Chapter 420 Soon
Chapter 420 Soon
AUDREY
Lord Anthony chuckled, the sound dark and rough. “You may have won this fight, but you won’t win the war.”
He pushed himself up slowly, swaying on his feet. Darius stepped forward again, fists still raised, ready for more. But in the next breath, Anthony spun toward the far wall. Strange energy crackled in the air, making the hairs on my arms stand up. The sound of bricks shifting and falling filled the room.
Stones began to crumble and rearrange right in front of him, opening a jagged hole that looked out into the courtyard. Cold air rushed in, carrying the scent of pine and distant rain.
I stared, shocked. I had never seen his powers this close. “Darius! He’s escaping!”
Darius snapped out of it and lunged forward. The wall had reshaped into a rough opening like a doorway, with broken stones forming a steep slide down the outer wall.
Lord Anthony glanced back over his shoulder at me, his eyes full of that same twisted hunger. “We will see each other soon, my lady.”
He jumped. Darius rushed to the edge and watched as Anthony landed on the makeshift slide of bricks. He rolled down it, hitting the ground hard on his knees. Then he stood, eyes flashing an electric blue. With a wave of his hand, the brick slide crumbled behind him into dust. He smirked up at Darius before turning and bolting into the shadows of the courtyard below.
“Get him!” Darius shouted to the guards who had gathered at the ruined doorway. His voice boomed through the halls. “Follow Lord Anthony right this minute! Do not let him escape the grounds!”
The guards, men in chainmail and helmets, swords already drawn, nodded and rushed off, their boots pounding on the stone floors. I let out a long, shaky sigh and sank down onto the edge of the bed. My whole body trembled. The twins felt heavier in my arms now, but thank the goddess they were safe.
Am had quieted a little, though his small face was still scrunched up. Tia slept through most of it, bless her.
Darius turned away from the opening and came straight to me. He knelt down in front of the bed, his big hands gently resting on the babies. His fingers shook slightly as he touched their blankets. Blood from the graze on his arm soaked into his sleeve, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“I was so scared,” he said, his voice rough and cracking. He looked up into my eyes, searching my face. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come sooner. I should have been here the moment you screamed.”
“You still came before things got too far,” I whispered. I pulled back just enough to look at him properly. Then it hit me again. “He knew about the Blood Moon. He talked like he had been planning this.”
Darius nodded, his face turning grave. The gold in his eyes faded back to their usual dark color. “I don’t know what he’s planning, but it can’t be good.”
“Neither do I,” I said, adjusting the twins in my arms. “We have to prepare for the worst.”
Lord Anthony was clearly gifted with strange powers, and he knew too much about the Blood Moon and the old prophecy. It was safe to assume he had his own schemes. But what exactly were they? And how had he slipped into the palace unnoticed, past all the guards and wards?
The questions swirled in my head as Darius stayed kneeling there, his hands still protectively on our children.
The fire in the hearth crackled louder now that the cold air was pouring in through the broken wall. Torches in the corridor outside flickered, casting long shadows. Servants and more guards started to appear, murmuring in shock at the destruction.
One of the older maids, her apron stained from kitchen work, hurried in with blankets and a healing salve for Darius’s arm.
“My lord, let me tend to that,” she said softly, but Darius waved her off gently.
“Not now,” he muttered. He stood up and sat beside me on the bed instead, pulling me carefully against his side. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, mindful of the babies between us. I leaned into him, letting his warmth chase away some of the chill. His tunic smelled of sweat and smoke from the fight, but it was familiar and safe.
“We can’t keep pretending this threat isn’t growing,” I said after a long moment. My voice was quieter now, but steady. “Anthony isn’t working alone. He mentioned the prophecy like he had studied it. If he knows about the Blood Moon, others might too.”
Darius rubbed a hand over his face, wincing when he brushed the cut on his lip. “You’re right. I’ve been trying to shield you from all this, but this showed me I can’t lock you away. Not when danger finds its way in anyway.” He looked down at Am and Tia, his expression softening. “For them. For us. I won’t stop you from helping when the time comes… but we do
this together. No more secrets.”
I nodded, relief washing through me even as fear still lingered. “Together.”
We sat like that for a while as guards boarded up the broken wall with heavy planks and summoned masons to repair it properly by morning. The palace bells rang out in alarm across the grounds, echoinhg. Servants brought warm wine and bread, but I barely touched any. My mind kept replaying Anthony’s words and that electric blue glow in his eyes.
~
Lord Anthony slipped into a narrow alley behind the outer palace walls, pressing his back against the cold, damp bricks. His ribs ached with every breath, and his face throbbed where Darius had landed those punches. He held still, listening. The clank of armor and running boots passed by the alley entrance as the king’s guards swept the area. When their voices faded, he stepped out into the center of the alley.
Energy crackled around him again. His eyes turned a pale, whitish blue. The ground beneath his feet rumbled and split open, revealing a set of stone stairs leading down into darkness. He descended quickly, then sealed the entrance behind him with a wave of his hand. The earth smoothed back into place as if nothing had happened.