Page 5 of The Throne's Undoing

"You're lucky we waited for you," Ellie remarked, helping him up. "If we hadn't come running when we heard the explosion, you would have been in a world of trouble if it was that easy to knock you off your feet."

Graeson grumbled but said nothing.

She was right, and they both knew it. He needed to get his head on straight, or else they would be in trouble the next time they came across someonelessfriendly.

"What happened?" Dani asked, having joined them. Terin stood beside her with Kalisandre's limp form already in his arms.

Graeson had the urge to reach out to Kalisandre and take her from Terin. But if he had almost hurt Ellie, who's to say he wouldn't hurt Kalisandre, too?

He folded his hands over his chest and peered at the other two who stood panting behind Ellie. Like the rest, the Princess of Tetria was covered in blood and soot. Medenia leaned against Emmett, her arm wrapped around the Pontian.

"We ran into some trouble on the way down," Ellie explained. "But we're mostly all right."

Terin shifted his hold on Kalisandre and asked, "Medenia?"

The princess's eyes widened as she pointed to herself. "Me? Oh, I'm perfectly fine," she said with a saccharine smile, the torch's flames reflecting vibrantly in her eyes. "I haven't had this much excitement in alongtime. After sitting in so many councilmeetings, I was nervous that all my training would have been forgotten." She blew a raven-black strand of hair from her face. "Safe to say it hasn't in the slightest."

"You sure about that?" Dani asked, pointing to Emmett beside her.

"Oh, he's been better," Medenia said, adjusting her arm beneath Emmett's as he leaned more of his weight against her, his complexion a sickly hue. "He's not hurt, but he's not too keen on the sight of blood, apparently."

Emmett gagged, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Got it," Dani said, grimacing slightly.

"Now that that's settled," Ellie said, "we really should get going. If the guards we ran into knew to check here, then others will surely follow. They've all filed out of the temple, so we should use the crowded streets to our advantage while we can."

Graeson nodded and turned to Terin.

"No, I've got her," Terin assured, holding his sister tighter to his chest. "I'm tired and draining quickly. I need to stay in contact with her, or else she could wake up sooner than we want. And right now, we don't need anything else to worry about. Just"--he adjusted his hold on her--"go."

Graeson hesitated, gnawing on the bottom of his lip in uncertainty. "Are you sure? I can--"

"I'm sure," Terin said, his words clipped.

Before Graeson could push the issue more, Ellie added, "Come on. We have no time to argue about this and no time to deal with your overbearing masculinity, Gray."

"My overbearing masculinity?" Graeson scoffed. "I'm not over--"

Ellie snatched his hand and pulled him after her, cutting him off. "Not the time," she snapped with a roll of her eyes.

Then they were running back through the halls, and Graeson had no choice but to follow.

When they came across the cells, the caged animals within thrashed against the iron bars, clawing at them. Rancid, hot breath filled the narrow hall as they snarled and hissed. Even though it pained him to leave them caged, Graeson kept his gaze forward. They couldn't afford to stop.

They retraced their steps through the tunnels beneath the temple. Their boots were a rancorous roar in the damp tunnel, and their breaths were heavy as their chests heaved to keep up with their need for air. As they neared the beginning of the tunnel, bodies littered the floor, and blood was splattered across the walls in a grotesque display of violence. Behind Graeson, Emmett whimpered. Even though Emmett was by no means a soldier, he should have known what he was getting into when he agreed to leave the safety of the island and accompany them. Then again, it was nearly impossible to prepare oneself for the way death wrapped its claws around its victims. No training could prepare you for the brutality and horror of a fight that ended in death. Or the way death tainted the air and lingered on your skin.

As they ran past the bodies, Graeson gave Ellie a side-eyed glance.

Ellie smirked. "What? Did you think I was joking?"

Graeson snorted, shaking his head. "Did you have to leave such a mess?"

Ellie cackled. "Oh, like we had the time to clean up?"

Graeson cocked a brow and glanced over his shoulder.

Kalisandre bobbled in her brother's arms. Her brows twisted at the center of her forehead while whatever dream Terin concocted consumed her senses. The urge to hold Kalisandre and ensure her safety himself filled his body to the point where it pained him not to reach out.