Chapter 15

S quinting against the bright lights of the ballroom, the three of us exit the secret corridor, closing the door behind us. I just want to get back to the safety of my mates and our people without attracting any attention, but the king must have had a contingency plan in place. A row of five armed soldiers block the walkway between the wall and the rear of the dais, the high backs of the thrones obstructing the view of the ballroom, stopping anyone from seeing us. Right now, those soldiers are blocking our path to safety. As soon as they see us half dragging a bedraggled, pale, and obviously unwell prince, they draw their weapons, pointing them towards us.

"Prince Jacob!" one in the middle calls, visibly distressed, and I get the impression these could be his personal guards. Brandishing his sword, he goes to move forward, and reacting instinctively, I bare my teeth, throwing my arm in front of Jacob.

"Stay back!" Jacob orders, the command of a prince ringing out, despite the exhaustion lining his face. The guard freezes, frowning, but does as ordered as Jacob puts his hand on my shoulder. I glance back at him, and he shakes his head slightly. After a tense couple of seconds, I lower my arm, smoothing out my expression.

Jacob turns his attention back to the wall of guards blocking our path. "I'm fine, she's helping me. Let us pass," he instructs in a clear, smooth voice as I wrap my arm around his waist once more.

The guards look between themselves, clearly torn, eyeing up me and the magician on their beloved prince's other side. They want to trust their prince, but I get the feeling they're following orders. Why else would they be stationed here when there was no one guarding the door previously? The king wanted us to be caught in case things didn't go his way. What he didn't count on was that Jacob is well liked amongst the guards.

"But, Your Highness," the lead guard starts, only to stop when Jacob arches an eyebrow at him. Instead of snapping to attention like I expected, the guard sighs and glances at the others. They all share looks until, one by one, they lower their weapons and the leader of the group steps aside, allowing us to pass.

We hurry by, not waiting for them to change their minds, but as we pass them, I meet the hard gaze of the lead guard. "Thank you." The statement is simple but honest and seems to take him by surprise, but I don't have time to see what he does next as we round the dais and are suddenly in full view of everyone in the room.

"Clarissa!" several voices call in unison, and my bonds throb with relief as my mates hurry to my side, their eyes wide as they barrage me with questions, all talking over one another. Grayson seems torn as he speaks to the prince, realising he is in need of his attention, but he's obviously fighting the pull of the bond if the worried glances he keeps throwing me are anything to go by. Naril is standing close by but watching the ballroom around us, and I'm acutely aware of the silence that's fallen over the room.

The onslaught of questions keeps coming and I can't focus. A sudden wave of urgency comes over me, and I know we need to leave. Grabbing the shirt of the male who's closest, Vaeril's, I shake him. "Stop!" I cry, and finally the four of them stop talking. "We need to leave now," I explain in a hurry, and they seem to realise the seriousness of the situation, snapping into action. Nodding their heads, they split up and go to the groups we had prearranged for our escape plan.

Given Vaeril's and my history with Arhaven, there was no way we were going to come back here without having an escape plan already in place. While none of us liked the idea of being split up, they were all trained in some form of combat, so it made sense for them to each lead one of the groups. Tor would organise the tribesmen, Grayson the mages, and Eldrin the elves. I would be staying with Vaeril. While we would all be escaping together, we thought it best to have units within based on speciality in case we got separated.

"I'm sorry, Alina ," Vaeril whispers, lowering his forehead to mine, and I realise my hands are still twisted in the fabric of his shirt. "We will get out of here, I promise."

My chest tightens as I remember the first time we escaped this castle together. Sighing, I close my eyes as he pushes his affirmation and calm down the bond. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

He pulls away, and I open my eyes as he lifts my chin, his gaze intense as if daring me to challenge him, the corner of his mouth turned up in a semblance of a smile. "I never do."

All of this must have happened in less than a couple of minutes. Naril, Jacob, and Samson are still at my side when Tor strides back over. With him, he brings the warriors from the tribes, Vida, my aunt, and a flustered-looking Aileen with her father.

"Clarissa, what's going on?" Lord Bastian begins, his eyes running over my companions and dismissing them until he startles, realising who the beaten man next to me is. "Prince Jacob!" he exclaims, coming forward with wide eyes as he reaches out to the prince, bowing his head in respect. "We had been worried for you. What happened?"

Jacob places a hand on the lord's shoulder, clasping it in greeting, but he's unable to hide his grimace of pain. Both Aileen and her father frown in concern at the state of their prince.

"My father had me locked up, beaten, and poisoned." Jacob straightens, holding his head high as he answers. My heart aches for him, at the betrayal he must be feeling. How could a father do something like that to his son?

Turning slightly towards me, Jacob continues, "Clarissa is my sister, he used me as bait to get her here." He knows we don't have much time, but we won't get far with the prince unless people understand why he's leaving with us, the supposed enemy of the kingdom.

Aileen turns her wide eyes on me, and I can almost see what's going through her mind. "You're a princess—"

"Different fathers," Jacob and I say in unison, and despite the tense situation, he smiles. It's only a tiny flicker of his lips, but it's a start.

Gasps fill the room and I hear Naril swear. Glancing up, I see guards flooding into the ballroom. They're not doing anything at the moment, simply waiting for orders, but they're all dressed in full armour with their hands on their swords, prepared to use them at a moment's notice. The priests are now lining the walls and congregating by the large doors, blocking our exit.

My mates return to my side. Everyone is in position around us as I turn to Aileen and her father. "Now is the time to decide. Stay or come with us." I can see his indecision as he looks at his only daughter. "I wish I could give you longer, but there is no time left." My voice is harsher than I mean it to be, my urgency adding an edge to it. I desperately want them to come with me, it's not safe for them here, but that's not my decision to make. They have to be the ones to decide.

Lord Bastian looks from his daughter to me, a resolute expression crossing his face. "We'll come with you."

I share a look with my aunt and she nods, letting me know she'll look after them. With relief pounding through me, I gaze around to make sure we've got everyone. There's a Wilson-sized hole in my chest, but I just have to pray he's safe in the city somewhere.

"Let's go."

At my command, we start walking towards the exit. We're in a diamond formation with Jacob, Aileen, her father, and me in the center. Vaeril and Naril are on either side of me. Four magicians are at the front with Grayson, one on each side, and four are at the back with Ellis, making up the shield that constantly protects us. In front of me is Tor with Revna and the tribe warriors, and behind us is Eldrin and the elves.

The room is silent save for the sound of our feet as we make our way to the closed doors. My heart pounds painfully in my chest, my anticipation and dread rising as I take in the expressions of the priests blocking our exit. They're not going to move, we're going to have to fight our way out.

"Stop them!" the king booms through the hall, and gasps and exclamations of watching lords and courtiers follow his declaration.

We come to a sudden halt, unable to move any farther, and my eyes squeeze shut as my stomach drops. The sound of running feet, clinking armour, and weapons being drawn tells me exactly how this is going to end. Turning, I see a semi-circle of about twenty guards, all with swords drawn and pointed towards us, the king standing just behind with a smug smile. His eyes burn into mine with pure hatred that he doesn't even bother to try and hide any longer. Next to him is Rhydian and Prince Michael, who is watching with a confused expression as he spots his brother at my side.

Breaking from the formation, I step forward, ignoring Eldrin's low growl. "You don't want to do this," I plead, directly addressing the guards, realising that some of them were the guards from earlier who seemed to be familiar with Jacob. Turning slightly, I gesture behind me to where the prince is standing. "Look what the king did to your prince, his own son ." With emphasis on the last words, I pray they see sense and follow their hearts over their orders.

"It's true," Jacob agrees, and it affects some of the guards, their swords lowering as they look around with confusion in their eyes.

"Lies." The voice makes me shudder. I know that voice. Turning, I see High Priest Rodrick making his way through the guards, his expression a mask of disgust. "She's twisted the poor boy with her devilish magic."

"Devilish magic?" My anger propels me forward against my better judgement, and I feel the tingle of the protective magical barrier against my skin. "I carry the mark of the Great Mother." Twisting my arm, I raise it above my head, letting everyone see the marks on my skin, both that of the goddess and those the king ordered branded onto me as a child. Every eye in the room is on me, and for the first time, I'm not ashamed of my marks or trying to hide them. They show who I am and what I've been through, what I am—a survivor. "The king and the priests are rotten to the core. They twist the goddess' words to fit their own purposes."

"Blasphemy!" Rodrick roars, spinning towards me, his arms gesturing wildly.

Except it's not him who I'm watching, but the king and his son beside him, the strange energy almost pulsing from Rhydian. The guards seem unsure, waiting for instruction, and I know it's them I have to convince. I've seen that they love their prince, he has their loyalty, so that's what I need to use.

"If this is what he can do to his son, what can he do to you?" Dropping my mask, I show them my true feelings, pushing my emotions into my words. If we are going to convince them, we need to be honest. "You've seen what he does in the Mother's name! Putting your children into slavery, killing your queen, mass genocide!" My voice breaks, my eyes stinging with unshed tears as I see the faces of all the nameless slaves he murdered the day he broke me and I escaped with Vaeril. The guards suddenly stiffen, and I know that's due to Vaeril closing the distance between us. The bond in my chest eases, alerting me to his nearness without me even needing to move. His hand lands gently on my lower back and instantly helps to ground me. I feel stronger already. Tilting my head, I look up at him, meeting his loving gaze before I return my attention to the guards. "You know better than I do that the list goes on." I directly meet the guards' eyes, and some of them look away, but for those who don't, I can see a haunted look in their gazes. They've seen atrocities done in the name of the king. "You've been taught the elves were the enemy, but now the Great Mother's chosen and her mages are working with them." I know I'm challenging them, but they need to think for themselves. "Who is really the enemy here?"

"Elf sympathiser," Rodrick spits, his eyes practically glowing with his hatred for me.

Ignoring the priest, I keep my gaze on the guards, holding my hands low and ensuring my body language is non-threatening. "I am leaving with my brother and my friends in peace, I am not here to start a fight." My words are clear. There's no question about it, I will be leaving, and if there is to be bloodshed, it won't be me who started it. There's a ripple of shock, and I hear whispers of the word ‘brother,' but no one questions it.

Looking past the guards to the nobility beyond, I scan the crowd of anxious faces and feel something twist within me. I've not discussed it with the others, but there's no way I can leave without offering safe passage to anyone who needs it. I may regret that later, but I know what it feels like to have no hope of escape. "Anyone who wants to may come with us. I guarantee safety for yourself and your families if you choose to leave."

I pray they use their minds, their own free will to make this decision rather than just blindly following orders, but I know better than anyone that following orders is so much easier.

For a few painful seconds, nothing happens and the king starts to grin. Then, the sound of a sword being sheathed draws my attention as one of the guards who stopped us earlier walks towards me. I feel my mates at my back, ready to attack should he prove to be a threat, a low snarl coming from one of the elves behind me, but the guard drops to one knee, bowing his head first to Jacob and then to me. The four other men who I assumed were Jacob's personal guards quickly join their kneeling companion. Stunned, I stare down at them, unsure what to say, but the first guard beats me to it.

"If you will have us, beloved, we will fight for you," the lead guard speaks, glancing at his fellow comrades before returning his attention to me. "I have long felt we have strayed from the way of the Great Mother, but I stayed for the prince." He shakes his head, disappointment at himself gleaming in his eyes. "When he disappeared… We were told you were behind it, but it didn't feel right. Now we know the truth." The others murmur their agreement, but it's the lead guard I keep my focus on, and I realise I trust him.

Nodding, I give him a small smile. "We would be honoured to have you." I glance at Grayson, gesturing for him to lower the shield to let the guards in before turning back to the men kneeling before me. "What about your families?" I ask as I proffer my hand to help him stand.

Staring at my outstretched palm like I've offered him a lifeline, he gingerly takes it, tentatively returning my smile as he gets to his feet. "We were not allowed families." His reply makes me angry, but I'm not surprised, it's just another example of the king's cruelness.

With the guards now added to our numbers and no one else showing signs of joining us, I know it's time to leave before the king lashes out. I'm surprised he hasn't tried something already. "We're leaving now," I announce, meeting the king's glare.

Turning, I face our next problem, the priests who block the doors, when someone calls out.

"Beloved." I spin around to find Priest Rodrick just inches from me. He must have slipped past the magical barrier when the guards were allowed entry. A sick sense of acceptance fills me as everyone around me seems to move in slow motion. "You are an abomination. I never should have allowed you to survive," he sneers, and he pulls a dagger from his robes. With speed he shouldn't possess, he raises it above his head and plunges it through the air towards my heart.

Blinding purple light fills the room and blasts him back from me, his cry of pain loud in the sudden silence of the hall. Power radiates through my body so great that it bows my back, my arms thrown out from the force thundering through my veins.

"How dare you try to kill my beloved?" The Great Mother's voice comes from my mouth, my head rolling until my eyes land on the cowering priest, using my body as her vessel.

"Great Mother, forgive me." Fear makes his body quake as he peers up at me through his chubby fingers, his face twisted in distress.

My hand shoots out against my will, guided by the goddess, and touches the priest's forehead. His eyes go blank as she pushes power into him. The whole ballroom seems to hold its breath, waiting to see what will happen to the priest who tried to strike the Mother's chosen.

"Your mind has been twisted beyond repair." The Mother's tone is filled with sadness, but she's also resolute. She removes my hand, his eyes regaining their clarity, and a sudden recognition appears in them. He knows he's about to die. Opening his mouth, he tries to say something, but the goddess waves my hand and he simply turns to ash at my feet. At the back of my mind, I can't quite believe what I'm seeing, and neither can the rest of the room, which is in total shock. "Be mindful not to go down the same path as the priest, otherwise, you will end up like him."

She's addressing everyone, yet she has us staring at the king as she speaks. His face is a blank mask, but his eyes hold rage.

As quickly as she arrived, the goddess departs my body just as swiftly, leaving me feeling drained and dizzy. Lightheaded, I stumble, but Vaeril mercifully catches me, wrapping his arm around me. My connection to the goddess feels completely empty, depleted, and I know she must have used everything she had just then. She saved my life.

Without a word, everyone falls back into formation, and we face the large ballroom doors and the priests blocking them.

"Arrest them," the king orders, a smugness to his tone that shows he's used to being obeyed without question. Except the guards around us don't move. "Stop them," he orders again, his voice dark with anger now, but still, no one moves.

We come to a stop just in front of the doors where the priests wait, and I feel their gazes on me, then one by one, they hurry away, the memory of what happened to Rodrick fresh in their minds. A wave of magic washes over me, and the doors blast open with a gesture of Grayson's hands. Without needing to be told, those at the front of our group start to move, and we hurry through the castle, not running, but our steps are swift.

Shouting sounds behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I see the body of a guard fly into the hallway and smash into the wall. Rhydian stumbles out after him, his entire body quaking.

"No," Jacob whispers beside me, his eyes wide, and I realise he just witnessed the same thing I did. Somehow, Rhydian just threw that guard, but that should be impossible, he's human. He shouldn't be that strong.

Rhydian falls to the ground and lets out a bloodcurdling howl, his back bending in ways that shouldn't be possible. The hair on my arms stand on end, and my mark glows dimly in warning, burning as it tells me one thing—go.

Jacob has the same instinct, his eyes round with panic. "Run!"

We don't need to be told twice. Picking up my skirts, I run like my life depends on it. We hurtle through the castle hallways, the magicians leading us, their protective barrier still in place, but I can see the strain it's taking on them. The elves could run faster and leave us, but they don't, they stay in formation alongside us the entire time. Exhaustion fills me, every cell in my body crying out to stop, to rest, but then that scream sounds again, and I know whatever strangeness Rhydian had been battling within his body won. Rhydian lost.

Rounding a corner, we reach the entrance hall, and I want to cry with relief when I see that our carriages and horses are waiting for us. Grayson, Tor, and Eldrin break off and start organising each group into travelling parties, making sure everyone is here as the magicians start mounting horses. We are going to need to leave here quickly. I begin to hurry towards the stone steps leading to the carriages when a wave of dark, sticky power rolls over me, dragging me down to the ground with a cry.

"Clarissa!" Jacob calls out, turning to help me, but I wave him away, Vaeril and Naril already at my side.

"Go, get in the carriage." Gesturing with my hands, I order Jacob to go, needing to make sure he gets out of here. He pauses, uncertainty shining in his eyes, but something over my shoulder seems to change his mind, and he nods and moves towards the exit and the waiting carriages. Turning to Naril, I grab his arm, gripping it tightly to ensure he's paying attention. "Make sure everyone is safe, I'll be right there." Naril stares at me, his usual grin gone as his eyes scan my face, but he slowly nods his head, pushes to his feet, and hurries to the carriages.

Now that we're alone, Vaeril grabs my face and pulls it around so I meet his gaze. "It's the prince, isn't it?" Nodding, I try to fight off the heavy sensation. It feels like a twisted version of magic, except it feels wrong. I wait for my gift to start fighting it, to free me from its inky grip, but as I extend my awareness, I find the source of the strange magic isn't what's stopping me. My gift works by breaking the spell itself, and whatever this is that is clinging to my skin is a by-product of the original spell. Very clever.

Realising I can't move and feeling my fear through our bond, Vaeril snarls. He wraps one arm around my back and slips another under my legs and lifts me from the ground, using his supernatural speed to get us down the steps and to the door of the carriage.

"Not so fast, Clarissa." The voice, although said no louder than a casual hello, seems to echo and reverberate around the black stone walls of the courtyard, making the horses whinny and stamp their hooves. A cool finger of ice drags down my spine, and I know Rhydian has caught up with us. Pausing by the open door of the carriage, Tor holds out his hands to help me into it, but I don't accept, instead gesturing for Vaeril to put me down. He's going to refuse, I can sense it, so I place my hand on his chest, right over his heart, and reach for our connection. His expression tightens, but he nods and sets me down, keeping his arm around my waist.

The pressure on my legs has eased now, thanks to the magical barrier we passed through, but I know that Rhydian was somehow behind it. Standing tall, I turn to face the prince. He's just inside the doorway, and although he hasn't changed physically, it feels like I'm looking at a different person. When I meet his eyes, a wave of terror runs through me, and I know I was right, something has taken over the prince. The strangeness I felt pulsing from him erratically is now a solid feeling. I see nothing human in his gaze any longer, I just see darkness and evil.

Trying not to shy away from the feline grin he gives me, I keep my spine straight as I address him, acutely aware of how quiet the courtyard is. "What are you?"

My question seems to startle him, his smile dropping, his face going blank for a few seconds. Anger flashes across his features, and I glance around as I witness the king's guards hurrying from the courtyard, leaving us alone with the prince. The atmosphere suddenly intensifies, and I hear swords being removed from scabbards and feel the buzz of magic in the air as my companions prepare for an attack. Guards appear on the walls with bows and arrows drawn, yet I can't help but notice that many of them are anxiously watching Rhydian rather than us, their target.

Returning my gaze to Rhydian, I see he's grinning at me again, back in control of his emotions. "I am what you forced me to become," he finally replies with a cryptic remark.

What I forced him to become? I muse. What does he mean by that? I'm unable to think of any possible way I could have forced him to do anything, but I feel a building darkness, and the longer we stand here, the larger it grows. We need to leave before it's too late. With growing dismay, I realise there is no way we are all going to get out of here together. There are too many archers, and with Rhydian's dark magic…

"Let them go and you can have me." My voice is strong and sure, ringing out as I step forward—if only I felt that confident inside. My innards are a twisted mess as my heart pounds against my ribcage. There's an outcry from the carriages, male and female voices alike calling out their disagreement, and my heart warms that so many would miss me should anything happen to me. However, that only makes me more determined. Vaeril's hand tightens on my waist, and I instinctively peer over my shoulder at him. The look on his face nearly breaks me, almost makes me turn around and climb into the carriage with him, curl up into his arms, and promise never to leave. I've never seen such vulnerability on his face before, even when returning to the place where he'd been held captive for over a century.

Then I remind myself that he is the reason I must do this. Him and Tor and Eldrin and Grayson. Not to mention my new family, friends, and everyone else who deserves better than a tyrannical king and evil queen.

I open my mouth to explain, but a maniacal laugh cuts me off. I spin, my top lip automatically pulling back in a snarl as I drop into a defensive stance. Rhydian is much closer now, having moved silently with a speed he shouldn't possess. I hear Jacob shouting that we need to leave before he starts, but I don't understand what he's saying, my focus on the prince.

Tilting his head to one side, he blinks his black, soulless eyes at me, his smile widening, showing too many teeth. "Why would I do that when I can have all of you?"

Fear unlike anything I've ever felt before pulses through my veins as he raises his arms, and I realise I'm too late. His body seems to shimmer as a thick, inky mist leaves his hands, crawling towards us across the ground. I hold my breath, knowing that if that magic fog was to touch us, death would surely follow. There's movement to my right, where Grayson and Ellis make sweeping gestures with their hands, their faces tight with concentration. My skin tingles with the strength of their magic as they strengthen the barrier. Vaeril pulls me back against him, holding me closer, and I feel the hands of the others as they lean through the open carriage door. Their touches steady me as we all watch the swarming fog.

When it hits the barrier, the mages grimace, but they stay strong as the fog crawls up and over the invisible dome-like shield. I watch Rhydian through the gaps of the writhing mist as it continues to move over us, his grin still stretched wide. He doesn't seem upset that his power hasn't reached us, almost like…like that was never the purpose of it in the first place. As I turn around, everything speeds up, the mist suddenly gaining a life of its own and creating a living, writhing barrier across the open gateway, blocking our escape.

I realise now what my earlier premonition was referring to, and it was this moment. If I want my friends to escape, I'll have to break the spell, and to do that, I need to touch it. There is no way Rhydian is going to let us go easily. If there were just the six of us, then we might have been able to slip through, but with a group this size and a spell that large…

Grayson dismounts from his horse and hurries over to my side, his eyes on the moving barrier impeding our escape. I know what he's going to ask, and the weight of that responsibility is hanging heavily over him, so I won't make him say it. As he reaches us, I reach out and take his hand, turning to my companions in the carriage. Vaeril's face is already set in a disapproving frown, having sensed the direction of my feelings. "I have to break the spell," I tell him before turning to the others. I don't miss Grayson's quiet sigh or the feeling of relief and little pulses of love reaching me from our bond.

Turning to him, I squeeze his hand, needing to make sure he understands. I know my elves would happily sacrifice the others if it meant I would be safe and return to them. However, Grayson will get the others to safety if I ask him to, he understands this is about more than just me. "As soon as the barrier is down, you need to rush through, it won't be long before it's back up again."

Eldrin makes a noise in the back of his throat. "Don't you have to touch the magic to break it?" I don't reply, but he takes one look at my face and snarls, trying to fight his way through the small carriage doors to grab hold of me. "No, no way."

Heart in my throat, I jump back a few steps so I'm out of his reach, all of their reaches, the tingle of the magical barrier pressing against my back in warning. I'm about to cross the line, possibly in more ways than one. Glancing over my shoulder, I notice most of the mist has cleared from the courtyard now and Rhydian is starting to straighten. We're out of time.

"I will join you as soon as I can," I say in a rush, seeing the prince's approaching figure as he starts sluggishly strolling towards us. The magic seems to have slowed him at least.

"And how are you going to do that?" Eldrin fires back. We all know that once the spell is broken, I'll likely collapse. The likelihood that I'll be able to catch up with mages on horseback and carriages is…unlikely.

"You'll find me." I look at my mates, smiling, even though I want to cry. "We have a connection. You'll find me," I assure them in a hurried whisper. "I love you." I step backward, gasping as the magical shield is suddenly removed. I feel exposed, vulnerable.

"Clarissa!" My name is called by many, but I block it out, focusing on the predator in front of me. I'm vaguely aware of movement behind me, I just hope they're getting ready to escape once the barrier is down.

Tilting his head and smiling at me with that disturbing, toothy smile once more, Rhydian takes another step closer. "That was foolish," he goads, but I don't rise to his taunts, simply backing away. For every step he takes towards me, I step back, trying to make my way to the barrier without alerting him to what I'm doing. If he knows what I'm planning, he'll try to stop me.

It works, until I glance behind me to judge the distance to the barrier.

"Oh, I see," he snarls. "Clever little slave. Think you can break Death's magic, do you?" Anger seems to consume him, but something he said sticks with me.

Death's magic? His phrasing is confusing. Is he using death magic? That's not what it sounded like though, he made it seem like he was using magic from death. But that can't be possible. I don't have time to contemplate as he raises his hands, black shadows appearing to concentrate there.

Mother above , I pray, before turning and running towards the barrier. Shouting fills the courtyard, but I can't make out any individual words or voices over the din. Something hits my back and sends me flying forward with a yell, smashing me into the ground with a smack. It knocks the air from my lungs, but it's nothing compared to the pain coursing through my back as the dark magic tries to seize me. My gift begins to work on breaking the spell, but it's hard going, and spasms make it impossible for me to get up.

Curling onto my side as my back is racked with another wave of pain, I see Rhydian is being distracted by the magicians, who are throwing globes of glowing magic at him. It doesn't seem to be doing much, but it gives me a brief respite. Something tugs hard in my chest, and it makes me look up. When I do, I see Tor at the door of the carriage, his eyes carrying more tension than I've ever seen, but as soon as I meet his gaze, he smiles and says something. I can't hear him, only the ringing in my ears as another wave of pain tries to pull me under, but I know what he's saying.

He loves me.

With a sudden burst of energy, I use my arms and crawl towards the barrier. The movement jars my body and tears at my nails, but I'm not far and I'd go through worse for my family. Nausea increases the closer I get, the feeling of wrongness mounting, but I push past it, slamming my hand onto the wall of dark magic. It instantly shudders, repulsed by my touch as my gift starts to unwrite the spell, and it's working.

I'm surprised at how easy it seems to be coming down, that Rhydian hadn't built more of a defence into the spell. I suppose he didn't expect to be attacked by the mages, but I don't dwell on it as my energy quickly dwindles. The barrier falls with the sound of shattering glass, but when I remove my hand, its inky tendrils begin to reform, confirming that I will have to stay here until everyone has passed through the gate.

Sprawled across the courtyard, I watch as the mages on horseback gallop through the gate, followed by the carriages, with the final mages trailing behind, blasting Rhydian with their magic to give me a chance to escape. Except I can already feel the edges of my vision fading as unconsciousness tries to claim me, but my exhausted body still attempts to pull away from Rhydian's advancing form.

A bright light fills my vision as the prince is blasted back, a cloaked figure stepping into view. Kneeling at my side, they scoop me into their arms and step past the castle gates. Weakly, I try to fight them off, aware of the barrier quickly replacing itself now that my hand has been removed.

"Rest, Clarissa, you're safe now."

When I hear his voice, all of my fight leaves me as blissful unconsciousness drags me under. The last thing I hear is Rhydian's furious roar from the other side of the wall, and Wilson's steady breathing from where I rest in his arms.