A Queen Conflicted (Alys Book #3)

Chapter 39

Endolynn could barely contain her emotions as she drunk in the vision of her brother standing before her.

Beside him, Ezan ripped his helmet off. He surveyed her quickly and efficiently to make sure she was okay before swinging his axe into the lock on their door.

Two strikes and the lock gave. Endolynn flew into her brother's arms, basking in the feeling of his arms crushing her into him.

"Are you okay?" he whispered into her ear, and Endolynn could tell just by his strained voice that he was fighting hard to stay composed.
"Dastrehan?" She asked as she finally pulled back from Zaiden and looking up into his face.

In the back of her mind, she knew they did not have much time before Leoford sent more men to check on his trophies, but she wanted to savor this moment with her brother.
"He will meet us at High Cloud Palace," Zaiden said after he had cleared his throat and banished his emotions, "It was not easy to convince him to stay behind and wait."

Endolynn found her smile widening. She was not surprised.
"Thank you," she whispered, and Zaiden ducked his head in reply, knowing what she was referring to.
She was unspeakably grateful that Dastrehan would not have to see where she was being held, nor would he have to face his brother.
"We need to move," Ezan said urgently, dropping the axe that he must have taken from a fallen guard and unsheathing his sword. The other women were already out of the cell. Jia Zhen and Zari wasted no time finding weapons from the fallen men in the hallway, but Jocelynn stuck close to Ezan, her eyes wide.

Ezan offered his sword to Endolynn, and the queen took it without hesitation. He then turned and retrieved a discarded mace.

As one, they all entered the hall and started to make their way down it, stepping over the bodies of the six men that had been mocking them mere minutes earlier.
When Endolynn locked eyes on the man that had insulted her earlier, she paused. He was still alive, looking up at the ceiling and moaning in agony.

Squatting down, she watched him as his eyes moved to her face and his grimace became even stronger.
"How lucky you are that my brother felled you before I had a chance," she said quietly enough that only he could hear.

The already pale skin on the man's faced seemed to blanch further.

She needed to move on and keep going. The others were leaving her behind.

"If you survive," she whispered, not able to stop herself from this one small taste of victory, "Remember that it was the brother of a queen, not a whore, who bested you."

The man blinked in fear, but Endolynn was already up and moving to catch up to the others.

She should have killed him, but she did not have the time to do so in a way that man deserved.

"What were you doing?" Zaiden asked, glancing behind himself as she caught up to him, "I was just about to turn around to go get you."

"Taking care of unfinished business," was her brief reply as Zaiden pushed her gently in front of himself so he could take up the rear.
"We need to move fast," Ezan said from the head of the group, "The fire may have their attention, but they will discover us soon."

"Tar?" Jocelynn asked breathlessly as she fought to not slow them all down.
Ezan did not hold back his surprise from his face when he glanced back at the princess and wordlessly nodded in confirmation.
Jocelynn did not speak further.

"This place is a maze," Zari muttered under her breath, her tone indicating her frustration. Endolynn could not help but agree. One would expect them to have the general layout in their minds after being here for more weeks than Endolynn had been able to keep track of. But, they did not. The only times they were permitted out of their cell had been to go to the bathing chambers and the courtroom. Getting Maajida out successfully had been entirely luck.