Red Ruse

Chapter Thirty Four

Evangeline

Ability rushes into my limbs like a lightning strike, especially once Wren runs her hands along my spine. The metal around me snaps into focus, sharp and gleaming, a forest of blades I am quick to snatch up. Drawer handles, doorknobs, iron accents–they all fly towards me, coating the red and black tile like land mines. But I don't dare take from the throne in the center.

I turn to Anabel with a lethal smile. "How long til the others arrive?"

"They're already here." She runs her fingers along the nearest column. "The wedding was a perfect time to strike."

I couldn't agree more. I tug up my new boots, Samos black and metal-tipped, flexing the leather gloves. "Where's Cal?" I tie back my hair with a flourish. "I'm sure you tried to free him first."

"Ptolemus is bringing him." Anabel steps on the nearest corpse, kicking it to the side. The path to the throne room was slow and bloody, bodies piling up as the guards either died or surrendered. "He's not allowed near your cell."

Of course. Maven knew he'd be the first person to free me, the first person to even bother to try. I stare down the hall behind us, flickering with shadows, and huff. "What's taking so long?" My nails, now clad in iron tips, scrape against the marble wall. "Did Maven send the entire army after them?"

She doesn't laugh. Her fingers curl against the column, close to sparking. "He's deeper in the dungeons than you were." She frowns, hand at her hip. "We may need backup."

I curse. Smoke wisps from Anabel's fingers as my razors slip from my uniform to circle me, a thin, but deadly barrier. The buttons of my uniform quiver. I force them still for now. "How many Houses do we have?"

"A lot." Her lips tug. "Almost half of court."

"How long." My hand feathers the nearest carving. "Have you been planning this?"

She stares me dead in the eye. "Longer than you think."

And then she slams her fist into the nearest column.

Cracks spread through the marble before it explodes, a deafening clap that shakes the ground. The sound rings in my ears, too sharp to block out, and I clasp my hands over them. I hiss. "A little warning next time?"

She cocks her gun. "No time." She peers around the corner. "They're here."

I don't have to ask who. My blades spin faster, caught in my adrenaline as I step into the hall. A blade embeds in the wall behind me. I bring it into my orbit and smile.

Tolly grins as he makes his way towards me, plucking a razor from my circle. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise." I part my blades to hug him, pulling back with a lethal smile. "Let's burn this place to the fucking ground."

The shadows flare, a new source of light as Cal emerges, flame in one fist. "Where's Elara?" He growls, face dark. "I have something to say to her."

Anabel lays a hand on his shoulder, softening. "Unclear." Shouts echo behind us, guards and allies alike. I ready my stance, and she clears her throat. "How many followed you?"

"Three." Tolly grit his teeth, tapestry rods ripping from the walls and twisting to spears. "MacCanthos. Tyros. Osanos."

Stoneskin. Mimic. Nymph. My skin prickles as the air dries, water leaching towards what must be the palm of an Osanos. Anabel slams her hand into another column, letting it crack and tumble in front of us. It won't stall them for long. But it's a small bit of cover, and I plan to make the most of it.