9. NINE #4
I follow without resistance, but my guilt grows heavier with each step away from my family. We move as fast as stealth allows through the dark passages. Shouts echo from beyond as people search the palace.
Once my eyes adjust to the shadows, I no longer need to hold on to Brijita’s sash to steady myself. We emerge on the north side of the palace near the gardens where I’d been a few short hours earlier.
Cool water beats against the side of my face as the storm rages on, providing cover for our footsteps. We duck between a maze of shrubs. Scattered rose petals litter our path, unaccustomed to such a downpour.
My soaked pants drag across the ground. I reach out for Brijita to stop, taking the dagger in her belt to cut the hems. Free from the loose fabric, we continue our pace down the winding hill to where the palace garden gives way to large homes and the sprawling city beyond.
Most of our citizens were gathered at the eastern steps to witness the coronation. Hopefully they were able to escape the violence.
Brijita tucks us behind some trees, placing one finger against her lips. A group of guards pass, footsteps splashing as they run. We wait a moment before racing across the square and into an alleyway.
Wait, breathe, run, wait. One more step. And then another.
My skin prickles with goose bumps as the storm blows colder, replacing the summer heat.
We steal our way to the northernmost edge of the city.
Giant crimson pillars break up clusters of guards.
Their watchful eyes face inward, ignoring the vast desert beyond.
They are tasked with perimeter duty, so why is their focus elsewhere?
A shiver runs down my spine. We won’t be able to seek aid from them. Just how far does this treachery reach?
“We need to get to the stables.” Brijita nods to the structure forty meters to our left.
Guards block each entrance, too many for the two of us to take alone. We assess our surroundings, mentally mapping out the best path. Every idea ends with our capture, though. We can’t stay here for much longer.
Water from the overhang pours down our backs as a gust rakes across the roof.
The roof. I nod upward, the path already clear in my mind.
“They will see us,” Brijita argues.
I glance at the pillars, their figures growing faint in the dense rainfall. If I have trouble seeing them, they will have trouble seeing us. “We move slowly. Jump when the thunder strikes.”
She worries her lower lip and scans the streets. We both know there are no other alternatives. Not if she wants us to leave through the north checkpoint before Zala finds us.
Nodding, she pushes her back against the wall and laces her fingers in a foothold.
I place one slipper in her hand and tense as she launches me into the air.
I latch onto the edge and pull myself onto the stone roof, careful to keep myself as flat as possible.
The edge stands only a foot high, offering little coverage.
I reach a hand down and pull Brijita to the ledge.
We crawl belly-down to the opposite side of the building and pull up into a crouch.
A flash of light streaks across the sky, and once the darkness returns, we launch ourselves across the six-foot divide to the next roof.
The boom of thunder swallows the sound of our impact and my groan as stone bites into my knees and palms.
Lightning strikes, and we leap again. My legs burn, cramping as I crouch over the last roof. We are as close to the stables as possible. The gap too far to jump. Brijita checks to make sure the side of the building is clear, and we shimmy down, tucking ourselves into a doorway.
My pulse hammers in my ears as I fight for even breaths.
The back entrance to the stables faces us, guarded by two soldiers. They lean against the opening to the stalls, scanning the streets every few minutes. There is no safe way to approach unseen or close the distance before they call for help.
Maybe we can wait for the changing of the guard, but I have no idea when that will be. The ceremony altered any routines and that was before...
My face must betray the horror seizing my mind and heart. Brijita interrupts my assessment, pulling me into a hug. Her forehead meets mine. “You must get to the horses and make your way to the cliffs.”
Why did that sound like goodbye? She can’t leave me alone. “You’re coming with me,” I command.
She ignores my words, continuing her instructions. “At the northern-most point there is a cave and a secret dock for our shadows who cross the Draconos Pass. Find the craft moored there and make your way to the northern continent. I fear Kalisham is no longer safe for you.”
My tears mix with the rain streaking down my cheeks. Numbness and dread slice into me, and I press a hand to my chest to ease the pain. I have to keep it together. Mother commanded me to escape and live, but all I want to do is curl into a ball and wake from this nightmare.
“The craft is small. You’ll see when you get there. Move the sea in your favor sparingly. If you grow too tired, you will drown.” She describes the path and what to look for as she scans the open street.
“Please, come with me.” I grab onto her arms in a desperate attempt to keep her from running off. I sound like a child as I beg, “We can find a way.”
Her eyes reflect my sorrow. “This is a journey you must face alone. Good luck, my brave girl. May we meet again.”
She maneuvers out of my grasp, sprinting into the downpour. The guards notice her immediately and sound a horn to notify the others of her position. She runs like a great beast is chasing her, guards trailing behind. They disappear around a corner, toward the palace.
Escape will be difficult, but not impossible. Not for Brijita.
Please make it out alright, I pray.
Sprinting to the stables, I slip into the middle stall where Father’s horse, Niko, runs circles into the ground. I calm him, pressing my face to his salt-and-pepper snout. “I’ll need that energy, my friend.”
No time to waste with a saddle, I grip his braided mane and dig my heels into his side. We shoot out into the night. Brijita’s distraction works, leaving the yard leading to the pillars guard-free.
Niko rushes forward, the fastest horse in all of Kalisham a blur in the water. We take the perimeter guards by surprise, leaping through the nearest set and into the desert. Their shouts fade, and alarm drums echo through the thunder.
I nudge Niko to go faster. Rain cuts into my flesh like tiny daggers.
I can’t afford to waste my power on easing the downpour. The wind and I are old friends, but water took me years and more than one disgruntled tutor to learn to manipulate. It will take all of my concentration to ride the current of the monster waves battling through the pass.
Niko starts to slow, fatigued from the long sprint on soaked sand, but keeps a decent pace as we race for the cliffs. His heavy breaths shoot steam into the air.
“Just a bit farther,” I whisper for us both.
Mother’s final command holds my resolve in place, her voice driving me forward. I will survive.