Bastard.
Kai snorted. “Remember that time when we were just sitting here having a nice conversation about my future wife and leaving the forest behind and you literally forgot about me because Fen appeared? That was such a good day.”
I rolled my eyes and stood. “It’s time to get out of this damned forest. If I never see another tree for as long as I live, I’ll die happy.”
“Famous last words, Princess.”
Chapter 25
TEMIR
We had one extra guard, so the male with the ax and injured ankle took the back position while the rest of us moved as quickly as we could down the tunnel. Just moving instead of sitting still waiting brought peace. Come what may, now we wouldn’t be caught unaware.
We inched ourselves down the hall and probably only made it a hundred agonizing paces before the calls from the soldiers began.
“Behind us. They’re behind us,” the winged female whispered.
“Keep moving and stay quiet,” I commanded.
The fear helped speed everyone up as we moved. Soon, the tunnel ahead split off into multiple routes and we had to rely on the injured guide to direct us. We followed his directions and had just come around a corner when from somewhere ahead, militant shouting filled the silence.
“Back up, back up,” I ordered.
The space was barely wide enough to rotate the gurney. We moved into a dusty tunnel and continued farther back into the shadows. We heard the soldiers ahead of us as they passed by and I think everyone held their breath, hoping they wouldn’t turn. Once it was quiet again, we shuffled back to the path and hustled down.
“Wait,” I called. “This way.”
“No, the entrance is to the right. We still have a long way to go,” the male on the gurney said.
“I know. But I think I know where we are. Holy shit. I do know where we are. New plan.”
I could smell the fruit from the trees in the castle above us. I hadn’t put it together at all. When Oleo and I had the tree nursery built, we wanted it on the ground level so the trees could grow as tall as possible. The nursery had windows all around the top of the room. But the bottom? The bottom had to be above us.
“Move into this side hall and stay here. Two guards come with me. We will be right back.”
The female with the staff and the male with the ax stayed behind, and the other two came with me.
“What are we doing?” one of them asked.
“One of these tunnels has collapsed. It happened when we started our tree nursery, and we never knew why the ground caved in. Apparently, it was because of the passageways below. We find the collapsed tunnel and start digging. We only filled it with dirt and planted a bush over it. It shouldn’t take us long to dig it out.
We searched for less than five minutes before we found the cave in. No light seeped in from the castle above, but right in the middle of the cobweb-filled tunnel was a pile of dirt that reached the ceiling. We were close. I could smell the sweet passion fruit and fresh pina.
“You dig here, I’ll go get the others.”
As a group, we climbed into the nursery from the old tunnels. It took all available hands to lift the weighty gurney. “How are we supposed to get out of the castle?” the winged female asked.
“No one will enter these rooms. I want everyone to fill this hole back in with dirt if you are able. Then, you’re to move along this wall and stay silent until I return. Understood?”
“Please don’t leave us,” one of the injured said.
“I’ll have you back with the rebellion a lot faster this way. I just need you all to trust me a little bit longer.”
I didn’t wait for their reply. I washed my hands, changed my soiled clothes from the supply I kept there, and walked out of the rooms as if I’d been there all night working. I tried to keep my heart calm and my footsteps languid as I walked through the castle halls.
“Temir,” the king called from behind me.
My heart leaped into my throat.
