Focus. I pulled a few maps from the shelves. Something here would point me in the right direction. As I smoothed out the first map, I found I couldn’t focus on the delicate lines of ink illustrating the cities and packs of Frasia. There was so much of the country we hadn’t seen. All the places we’d meant to visit together—the small towns, the tall mountain ranges, the deep forests, the sea between Frasia and Askon.
Griffin couldn’t die. Not like this. Not in the arena at the end of the king’s blade. He was my safe place for so long, my only friend in Daybreak, and the only one who listened to me when I spun out my dreams of a different, bigger life. Even now, with this stupid decision, he’d done it for me. He’d wanted that life together, too.
I put the large map of Frasia aside and unfurled a different one. This was a current map, of Efra as it was built today, with its crowded streets and its bustling industry. I sighed as I traced the paths of the city I’d visited. The beautiful walls, the elegant gates, the bustling taverns, Camille’s shop tucked away amid the busyness. Then, the manor itself, with its simple structure, built around the solarium, the four wings and—something I’d never noticed before.
I leaned closer to the map. There was a small pathway that appeared to lead from the northern wing of the manor through the external wall, into the forest. How could it go through the wall? There wasn’t a gate or an entrance marked there. Unless… Unless it went under the wall.
The north wing was where we’d found those strange artifacts. If someone had wanted to move things in and out of the manor without detection, it made sense to have an unmarked passageway. Whether the pathway belonged to Nightfall or Daybreak, I didn’t know. Or even if it was built earlier.
I rifled through the maps until I found one of the manor itself, tucked on the highest shelf in the archives in a leather tube that was so dusty just pulling it off the shelf made me sneeze. This was a detailed map of the manor, with all its rooms dutifully illustrated and labeled—an architectural blueprint of multiple layers and ink colors. And amid all the dark inks representing the building materials, there were faint gray lines winding under hallways and through walls.
Tunnels. Not just leading from north wing to the forest, but leading all over the manor. From the throne room, from the gates, from the dining hall, even from outside the solarium. A network of tunnels wove under the manor like a circulatory system. If I could figure out an entrance, I could find my way to the dungeons undetected. I spent the next few hours poring over the map, tracing the lines with my finger and murmuring to myself as I worked to copy the details of the tunnel system into my mind. I couldn’t take it with me, but I’d studied maps enough that I could lay it out in my mind.
This was my chance. I’d get Griffin out of here. And maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to find a way out of here, as well. Maybe we’d be able to leave Efra behind and start our lives. A life on the lam— a life constantly looking over our shoulders—but a life nonetheless.
Was that the life I wanted?
I shoved that question out of mind. That didn’t matter—not right now. I had to get Griffin out of here. I owed him that much.
Tonight. I’d take dinner in my room. And while the court dined with the king, we would escape.
T
aking dinner in my room was no trouble at all. I dismissed Amity and Rue, telling them I was still exhausted and needed time to recover before I had to face the next day, which had both wedding planning and the challenge for the throne scheduled. A lot of emotion, I explained, and Amity and Rue simply nodded in understanding.
I’d miss them, I realized. If this worked, there was a chance I might not see them again. There were plenty of things I’d miss about Efra: my handmaidens, my friends, the activity of the city, even the brisk weather.
But none of it was worth losing Griffin.
Once I was sure they were gone, I changed briskly into a simple pair of dark trousers with a tunic and functional boots. All were given to me by Camille—training clothes, for afternoons spent in the arena. I pulled my cloak over my shoulders and tucked my knife into my waistband.
Then, for the first time, I pulled on the sapphire necklace Griffin had gifted me when I left for this competition. Everything else I could leave behind. It’d all just be a bad memory soon. But Griffin had given me this necklace to give me confidence, a physical reminder that he’d be waiting for me in Daybreak. He hadn’t exactly waited, but I still wanted it with me as I made my way out of Efra and into my new life. I tucked the pendant under the collar of my tunic.
I looked in the mirror as I braided my hair into a tight, functional plait. This was a risky plan, but something in my chest had settled. It felt right. Wherever this tunnel system took me, I knew that was where I needed to be. In this functional outfit, with a plan of my own, I finally felt like myself instead of a pawn in the games of the Choice.
The sky darkened. The court would be at dinner. It was time.
I slipped out of my quarters, then glanced around the hallway for any sign of servants or guards. I was met only with silence. Perfect.
I unfurled the map in my mind. According to the chart, there was an entrance into the tunnel system just under the window at the far end of the hall. There, a landscape portrait hung on the wall beside the window—an image of the forest that was visible outside, and a fairly unimpressive rendering of it, at that. I’d thought it was just a boring decorative choice, like most of the decor in the Nightfall manor. Now I wondered if it had a purpose.I leaned close to the painting, but it was just that: a painting. Dull trees, snow, a gray sky, a few wolf tracks visible in the snowbanks. I wrinkled my nose, leaning closer. There had to be a clue in the painting, something that would show me how to get into the tunnel system. I smoothed my hand over the frame. Did it move? Was there something behind it?As I knelt down slightly to feel the bottom of the frame, a breeze whispered over my fingers.There was something there. I knelt further, pressing my hand against the frame. There was a seam
The tunnel doorway opened into a hallway. It wasn’t the earthen-floored darkness of the tunnel system, but more like the servants’ hallways that snaked on the lower floors of the manor. It was narrow with stone walls and dim lighting.I pushed the secret door to the tunnel closed behind me. The cold air was permeated with a terrible stench of ammonia and iron – piss and blood. Then, a wail cut through the air, low and long. A weak cry of pain. Behind that, a howl sounded. A thump like a body being struck. The scrape of metal on metal.Cold fear crawled into my throat. The dungeons weren’t just a holding place—people were being hurt. I pulled my knife from my waistband and crept down the narrow hallway, toward the terrible sounds calling me like a dark siren. The hallway led to an immense archway. There wasn’t even a door. The dungeons were just open, as if I were already in the dungeons now. I most likely was. The tunnels had been a secret entrance. I’d bet that behind me, at the far
“Did you think I was happy waiting for you? We had no timeline for marriage. You wouldn’t even kiss me. I’m a wolf, Reyna, I have needs. I can’t be told to wait.” Again, his eyes flashed as he looked at me, hunger and desire evident in his gaze. My wolf cowered, pulling away from him. “A wolf isn’t supposed to run from a fight,” he continued. “I won’t run from Daybreak to follow your flights of fancy. I’m meant to be a leader. An alpha. When I kill the king, I’ll take what I’ve always been owed.”Under his burning gaze, I wasn’t sure if he meant the crown—or me. Nausea turned my stomach. This wasn’t the man I’d loved. Was this who Griffin truly was? Had everything we’d had together been a lie?“You never loved me,” I said. “You just wanted a way into the court.”“I do love you,” he said. “But you can’t run from who you are. You are a Lady of the Court, and now you will be queen.”I’d never seen Griffin like this, bloodthirsty and single-minded. “I won’t be a part of this,” I said.“I
Griffin didn’t seem to think that was the case, though. He didn’t know what he was doing. Somehow, that made it worse. As angry and betrayed as I was, I at least wished he had the sense to know he couldn’t beat the king. I didn’t want to be with him, but I didn’t want to watch him die. No wolf wanted to watch her packmate die.But—was he even my packmate anymore?My father had planned all of this. My father had used me as bait, placing me in Efra to give Griffin a reason to challenge. Would a pack leader do that to one of his own?Did I have nowhere I belonged?The only thing I knew for sure right now was that the only wolf I could trust was myself. There was nothing I could do to stop this challenge, and with Griffin’s admission, I had no reason to, either. At least the king hadn’t lied to me. He’d confused me, challenged me, irritated me—but he hadn’t lied to me. I sighed. It was a low bar, but he was one of the few men in my life who hadn’t crossed it.So today, I would look the pa
Horns blared, and then a young wolf dressed in bright purple bounded into the center of the arena. He spread his arms wide, and the arena erupted into cheers and shouts so loud it sent me flinching backward. The force of the sound was like a wave. People stood up, waved their hands, and threw paper into the arena in excitement.“Good morning,” the announcer called in a voice as bright as a bell. “To my Ladies of the Court and my lovely council members.” He swept into a bow, then straightened up and spun gracefully on his heel to see the arena. “And to the wolves of Nightfall!”The people stomped on the stands, creating a thunderous effect that made the entire stadium rumble beneath me. I gripped the arms of my seat, shocked by the power of the response.“Wolf Griffin of Pack Daybreak has graced us with his presence this morning,” the announcer shouted, “and challenged our king for the right to the throne!” Boos and hisses filled the air with animal ferocity.“Shall we see what this wo
Now the king was angry. I could sense it radiating off him, and my wolf could feel it, too, hunkering down in my chest. He’d been playing with Griffin before, and now Griffin had proven himself a stronger challenger than the king had expected. The king growled, stalking closer. Griffin met his gaze steadily, head low and lips drawn back.Then Griffin lunged forward again. In his confidence, he jumped high, aiming to get his mouth around the king’s neck. But the king saw it coming. He ducked low, so Griffin was nearly on top of him, then slammed his jaws closed hard on Griffin’s front leg, right at the top near the shoulder. The bone crunched under the pressure and Griffin yowled, high and pained. My skin crawled at the sound, and I leaned forward slightly in an attempt to see better. Blood stained the dirt of the arena.The king released him, his teeth stained red. He growled again, hackles up and his head low— another space in the battle for Griffin to submit.I squeezed my hands int
A soft knock on the door caught my attention. I glanced over at the door, then sighed and settled back against the headboard. I didn’t want Amity and Rue to know I was awake. Eventually, I’d have to face them—there was a wedding to plan, after all—but so far they’d respected my need for privacy. At some point they’d insist I face the court, but I was putting that off as long as I could.There was another knock on the door, sharper this time. More insistent. Maybe it was Fina or Adora, but I wasn’t quite ready to face them, either. I gazed out the window, as if I ignored the knocking enough, it’d stop all together.That was not the case. Another series of sharp, demanding knocks. I heaved a sigh and finally stood up. Whoever was at my door wasn’t giving up. I pulled on my robe and cinched it tight around my waist, then turned toward the door.Before I could take a step, it swung open.The king stood at the other side of the threshold, and he looked terrible. He had dark circles under h
Everything in my mind was so turned around.“Griffin was in the dungeons the entire time,” the king said. His voice wasn’t accusatory, more interested and curious. “When exactly did you speak to him? The guards never informed me that you paid him a visit.”I blanched. Right—well. If I wasn’t fleeing Efra, I had no reason to keep it to myself, and my foggy mind wasn’t up to crafting a lie.“I used the tunnel system under the manor,” I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Did you not know about it?”The king raked one hand through his hair. “Do you have any booze in your chambers?” He cast his gaze around imploringly.Despite it all, I bit back a small smile. “I’m not much of a drinker.”He opened the door and stuck his head out. “Go fetch me some brandy, will you?” Then he closed the door and dropped into one of the heavy armchairs by the low fire. “How exactly did you find out about these tunnels? The system isn’t common knowledge among the court.”“Isn’t it a bit e