Page 6 of The Throne's Undoing

Yet perspiration dripped from Terin's face. Exhaustion was wearing on him quickly. After having knocked out so manyguards in the temple when the attack began, Terin's well was depleting. Every ounce he had left of his gift needed to be focused solely on Kalisandre.

So, as much as Graeson wanted to take Kalisandre from Terin, instead he kept running, on high alert, his sword in his hand and determination weighing on his heart.

When they ascended the steps to the entrance, smoke seeped through the cracks, and Graeson skirted to a stop. Behind the door, the heat from the fire permeated the small space.

"This way," Ellie said, heading toward the hallway Graeson and Terin hadn't ventured down.

Inside the attached room, a single desk sat against the wall with papers strewn across it as if someone had quickly dug through them with little care. Tall stacks of religious texts sat atop a shelf. A priest's robe hung on the wall.

Ellie rushed past it all, heading straight for the door at the back of the room.

"Wait!" Dani called out as Ellie reached for the door handle.

"What?" Ellie asked, her hand pausing in the air.

Dani looked back at Kalisandre. "She's wearing a damn wedding dress! If we go out there with her like this, we'll be spotted in seconds." She turned to Emmett. "Can you cover her?"

Emmett shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head.

"No?" Dani asked, eyes wide.

Emmet shrugged, offering an apologetic look. "I'm empty."

Graeson dragged Emmett by the back of his shirt. "What do you meanyou're empty?" He spat, shaking Emmett by the collar. "You've hidden hundreds of identities at the cavern, yet you can't hide one person right now?"

"I'm drained. After the wedding--" Emmett exhaled, his skin thin beneath his eyes emphasizing the thin blue veins beneath. "I have nothing left."

Graeson's hand tightened around Emmett's collar, his knuckles blanching. "And you're justnowtelling us?" he demanded.

"It--it never came up," Emmett stammered, face pale. "It was hard to say anything when we were running for our lives!"

Graeson shoved Emmett away with a disgusted groan.

"What do we do now?" Ellie asked, glancing at their group in worry.

Graeson looked around the room, searching for anything that could help, but all he found was the priest's robe. If a wedding dress was bound to attract someone's attention, so would the priest's overly ornate robe.

"Is she wearing a slip?" Medenia asked.

Dani reached for Kalisandre's skirts, and the fabric rustled as Dani searched beneath the layers of tulle. "She is," she answered.

"Perfect. Terin, set her down," Medenia said.

Terin did as the princess requested and placed Kalisandre on her feet, holding her up by her shoulders.

Graeson stepped forward, hands clenched at his side. "What are you doing? She cannot go out there with nothing but a slip on."

Ellie snorted. "See? This is the overbearing masculinity I was referring to." She shoved Graeson aside as she went to help unlace Kalisandre's dress. "We have no other choice."

Graeson narrowed his gaze at the Tetrian, who only shrugged in response.

Medenia rolled her eyes and gave her back to Ellie. She pointed over her shoulder to the back of her dress. "Ellie, would you mind?"

"What are you doing?" Graeson asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Medenia waved him off. "Unlace me, Ellie."

"I was fine with making him angry, but fine," Ellie mumbled.