Together, Praxis and I make short work of the remaining attackers. The men fall before us like saplings in a strong breeze.
When they’re all dead, I wipe my blade clean on the surcoat of a fallen attacker. “Everly is here in Karra.” I straighten and sheath my sword. “Two men dragged her away. We need to find her.”
Surprise sparks in Praxis’ eyes. “Everly is here?”
I nod and turn away. Now is not the time for conversation, not when those men took Everly. They will die, just like those men who attacked me.
I set off through the streets of Karra with Praxis. The city is quiet at this hour, the only sounds being the distant howl of the wind and the occasional bark of a dog.
We stop when we come across an abandoned building. I kick the door open with a splintering crash. The interior is dark and musty. And the air is thick with the stench of mold and decay. We move cautiously, our eyes straining to see in the gloom.
“Everly,” I call out, my voice echoing off the bare walls.
No answer.
I kick in the next door I come across. The room beyond is empty, except for a broken chair and a tattered banner. My eyes scan every corner, every shadow, but there’s no sign of her.
Moving to the next room, I slam my shoulder against the door. It gives way with a groan, revealing a dusty bedroom. The mattress is torn, stuffing spilling out onto the floor. I check under the bed, behind the wardrobe, even inside it.
Nothing.
I continue my search on the main level. The kitchen yields nothing but rusted pots and rat droppings. The pantry is bare, its shelves long since picked clean.
In what must have once been a study, I overturn a desk, sending parchment and ink scattering across the floor. My eyes dart from one yellowed sheet to another, searching for any clue, any hint of where Everly might be, but there’s nothing useful here, just faded letters.
Frustration rips through me as I kick in another door. The wood splinters with a satisfying crack, and the door flies off its hinges, crashing against the far wall with a thunderous boom, but the room beyond is as empty and lifeless as all the others we’ve searched.
Praxis stops next to me, his eyes moving from the smasheddoor to my clenched fists. “Are you going to destroy the entire building, Cenric?” he asks, his tone heavy with amusement.
I ignore Praxis and hurry out the front door. The cool mountain air hits my face, but it does little to quell the fire burning in my chest.
My brother falls into step beside me as we move from structure to structure, my irritation mounting with each empty room we encounter. I kick down doors with increasing ferocity. I scan every dark corner, every shadowy alcove, but it’s all for naught. Each building stands as silent and lifeless as the last.
Exasperation soars through me as I clench my hands into fists. Where could those men have taken her?
Praxis places a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find her, Cenric.”
The knot of worry in my gut doesn’t ease. Everly’s a friend, and the thought of her in danger makes my fingers itch to exact revenge.
We continue our search, combing the streets and alleys of Karra, but as the night wears on and the cold seeps into our bones, it becomes clear that we will not find her tonight.
“We’ll pick up the search in the morning,” Praxis says, his breath misting in the frigid air. “Get some rest, brother.”
I want to argue, to insist that we keep looking, but I know he’s right. We’re no good to Everly if we’re exhausted and half-frozen.
Reluctantly, I turn away and follow Praxis out of the city. Tomorrow, I will resume my search.
Chapter
Seven
EVERLY
I wake with a start,my heart pounding as I take in my unfamiliar surroundings. The room is lavishly decorated, with murals of nature adorning the walls and ceiling. It might be a charming scene if not for the rope digging into my wrists, binding me to the elaborate headboard.
My heart races even harder as I eye the bedchamber door, wondering how much effort it would take to ram it down. Well, that is, if I manage to free myself from these ropes. I tug against them, but they don’t budge.
I need to escape, to return to Cenric, to make sure he’s all right. To kiss him.
