Another obstruction impeded her escape. She felt around the edge of it. Was it a chair? If it was, it was upside down. Soft cries reached her, and her heart soared. “Mia?”
“Ry—” Mia sobbed. “—leigh?”
“Oh, Mia!” Ryleigh crawled under the chair and dragged her sister into her arms. “Why didn’t you get out?” She held Mia at arm’s length and struggled to assess any damage. No use, she couldn’t see anything. “Are you hurt?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to find me.” Mia held Ryleigh tight.
As she clutched her little sister, relief flooded through her. A new round of coughing interrupted the reunion, though, and Ryleigh set Mia back from her. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”
“Kay.” Mia had her own coughing fit.
Ryleigh held Mia’s hand as they crawled forward. “Stay right with me, and don’t let go.”
The smoke opened a clear pathway, but a dark form blocked it. No more than a silhouette, insubstantial, yet it wasn’t an apparition.
She struggled desperately to suppress a cough and pulled Mia back beneath the chair.
“Wh—”
Ryleigh covered Mia’s mouth. “Shh.” The tiniest hint of sound escaped her. She didn’t dare speak, not even a whisper. She barely even breathed as she sank back into the shadows, dragging her sister with her.
The figure grew as it solidified. Backlit by light spilling from the front of the building, it appeared to be all black. Smoke swirled around it. Him.
She gripped Mia tighter and tried to beat back the fear, tried to suppress the shudders rushing through her. It didn’t make any sense. He was probably there to help. Yet, when she tried to move forward, her instincts wouldn’t allow it.
Her gaze met his, just for an instant. His eyes were bottomless black pits that stopped her heart.
He vanished.
The inexplicable paralysis finally released her, and she dragged Mia with her as she bolted for the door.
* * * *
Jackson clutched the stone wall of his chamber and gasped for air. What had just happened? He had returned to Cymmera, of that he was certain, but how? He hadn’t accessed the gateway. At least he didn’t remember opening it. A vision of her assailed him, beat at him, reminded him that he’d failed.
Oh, man. He was in trouble. He pushed away from the wall.
Images of his target taunted him.
He shoved a chair aside and tore through the pictures scattered across the table in a desperate search for salvation. There. He pulled the shot from the mess but found only condemnation. The long blond hair flowing behind her in the snapshot had not been visible to him, but there was no mistaking the deep blue of her eyes.
The pounding of a fist against the heavy wood door released him from whatever spell she’d cast.
“Jackson.” Another loud thud punctuated his name.
He struggled to get his bearings, tried to slow the racing of his heart. “Yeah, one minute.”
“Now. Your father wants to see you, immediately.”
Kai, his father’s most trusted warrior. He was in more trouble than he’d originally thought. Was it possible the king would sentence him to death for ignoring a direct order? Surely not without offering him a fair trial, or at least granting him the opportunity to explain. But what could he say? What explanation could there be for failing to deliver the girl? None.
“I won’t knock again.” The warrior would soon break down the door and drag him before the throne.
He crumpled the offending photo, the evidence of his disgrace, into a ball. Instead of tossing it in the trash as he’d intended, he shoved it into the small leather satchel he wore at his waist. With a deep breath, he released the latch and pulled open the door.
“Come.” Kai turned his back on him and strode purposefully down the corridor, their footfalls echoing through the silence of accusation.
The thought of escape taunted him, but he would never make it out of the castle. He had only recently completed his warrior training under Kai’s watch and would be no match for the seasoned soldier. Besides, Kai was a stickler for the rules. If he tried to run, the warrior would surely take him down, protégé or not.
Two guards stood sentinel, one on either side of double doors. When Kai reached the entrance, they each grabbed a large iron ring and pulled the heavy wooden doors open before Jackson formulated an even halfway plausible excuse.
He nodded to each of them as he entered the throne room.
They stared straight ahead, stone-faced.
Uh…oh.
Kai stepped to the side and faced him, leaving Jackson alone to approach his father.
King Maynard rose to his full height, close to seven feet. An intimidating man by nature, made even more so by the deep scowl lining his face.
“Your Majesty, sir.” Jackson lowered to one knee, folded his hands over the other knee, and bowed his head in the traditional greeting for the king.
“Stand.”
Jackson stood. He would offer no explanation before one was demanded of him. He would show no weakness. A bead of sweat ran down his back. Well, there was nothing he could do about that. At least it wasn’t visible to the other two men. He would show no outward signs of distress.
“Explain,” the king bellowed.
Jackson jumped. So much for not showing weakness. “Sir.” Damn, damn, damn. Oh well, when in doubt go with honesty. “I have no excuse, sir.” He forced his head to remain high, his gaze to hold the king’s.
The king’s scowl deepened. “Were you unable to find the girl?” His father’s gaze flicked to Kai before he returned his full scrutiny to his disobedient son.
“No, sir. I found her.”
Ever After Page 28
