Deciding Skies (Fate's Intent Book 2) (31 page)

“What?” Darius looked down at Ruby in his arms.

“They would never leave without me no matter what they might have said.”

My eyes flashed solid black and I turned my head. “Shh!” I took Darius’s arm and pulled them around the corner to get out of sight.

Two guards walked down and approached the cell with the dead bodies. “What the—”

“Oh, no! She escaped! Quick! We can’t let them leave the city!”

They both rushed out of there and I looked back at Ruby and Darius. “Now we have to go.”

“We need to get to Jaylyn. She’s going to need her to make it out of here.”

I nodded and carefully looked around the corner. It was clear and we started to head back. We turned another corner quickly and saw the others just arriving.

My first reaction was not happy. “What are you doing here? I told you to just go!”

“We never leave anyone behind.” Adele said.

Jaylyn gasped when she saw Ruby in Darius’s arms. “What happened?”

“She’s a little banged up but she’ll be all right.” I said. “Most of that is from draining someone’s life.”

“I can help her.”

“As much as I agree, it’ll have to wait.” Darius replied. “They already have soldiers out in the city looking for you. It can’t be done here. We have to get her to a safer place.”

“Then let’s go.” Adele said as she turned first.

We went up the stairs, back into the palace and walked through, heading for the exit without anyone seeing us along the way.

“Find a safe dark place to heal her then take to the roofs.” I whispered.

Darius and Troy nodded and I started hearing guards coming through the distant halls.

“Zayden?” Adele stopped and looked worried.

“Go! There’s no time! They’ll take you the safest way. Don’t wait for me.”

“No.” Adele was shaking her head and reaching for me so I wouldn’t leave. “You can’t leave me again.”

“It’ll be all right. Just go.”

I gave her a quick kiss one last time and hurried through the main hall away from the door. I didn’t want to leave her yet but there was still something I had to do before leaving. I never planned to be chased out of the city. We were going to be leaving on our own in just a couple hours but things changed quickly and I wasn’t ready. This wasn’t good-bye.

Chapter 45

Adele

I could only stare. I didn’t know what he was doing or why it was necessary.

“Come on.” Troy said. He took my arm and started easing me away. “He’ll catch up.”

It was hard for me to pull my eyes from Zayden’s direction and a tear fell when I finally had to. It was dangerous now and we had to get out. I just had to believe that I would see him in a minute.

We were taken out towards the palace gate but we didn’t even make it out it before we were met by Kathryn wearing dark clothes instead of her usual white uniform.

“Kathryn!” I was surprised to see her and wiped the tear from my face. “What is it?”

I knew there had to be something wrong or she wouldn’t be out here dressed like that.

“Come with me quickly!” She turned and no one seemed to know what was going on but I at least knew that I trusted her and started to follow, hoping everyone else would follow me.

She led us carefully down a few streets while soldiers were marching around and we came up to a house, Troy stopping us with a deep breath. “Wait a second! No way!”

I was curious to know of his outburst. It was like he knew who lived here.

“You want to save them, don’t you?” Kathryn asked.

“Of course I do.”

“Then suck up your pride!” Kathryn turned and knocked on the door.

A woman with straight brown hair and hazel eyes came to it quickly. “Kathryn, good. You’ve come.”

“Julianna, thank you. Everyone in quickly.” We followed behind her and Troy was last to step through the door a bit more slowly and unwilling than us. He closed it behind him and Julianna quickly went to it, locking the locks.

She shared a look with Troy as she backed away and only made the mystery of who she is grow.

“Can someone tell us what the fuck is going on?” Darius asked.

“Get her healed and dressed quickly.” Kathryn said.

Darius sat down on the couch with Ruby still in his arms and Jaylyn went to him. “It’s okay. I can do this quick so we can all go.”

He nodded and looked up towards Kathryn as Ruby was being healed. “What are you doing here?”

Kathryn was standing over a table and uncovered it, revealing dozens of weapons. I reacted quietly to the surprise while she tried to explain while equipping herself with several like she was going to help us. “I’m going to take the Kalu Assassins to the southern gates and lead them around the military base so they have a clear break to the west while you two go help Zayden.”

“What are you talking about?” Troy asked. “How can we agree to this plan?”

“You have no choice. Zayden needs you right now. The girls will be fine. That I can promise.”

“Who are you?” Darius asked.

Kathryn looked across the table at Julianna and turned towards us. “I’m someone you should listen to. There’s no more time! You must go! He can’t do this alone!”

“I’m not going anywhere until I know Ruby’s fine.” Darius looked down to see her wounds gone and Jaylyn moved her hand over Ruby’s heart.

Her eyes glowed for just a moment longer and Ruby woke fully.

Chapter 46

Ruby

Awe. My head. I was feeling a bit dizzy and tried sitting up. “What’s happening?”

“You need to get dressed quickly.” Muscles said. “Come on. We’re getting you out of here or they are.”

“Kathryn?” I looked over and saw her in the room, this strange room that didn’t look like it was even in the palace.

“Everything will be explained.” Muscles put me on my feet and took a hold of my clothes and weapons. “Come on. We need to get you ready.” He walked with me into a side room so I could get dressed and I was told the plan.

“Muscles—I don’t like this.” I was handed my weapons last and put them on while worry started to overcome me. I didn’t want us to be separated.

“Neither do I but I think Kathryn is right. Zayden can’t do this himself. The only thing I want you to worry about is getting out of here. Don’t wait for us. Just run. We will come.”

“But—”

Muscles brought up his hand to my mouth so I couldn’t protest it anymore. “I know. I don’t like it either but you have to trust me now. Everything will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

Okay. He was right. It was about time that I trusted him and I lightly nodded, succeeding in holding in all of my tears. He pulled me close and we shared our last kiss to start our unwilling separation. It felt awful.

Chapter 47

Jaylyn

“Troy, be ready when he comes out.” Kathryn said.

Troy nodded and turned his head to me. The moment our eyes met, I rushed into his arms, never wanting to let go. “I don’t want you to go!”

He wrapped his arms around me and held my head close into his chest. “And I don’t want to but we must. We’ll be all right. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

I pulled away and my tears were visible on my cheeks. “Not whatever it takes. I need you alive. I wouldn’t be able to live if—”

“That won’t happen.” He held my head in his hand and wiped my tears away with his thumbs. “We’ll meet again. I promise.” He was looking right into my sad brown eyes and lifted his off me only for a second. “Adele?”

I didn’t know what he was asking until I saw my hair turn blonde around my face. She changed me back and Troy seemed to really miss seeing it.

He smiled and leaned into me quickly, kissing me with a deep passion and three little words that I would never forget. “I love you.”

Another tear fell down my face and I kissed him again, speaking with low words. “I love you too.”

He quickly pulled me into him for a hug; our feelings for each other were out in the open now and all I wanted to do was have him just stay with me but that couldn’t be.

“Okay. We’re ready.” Darius came out of the room with Ruby.

My eyes shifted to them for a moment and Adele held up her hand towards Ruby. The brown locks of her hair faded away and was replaced by its natural rose red shine. She saw it happening and looked up at Darius with a smile.

He smiled back and touched it lightly with his fingertips. “I promise it won’t be long before I see it again.”

Ruby kissed him. “Okay.”

He walked to the door, reaching for the locks to unlock them. “Come on, Troy.”

Troy looked over and nodded then turned back to me. “Just remember what I promised and you’ll know I’ll come.”

I nodded and we kissed again. I didn’t want to let go either but knew I had no choice.

“It’s all right.” Julianna said, slowly pulling me back away from Troy. “He has to go.”

Troy’s eyes narrowed when he met hers and his mood changed to obvious anger and I didn’t know why. “If anything happens to her, I swear to you—I will just—you’ll regret it. Do you understand?”

“Of course, my son.”

Son! I looked to him and Troy gripped his fists at his side like he was stopping himself from striking her.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Darius took Troy’s shoulders and started pulling him to the door. “We have to go. They catch Zayden and Lamar will have him killed.”

Troy looked at me one last time before he went out the door and was gone. I understood that protecting Zayden was important but I still couldn’t get passed what just happened.

“You’re Troy’s mother?” Ruby asked openly.

Julianna looked at Kathryn and she only looked back but didn’t say anything.

“Yes. I am.”

I was in shock. “But how could that be? I thought their parents were dead.”

“To him I am. I’ve made some mistakes in the past and I don’t deserve his forgiveness.”

All my thoughts were pointing to go over and hug her but Kathryn spoke before I even took a step. “We’re running out of time. They’ll be fine. What’s important right now, is getting you out of here.” She walked to the door and we followed behind her. “We’ll take to the roofs to prevent any distractions from the soldiers.”

“That’s how Zayden wanted them to take us.” Adele said.

“Because he’s smart. He knows the safest ways. Now let’s move.”

We followed Kathryn down narrow alleys and back roads with Julianna behind us until we reached the spot where we would ascent to the roofs.

“I hope your skills are as good as they should be for ones so great because you’re going to need them.” Kathryn climbed up on a couple of barrels at the end of the alley and ran up the wall on the right then jumped to the wall on the left, climbing up on the roof.

I stood impressed yet surprised and looked at Ruby and Adele in amazement. Who was she again? Just Izin’s attendant? I didn’t think so.

Kathryn paused and looked around for any kind of movement. All the sounds were coming from the ground and she looked down to us, waving her hand for us to follow. We came up after her and reached the rooftop in the same manor she did, one right after the other as quietly as we could.

“Good. Go.” Julianna whispered. “And good luck.”

Kathryn nodded and turned.

“Is she not coming with us?” I asked.

“No. She’ll be okay. She’ll give us ground cover. Let’s go.”

We ran along the roof, acting as shadows and jumped the eight foot gap to the next one where Kathryn started to pick up the pace. We jumped to the next two roof tops but had to get higher to reach the next one. Kathryn stepped up on a six inch ledge as we followed and slowly made our way to the other side where we lifted ourselves up to the next roof.

We climbed up to the peak and could look across the city from here.

“There’s the southern wall.” Kathryn said, pointing straight ahead.

“It’s a long way.” I muttered.

“Yeah, but we don’t have a choice.” Ruby replied.

“What about the outer wall?” Adele asked.

“There’s no soldiers there. That’s just at the western gates. It will be clear.”

“Good.”

“And the doors aren’t as complex as they are at the western gate. We’ll be able to slip through without help from above. Come on.”