Chapter 158: One Gift
"Could you make a boat out of blood?" Soleia asked, holding her skirt up as she tried to move in the direction of the dock. "Maybe we can catch up with them―"
"Soleia, we need to leave," Ralph said, holding her back.
As soon as he spoke, the sound of footsteps could be heard once more. The initial horde of guards who were sent to stop them were all but replaced by a backup team. It seemed like King Godwin would spare no expense to get them back.
"Your father is sending more men after us," Ralph said. "If we don’t leave now, we might not get the chance."
"But Reitan and Orion―"
"There’s no one there," Ralph said, gesturing to the dock where they had last seen Nessa with Orion’s unconscious body. True enough, Orion was gone. He wasn’t left behind, albeit they couldn’t say for certain whether or not his body was hidden, taken, or thrown into the sea.
"We can get a sodalite once we’re safe and make a call to the Princess of Nedour," Ralph suggested.
He looked up and his frown darkened. The traces of blood on the dirt beneath his feet quickly rose again to form a sword, and his fingers clenched around the hilt. The second wave of royal guards sent by King Godwin had arrived, their figures clearly seen in the distance. This time, some of them were on horseback, the thundering sound of hooves hitting the ground echoing through the morning sky.
"This way," he said.