Page 70 of Ruby Red Sky

My arms were straining and I let go, taking a deep breath. After stretching my arms, I went for it again, bracing one foot against the door frame. “Stick your foot in,” I told my friend.

The tip of her shoe showed in the narrow gap, and I pulled on the door, my breath growing ragged until finally, it was open.

Katarina scooted inside and rearranged the skirt of her uniform. “Something big is going on,” she said, hurrying to the center of the room. “Annalise has everyone summoned and they’re in the throne room.”

“Did you see Lukas?”

She pushed the loose strands of her hair back behind her ears with shaking fingers. “I didn’t, I’m sorry.”

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth for a moment as I started pacing. The path I trod brought me over the large windows and I stared through the panes separated by diamond brackets. If Katarina didn’t see him, where was he?

A pit formed in my stomach, thinking the worst.

As if she’d read my mind, Katarina spoke up. “Don’t worry about him yet, I’ve seen him in action. He’s fucking brutal.”

Her words tightened around my heart like a steel vice. “I’ve seen what he can do, too. But what if they do that stuff to him?”

“Zaynan said she needed to talk to him,” I said, trying to convince myself, “so maybe that’s it. Just talking.” Thin clouds streaked past the red sky as if they were trying to wash away blood.

Katarina tilted her head to the side a fraction, giving me a tight-lipped smile. “We can hope.”

She joined me by the window, and the two of us gazed at the landscape, neither of us truly seeing it. Everything was silent and still, as if the very air itself were awaiting a verdict.

“I don’t think I can stay in here while I have no idea what’s going on out there.”

Fingers lightly brushed my arm. “He’s got Kalix and Zaynan. Probably Ezekiel, too. So, he’s not alone. They don’t like her any better than he does.”

That was all fine, well, and good, but...

My muscles ached and my whole body buzzed with electricity. Either I needed to find out what, exactly, was going on, or I needed a hamster wheel to burn off this energy.

“I’m going out there,” I announced. “You can stay here or come with; it's up to you.”

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She might as well have stuck a fork in a light socket. “Are you crazy?” She nearly shrieked. “You’re going to get yourself killed!”

“Not if everyone’s busy.”

“Dumbass, they can smell you.”

I turned around. “Did you just call me a dumb ass?”

With her back suddenly straightened and her hands clasped in from of her she said, “My apologies, miss.”

My shoulders slumped forward. “It's fine. And don’t call me that, I was just surprised.” I peeked at her. “How are your thumbs?” They seemed to be fine now. But the guilt still lingered.

She held her hands up and nodded.

While she sighed deeply, I headed over to the desk. Drawer after drawer showed no new contents. I was hoping for another weapon. The stiletto still hung from my waist but having another sharp object at my disposal wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“Can these people even die?” The walk-in closet didn’t have anything I could carry. The swords were at least five feet long, and I couldn’t lift them. “Do you know where there’s any more daggers or something?” I yelled over my shoulder.

When I turned around, she was right behind me. “Please don’t go out there. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

Her puppy dog eyes were hard to resist but that was my man out there. “I have to do this. Just wait here for me, I’ll be back.” The words left my mouth but fell flat. We both knew I couldn’t be sure of anything if I left this room.

Katarina covered her mouth with her hand and walked out of the closet, hanging her head.

I followed behind, covered by an oversized hoodie I’d had in my bag from home. It was bulky enough to hide the stiletto.