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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

His head made a thick crack when she twirled and slammed the gate onto it. She pulled him back in place and slung the iron mass into his temples a second time, a dull reverberating noise loping down the hallway. She jabbed her fingers at his throat to keep him from making any sound. A third slam and his big body shivered and sloughed onto the floor. She twisted and pulled the keys from the gate, locking him on the other side, and slid into the holding cage beside the door. There she was effectively invisible, and she needed a moment to clear her mind.

A slow march of infinite time passed. Her heart was racing, but she forced herself to focus on stillness, to listen to the environment. After they’d killed the Sheriff they had run through the castle in panic, forgetting to pay attention. She wouldn’t make that mistake again. She kept one eyelid closed still—there was lantern light here she didn’t want to acclimate to, she would switch eyes as she moved in and out of darkness. In the deep inky wretch of waiting, she heard other slams of gates, other noises and shouts, but nothing worrying. No danger yet.

The wide tunnel to the east led up and out. But she didn’t have Will.

Go now, it said. This is your only chance.

She breathed once, twice, calmed herself, and ran away from the exit and down the north tunnel. When she came to the first fork, she hugged a wall and pursed her lips. A short little trill, it echoed down the length, colder and hollow. Something swelled inside of her, a lazing dizziness. The skin on her arms pimpled and her feet curled into little balls, until finally the return whistle came. And it was close.

She raced down an unknown branch in the tunnels, fingers patting against the ever-constricting walls, alternating dry and wet. The cave curled into a hub of cells like her own. No lights, no lanterns. Lanterns meant guards. But the eye she’d protected could just barely distinguish the shapes around her. She peeled her body around the entrance and clicked her tongue twice, quietly. To her right came the answer, and a moment later her arms reached through the bars around him. Her lips kissed his hair, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard.

His was barely a whisper, “God’s balls, I fucking love you.”