We stood amid the prone forms, panting from the effort.

Loren grinned. “That was fun. Damn, Avry, you have a healthy set of lungs. Did I hear some girlie screams in there?”

“That was from one of the guards.”

“Ah.”

Our good humor died when we approached Ryne’s cell. The noise hadn’t roused him. Covered with a sheen of sweat, he lay still. Loren unlocked his door and I rushed to his side. Fear lumped in my throat. It was time.

Before I could touch him, Ryne held up a hand. “No. Wait until we’re free.”

“Will you be strong enough to escape?” I asked.

“I just need water.”

Loren went to fetch a glass. I helped Ryne sit up.

The prince smiled at Kerrick. “I knew you’d come. Avry had her doubts.”

“Well, without Loren’s good sense, he’d have been caught right away,” I said.

“Hey, I’m standing right here,” Kerrick said.

“Loren?” Ryne asked.

“At your service.” Loren returned with the water.

“Thank you.” Ryne gulped it down.

“We still have to get out of the castle complex,” Kerrick said. “The sooner, the better. Like now.”

Ryne wobbled at first, but steadied. Determined to walk on his own, Ryne led the way from the cells.

When we passed the guards, Kerrick asked me, “How long will they be out?”

“A few more hours.”

On the stairs, I leaned close to Kerrick. “What’s the plan once we leave the castle?”

“We head for the front entrance. Without Sepp, we can’t go through the Death Lilys around the wall.”

I hoped no one at the infirmary raised the alarm. Darkness had fallen by the time we slipped out the back entrance, which helped. Keeping to the shadows around the base of the castle, we headed toward the main gate. Once we reached the front, we would have to cross the courtyard before exiting. If we didn’t run or act like fugitives, we might make it.

Too bad about thirty soldiers guarded the front gate.

Chapter 26

“Were they here when you came in?” I asked Kerrick.

“No.”

“Flee or fight?” Loren whispered.

The torchlight illuminated the soldiers. Too many for the three of us. One of the guards we knocked out in the infirmary must have tipped Tohon off. I leaned against the wall. It seemed my life resembled a never-ending game of capture the flag, with me being the one player who is always getting caught in enemy territory.

“Flee,” I said.

“There’s nowhere to hide,” Kerrick said. “We’ll be captured. At least this way we die fighting.”

“We’ll go over the back wall.”

“I’d rather be skewered than eaten,” Loren said, sounding more like Quain.

“The Death Lilys won’t attack you. Trust me.”

Ryne looked at me as if I had lost my mind. But Kerrick and Loren had been through this with me with Flea.

“Take the lead,” Kerrick said to me.

Ryne stifled his surprise and shot me a measuring glance.

I retraced our steps. When we reached the open area behind the castle, I stepped out as if going to the infirmary like I had done dozens of times before. Kerrick and Loren stayed close to my side with Ryne following us.

About halfway there, a shout broke the silence. Another group of soldiers had been hiding in the shadows of the infirmary.

“Run for the back wall,” I said.

Kerrick bent, picked up Ryne and draped him over his shoulder. We bolted. The ground almost shook from the pounding of boots behind us.

As we drew near, I shouted, “Don’t get too close to the Lilys. Let me go first.” I rushed up to the closest Lily. Stopping right under the petals, I waved my arms. “Come on! Eat me!”

The Death Lily didn’t move. Kerrick and Loren came up beside me. Nothing happened.

I glanced at Kerrick in confusion.

He grinned. “Peace Lilys! Grab my hands.”

Loren and I clamped onto Kerrick. His magic zipped along my skin as he pulled us into the Peace Lilys. Enough of them for Kerrick to use his power, covering us with a camouflage so we blended in. We reached the wall, turned left for two dozen paces before stopping at a good spot where we could see through the leaves. Kerrick set Ryne down, but the prince kept his hand on Kerrick’s arm.

The number of soldiers increased, but they wouldn’t come near the Lilys. Voices shouted. No one had seen where we had gone. Most claimed we were Lily food.

Tohon strode into the middle of the chaos. Everyone fell silent at his command. He conferred with a few soldiers. I wondered if he would tell his men about the Lilys.

What was more important to him? The illusion of Death Lilys protecting his castle or finding us? I had to admit, it was an effective defense as long as no one knew they were Peace Lilys. Only we had been desperate enough to approach them.

“One problem,” Kerrick whispered. “When we climb over, we’ll be exposed. Is there another spot that’s hidden?”

“Yes. There’s a garden of Death Lilys in the back corner.”

“Death? Are you sure?”

“Yes, but they’ve been neutralized.”

We inched our way to the corner.

Tohon decided not to send his soldiers into the Lilys. Instead, he sent them to run outside through the front gate and position themselves around the walls to block our escape. We picked up our pace.