Chapter 36: Rescue

It's a relief to see two new guards standing watch over Sage. Though I would have loved a chance to fight Roman, I would have hated to hurt Maks. As it is, these wereguards are both my grandfather's and they fall before they understand I'm there to take them out.

Perhaps they are unable to comprehend I'm willing to risk everything for a normal. Certainly, such a decision would be beyond them. And that is my advantage.

They fall with barely a sigh. I ease them aside and hurry to Sage's door where he stands, staring at me in horror.

"Like you've never taken anyone down before." The lock gives way under my magic, though I feel a subtle pull at it and curse myself for not being more careful. Of course the way is warded. Now I have less time than I hoped to get us out of here.

"Those were death blows," he says, stepping outside the door and into the hall, right hand gingerly covering his left shoulder and the bite there.

"These are werewolves," I say, pulling on him, further into the dungeon. I know a back way out, found it as a girl, though I'm certain no one else is aware of the exit. "Death blows barely put them under."

He hesitates as I try to encourage him to hurry. "Charlotte," he says, pain in his voice and not the physical kind. "We can't do this."

"You'd rather die?" I huff impatiently, jerking harder on him until he staggers forward a step.

"You'll be giving up everything." He resists me again. "Your family, your place. And I'll likely turn into a soulless creature who will try to kill you and infect others." Sage begins to back away. "I'd rather die clean than go through that."

Stubborn, willful... I pause and draw a breath. It's part of what I love about him, after all. "I may have a way to change all that," I say, "and if you'll stop screwing around, we can find out if I'm right."

"And if you're wrong?" He won't budge while I feel wereguards heading our way, know my grandfather-though I've blocked him from my mind-is well aware Sage is free.

"I've already promised someone I care about I'll kill you personally." I stare into his eyes for a long moment before he finally nods.

We're too late. The wereguards will be on us in seconds. This was all for nothing. But I can't bring myself to blame Sage for his questions-he wouldn't be the man I loved if he didn't put others first and his own safety second.

And then a black tunnel opens and Piers appears, face tight with anger but his hands reaching for me.

"You're an idiot," my sorcerer friend snaps as Sage gapes. "Get in."

I spin at the sound of footsteps behind me. "They'll know you helped." Now I'm the stubborn one.

"Let them." Piers shoves me firmly between my shoulder blades, the propulsion pushing me into the black, Sage's hand in mine. I gasp into the darkness, emerging a moment later into the cold night. Sage shivers and not just from the chill, staring at Piers like he's a devil risen to take his soul.

"What the hell was that?"

We both ignore him as I push Piers hard, anger rising against him though none of this is his fault. "You should have stayed out of this."

"You're not going to make it alone." His grim anger is new, a side of Piers I've never seen. He refuses to look at Sage and I feel his hurt lingering. "I knew you were going to try this. Do you think I'm the only one?"

A wolf howls in the distance and I catch my bearings. We're not far from the palace. They will be hunting us now.

"You can still go back." His words plead with me though I can tell from the set of his shoulders he knows I'm not going anywhere but far from here. "Charlotte, you'll be a fugitive, without support. Hunted. No longer heir. You're throwing away the future."

Sage looks guilty as hell, but I don't care. "I know," I say, calm and settled. I've made my choice. The familiar feeling of being on a chosen path helps me relax into what I need to do.

Piers curses softly, turns from me, hands pushing back his long hair. When he returns to face me, his scowl is gone, angular face settled into a sad smile.

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't go your own way." He hesitates before pulling me into his arms and kissing me. I kiss him back, though I'm acutely aware of Sage watching us. When Piers releases me, he whispers over my parted mouth. "This is the end of us, too."

I nod. "I'm sorry."

Piers clears his throat and backs away before fixing Sage with narrowed eyes. "If anything happens to her because of you..."

Sage finishes for him. "I'll never forgive myself."

Piers nods sharply. "Fine, you idiots," he says. "Where am I taking you?"

I catch the scent of Caine, Viveca and Roman carried on the wind bending the tops of the trees. "Wherever you do," I say, "it has to be now."

The last thing I see as I step into the next black tunnel, a glance over my shoulder, is Caine's furious face as the dark engulfs me and carries me away.

***

I feel Piers leave me, magic slamming into him. Charlotte! His mental voice is full of panic. Hold on!

My own anxiety grips me, but I needn't have worried. The other end appears a second later, the remnants of Piers's power pushing us through. Sage and I crash land on a bed, the scents and feeling telling me we're in a hostel. The occupant of the bed we land on cries out, reaching for a light, but Sage and I are already running while I send a thank you to Piers for his help while I desperately hope he's okay.

The dark night swallows us as I drag Sage down the back stairs of the house and into the alley, skirting a group of singing drunkards and finally crossing into the forest at the edge of town. Sage pants beside me as I allow him to pause, shivering in the cold night air.

"My backpack." He looks back at the hostel and I realize Piers took us to the last place Sage had been. Damn him, why didn't he just send us directly to California? I kick myself as we walk. Because he wasn't with us. The last place I wanted to get lost was the black of the sorcery tunnel. To travel so far without him... we'd have been lost for sure. And, I'm certain, are lucky to have made it this far.

"We can't go back." I tug him further into the trees. "They're hunting us. We need to keep moving." Someone tries to find me using magic. I feel the traces of power as they tease along the edges of the shields Syd taught me to build. I reinforce them as the touch moves on, hoping I can continue to block our pursuers through magical means.

I'll find out, I suppose.

Sage keeps close as I head south and east. We need warmer clothing, transportation. A way across the Atlantic. I can handle all these things, as long as Sage is with me, a plan unfolding in my mind while the two file folders sit snug against my chest.

I've lost the packs I carefully hid at the exit to the dungeons, but replacing the items therein will be simply a matter of liberating new ones. Sage I can't replace.

"You have a plan, I take it." He pauses, looks back at the lights from the edge of town shining through the trees, almost lost from sight. "Where are we going?"

To the one place I hope I can find answers. Maybe Syd and Max can catch up, though I don't dare open to her until we're far from home. I do my best to add a chipper tone to my voice, squeezing Sage's hand as I lead him on.

"I hear California is nice this time of year."

END OF BOOK ONE