The storm intensifies into the night. Thunder shakes the glass walls and while the light drifts away, leaving nothing but twinkling fire down in the city, lightning cuts through those obscure clouds. All of this because of one angered prince, of one witch incapable of controlling his power.

In case anyone visits me in the hours before my escape, I hide the satchel underneath my bed, still untouched. I will not lay underneath the covers and consider the empty space to be my own. The floorboards are more comfortable where the fire is concerned, and that is too far away from the bed to be in the same room. Celestine and I have gone from cramped confines in Arego to chambers that are the same size as our old home. Arego is still our home, I have to remind myself.

Too bad I won't be here to get used to this.

When night finally settles and the castle rests, I slide the satchel over my shoulder, clasp my cloak, and slip out the door. The hinges don't creak and my steps are silent down the stone stairs. No one will ever notice I'm gone, not until tomorrow morning, when Renit marches in to make my life worse. He's always ready to train before anyone else has even considered waking themselves up.

I won't be here.

Celestine will understand. It's better for her that I'm gone. That way, she might stand a chance at surviving this twisted game at the castle; her improvement in the garden has caught the eyes of some of the most esteemed witches and around every corner, she is praised. My sister will fit in well here and already, she doesn't need me. I will use that as my motivation to keep going when everything else is falling apart.

I slip through the shadows in the castle, keeping to the dark. The only time I'm exposed is when lightning flashes through the windows and illuminates the opposite wall, in which my shadow stretches tall. Otherwise, I'm as silent and as unnoticeable as a ghost drifting through. I sneak through the front doors of the castle and out into the night air.

My body shivers on instinct and I pull the cloak tighter around me to block out the rushing winds and the thick rain falling from the sky. The fat drops land on the cobblestone, splashing into puddles. Fog casts itself around the open spaces of the courtyard and in the distance, the stables are nothing more than a sheet of impenetrable mist. The horses on the inside sleep soundly despite the haste of the storm.

Instead of heading towards the clearing, I turn in the opposite direction and head towards the walls surrounding the royal grounds. If I recall correctly, the witches of gardens brought the thick vines back to life for the year. Perfect for climbing.

Lightning snaps the courtyard to life and I crouch low to the ground, running towards the wall with such precision, I feel like I'm on a mission. Is this what freedom feels like? No one notices me and no one cares. I'm as nameless as an assassin, as a killer bred to hunt and murder.

Stealth. I have to remind myself of stealth.

The wall comes into view, breaking through the fog, and I nearly jump for glee at the sight of those strong vines. My gloved hands grasp them and I hoist myself up, squinting against the pouring rain and groundbreaking winds. How can Renit create such a powerful storm and look unphased all the while? Is this how he relieves the built-up power? He starts a storm to tear the castle to shreds and leaves puddles for everyone else to deal with the next day. Selfish, cruel prince. I can't stand him.

The vines are slippery but I have strong footholds in the knots. My arms burn with every hoist up, even with a secure place to plunk my boots. Before long, I'm sitting on top of that stone wall, crouching, surveying what is beyond. Woods. It's the perfect escape, I'll remain hidden if someone comes after me and if they do—I've never been unskilled at climbing trees. That was all Bren and I did one summer, we held competitions to crown a winner, either of us who could climb the fastest to the highest branch.

That was the year Bren broke his arm when I accidentally shoved him off the lowest branch. Shortly after, I was declared the winner of the summer and no one protested.

Bracing my hands against the stone, I slide the rest of my body down until I'm feet from the soft, leaf-covered ground. I've done it. No one will notice my escape and when they come looking for me, they'll find nothing but diminishing tracks. They'll try but they won't get anywhere.

I brush myself off, mainly the extra rain droplets on my cloak when I hear someone sigh. My stomach leaps into my throat and I jump back, pulling the dagger from my hip with a shaken hand. Standing only a few feet away, resting his shoulder against the wall, is Renit. He smirks at me through lowered brows. The darkness of his hood hides everything else.

"Going somewhere?" The prince purrs.

"How did you find me?" I snap. The dagger is awkward in my hand, bent at an angle, and I don't know how to hold it properly.

He shrugs. "You weren't exactly quiet. I heard you rustling around the entire time. Once it was clear you were trying to leave, I followed you out here. Simple." For a second, the storm slows and the thunder travels farther north. The rain parts and just like that, we're standing in the silence. Storms make it harder for witches to track escaped criminals. Dammit.

"How did you get over the wall before me?" I look back up at the vines. He had been nowhere close, otherwise, I would have heard him. Unless he's that good.

"You took too long, there were quicker ways of getting over the wall. In fact, there's a gate right over there; I simply walked through it." He points over his shoulder with his own dagger and pushes his shoulder off the wall. "Come on, back to your chambers."

Renit grabs my arm but I yank out of his grasp. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

"What did my father tell you when you first got here? Obey my rules. Right now, you are to obey my rules." His eyes darken and he reaches for my arm again but I lurch back, swiping with the dagger. Renit hisses as a shallow trickle of blood soaks through the tunic sleeve. He barely garners a glance at the cut before turning back to me, eyes dull.

"I don't have to listen to any of you. I'm leaving and you should be thankful. Now you can find a wife, you can be somewhat happy." I breathe quickly, the smell of damp leaves and moldy grass finding its way into my nose. "You won't have to worry about me anymore." His eyes drift to the dagger in my hand, bored, and then back to my face. I think of the compliment he gave me, that my eyes are bright. Does he see that now? Does he see anything he likes?

"What about your sister? Are you leaving her here?"

I sigh, my chest rising and falling quickly. The clasp presses against my mother's necklace which, in return, presses against my cold skin. "She'll be better off without me." Those words are as much of the truth as anything I've ever said.

Renit snorts. "Roux, come on." This time, he manages to grab my arm and with the other, I attempt to drive the dagger into his heart. But his hand is already there, wrapping around my wrist. Any sympathy on his face quickly disappears. "Trying to kill a prince, that's a stretch I didn't think you could reach. Do you even know how to use this dagger?"

His large hand wraps entirely around my wrist, caught in the air. If he were to squeeze any tighter, my bone would snap and my left side, rendered useless, would not help with the development of my power. Being a witch of ground requires all strength and both arms.

When I don't answer, he scoffs and drops my arm back to my side. "Of course you don't know how to use it. You can barely..." He stops his words suddenly and shakes his head. "Just come on."

The familiar pang of grief settles inside my chest and the lump in my throat forms. No, I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go back to those chambers I left behind, declared forgotten in my mind, and live across the hall from someone who will never care. I don't want to go into these woods and find a new home for myself because I'll likely die before that happens—someone will snatch me or a wild animal will make me their next meal until they realize there's not enough meat on my bones to be considered a full stomach.

Then it ends here. In the woods. I turn the dagger on myself, pressing the tip against my chest. The metal pierces through the thick fabric of my jacket and is cold against my skin. My heart pounds beneath the blade. "I won't," I whisper.

Renit slows. Concern flashes on his face as he calculates what he can do in a matter of seconds to remove the dagger from my hand so it doesn't find the way to my heart. But I will not spend the rest of my immortal life shackled to him. I pull the dagger away from my skin and grip the handle tighter with both fists.

I'm ready to plunge the dagger into my heart when he lunges, taking me out at the waist. The air leaves my body as he connects and we fall back onto the sodden ground. His weight presses on me and I try to breathe but find only a wheeze left behind. Renit pries the dagger from my hand and tosses it out of reach.

"I can't let you go that easy, spitfire. We still have work to do," Renit grunts. He pushes himself off me and grabs the collar of my jacket to bring me back to a standing position. "But for the next three days, you'll serve your punishment for trying to leave. Three days in the dungeons and after that, kitchen duty."

"The dungeons?" I snap.

He raises his eyebrows. "Or do you want to fight for it? If you can get one hit in, I'll forget all about the punishment." Renit's muscles tighten as he folds his hands over his front. The leather gloves over his hands groan with the strain and his dark leather jacket shifts along with them.

This is my chance. If Renit realizes I'm not a weak girl from Arego, he might see me differently. Without thinking, without calculating how he might predict my hit, I clench my hand into a fist and with all the anger I have, force it towards Renit's face.

I'm met with skin, his palm. He wraps his hand around my small knuckles, stopping my assault right there. I try with my other fist but am met with the same outcome. "Now what?" He asks me. "What is your next plan?"

I growl underneath my breath and bring up my leg to strike home. But the toe of his boot presses against the back of my knee and swipes forward. I hadn't known he was waiting for me to do that, to go for the one spot he couldn't protect without his hands there to do it. His hands release from my fists and my body thuds against the wet ground, sticky with leaves.

"Dungeons. Now." He points towards the looming castle.

I could run, or at least try to. If he doesn't expect that I'm trying to make an escape through the woods, there's little chance of him catching me. All I need is enough room to be far enough out of his reach and then I'm flying through the trees without looking back.

I think about escaping as I stand but when I'm back on my feet, cold metal scrapes into my skin and I look down to see a manacle over my wrist, on the opposite arm of the titanium band. Great, now I'm shackled on both sides. What would Hallie think of this? I doubt I'm much of a princess in her mind. And if the kingdom knew the prince was shackling his betrothed, they would find themselves with another reason to hate him.

He pushes me forward and I stumble. Under normal circumstances, my punishment could be much worse. Three days in the dungeons, then kitchen duty, and I'm free. To a point, at least. I can't help but realize I'm breaking through to the prince who had a prime opportunity to take my head.