Tym reached his hand under the grate and grabbed at the uniform of the guard. A flash of light appeared, catching the guard’s clothes on fire. He screamed in panic dropping both knives to bat at his burning uniform. Kael used this opportunity to rush the burning guard and elbow him in the throat. The guard sputtered, and dropped to his knees. Kael punched him in the face knocking him out cold. As soon as the guard lost consciousness, the flames about him disappeared.
A small squeal escaped Scar Lip’s mouth and he turned white with fright, as he realized he was the only one left to face the deadly Kael. Scar Lip turned to run up the stairs as Kael threw the dagger. The silver blade sunk into Scar Lip’s back and he fell over with a grunt and slid down the stairs, coming to a halt on the bottom step.
Kael ran over and retrieved the keys from Scar Lip’s still body and ran to Tym’s cell. He quickly unlocked the door and a wide eyed Tym emerged, shaking. “Did you see that? I did it. I helped,” he sputtered.
“Thanks!” Kael quickly shot out to Tym, “but you have to get out of here and quick.”
Tym wasted no time and shot up the stairs and down the corridor toward freedom.
Kael unlocked my cell. As the door swung open I could see his face close up for the first time and my heart fluttered with apprehension. Here was someone who wasn’t afraid to die. A fierce look came from stormy blue eyes that were partially obscured by long dark hair. Kael’s hard mouth was set in a firm line as he studied me. He looked beyond me into the darkness of my cell searching for an ambush or possibly another prisoner. Kael looked older than me by a few years, but was striking and fierce looking at the same time. Here was a man bred to be a warrior.
I knew what he would find looking at me, a short little thing that looked more like a child than an adult. My height stopped at a few inches over five feet, and I was small compared to his towering frame. My hair hung dark and limp down my back and my blues eyes looked sickly surrounded by my swollen face and bruises. His look was grim and determined as he reached for my arm, and then stopped, his hand inches away.
“Come on,” he growled, curling his fingers into a fist at his side.
I ignored his gruff demeanor. After all, I didn’t know him and he did rescue me. I tried to stand, but all I was able to do was take a few steps and then stumble into the door. I was weak from malnourishment and the intense pounding in my head was making me feel awkward and unbalanced.
Kael inhaled his breath as if he was holding it and stepped back not bothering to assist me. “Get going,” he snapped.
The tone of his voice made me stiffen in resistance. I squared my shoulders and ordered him about. “Well, then move out of the doorway.”
Kael moved to the side, letting me pass before he reached for a torch from a wall. He entered each of the opened cells and gathered all of the blankets, clothes and straw into a corner to make kindling. Once done, he set them ablaze. He deftly stepped over the dead and unconscious guards and moved to the hall. The hungry crackling fire would soon spread to the wooden door and along the support beams in the wall. I hoped he would bring the whole thing down.
I stood watching him work until I had a prickling sensation on the back of my neck and I moved as fast as my feet would take me up the stairs and out the first door. Not bothering to notice that the stairs were empty of a body that was previously there, I hurried down the corridor to where the passageway split. To my left I could smell the air of freedom, but to my right down the other dark corridor, stood the huge metal door of the laboratory and possibly Cammie. I started to take steps away from potential freedom when Kael loomed up behind me.
“No, leave it well alone. GET OUT of here!” he yelled, as he dragged the still form of an unconscious guard after him. The other guard must not have survived.
“But Cammie could be down there!”
“You get outside. I’ll go look for her.” He propped the guard against the wall and ran toward the laboratory room.
Nodding my head in assent, I silently made my way down the opposite passageway, realizing that I wasn't eager in the least to travel the other one.
I followed the dark passageway by feeling the wall with my hand, wishing that I had thought to grab a torch. The wood beams became sparse and the ceiling started to slant lower and lower, until I was feeling the cross beams skim the top of my head. Anyone taller would have to duck to traverse the same path. My hands started to get entangled in roots that protruded from the wall. The gloomy darkness of the passageway seemed to go on forever until it came to an abrupt end, and I encountered a wall of dirt.
Feeling a moment of panic, I felt around in the darkness, for a door or handle, anything to help me escape. Something rough brushed against my face and I squeaked in surprise. Touching the object I found it to be a rope that dangled from the ceiling. Following the rope up with my hands I found that it was attached to a trapdoor in the ceiling.
By now the darkness was slowly being lightened by the glow of red flames behind me. I pushed the wooden door and it barely moved an inch. I was so weak it took me three tries to push it open. But I still had to pull myself out of the tunnel. I could smell the smoke and it stung my eyes making them water as I desperately tried to lift my own bodyweight out of the trapdoor.
“Come on!” I cried aloud. I scratched the ground for purchase trying to find any handhold to assist me. I finally dragged my chest across the dirt floor bruising my ribs in the process.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I emerged, but I wasn’t expecting a stable. The trapdoor was carefully hidden in the back stall under straw. The whole prison and experimental lab was housed and camouflaged by a stable. The smell of the horses would definitely cover the smell of the prison, experiments and death.
Standing to my feet I brushed my dirt caked hands on my shirt and looked around for a means of faster escape. I glanced back down into the trapdoor, looking for signs of Kael or Cammie. But the passageway was empty except for the faint glow of fire and a trail of smoke that was pouring out of it.
There were eight wooden stalls in the stable, six were empty. I knew the Raven wasn’t here because Scar Lip had said so and I hadn’t seen any of the cursed Septori. Where were they? Somewhere close? Or did they build a stable out in the middle of nowhere for this purpose. No, I thought to myself, there had to be another building close by. I wasn’t sure but I didn’t think the prison seemed big enough to house all of the Septori and guards. If that was the case that meant they would see the smoke and soon they would be upon us.
Two horses were still stabled and the signs that a third was here not too long ago. Tym was smart enough to grab a mount. The two horses were starting to panic as more smoke poured in through the trapdoor.
Running to the wall, I grabbed the bridle from a hook and tried to put the bay's tack on. My hands were shaking so much that I kept fumbling with the cinch. Once finished, I reached for the roan's bridle. I knew I wasn’t going to have time for saddles, I was tiring quickly and I didn't have the strength to hoist the saddles onto the horse’s backs, when I slipped in something warm and wet.
Looking down, I saw that I had stepped in a small pool of blood. Horror and shock froze me and the jerking of the horses pulled my attention back to the dire situation. Ignore the blood, get out of here. NOW!
I struggled to keep both horses under control as I led them out of the stable into the darkening night. The crackling fire and the pungent smell of smoke were getting closer, and making the horses panic. The sound of a rushing river caught my ear and I half pulled, half sweet talked the horses toward the water away from fire. But once they caught sight of the water, they dragged me the rest of the way. Looking over my shoulder toward the stable I prayed that Kael would hurry up and get out of there.
Reaching the river bed I dropped to my knees and leaned down to wash the dirt from my hands. Cupping my hands I drank the water down in huge gulps, the coldness making my empty stomach cramp in pain. But my stomach pain was soon an afterthought as I
felt the cool prick of a knife at my throat.
I froze in fear, hands to my side, still kneeling by the riverbed; the rocks digging into my knees painfully. Too scared to turn my head, I followed the blade of a knife with my eyes to Scar Lip’s shaking body. He was angry, bloody and sputtering in rage.
“You little brat, he’s going to hold me responsible!” Scar Lip grabbed me around the throat with his free hand and began to squeeze. His voice became cold, hard “but you are the one who’s going to pay, just like the boy!”
My mind flashed to the drops of blood I saw in the stable and I made the connection to Tym. Scar Lip had killed Tym!
Wildly I clawed at Scar Lip’s huge hands trying to pry them from around my neck, to no avail. Dropping one hand I frantically dug my fingers into the dirt; looking for anything that could be used as a weapon, when my fingers wrapped around a small rock.
White specks danced before my eyes and I knew I was running out of time. And during this bizarre moment is when I realized my constant headache had disappeared. In a final act of desperation, I swung the rock at his head and Scar Lip yelled, dropping the knife into the river.
Gasping for breath I scrambled to my feet, my hands reaching for my bruised throat. It ached and I had trouble swallowing and catching my breath. I had just turned to look for Scar Lip, when a large branch came out of the darkness connecting with my head. White blinding pain filled my conscience. Spinning with the force of the blow I fell backwards into the fast moving river. The coldness made me gasp for breath and water filled my mouth making me choke. I was able to glimpse the starry night turning bright with orange fire before my world turned pitch black.
Chapter 2
The smell of cooking meat and the sound of a campfire crackling brought me slowly to awareness; that and the small stone that was stabbing my lower back with a vengeance. Being very careful not to change the rhythm of my breathing, I listened and tried to take stock of my surroundings through lowered lashes.
I was laid out on a bedroll underneath the open sky with a cloak rolled up under my head. The scent of sweat, spice and horse mingled together and assailed my nose. The sound of numerous horses nickering warned me of the possibility of multiple people in the camp. I looked for any signs of the Septori or Scar Lip.
A small fire was being tended by a brown haired, middle aged man wearing the most flamboyant outfit I had ever seen. He was arrayed in patchwork blues, yellow and white. The clothing was wrapped so intricately I couldn’t tell where one swatch began and the other stopped. Light tan leather boots went up his calf and ended with ornately decorated designs of swirls and flourishes. I was staring so hard that I missed someone leaning over me until a shadow covered my face.
“Well Darren, it looks like our little fish is awake,” the shadow spoke.
All pretense of feigning sleep vanished as I found myself confronted with the most handsome young man I’d ever seen. I took in the wind-blown, sandy blonde hair and dimpled smile. His deep green eyes were pools of emotions. Worry, kindness, hope were so evident in them that I soon lost all thought of being afraid. He was beautiful, too beautiful to be human. His attractiveness left me stunned and gaping wide mouthed like the fish he had moments before called me.
“How are you doing?”
His strong fingers went to my brow to adjust the bandage that was wrapped around my head. I flinched with the contact. He made shushing noises as I tried to protest the cup of water he was putting to my lips. But once the cool water touched my dry throat I grasped his hand and began to drink greedily, moaning in protest when he pulled it away.
“No, that’s enough. I’m sure you have plenty of questions, and we have some for you, but let me assure you first and foremost that you are safe. And we won’t harm you. What’s your name?”
“Thalia.” I paused as I racked my brain helplessly for more. But that’s all I was able to give him.
“Well, Thalia, you can call me Joss. The funny looking man burning the soup is Darren Hamden.” He gestured to the brightly decorated man I was staring at earlier. My eyes skimmed Joss' outfit and saw that he too, was dressed in finely tailored clothes, although not as exuberant as Darren's clothes.
“Where are we?” I implored.
“Well, we are currently in Calandry,” he said as he pointed across the river, “right over there is Sinnendor, if that is where you would like to be?”
I stared blankly at Joss, waiting for him to elaborate. He bobbed his head as he hurriedly tried to explain.
“We stopped to water the horses and found you, injured and burning with fever on the riverbank.” Joss nodded in Darren’s direction. “Darren thought maybe you had a run in with some of Sinnendor's Elite.”
What I knew of Sinnendor was very little. It was a country run by a King that hated all Denai. So the Denai stayed clear of their borders and the blood thirsty king. But accidents happen and sometimes Sinnendor’s bloodline wasn’t always as pure as the King hoped. Those with mixed blood tried to escape at night to Calandry, where all races were welcome. Most never made it past the guards, or “The Elite,” Sinnendor's fiercest warriors that patrolled the borders and killed anyone trying to enter or leave the country on sight. Their sole purpose was to keep the scourge of the impure out of the country and kill those with it, trying to leave.
Joss interrupted my thoughts, “We don’t care much for the King of Sinnendor or how they run things, but that wouldn’t stop us from offering help.” The look he gave me was a questioning one, as if he himself was still trying to figure out where I fit in. “You were unconscious, so I took the liberty of healing your wounds.”
“So you are a Denai?” I looked at him surprised.
Joss nodded yes. In embarrassment he looked down at the ground before looking back up at me, and it made me realize he was probably only a year older than me.
Taking a quick breath he went on. “You had intensive internal injuries and I wasn't able to heal everything. So there will be scarring….” he looked solemn and nodded to my arms.
I glanced at my arms and saw that the cuts, burns and scars had faded to faint silvery lines where before they were a deep infected red. The black and blue bruises were gone. I hadn’t felt so good in a long time, but I felt a cold sweat start to break out at the thought of Joss using power on me, while I was unconscious. It was too similar to what the Septori had done. I quelled the fear in the pit of my stomach, and swallowed my pride.
I nodded to Joss in answer. “Let 'em be, scars can heal in their own time.” I was about to say more when Darren brought over a bowl of broth with small chopped up vegetables in it. My stomach growled over the broth and I immediately started drinking it right out of the bowl. I finished with only letting a little dribble down my chin, but my gaze was drawn to the meat roasting over the fire. When was the last time I had tasted meat?
“Well, well, well,” Darren laughed. “Hungry little thing, isn’t she? Don’t worry; you can have more broth in a little bit. It needs to settle to see if it’s going to stay down before you can have more.” He caught my gaze drifting to the meat again. His demeanor became more serious as he politely explained. “Your body isn’t ready for meat yet, little one; it will just come back up.”
I took in his appearance now that he was closer and I saw the neatly trimmed triangle of hair under his bottom lip. He sported one gold hoop earring with a single blue bead that added to the carefree rover look of him.
“Why don’t you explain how you ended up in the river and then we will give you some more broth, eh?” Darren interrupted. My thoughts immediately flashed back to my time as a prisoner and I began to uncontrollably shake.
“Now, now,” Darren said. “It’s okay, but I think it will get easier if you face your fears and talk about it.”
Glancing at Joss I saw that he had become quiet and sat back as if steeling himself for the news. I shrugged my shoulders in indifference. “I'll talk as long as Darren keeps my bowl filled.” Darren’s bold laughter eased the
tension as he shook my hand to seal the deal.
Even though their friendly manner made me want to trust them, I wasn't ready to give them the whole truth. I was still a lone woman amongst two strangers and who knows, they could be lying about who they are? Maybe they lied and they were part of Sinnendor’s Elite. I decided to play it safe.
“I was running away… and I slipped and fell in the river.” I couldn't look either of them in the eye as I said it.
Darren's brows drew together and he frowned. It was as if he could sense my lie, and he pulled the bowl of broth back toward him, away from my grasp. “Sorry, girlie, I wasn't born yesterday. That's not the whole truth.”
“Yes, it is,” I countered. “I fell in.”
“I'd wager there’s more to it than that. So tell me what were you running away from?”
I couldn't help it. My eyes darted a look over their shoulder to check for signs of hooded robes.
Darren saw my scared look so he took a deep breath, kneeled in front of me and very gently put his rough hand on my shoulder. “Thalia, it is obvious that you are scared of something or someone. The state that we found you in spoke of more than just falling in a river. You show the signs of long term abuse. And even though you just met us, I assure you that we will do everything in our power to keep you safe.” Darren's voice spoke truth, and I felt the protective wall I had built start to crumble.
“The Septori, I was taken by the Septori,” I choked out in a barely audible voice. This time it was Darren and Joss' turn to look at me in confusion.
“They are a cult led by a horrible leader we only knew as the Raven.” My hands began to shake and I dug my fingernails painfully into my palms in an attempt to quell the hatred that rushed me. “They kidnapped, tortured and performed brutal experiments on us. I was lucky to escape with my life. Most didn’t. They are a heartless group of red robed monsters,” I spat out angrily. Feeling a stinging pain I looked down and noticed that fresh blood coated my fingernails. I had dug my nails in so hard I made my palms bleed. Feeling slightly ashamed that I had reinjured myself, I tucked my hands under my arms and looked at the ground. I hoped Joss wouldn’t notice my self-inflicted injury and want to heal me. He didn’t.