leading us away. “Now, let’s get you to a room.”