It was charming, but even the artistry of it all could not ward off the anxiety that built with every passing moment. She suddenly felt like a child as she bit back the urge to beg Evera to allow her a little more time before they handed her over.

The floating platform came to an abrupt halt in front of the castle, and as Sapphire’s feet touched solid ground, she enjoyed her reconnection with dry land. The feeling, however, was short-lived as the guards noticed them and wasted no time in approaching. The shorter of the two spoke first.

‘Can I assist you, ma’am?’

‘May we speak privately?’ When Lelani’s eyes cut to Sapphire, the guard followed her gaze and nodded.

‘This is all going to work out,’ Evera said. ‘The king and queen are powerful – powerful enough to get you back to Witrotean, I’m sure.’ She gave Sapphire a small, forced smile.

Sapphire didn’t respond, focused on tracking Lelani’s and the guard’s movements. They huddled together, the man’s gaze darting to her every few seconds. Despite Evera’s original advice, she refused to look away from him.

As Lelani rejoined them, Sapphire felt something shift. It was small, but as the older woman occupied herself with a frayed string on her cloak, Sapphire became intensely aware that the man’s focus was now entirely on her as he crossed the stone walkway towards them.

The realization struck her a second too late, as two sets of hands wrapped tightly around her biceps. She attempted to break free of their grip, but they only held her even more firmly.

‘You’re hurting me!’ Sapphire’s voice was strained.

‘Weapons?’ the smaller guard asked, and Sapphire paled at the question. His eyes tracked down to the leather casing strapped around her waist. In a swift motion, he unbuckled her dagger, removing its scabbard as she fought against them.

The guards did not meet her alarmed gaze as they began to drag her along. The metal of Sapphire’s boots made an unbearable noise as it scraped against the stone walkway.

As she realized escape was impossible, Sapphire’s mind shifted to survival mode, studying her surroundings in an attempt to memorize the layout of the castle entrance. The bridge led straight to the water, and there was a window low enough to jump from and probably survive.

They were almost at the large double doors when she finally allowed herself to look back to the women who had delivered her. Lelani was pulling Evera back towards the platform, the girl’s face stricken with panic as she watched Sapphire being taken away.

The last thing she saw before the doors slammed behind her was the blue sky slipping into grey.