Mermaid Tear (The Fated #2)

52 | The Chaos

As Kostantia said, the hall led into a large tea room. Not a word fell between them as they passed through to what appeared to be a servant's passage on the other side.

Relief flooded Kain's mind like a tidal wave as they reached the back door without encountering another soul. From the blankness in Rhode's expression, he wasn't sure how focused the siren would be in the event of another fight. World shattering news didn't settle easily, and Rhode had, had more than her fair share of it in a single night.

Oddly enough, that was the issue that bothered him more than anything else.

Not the threat on their lives, or the stigma they were being forced to bear, but the expression Rhode wore as they ran. The one that said leaving Kostantia's confession behind them was harder than anything else she'd been forced to handle since arriving at Sol. Because, if Mara hadn't dragged them into the issue, Rhode might have been able to experience it in a calmer, safer environment.

One in which she could have lingered and cried instead of being forced to flee execution.

"That should be the exit."

At Rhode's quiet declaration, Kain grabbed a handle and, once again, led them into the moonlit night. A soft breath of relief escaped Callias, dragging concern from Kain's thoughts. The merman had been oddly silent during everything--even for him. A quick glance as they paused in the back garden revealed a thin sheen of sweat over the merman's features, which were a sickly pale.

"Are you okay?"

Callias frowned. "I'm fine. We should keep moving."

Kain cut back a sigh. Really, what else had he expected? It was Callias. Had there ever been a chance for a different answer? His eyes cut to Melitta, ready to ask her for the real assessment, before the words died on his tongue. She, too, looked rough despite the moon.

'We're almost out,' he reminded himself. 'Whatever is going on with them, we can handle it as soon as we're out of Sol. She would say something if they couldn't continue.'

Wouldn't she?

"This way," Kain said in place of his concerns.

The curling stone path cut through rows of countless flowers--some of which he could name from Melitta's teachings--before disappearing into thick trees that bordered the palace walls. Pulling up the blueprint in his mind, Kain led them into the shadows. Natia bound ahead of him, nose in the air, before circling back around and rubbing her body against Rhode's leg. Kain hesitated, glancing back at her.

"Do you sense something?"

Nightmares like her likely had sharper senses than the rest of them, after all.

The wolf shook her head as they reached their destination, a towering stone wall. Isidor lit up the shadows with his magic and Rhode stepped forward, a knife in hand. A quick glance revealed she'd borrowed it off Mara. He bit his lip, but didn't protest as she recut her hand, before placing it against the stone.

"This isn't like the passage...I don't have a memory of this place. But, the exact location likely doesn't matter," she murmured in explanation. "Just an approximation and magic."

Unlike before, the stone didn't twist out of their way. Instead, it appeared to ripple like water. At Kain's confusion, Isidor peered past them, then shrugged.

"An illusion, I think, to hide the passage from prying eyes. It would be odd if every time a successor was taught the method, or a royal wanted to leave unseen, a hole appeared in front of the outer guard."

"Then..." Kain drew even with Rhode.

Despite Isidor's conclusion, he couldn't help but be surprised as his hand appeared to pass through solid stone. Relief stole Kain's mind in a cascade of complicated emotion. Once they stepped through, there would be no way to trace their path unless one held knowledge of royal secrets. It was a seamless escape.