Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

~ Princess Blake ~

T he guards march me back to my room, and by the time they leave, locking the door behind them, some of my energy has returned and I can connect with Shade again. I rush over to her cage. “Tell me you’re all right.”

She comes closer to the bars of the cage, her black feathers still ruffled and sticking out at odd angles. “I am,” she replies, though I can tell she’s rattled as I smooth her feathers.

I swallow down the lump in my throat as my body trembles with anger. I hate this. I hate them. My body still feels drained, almost like I’ve been drugged, and I curse the king. For the first time in years, I feel weak, and it’s fucking terrifying . I think of Dad’s rules for demon royalty. “Rule number one, never show weakness,” I mutter, and I feel like such a joke right now. Closing my eyes, I lean against the cage as my head swims.

“What did he do to you?” Shade asks.

Blowing out a breath, I fight against the sudden bout of nausea that grips me. “ I’ve never felt anything like it,” I reply. “I feel…wrong.”

“We need to get out of here, Blake. This place… These people… It’s all wrong here.”

I take another deep breath and wait until the pounding in my head starts to subside. Slowly, more of my energy is returning, and I force my eyes open. This isn’t me. Whatever this King Celzar is trying to turn me into, it’s not going to happen. And he’s not getting Shade either.

My gaze falls to the metal chair before the dresser, and I walk over, flipping the chair upside down. When Sassia had been doing my makeup, I’d felt there was something off. Now, I find the wobbly chair leg and start working on the loose bolt. Gritting my teeth, I work at twisting the small bit of metal free, not caring when my fingers are raw and bloody. Thankfully, my body still heals despite the cuff, though it’s working at a slower rate. Come on, dammit. My grip feels pathetic, but I keep at it, wiping away my blood so the steel isn’t so slippery.

“Got you!” I shout, not caring how loud I’m being when the leg finally detaches. I figure, if the guards are dumb enough to enter now, I’ll probably damn the consequences and end them before they realize what’s happening. Well, I’d try to, anyway.

Shade hops on one leg. “Geeze, Blake, you’re lookin’ a little…”

“A little what?” I ask, swinging toward her holding the chair leg like it’s my newest prized possession.

“Uh… nothing,” she comments sheepishly. “So, what are you planning to do with that?”

I place the chair leg down and tear a strip of fabric from my dress. Then I wrap the cloth around the chair leg, and stride over to her cage. “This,” I say, and I slam the wrapped metal leg against the hinges of the cage door. The metal shudders from the force, but it doesn’t give way.

“What is this thing made with?” I grunt out when I slam it into the bars for the tenth time, and I’m panting and sweating. “It’s like this damn metal is indestructible. It’s like?—”

A click sounds, and Shade lets out a startled noise as the small metal door of the birdcage swings open, the metal bent and twisted.

“Y–you did it!” she squawks.

“You don’t need to sound so sur—” I don’t finish the thought because Shade hops out of the cage so fast, and then she’s flying into me, a blur of silky black feathers.

“You did it, Blake!” she says again, and there’s such relief in her voice at being out of the cage, that all I can do is grin stupidly and stroke her feathers as she nuzzles into me. It feels like we spend hours like that, but I’m sure only a minute has passed when Shade says quietly, “I can’t get back in the cage, Blake. I just…can’t.”

I continue stroking her feathers. “I’d never ask you to.”

“But the king. When he sees I’m out ? —”

“You’ll be long gone by then,” I tell her.

She jerks back, tilting her head to the side and fluttering her feathers as she stares at me. “What? I’m not leaving you.”

“Yes, you are,” I say with a small smile, because finally I feel like I’ve done something.

“I’m not leaving you with that monster,” she insists. “What happens when he realizes I’m gone?”

I shrug. “I can handle the king’s attention, but we both know it’s you who he’ll hurt first, and I won’t allow that.” Truthfully, after his last energy-sucking trick, I’m not sure if I can handle the king myself, but Shade knows better than to argue with me. “Besides,” I add before she can protest further. “The cage door is all bent now, anyway. One look and if he doesn’t kill you, he’ll put you somewhere I can’t get you out. This is your chance.”

“Blake—”

“Find the guys,” I tell her. “We all need to get out of here, and that includes them. Do you think you can do that?”

She snaps her beak shut like she’s trying to hold in more protests, but the next time she speaks in my head, her voice is dull with resignation. “Fine, but I hope you know I’m not happy about leaving you.”

I grin. “Noted. Now let’s get your feathered butt out of here while we still can.”

She looks at the door, no doubt imagining the guards on the other side, and then she peers back at me. “And how are we going to do that?”

I point up.

“Ahhh, right,” she says nodding as she stares at the small grate positioned high up on the wall.

“I’m guessing it’s some kind of filtration system,” I explain. “Maybe you can use the vents until you find a better way of getting around. Luckily for us, the vent coverings aren’t screwed shut. They’re also even easier to open from the inside. Sassia said Dante and the others are likely in the mines. Maybe if you listen in on the guards and servants you can find out where they are. Someone will slip out with something useful.” It’s a risk letting Shade go up there, but at this point, I’m willing to bet those vents are safer than her being in the cage.

“Okay. I can do that,” she says like she’s trying to pump herself up. Then she turns to me. “You know your mates aren’t going to be happy when I lead them back here and they find out about the king.”

I smirk, thinking about my four lethal mates. “I’m counting on it.” I won’t go so far as to say that I need my poorly matched mates, but I’m not going to be upset if they find a way to get here and cause some havoc. If nothing else, it would cause a big distraction, and I’m hoping I’ll find a way to get my cuff off by then. “But you’d better go.”

Shade nuzzles against me one last time, then she lifts off my lap. I use my piece of broken chair to carefully lever open the vent cover, and she flaps her wings, landing just inside the vent.

“I won’t put the cover back on until you’ve walked away,” I tell her, not wanting her to feel like I’ve taken her from one cage, just to put her into another. “Remember, there are no screws on these things, so you just have to push against it hard enough and it’ll open.”

“Got it,” she says, not at all sounding confident. “Easy as pie.”

~ Shade ~

Okay, Shade, you can do this. It’s not a cage. No, it’s just a tunnel. I inhale and exhale slowly, trying not to focus on the four walls encasing me. Yep, it’s a wide, innocent tunnel. No one’s trying to hold you against your will or torturing you. It’s just a tunnel that leads to freedom. Or, you know, it leads through a dazzling palace where there’s a king waiting to squish you like a bug. I swallow hard. Turns out, I suck at pep talks.

“You okay up there?” Blake asks me, and god, it’s so good to hear her voice. Being in the cage was bad. Real bad, but it was even worse not being able to speak with my bestie.

“Never been better,” I chirp back, and even though I feel like I’m a few seconds away from collapsing into a feathered heap, I mean it. Being in the cage I’d felt helpless. Even worse than that, I’d felt useless. Now I have the chance to actually help Blake and find the guys.

I can hear the concern in her voice when she replies, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. If you’d rather hide ? —”

“Do what?” I say, cutting her off, because there’s absolutely no way I’m just hiding in the vents while she faces off with the king. “Find four assholes who absolutely don’t deserve you?”

I hear her laughter in my head.

“Then again,” I amend, “now that I’ve seen King Celzar, maybe I’ve been judging them too harshly.” I pause, thinking about Prince Callan and the damn assassin, then I say, “I guess I’m willing to give them another shot, though they’ve already lost points in the rescue department seeing as I’m the one going to them. ”

Blake chuckles again, but there’s a vulnerability in her voice when she says, “Find them, Shade. Make sure they’re okay.”

I swallow again as my heart squeezes. “I will, girl.” It feels wrong to leave her with the king, and I don’t like my chances of finding the guys. And even if I do find them, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to remember the way back. Still, I don’t remind Blake of the fact that unlike other birds, I have horrible navigational skills. I’m pretty sure she’s just relieved she’s managed to get me away from the king’s clutches. If only I was a pigeon, I muse to myself. They always have an incredible sense of direction.

I move slowly, careful so my feet don’t scratch too loudly in the vents, and it’s not long until I’m following a vent down a long corridor. As I near the end, I take a bend to the left and accidentally trip over my feet. A thud echoes along the steel tube, and my heart practically stops. Oh, crappity crap!

“You hear that?” a male voice sounds from below, and I shuffle over to peer through a grate and see two guards standing in the corridor below.

“Hear what?” the other guard says, sounding bored.

The first guard scratches his forehead. “Thought I heard something.” He peers up, and I hold my breath, freezing in place as he stares straight at the grate. Oh, please, please let it be dark enough that he doesn’t see me. My tiny heart beats furiously as he frowns, and I wait for him to shout that he’s seen me. I don’t know if there are many crows in this place, but I’m sure the guards know about the king’s new caged pet. Please, I think again.

“Where are you now?” Blake asks, and I almost jump at the sound of her voice in my head.

“Uh, just moving along a corridor,” I tell her. The last thing I want her to do is worry.

The guard tilts his head, and just as I think he’s about to damn me and alert everyone to my position, his partner nudges his arm. “Probably just a rat. Koran told me they killed one in the kitchens a few days ago. Said the furry bastard was the size of a cat.”

The first guard looks away from the ventilation shaft and peers at his comrade. “Sounds fucking disgusting. You serious? I hate rats.”

I blow out a relieved breath, though my gaze darts to the path ahead of me. You and me both, buddy, I think, shuddering at the thought of encountering a rat up here.

I’m not brave enough to move for a while, just in case these guards take it upon themselves to try and capture the, uh, rat that they think is in the shafts. Instead, I wait until they have a change over, and while they’re distracted, I hurry away, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Minutes pass, and I make my way through the palace, keeping an ear out in case I hear any chatter about prisoners. I’m close to another grate, but as I pass it, a familiar chilling voice draws my attention. Keep moving, I tell myself, but curiosity grips me, and I shuffle closer to the opening and peer down.

Whoa. I blink as I stare into the room below. I’m looking over some kind of garden, but instead of greenery, the eerily still plants, trees, and animals are made from crystals. White crystal rose bushes are scattered around tall trees, the leaves delicately carved so they almost look lifelike. Nestled among the branches are birds of all kinds, the statues so real-looking it’s as if the animals had been in the middle of singing a morning song when they were frozen like that. Everything sparkles and glitters in the dim lighting, and even the stream is made from crystal that’s been shaped and smoothed to mimic flowing water. Well, that’s seriously creepy.

“Aren’t you happy for me, sister? It’s not every day your brother gets engaged.” King Celzar’s voice is unmistakable, and instantly, my feathers puff up.

“I found the king,” I hiss to Blake. “He’s in some kind of weird garden.”

“The king?” Blake sounds pissed. “You’re supposed to be finding my mates and getting away from the king. Not searching for him!”

“I wasn’t searching for him,” I defend. “He just happens to be in the room I’m passing. Now, shh. Do you want to know what he’s saying or not?”

She huffs. “Just don’t get caught.” Of course, I know the extended version of that statement. What she means is, don’t get caught or she’ll have to risk everything including her own life to come and save me.

“So, what’s happening?” she prompts.

I crouch closer to the grate. Standing near the stream is a tall female with obsidian-colored hair that reaches her waist, smooth tan skin, and a long gossamer gown adorned with crystals. She stands with her back to me, so I can’t see her face, but I note the thick silver cuffs around each of her ankles. “Our kind aren’t blind, Celzar. If you think they’re oblivious to what you’ve continued to do to them all these years, then you’re a bigger fool than they are.” Her voice is feminine and soft, but I don’t detect any hint of fear.

Not far away, King Celzar stares at her. “It doesn’t matter what they think,” he replies harshly. “They can’t challenge me. And neither can you.”

“There’s a female here,” I tell Blake. “He called her his sister. I think he’s keeping her in this garden against her will.”

“You must know your arrogance will be your downfall,” the female replies. “Even I didn’t think you’d be daft enough to bring outsiders here. You say you created this place to keep us safe from the witches, but by now, even your most loyal followers must see it for the prison that it is. If outsiders are visiting our land, it stands to reason that the witches are gone. And your power is fading, brother. Before long, our kind will realize they don’t have to stay under your control.”

“If it weren’t for my power, we’d all be dead by now,” King Celzar snarls back.

“So, you say,” the female replies bitterly. “Yet, it seems strange that the witches would find our lands and attack us mercilessly on the same day you violated your banishment and returned home.” She pauses before continuing. “I hope your new bride sees you for the snake you are. For once, I don’t think this will be the wedding you intend. From what I hear, your new prisoner isn’t quite as willing as your last brides.”

King Celzar doesn’t look bothered by her last comment. “She’s as willing as she needs to be.”

“Is that so?” the female replies. “Because from what I hear, you’ve imprisoned four males, her fated mates. Are you so far removed from reality that you forget the lengths some might go to in order to protect their mate?”

“Fated mates don’t exist,” King Celzar retorts. “And in any case, they won’t be a problem. For now, the males are insurance. When I have her power, they’ll be of no use to me, and I’ll have no trouble keeping order in The Haven.”

I relay this information to Blake, and she curses, her rage flowing into my head.

The female in the room below tenses, and she turns, subtly gazing in the direction of the grate I’m peeking through. I’m sure I’ve been caught, but she turns away quickly, directing her attention elsewhere.

“The prison isn’t far from here,” she says to the king, making her voice a little louder. “When the food rations are brought to the prisoners, it only takes them a half hour to walk there. What makes you think your new captives can’t sense your betrothed even from that distance?”

Food rations? Excitement goes through me at the information the queen has given away. It’s too useful, and for a moment, I wonder whether she was really speaking for my benefit. But then I tell myself I’m being ridiculous, and I shake that notion away.

King Celzar lets out a humorless laugh. “Oh, I do so love our little chats, Nerelia. I truly don’t know what I would do without our entertaining conversations. Rest assured, the cuffs are as effective as ever, and even if they could sense her, they can’t escape the mines.” He straightens the collar of his shirt. “Now, I’m afraid I must leave you to take care of matters. Try not to worry yourself with such absurd thoughts.”

It’s not until the king has left the room that I step back from the vent and relay all the information I’ve gleaned to Blake. “I think I know how to get to Nate and the others,” I tell her eagerly. “I need to find my way to the kitchens.”

“Be careful,” Blake tells me, and I start making my way through the palace again, moving slowly to minimize the noise. The vents are an absolute maze, but I keep walking until the scent of freshly baked bread guides me down to a room that’s bustling with activity. In the large kitchen, servants cook over large fires, while others busy themselves kneading dough, measuring ingredients, and chopping an array of vegetables.

“Hurry up! This is the last cart, and if I’m late to the mines for the morning meal, I’ll be the one who gets punished,” an older male snaps at the young servant piling trays onto the cart beside him.

The mines! Crap, I can’t miss that cart! Thankfully, between the chatter, crackling of the fire, chopping noises, and the scrape of various cooking utensils, no one notices as I pick up speed, scurrying along the vent until I reach a grate that’s lower to the floor. Careful to pick a time when everyone is distracted, I bust out of the grate and run over to the cart, darting onto the bottom level. As I move further into the middle of the cart, I have to hold in my squawk when my feet sink into a portion of strange warm mush. Scurrying out of the food quickly, I move forward only to find myself stepping into another sticky pile. The food has a gritty texture, and I cringe as it slides between my toes. Before I can move out of it again, the cart starts rolling forward, and I fall back, completely sitting in the mush. Ugh. Gross. I groan inwardly as the unpleasant smell of some kind of mashed vegetable fills my nose. But then I remember that I made it!

I keep silent as the cart is pushed from the kitchens down a service entrance, and then we’re outside of the palace. A rush of warm air reaches me. Ducking low, I keep still as we pass the guards patrolling the palace, and then the trolley is being wheeled down a paved road.

“Holy crap! I made it outside the palace, Blake!” I send to my demon friend. “This cart should take me straight to the mines.”

Blake’s voice sounds distant when she replies, “Try not to get into trouble.”

Like the female in the garden specified, it feels like it takes a half hour of traveling down a series of tunnels before the air changes, and I detect a rancid smell that grows consistently stronger as the cart moves forward. Well, I can’t say I’m loving this, I grumble internally, though I have a new appreciation for the mush I’m squished in, because the food is helping to mask the smells around me.

“About time,” a gruff voice sounds from somewhere overhead. “You know the boss hates it when you’re late.”

The servant pushing the trolley doesn’t reply. He simply waits for a series of gates to open, and then he wheels the trolley forward, the steady screech of the wheels sounding in my ears. The guard moves in behind us, escorting us down a dimly lit tunnel, and when the trolley stops at the first cell, I peek my head out. Guant, hungry eyes stare back at me from behind the bars of the cell, and I recoil as black eyes lock onto me and cracked lips widen to form a yellow-toothed smile.

“What do we have for dinner tonight, aye? Fresh bird for a change?” the prisoner says.

The guard slams his baton onto the bars, and the prisoner reels back. “Stop your nonsense. You get the same as always.” The guard reaches down, grabbing a tray and sliding it through a hole at the bottom of the bars.

The prisoner looks back at where I’m trying to hide amongst the trays, and once again, I’m left wondering if this is it. Oh crap. Please look away. Look away, buddy. I wait for the prisoner to point and shout at me, but the guard bangs his baton against the bars again, and the prisoner takes a step back. The grubby-looking male winks at me. “Prefer this anyways,” he says to the guard. “Wouldn’t wanna ruin a good thing I’ve got goin’.”

I personally think that whatever mushy gruel they’ve been given looks like vomit, but hey, who am I to judge? If it’s keeping his mouth shut about me, then I’m happy.

We visit one cell after another, and I’m starting to get worried that I’ll be discovered when I see them. The cell they’re in is much like all the others, but Blake’s four mates are unmistakeable. I’m so relieved I almost collapse back into the mush I’m standing in, but I don’t.

As the guard slides four trays of food through the opening at the bottom of the bars, I dart from the bottom of the cart, quickly squeezing through the bars and hiding behind Alaric’s large form. The giant’s expression slackens when he sees me, but he hides his surprise and pivots his body, concealing me even more.

“I’ve found them,” I send to Blake.

“What? How do they look?” she asks me. “Are they hurt?”

“Well, they’ve looked better,” I say slowly.

“What does that mean?” she asks, her voice tinged with worry.

I peer at where Nate is sprawled on a metal cot with a nasty gash across his forehead. Prince Callan is standing, peppered with bruises, and Dante has dried blood crusted on his chin. Even Alaric looks rough. His clothes are ripped and bloody in places.

“They’re fine, I promise. But let’s just say it’s obvious they’re missing you,” I send back.

Blake doesn’t reply for a few seconds, but then she says, “Thank you, Shade. Get them back here if you can.”

“You can count on me, girl.” Honestly, I’m not actually sure if she can count on me for this. I’d been so distracted at the idea of being caught while I’d been on the trolley, that I forgot to memorize all the turns we took through the tunnels to get here. I try not to stress about it, though, and instead, I tell myself I’ll figure it out when the time comes.

The trolley moves on to the next cell, and none of the guys go to collect their food. Nate lifts from the cot, his nostrils flaring as he breathes in deep. His slitted gaze focuses on me as the others all turn as well, and I stand there feeling completely exposed. Nervously, I hop from one leg to the other.

Nice kitty, I think as Nate’s gaze turns predatory. Remember, you wouldn’t dare eat your mate’s friend. Right?

The shifter blinks, and just when I think he might pounce for me, his lips stretch into the biggest crooked smile. “Well, I’ll be damned. Thought I smelled you,” he mutters.

I sway on my feet. I’m not sure if it’s because I really thought he was going to eat me, because I still can’t believe I made it to their cell without being captured, or because the way his smile lights up his face is enough to make any female weak at the knees. Holy hell, I have no idea how Blake has managed to resist any of these guys. Sure, it’s not great being told that I stink, but they’re sweaty and covered in dirt, and they’re still gorgeous. If I was her, I’d be banging them in a heartbeat, but then again, I take in Prince Callan’s icy expression, and I remind myself what an asshole he is.

“Is that who I think it is?” Dante asks, coming closer.

I puff out my chest. Yep. Blake’s almighty bestie to the rescue.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Dante says like he’s responding to my comment, though obviously, he can’t hear me. The demon’s seductive lips curl upward, and it almost makes me want to preen, but I’m distracted when Alaric scoops me into his massive hands.

“It’s good to see you, little one,” the assassin tells me, and normally, I’d be annoyed at being manhandled, but right now, I just peer dumbly up at him admiring his stupidly chiseled face.

“So, I’m goin’ to hope that the fact that you’re here is a good sign rather than a bad one,” Nate comments.

At that, Dante’s expression grows more serious than I’ve ever seen it. I stare at the dried blood on his chin and the dirt smeared over the demon’s clothes, wondering just what these guys have been through since we exited the portal. “Tell us Blake is all right,” he tells me.

Of course, I can’t actually speak to them, so there’s no way to tell them of the danger Blake is in and the king, but I nod my head once, copying the gestures they’re used to.

All four guys relax, their shoulders dropping. Dante leans his back against the wall and closes his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again.

“If we get out of here,” Alaric asks, his voice rough. “Can you take us to her?”

I nod again, even though I’m still doubtful that I can. Surely, a giant palace will be easy enough to find. Right?

“Does she know about the king’s plans to take her power?” Prince Callan asks, and this time I nod vigorously.

“They know about the king,” I send to Blake. “And his plan to steal your power.”

“Then they must be talking to someone in the prison,” she muses.

“Good,” the assassin grumbles. “Maybe she can kill him already, and we can get out of here.”

I shake my head, using my beak to point to the cuffs around their ankles. They look the same as the one Blake has, and I don’t think I need to guess what they’re for.

“They have cuffs as well. Just like yours,” I send to Blake. “Explains why they haven’t been able to escape.”

Blake lets out a stream of curses in my head.

“If she has a cuff, she’s as vulnerable as we are,” Prince Callan comments, and it’s confusing as hell having two conversations going on at once.

“What do you think their chances of escaping the prison are?” Blake asks me, and I peer at the guys, contemplating my answer.

“They’re crafty,” I tell her. “I mean, there’s the guards, and cuffs, and layers of security, but they seem pretty determined to find you.”

To add to the confusion, someone else speaks up then, a strange masculine voice coming from the other side of the cell wall. “Who are you speaking to?” the voice asks.

Nate leans closer to the wall, stretching out on the cot again. “A friend.”