Chapter 5 CASTLE

"You son of a bitch," I hissed, taking another step backward until my spine hit the cold brick wall. Gosh I couldn't believe that I had trusted such a nutjob excuse of a human.

Roland did not even flinch at the curse, because he was already turning away to let the executioners do their job. The four men stepped forward in unison, and the lethal Light Fae magic humming along their silver broadswords illuminated the narrow alleyway.

"Wait, please—" I started, holding my hands up in a useless attempt to shield my face. Well, I knee my mouth will get me in trouble anyways.

The center guard lunged at me before the words even finished leaving my mouth. I twisted my body to the right, but the alley was too narrow to dodge the attack. The glowing silver blade sliced through the thick wool of my gray uniform and bit deeply into the flesh of my side.

A blinding, white-hot pain tore through my ribs. I screamed and stumbled sideways, pressing my hand over the wound as warm blood seeped through the fabric.

The executioner pulled his sword back to deliver the final strike to my chest, and a terrifying, primal panic exploded inside my head. The dark magic I didn't even know I had been trying so hard to suppress all day suddenly surged upward, boiling through my veins like liquid fire.

I did not think about spells or incantations. I simply threw both of my hands out in front of me and screamed at the top of my lungs.

A massive wave of raw, untamed dark energy erupted from my palms. The concussive blast hit the executioners first, throwing the heavily armored men backward like ragdolls into Roland. The magic did not stop there, because it slammed directly into the ten-foot brick wall blocking the end of the alleyway.

The solid brick detonated with a deafening roar.

Thick clouds of dust and pulverized stone filled the air, choking me as chunks of debris rained down onto the cobblestones. I coughed violently, waving my arms to clear the blinding smoke from my eyes. The executioners were buried somewhere under the massive pile of rubble, and I did not stay to see if Roland had survived the explosion. But I wish he was buried amobg them at least he can take that coin he wanted from the dead when he is selling some fruits in the netherworld.

I scrambled over the broken bricks and crawled through the jagged hole I had just blasted into the wall. The outskirts of the city gave way immediately to the untamed, overgrown trees of the forbidden woods.

I ran.

I plunged into the thick forest without looking back, letting the dense canopy of leaves swallow me whole. The adrenaline pumping through my system numbed the searing pain in my side for the first few miles. I pushed my way through the thorny underbrush, snapping branches and tripping over exposed tree roots as I fled deeper into the darkness.

The sun dipped below the horizon, plunging the woods into a terrifying, pitch-black gloom. The temperature dropped sharply, and the cold night air burned my lungs with every ragged breath I took.

My foot caught on a hidden vine, sending me crashing face-first into the dirt. I lay there for a moment, my chest heaving as the last fading remnants of the adrenaline finally left my system. It was as if the ones above love making my life hell.

The pain in my side flared to life with an agonizing intensity. I groaned and rolled onto my back, clutching my ribs as fresh blood slipped through my fingers and dripped onto the dead leaves. I was so exhausted I could barely lift my head, and I seriously considered just closing my eyes and letting the darkness take me.

Then I heard the hounds.

A deep, guttural baying echoed through the trees from the direction of the city. The terrifying sound sent a fresh jolt of pure panic straight into my heart, because Light Fae hunting dogs never lost a scent once they caught it.

"No, no, no," I muttered, forcing myself up onto my hands and knees.

The hounds howled again, and they sounded much closer this time. They were tracking my blood through the forest, and if they caught me out here in the open, they would tear me to pieces before the guards even arrived.

I grabbed the rough bark of a nearby tree and dragged myself back to my feet. I limped forward, leaning heavily on the tree trunks for support as I dragged my injured leg through the dirt. The forest seemed to grow thicker and more hostile with every step, the twisted branches reaching out to snag my hair and tear at my ruined dress.