Onyx Eclipse (The Raven Queen's Harem Book 5)(37)

Footsteps and heavy breathing meet me from the opposite direction. Dylan holds a torch and pushes it in my direction.

“She’s gone,” I confess. “Right from behind me.”

“And Bunny?” Sam asks.

“Gone too.”

Dylan’s face clouds over and he kicks the wall, sending rocks flying. Damien begins examining the passage. When he finds nothing, he returns and says, “What did she say to you before you got in the tunnel? I saw her whisper something.”

Three faces wait eagerly for my answer. I think back—it hadn’t meant that much to me, I was too pissed about Bunny. Too worried about her.

“She said we needed to find—build--an army.”

“Those were her last words?” Dylan asks.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Fuck,” he mutters, running his hand through his hair.

“You think she’s gone,” Sam says. It’s not a question. “She took off.”

“She left me at home. Taking Anita with her—locking up Marcus in her cell. She’s been different. Losing you all changed her. Her relationship with Hildi has been tense, and Hildi’s partner, Andi, is sick. She feels responsible about more than just the virus. I have no doubt she think she can fix this on her own.”

“If she can do it on her own, then why does she need us to gather an army?” I ask. “Why would she take Bunny and send us back home?”

Dylan’s eyes shine in the torchlight, his cheeks hollow and sharp. “Because she knows she’s going to lose.”





Chapter


Morgan


“You knew all along it would come to this.”

“I suspected as much,” Bunny admits. “But it’s never what I wanted.”

“That’s why you did what you did, you took everyone and locked me out. You didn’t want me to come here, but the Queen wanted something and you thought you’d give her Anita.”

“I needed you weak. Dylan, compromised.” His eyes are on the stone floor when he says, “I won’t let her destroy you.”

“You tried your hardest—just in other ways.”

He’s silent.

“Why didn’t you come to me? Tell me? Why did you think trickery was best?” I ask, watching him closely.

“Would you have listened? Taken the time away from the others?” The muscle in his jaw tics. I feel the bitterness rolling off him in waves.

“You don’t understand me very well, Bunny. Don’t blame me for your weakness. Your jealousy.”

Knowing my Guardians are on their way back to The Nead frees me to focus on the plan ahead. Despite our tension, I give Bunny the specifics of how I want this to go down, handing him my sword and allowing him to bind my hands. We enter the castle through a grate on the floor hidden beneath a heavy woven rug. It’s impossible not to ignore the wide swipe of blood covering the floors. Casteel’s blood, if I had to guess.

“Go to the throne room,” I say in a quiet voice. “Don’t you dare hold back.”

Bunny stands behind me. I feel his heart beating like a drum in his chest. He hates every part of this plan. It’s risky, and the odds of us pulling it off are slim. Even if we do, it’s unlikely we’ll both make it out alive.

I’ve only seen the throne room in my dreams. The entry is huge and arched, stone pillars flanking the open double doors. The Queen is holding court even as her prisoners get away and her fierce commander bleeds out elsewhere in the castle. The voices inside sound strained, like false merriment. I’m not surprised. These people fear for their lives. Their entire existence is to humor the Queen. Soldiers spot us before we’ve even made it to the lush purple carpet acting as an aisle.

“Stop!” One of the men yells.

Bunny does as he’s told. “I’ve caught a prisoner of the Morrigan’s trying to escape.”

He looks me up and down. Bunny holds the sharp blade so close to my throat I feel the edge against my skin. The soldier steps forward and lifts up my chin. The instant he sees my face he steps back, muttering a prayer to a god I’ve never heard of.

A second soldier tries to force me from Bunny’s hands but my Guardian hisses disapproval. “No. I caught her. I’m turning her in. You won’t take the glory for my prize.”

I don’t know what his expression looks like, but it must be enough because they both back off. Bunny straightens, yanking me with him, and leads me down the center of the massive throne room. We’ve clearly interrupted celebrations of some sort, and the people eating and drinking at the tables dispersed throughout the room come to a quick and abrupt halt, words frozen on their tongues.

Until I pass and they get a good look at my face and the whispers begin.

Who is that?

Who is that girl?

Where did she come from?

That man? I’ve seen him before!

All their questions come in a hurry, hushed and quiet as though they fear retribution.

The music near the throne never ends, not until the Queen herself looks up. I’ve waited so long for this moment, to meet her face to face. To see the woman that haunts my dreams, orchestrates my moves and dominates my life.

We lock eyes and for a moment I can do nothing but stare at the woman I share a soul with.