Cornerstone (34 page)

As the guards shuffled out, their mail rattling, Emariya clung to Torian. “No, please don't leave me. Stay with me.”

His smile was patient. “My Lady, I would if I could, but I must tend to this. I need to speak with the guard commander. A search must be organized; I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can. No one will get through that door but me.”

“
Are you going to talk to Garith? He knows Russell better than any of us.” Her lip trembled.

“
Aye, I will. But we don't know for sure that the intruder is Russell. Or even that he made it into the castle. Don't worry yourself over it. Stay in here and wait for me. I won't be long.

“
I could come with you.” Her voice was small, hopeful.

Torian shook his head. “No. I need to tend to this alone. If I am worried about comforting you, my mind won't be on instructing my men.”

That made sense—sort of. She took a tentative step away from him and even managed half a smile. “I'll be here, then. Waiting.”

“
If I see Jessa, I'll send her to keep you company. If you must leave this room, take the guards with you, but I'll worry less if I know where you are.” For the briefest moment, he paused in the doorway, his eyes locked on hers. She almost thought he’d changed his mind about staying with her. And then he was gone, the heavy wooden door shutting behind him, leaving her alone with her fears.

On their journey, Emariya had craved solitude. Left by herself in her chamber, imagining Russell prowling the halls, the walls held her prisoner with only her terror for company. Worse than knowing Russell may have come to finish what he started with her was knowing that he may have come for Torian, as well.

Shadows borne of the flickering candlelight and encouraged by the low burning hearth fueled the steady stream of scenarios occupying her every thought. When she could stand it no longer, she grabbed the iron latch firmly in her hand and sprung the clasp, pulling the wooden door inward.

The guard to the right turned, boredom highlighting his brow. “Do you need something, Milady?”

She willed confidence into her voice. It was one thing to show weakness to Torian, quite another to show it in front of his guards. Besides, hadn't he said those in Thalmas respected strength? “I'm going to see His Highness,” she declared, addressing the guard with only the slightest waver in her voice.

The bored guard turned away, not bothering to look at her while informing her, “He's not to be bothered, save for official business.” The way he said ‘official’ packed more insult into one little word than Emariya would have believed possible. Her eyes shot daggers at the back of his blond head.

The other guard noticed, too, his face twisted in indecision. “Do you think His Highness will be happy to hear you disregarded her wishes?”

“
His Highness is nothing more than a spoiled brat trying on his father’s crown.”

Emariya wondered whose jaw dropped the lowest—the guard’s or her own. Unable to think of a dignified response to match her outrage, she slammed the door.

It wasn't as if she was unaware of the stigma Torian faced, trying to lead an entire kingdom in the shadow of a king rumored mad. She even recognized his sacrifice in offering her aid to search for her father without requiring her to promise her hand.

If his own guards didn't respect him—if
some
of his guards didn't respect him, she corrected herself—what must the people of Thalmas think?

She'd always been true to her word. Could she give her word, pretend a betrothal in front of his entire kingdom to save his honor, to bolster his people's respect? Yes, the answer was easy. Without a doubt she could. The hard question, though, still lingered. After giving her word, could she take it back? Would she even want to? He'd given her his blessing. He'd left her an out. She tried to take small comfort in knowing that the choice would be hers to make when the time came. And, in the meantime, they would have the full force of Thalmas combined with their own force in Eltar at their disposal to rescue her father. Emariya tried to focus on what lie ahead.

The rasp at the door, dainty and determined, startled Emariya from her thoughts. At least her fury toward the guard had quelled her fear, loosening its grip on her senses. She opened the door, grateful to find Jessa waiting.

“
Did you see Torian?” Emariya asked.

Jessa shook her head. “No, but he sent a message for me to come to you at once. What is going on?” Jessa's cheeks nearly matched the red of her hair. She must have come in quite the hurry after Torian's message.

No sooner had Emariya shut the door behind Jessa and begun to fill her in than the door shook, rattling from the other side. An argument between the guards and someone who wanted entrance wafted to Emariya's ears. She flung the door open once more.

Seeing Garith standing in the corridor she released the breath she'd been holding in.

“
Did Torian send you?” Emariya asked quickly.

Garith shook his head. “No, I haven't seen him.”

“
He's in the throne room, organizing the guards.” Emariya told him, and then explained why. “He was going to come talk to you about Russell, as well.”

“
Riya, I just came from the throne room; he wasn't there.” His brows furrowed, heavy with concern.

“
You don't think...” Emariya glanced between her friends’ faces. Russell didn't have to kill her to ensure the lines were never bound. All he had to do was kill Terin and Torian. She didn't finish her sentence. Propelled by her fear, she ran back to her door, struggling to open it. Frustration made her fingers clumsy, the latch unmoving. Garith was quickly by her side. She stepped away, shaking while he worked the door.

Steeled for another fight with the guards, Emariya was unprepared to find the hall deserted, save for the acrid smell of smoke wafting along the corridor.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Fight or Flight

“
Where are the guards?” Garith asked.

Simultaneously, Jessa exclaimed, “Is that smoke?”

Her heart plummeting, Emariya answered, “Yes! We've got to find Torian,” as she sprinted toward the throne room.

She tripped and nearly tumbled to the ground when Garith grabbed her arm from behind. “I told you, I didn't see him in the throne room,” Garith reminded her.

“
Oh, right.” Emariya stopped for a moment, at a loss for where to go.

Taking a shallow breath before wrinkling her nose, Jessa spoke up, “Riya, I think we need to get out of the castle.”

She was tempted to agree with her friend, but she couldn't leave Torian. The smoke might be innocent—any number of rooms were being warmed by slow-burning fires in their hearths—yet in all the weeks she’d spent in the castle, she had never smelled smoke in the corridor.

To her left, footsteps scuffled against the stone floor, moving closer. Garith took a step in front of her, leaving Emariya and Jessa shielded behind him, his shoulders stiff and squared, his arms spread away from his chest protectively.

The same guard who earlier had dismissed her request to go to Torian darted around the corner. “My Lady, you must exit the castle at once. Go, now!”

“
Is there a fire?” Emariya asked needlessly, she already knew the answer before he nodded. “Where is Torian?”

“
I don't know; I was assigned to you, not him—now come. This way.” He'd lost his bored expression, but his disposition had not improved.

“
Where were you, then?” Garith asked from behind her.

“
I heard the call for help with the fire from near the throne room, and I went to see if I could assist, but I was ordered to return to you. We've got to get out of the castle.” Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, the guard reached for her arm.

Emariya slipped backwards, just out of his reach. “I'm not leaving without Torian,” she declared through gritted teeth.

“
Suit yourself.” The guard threw his hands in the air before hurrying away.

“
What now?” Jessa asked, her eyes flicking in the direction of the castle entrance.

The smoke was growing thicker by the moment, encouraging them to move. She could either choose to head toward the exit into the courtyard—in which case she’d have to pass the side door to the throne room, anyway—or she could go deeper into the castle and work her way around to the royal chambers.

“
I think Torian may be with his father, he would have wanted to consult the king about the intruder.”

“
But if he's with the king, the guards will be there in force. They would want to get the king out of the castle.” Jessa said reasonably.

Garith's voice rumbled gravely, “Riya, no matter where Torian is, guards will be determined to get him out, even more so than the one lone guard who tried to get you out. I think we have to assume someone set the fire, and if so, it only accomplished one thing...”

Emariya looked at him, trying to understand what he meant. Behind him, the corridor was becoming heavy with smoke. They couldn't linger undecided any longer. “What?” she asked.

Meekly, Jessa chimed in, “It got your guards away from you.”

Emariya reached a hand to the wall to steady herself as the reality of what her friends were suggesting hit her. She didn't protest as Garith grabbed her hand.

“
Riya, come on, I'm getting you out of here. We've got to trust the guards to get Torian out, especially since we don't even know where he is.”

Her head swam in a haze of fear even as the smoke clouded the hall. Finally they reached the end of the corridor.

A wooden door barricaded the open courtyard from the castle proper. Rushing ahead, Emariya gripped the iron latch to slide the bolt sitting between them and freedom, desperate to be free of the smoke filled corridor. Pain lanced through her palm, shooting unhindered through her arm to settle in as a thrumming ache in her shoulder. Belatedly she recognized that the bloodcurdling shriek resonating through the air had come from her own lips. Cradling her palm to her chest with a whimper, she shook her head. “I think the fire is just on the other side! We'll have to find another way out.”

“
If we can get around to the other side, hopefully the other courtyard door will be usable. The one in the throne room is usually locked; we can't get out that way,” Garith said.

“
There is a way if we go through the kitchen,” Jessa said, her voice heavy with concern.

The smoke consumed the air as they bolted back the way they had come. Following Emariya's example, they dropped to all fours to crawl low where the smoke was not as dense. A dainty palm gripped Emariya's hand, causing her to glance back at Jessa, who was pointing to the left of the two doors Emariya could just make out ahead. Nodding her comprehension, she angled for the door. Each time she put her palm to the stone to crawl forward, a fresh wave of pain shot through her hand; still, it was better than walking and fighting to breathe in the heavier smoke.

Each stride they made forward was a small victory, and each next stride took slightly longer than the last as the smoke slowed their senses.
Please let Torian have made it out,
Emariya prayed.

Reaching the door first, Garith tentatively held his palms near the latch before sliding it loose. The enormous kitchen, which was normally filled with heavenly aromas, was clogged with billowing tufts of smoke. Each breath burned at Emariya's nose.

Resting on her knees and keeping as low as she could, Emariya ripped a fold of cloth from the hem of her gown. After handing it to Jessa, she ripped two more for Garith and herself. The pain in her palm stung, causing her to fumble as she fought to tie it behind her head, over her mouth and nose. Flashing him a brief, tight smile, Emariya wearily let Garith fasten the cloth.

Terror froze her in place as Jessa and Garith crawled ahead of her, not slowed by a burned palm. She was going to die here. She was never going to get the chance to figure out how she felt about Torian. And she was never going to see her father again. Who would tell her brother it was Russell and not Sheas who killed their mother if she didn’t make it?

No! She refused to die here when she'd survived so much on the journey to get here. Forcing her fear aside through sheer determination, she crept forward in the direction she thought led to the door.

Feeling her way along the floor, her fingers closed around something long and thin. Holding it near her nose, she tried to figure out a reason for hay to be on the kitchen floor and could think of none.

Finding the open door at last, she slithered into the corridor. She could hear Jessa and Garith ahead of her.

The smoke was not the only thing increasing as she made her way forward, still keeping low to the floor. Sweat beaded on her brow, borne of the increasingly intense heat.

The whisper in her head came just in time.
Get back
!

Not hesitating, Emariya leapt backward, still on her hands and knees. The orange cloud roared as it burst forth from Torian's quarters. The wood door had burned away, leaving only the iron trim. Finding nothing in the corridor save for stone walls and floor, the cloud of flame licked at the iron doorway but hovered inside.