What did Galinor say I should do? Why can’t I remember?
I try to escape—I kick him, knee him, twist away—but he blocks me with his body and makes my effort pointless. I vaguely hear screams in the hall and a great beating at the door, which Dimitri must have locked.
Dots mar my vision. I’m not going to last much longer.
“Tell me you love me, and I’ll let you go.” Dimitri’s hands tremble even as they squeeze. “Please, Anwen. I love you, darling. Don’t make me kill you.”
Even moments from death, I shudder at his mad words.
Suddenly Dimitri screams, and for just a second, his hands loosen on my neck. I gasp for air. Sweet as it is, my throat burns. Remembering Galinor’s lesson, I thrust my palm into Dimitri’s nose.
He doubles over, his hands clutching his face even as he frantically kicks his leg. Danver’s jaws are clamped on his calf. Over and over, Dimitri kicks Danver against the bed frame, but the little fox continues to cling to him, fighting like a mad creature.
Suddenly the door breaks open, and Pika bursts into the room.
I’m slumped in the corner, still gasping for breath. “Pika, no!” I yell, but it’s too late.
The glasseln’s emerald eyes find Dimitri, and she lunges forward, a cat with its prey in sight. Dimitri’s screams fill the room. I squeeze my eyes shut and clasp my hands over my ears, hoping, but failing, to muffle the agonizing sound.
Then there is silence.
I open my eyes. Danver is on my lap, licking his wounds. Pika doesn’t linger over her kill—she has no interest in Dimitri now. She comes to me and sits by my side, her fur wet with blood. Dimitri’s blood.
My stomach heaves, and I fight the urge to be sick.
Frantic voices fill the room. Milton pulls me from the floor, and I cry against his chest. Giving Pika a wide berth, he walks me out of the room.
“Don’t hurt her!” I cry.
Father stands in the hall, surrounded by maids and other servants. He looks pale and scared, and I rush to him. He wraps his arms around me, his muscles stronger than they look.
Voices merge together into chaos, and people dart this way and that, no one quite sure what to do. Standing at the edge of the fray, is Ergmin.
“What is he doing here?” I demand.
Father pats my shoulder. “He came to warn us about the attack. If it hadn’t been for him, we would never have been able to open the door in time.”
I glare at Ergmin, still unable to forgive him for his involvement with my mother.
“I have to go,” I say.
“Not now.” Father holds me back. “Who was this man? What happened?”
“I love you,” I say, ignoring his question. “I promise, I will be back.”
I hug him tightly and then run to my room, averting my eyes as I pass Dimitri’s lifeless form. My stomach rolls again, but I don’t have time to dwell on the morning’s horrific events. I pull a gown from my wardrobe and dress quickly in the empty, adjacent room.
Danver limps after me, dragging his back legs. They must be broken. When I see him, I sit on the cold floor and welcome him into my arms. His breathing is shallowand uneven, and he trembles under my hands. Hot tears roll down my cheeks as I cradle him.
“You saved me, little friend,” I whisper.
He shuffles deeper in my lap, takes a long, ragged breath, and then goes still in my arms. Pika pads to us, her head tilted in concern. She mews, waiting for him to answer. When he doesn’t, she lies next to me and nuzzles his furry body with her nose.
My tears fall on Danver’s still, tawny red coat.
Chapter 26
The trip to Castle Glendon takes about five days. I ride it in three-and-a-half. I’ve slept little. Now I’m weary with exhaustion.
