Lord Kingsley, sir?”
Aaric started with surprise. There was a slim boy standing on the other side of the fence. He had short dark hair and large, solemn eyes. He looked familiar.
“No,” Aaric said. “I mean, maybe. That is . . . can you open the gate for me?” Idiot, what kind of response is that?
“You’re the inventor,” the boy said suddenly. “The one who freed Adaryn.”
Aaric remembered. “You were there, that day I met her. Kingsley captured you.” He peered at the boy. “Your hair was quite a bit longer, if I recall right.”
“You do,” the boy frowned. “That fool Kingsley made me cut it.” He brightened. “You’re here to rescue Adaryn, aren’t you?”
Aaric tilted his head. “You aren’t loyal to Kingsley?”
The child sneered. “I obey so he doesn’t hurt me. But I’m not loyal. Just don’t tell him I said that.”
Aaric motioned to the lock. “How about letting me in, boy? Help me free Adaryn and I’ll free you too.”
Grinning ear to ear, the boy scrambled to unlock the gate. “You have yourself a deal, sir!”
Within moments, he pushed the gate open wide enough for Aaric to get in. He smiled down at the boy. “Thank you, boy.”
The child snorted. “I have a name, sir. It’s Caolan.”
“Nice to meet you, Caolan.” Aaric extended his hand, and Caolan hesitantly shook it. “Can you take me to Adaryn?”
The boy shot a look at the brightening horizon. “Yes, sir. But we’ll need to hurry. All of the slaves will be up by now.” He walked quickly to the side of the mansion. “Most of them will probably ignore us, but we’ll need to watch out for Ember. I remember when she lived in our clan. She had a temper to match her hair. Only her brother, Donell, could calm her down. She’s Kingsley’s hound now.”
Aaric nodded. Adaryn had talked about her old friend and her odd loyalty to Kingsley.
They entered a small door and found themselves in a cramped corridor. Caolan led the way confidently. They passed a few slaves, who looked curiously at Aaric, but otherwise ignored them.
They arrived at a rickety staircase and met a young woman walking down it. She had brilliant red hair. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Aaric. He recognized her at the same time.
“I . . . must inform the master,” she turned to walk back upstairs.
Caolan summoned magic, blasting Ember in the back with a shimmering wall of light. Ember cried out in surprise and crumpled on the stairs.
Aaric stared, stunned. He wouldn’t have believed the young boy capable of casting that much enchantment. “Did you kill her?” Shades alive, he’d feel awful.
Caolan shook his dark head, but he looked shaken. “She’ll be fine, but . . . I never attacked my own kind before.” He climbed the staircase, looking down sadly at her as he passed. “She’d given up fighting him by the time I came. She wouldn’t even consider trying to escape.”
Caolan led him up the stairs and down a long hall with several doors on either side. One door stood slightly ajar at the very end of it. Caolan slowed. “It’s usually closed. Unless—”
The shrill scream of a woman’s voice cut through the air. Aaric felt as if his heart had stopped beating, hearing it. Adaryn. She screamed again, her voice coming from the far door.
Aaric started forward, but Caolan tugged on his vest, worry etched on his face. “Kingsley will kill you, sir. He’s killed before.”
Aaric pried the boy’s fingers off his vest. Caolan took a step back when he saw the expression on Aaric’s face.
“I’m not afraid of Kingsley.” He turned and sprinted for the door.
35
Adaryn
T he collar hummed with energy. I lay on the floor like a dead thing. I had lost all sense of time. It felt like an eternity since I’d seen Aaric. My dear, sweet Aaric, now a prisoner. Because of me. It would’ve been better if we’d never met. I would have cried, but I didn’t have the strength.
The door opened. Face already toward the
Aaric started with surprise. There was a slim boy standing on the other side of the fence. He had short dark hair and large, solemn eyes. He looked familiar.
“No,” Aaric said. “I mean, maybe. That is . . . can you open the gate for me?” Idiot, what kind of response is that?
“You’re the inventor,” the boy said suddenly. “The one who freed Adaryn.”
Aaric remembered. “You were there, that day I met her. Kingsley captured you.” He peered at the boy. “Your hair was quite a bit longer, if I recall right.”
“You do,” the boy frowned. “That fool Kingsley made me cut it.” He brightened. “You’re here to rescue Adaryn, aren’t you?”
Aaric tilted his head. “You aren’t loyal to Kingsley?”
The child sneered. “I obey so he doesn’t hurt me. But I’m not loyal. Just don’t tell him I said that.”
Aaric motioned to the lock. “How about letting me in, boy? Help me free Adaryn and I’ll free you too.”
Grinning ear to ear, the boy scrambled to unlock the gate. “You have yourself a deal, sir!”
Within moments, he pushed the gate open wide enough for Aaric to get in. He smiled down at the boy. “Thank you, boy.”
The child snorted. “I have a name, sir. It’s Caolan.”
“Nice to meet you, Caolan.” Aaric extended his hand, and Caolan hesitantly shook it. “Can you take me to Adaryn?”
The boy shot a look at the brightening horizon. “Yes, sir. But we’ll need to hurry. All of the slaves will be up by now.” He walked quickly to the side of the mansion. “Most of them will probably ignore us, but we’ll need to watch out for Ember. I remember when she lived in our clan. She had a temper to match her hair. Only her brother, Donell, could calm her down. She’s Kingsley’s hound now.”
Aaric nodded. Adaryn had talked about her old friend and her odd loyalty to Kingsley.
They entered a small door and found themselves in a cramped corridor. Caolan led the way confidently. They passed a few slaves, who looked curiously at Aaric, but otherwise ignored them.
They arrived at a rickety staircase and met a young woman walking down it. She had brilliant red hair. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw Aaric. He recognized her at the same time.
“I . . . must inform the master,” she turned to walk back upstairs.
Caolan summoned magic, blasting Ember in the back with a shimmering wall of light. Ember cried out in surprise and crumpled on the stairs.
Aaric stared, stunned. He wouldn’t have believed the young boy capable of casting that much enchantment. “Did you kill her?” Shades alive, he’d feel awful.
Caolan shook his dark head, but he looked shaken. “She’ll be fine, but . . . I never attacked my own kind before.” He climbed the staircase, looking down sadly at her as he passed. “She’d given up fighting him by the time I came. She wouldn’t even consider trying to escape.”
Caolan led him up the stairs and down a long hall with several doors on either side. One door stood slightly ajar at the very end of it. Caolan slowed. “It’s usually closed. Unless—”
The shrill scream of a woman’s voice cut through the air. Aaric felt as if his heart had stopped beating, hearing it. Adaryn. She screamed again, her voice coming from the far door.
Aaric started forward, but Caolan tugged on his vest, worry etched on his face. “Kingsley will kill you, sir. He’s killed before.”
Aaric pried the boy’s fingers off his vest. Caolan took a step back when he saw the expression on Aaric’s face.
“I’m not afraid of Kingsley.” He turned and sprinted for the door.
35
Adaryn
T he collar hummed with energy. I lay on the floor like a dead thing. I had lost all sense of time. It felt like an eternity since I’d seen Aaric. My dear, sweet Aaric, now a prisoner. Because of me. It would’ve been better if we’d never met. I would have cried, but I didn’t have the strength.
The door opened. Face already toward the
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