Before I Let Go (Skyland #1)(21)

I headed back toward the main entrance where I spotted two of Evren's guards standing near the door. Neither noticed me, so I pressed my back against the wall and slowly slid to the left until I was completely out of their view.

The last thing I needed was for one of them to alert Evren that I was out here. I didn’t need him finding me in the hall, especially when I was still sore between my thighs with memories of him.

I looked back around the corner as my chest tightened. My stomach was in knots with thoughts of Evren and the way I had let him rule over my body so easily, but the farther I moved through the castle, the more unsettled I became. This was more than the regret I knew I should have felt. Something wasn’t right.

I couldn’t explain it, but something in my gut churned with dread. It had pulled me from my sleep, and at first, I thought it was simply the uncertainty of everything, but the farther I got from my room, the more panic pulled at me.

My magic prowled inside of me. I could feel it as if it were as worried as I was, and my chest rose and fell harshly with each of my breaths.

Something was off.

I just didn’t know what that something was.

I let my hand drag along the rough stone of the walls as I continued to walk under the oil lamps and the smell of bread had me stopping near a heavy set of double doors.

The doors were wooden and intricately carved, and I pressed my trembling hand against one as I hurriedly pushed inside.

The kitchens were dark, save the lit candle by the oven, and I cursed under my breath for not bringing one with me. There was no way I was going to be able to find anything in here without some light.

I pushed across the room to grab the candlestick from where it sat, and I jumped when the sound of someone clearing their throat caught me off guard.

“Shit, sorry.” The male laughed as my back slammed into the counter behind me. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Who are you?” I took another step away from him, and he grinned. He was sitting on top of the counter across from me, and he had a plethora of meats, cheeses, and breads laying at his side.

“I should probably be the one asking you that since you’re the stranger in our castle.” He cocked his head to the side, and his long hair slid over his shoulder. He tucked his brown hair behind his ear before taking a bite of cheese as if he was completely unbothered by seeing me here.

“I’m not a stranger. I’m a prisoner.” I took a few more steps away until I was able to reach the candle. Hot wax dripped down on my hand, and I winced but didn’t dare drop it.

I moved it closer to the stranger in front of me so I could see him better. My heart was hammering in my chest, and I couldn’t stop that deep gnawing in my stomach.

“A prisoner?” He laughed and lounged back on his hands. “Our prisoners don’t have the privilege of sneaking around the kitchen for a snack in the middle of the night.”

“But you do have a lot? Of prisoners, that is.”

“We have a few.” He watched me, and I could practically feel him calculating my every move.

I attempted to do the same to him. He was dressed in all black, so similar to Evren, but his shirt was only buttoned about halfway up his chest as if he couldn’t be bothered to finish the rest of the task. Blades were strapped along his torso, and I wondered what he needed so many blades for in the middle of the night.

“And trust me, Adara, none of them are treated as you are.” Hearing my name fall from his lips put me on edge.

“So, you do know who I am.”

“Of course, I do.” He chuckled and ran his hand over his full lips. “Do you really think our prince could bring you back here and the entire kingdom wouldn’t know of it?”

“Because of the prophecy?”

His eyes widened, but only for a moment before he smoothed out his features.

“Because of everything he’s sacrificed.”

“Who are you?” I held the candle higher, and a dimple marred the handsome lines of his face.

“Sorin.” He held his hand out in my direction. “I am the captain of the Blood army, and one of Evren’s best friends.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “So, you’re the captain of the Blood army and Evren is the fake captain of the fae?”

He simply grinned harder.

“Well, I guess technically he is if we’re referring to Prince Gavril’s men who are meant to do nothing but prance around his castle and protect his ass. Then yes, he is their captain.”

“And what is it that your men do?”

He sobered then, the smile dropping from his face. “We protect this kingdom and everyone who our prince serves.”

His answer angered me, fueled a hate inside me I couldn’t tame. “And those were your men who attacked us in the woods? What exactly were you trying to protect then, Captain?” I couldn’t forget that the men who came for me in the forest, the ones who tried to take me from Evren, had been wearing the uniform of Sorin’s army.

“Those men did not belong to me.” He leaned forward and his hands gripped the edge of the counter. “Those are the queen’s guard.”

“And you do not serve your queen?” There was a bite to my voice, and I hoped that he could hear it.

“I serve anyone my prince tells me to, but that attack to get you here before Evren was ready was not my doing.”