Page 62 of Kill the Queens

Whose blood was that? Whose blood was THAT?

She hadn't realized she was screaming the words until a quiet voice came from behind her. "Some man the queen had brought down here. He was tall, dark skinned, and very unconscious." It was a woman with red rimmed eyes and dirt smeared over her cheeks.

"No." Ace shook her head back away. That couldn't beShelby's blood. He had part of her soul. Would she know if he died? How could she not? "Where else would prisoners be? Where else could he be?"

She wasn't necessarily asking those few people waiting behind bars but she was shouting to anyone who would answer. People, gods, whoever. It didn't fucking matter.

"Some prisoners come and others go. We've been left here. How are we to know where they go?" Someone else said, a man, his voice hoarse in the way that suggested he hadn't spoken in a very long time. "I've seen people stay and die. And I've seen others escorted out."

"A warlock. It was a warlock," Ace said. "He would be wearing bone chains."

"Warlocks don't stay here long," the same man answered.

Ace's heart felt as though it had dropped into her stomach and her stomach, now made of lead, was falling to the floor. He could be gone. He was probably gone. Her eyelashes dampened with tears she didn't want to shed.

How could someone you'd known for such a short period of time become so important? Ace was searching herself for an answer. Shouldn't she be able to walk away from him? Shouldn't she have been able to let him die? Yet she couldn't. She couldn't then and she wouldn't now.

Boots scraped against stone, someone coming down the stairs as quickly as Ace herself had come. Ace spun around then stood still, watching the stairwell, ready to ignite her holy fire. Rehan's face appeared, blood coating his shirt.

"Is he here?" His voice was hopeful.

Ace scrubbed her face, smearing rust and blood over her features. She didn’t care. "I don't see him."

"We can keep looking but not for long. Not unless you want to fight the rest of the guard."

A beat of silence passed. Another answer came in a single hand that stretched out and pointed to a skinny door she hadn't even noticed. It was painted an identical shade as the stone, the texture as uneven too.

"Someone was making too much noise. A man in white shackles."

She was already moving. Already at the door before they'd even finished the sentence. The knob twisted, she pulled, the door didn't budge. Ace yanked again, grunting.

"It's fucking locked." Ace banged her palms against the door, pressing her mouth against it too. "Shelby?" Her shout was muffled but she prayed it reached the other side.

Thuds answered hers on the other side. The voice was muted but Ace heard it. "Ace? Oh, my gods! Ace is that you?"

Relief flooded her. She was hitting the door again, trying the handle though the door remained as locked as before. "I'm going to get you out. We're going to get you out."

"Let me." Rehan was there, one of his swords shining between them. Carefully, he slipped the blade into the crack of the door. The sword hissed as it passed through the bolt. He pulled the sword away, the sparks already fading into his skin.

The knob stung as Ace pulled on it this time, heated from the weapon, however the door came open, smacking against the other wall. Shelby tumbled out of the cell, his hands outstretched for Ace. His eyes were sweeping over her, taking in the blood.

"What happened? Are you okay? Whose blood is this?" He was shaking, his clothing soaked through with sweat.

"Shouldn't I be asking you how you are?" She laughed but it sounded more like a sob.

"You've been crying." Shelby tried clearing his throat, his finger chasing over a fresh tear. "Who—"

Rehan made the mistake of moving, of making hispresence known. Shelby's jaw set as he spun toward the man. With a roar, Shelby fisted Rehan's shirt in his hands and lifted him off the ground. The toes of Rehan's boots were desperately swinging to find traction against the floor as his body was shoved into the nearest wall.

"What did you do?" Shelby dripped sweat onto Rehan as he hovered over him. His broad chest was heaving with rapid breaths. "I will tear you limb from fucking limb if you hurt her."

"No. No. No." Ace waved her hands frantically. She couldn't get herself between them fast enough. "He's with us."

Rehan smiled, though it was tense. "I'm with you, big guy."

Shelby dropped Rehan with athunk, taking a large step back. That only gave Ace room to usher herself in so she could climb him like some sort of deranged monkey. As all her weight slammed into his body, Shelby staggered backward.

"What are you doing?" he whispered into the mass of her hair that kept fluffing up into his face.