|[ The Soul Reaper - 2 ]| [UNDERGOING EDITING]

Chapter 13 // Night Bird

The night air held me in soft hands, the icy wind harsh on my skin. For a few brief moments I fell, the air torn from my lungs as I screamed – and then a hot hand was wrapped around my wrist, pulling me to an abrupt halt. I slammed into the side of the tower, feeling a crunch against my ribs. My eyes roved from the fingers around my wrist to the face poking out the window.

"Don't you dare let me fall." I growled at Claude as he began heaving me in. He winked, throwing his other hand down to me. I took it.

"As if I would ever." He laughed. The window sill jutted into my stomach as I slithered over it. As I climbed to my feet I glanced around to see Cedric by the door, glancing up and down the hall. "Come on, we won't have much time until they realise we didn't actually fall to our deaths." I nodded pulling an arrow from my quiver as I slipped the bow off my shoulder. It felt odd in my hand – it was made of a far less pliable wood than mine had – it was harder to draw, and I had no idea how much I would have to adjust my aim.

Claude pulled his knife from his boot, long and sharp, and with a wicked gleam. In his other hand he held his pistol, where it shone with a high polish, ivory in the darkness.

"I can't see anyone yet." Cedric hissed over his shoulder, "But that could change at any moment." We slipped up behind him and glanced outside. Doors lined the hall, and down the far end were stairs.

"Let them come." I hissed savagely, feeling energy course through me, "They deserve everything they get."

"Not all of the Fae here would be like Mayon," Cedric said quietly, "Or like that man you talked to in the inn. Some are just doing what they're told. They might not have a choice."

"We all have a choice," I snapped, "And they've chosen to serve a corrupt leader. And they will face the consequences of those choices." Cedric answered me with silence, though his eyes betrayed a hint of concern. I pushed past him, hurrying out into the hall. "C'mon."

Cedric followed after me, a hand raised in caution.

"Irene, stop being reckless!" he hissed. I ignored him, reaching the stairs and leaping down them, three steps at a time. I could hear Claude and Cedric racing after me, lightly hopping down the stairs. At the lower landing I glanced down the hall – no one stood on high alert, waiting for us – it stood empty, and cool. I slipped over the railing of the stairs, falling down to the next floor, landing heavily on two stairs. Claude and Cedric were still above me, their feet hammering against the floor, as I sped up and left them behind.

I wanted to reach the ground before the guards reached us. I had seen the look in Cedric's eyes at my word; he was worried about what I would do if I was given the chance – I was worried too. I had always been a fighter, never shying away from violence or blood. But as I sprinted down step after step, slipping past floors like sand through fingers, I knew that something about what Imelda was doing was bringing out the worst in me.

I reached the next floor just as booted feet stampeded up the stairs towards us. I glanced over the railing to see guards rising to meet us, glinting in their armour like shiny, storm-grey beetles. I backed up down the hall, Claude and Cedric hurrying after me as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

"What now?" Cedric huffed, stopping beside me. We faced the stairs and watched as guards rose and swarmed off the stairs towards us.

"How high up are we?" I asked, glancing back at the window. We had to have dropped at least five floors – we couldn't be too high up, could we? "We can jump." I ran to the window, smashing the glass with a fist. Hot blood welled on my knuckles at the impact, and I quickly knocked the last shards out with my bow. Down below snow covered the ground, an inviting blanket ready to smother me.