Beyond the Walls

Chapter 35

The door smacks into the back of my head. A pair of hands dig their sharp nails into my arms and yank me out of the room. White floodlights burst into the room and I hiss, squinting. The person throws me against the wall, and I grunt. As I gather my senses, my eyes fall on the figure of a guard. His dark eyes glint harshly against the fluorescents and his dark brows knit together.

"Quit the games, Elle," he barks before craning his head over his shoulder and yelling. "Edward! She's here."

Edward stampedes down the stairs, swinging around the corner. He scowls. His fury sends my heart racing. "Oh, Elle. What have you done?"

I open my mouth to speak when a ragged voice cuts me off. "Oh, Edward. She will finish us." The beast in the room behind me. "She is from the Floodgates. She is the Red Leaf. We are all done for, so you may as well kill me. I will be of no use when she finishes us."

Edward's piercing eyes snap towards the shadowed room. His jaw clenches.

"Give me your dagger, Elle," he barks, his gaze not leaving the room.

I furrow my brows. "No way."

"Give it to me," he shouts, the sound slamming into the walls and I flinch.

"I said no, Edward."

His head snaps to me and he marches over, shoving me, too quick for me to react. My head smacks into the wall and he presses his forearm against my lower chest, winding me. "Give me your fucking dagger. Don't stare at me as if I don't know where Ruben and Aston are."

"There's more of us," I spit.

"But you are in my kingdom, now. If I get my hands on my brother, he will die," he hisses. He snatches the hilt of my dagger from my belt.

He stomps into the room. Glass crashes as he opens the door into the vault. Someone shrieks, curdling my blood and buckling my knees. Edward marches back out and tosses the dagger in my direction. The blade clanks and crimson splatters the otherwise polished white tiles.

"Take her upstairs," he growls at the guard. He does not cast me another glance, bolstering past me and up the steps.

"Alright, you heard the man." The guard gestures for me to follow. "Remove your weapons."

"That will not be necessary," I say, throwing my chin into the air. "I will follow with grace."

He rolls his eyes. "After you."

I grab my dagger from the ground. As I do, I spot the beast's hand. Blood drips from her palm and bile rises into my throat.

"Move, Elle."

I grimace as I shove the bloody dagger back into my belt and ascend the steps. My stomach churns and a scream settles on my tongue.

The guard leads me back through the hallways, up the flights of steps. We enter Edward's wing, past the Mercuree sanctuary, and I shudder, thinking of what the beast person told me. The guard shoves me into Edward's office.

"Hey!"

Edward Mallory sits with delicacy on his white leather couch. Knees crossed; he clasps his hands together. A deep-set scowl etches his features. His otherwise slicked white-blond hair is a tousled mess. I hold his gaze as I sit on the couch opposite him. His green eyes, so alike Ruben's and Sneya's throw me off. The curl of his lip, though, and the sharp glint in his eyes is a stark distinction of Lord Sneya.

"You have failed, Elle," he says, and his eye twitches. "I'm not sure what you were trying to prove."

I suppress my smirk. "It isn't my fault you're not prepped for my retaliation. Fail or not, I've rattled you."