Chapter 14 Ro
Ro
Ihadn’t packed anything to conceal my face, or my usual Windguard attire. Any eyes I caught glaring my way made my cheeks heat, but I kept my pace consistent, my face neutral. So far the perceived glares were just my overactive imagination, but better to be safe than caught unawares.
The quadrant we headed to wasn’t somewhere I frequented, and I could only hope that any vendors or patrons who witnessed my market outburst wouldn’t be here.
Our clothes remained damp. We’d avoided the woods knowing the soldiers possibly still lurked within them, instead traveling along an exposed road. It’d been luck and desperation that led to us hitching a ride with a merchant heading into the city.
We portrayed ourselves as two women who’d become silly and used a nearby lake to cool off in, fully clothed. I lazily held my bow, as if I had no idea how to wield it, claiming I’d wanted to try my father’s weapon in a field but got bored. The driver chuckled and took pity on us.
I didn’t love playing the role of a foolish woman. Condescending stares from men made my skin crawl, but I would use anything to my advantage to get to the Hava City contact faster.
Alba stuck to my side as we funneled through the streets.
Evening was upon us, the crowd thinning as the day drew to its end.
I had to physically shake off the familiar sensation that clawed its way out from the dregs of my memories, the same rivaling fear that wanted to swallow me whole when my family fled Windguard.
The people I loved were once again in danger of falling into the clutches of this merciless army, to pay a price that should never have been placed upon them.
“Ravinder said when you reach the mason’s shop to give two sharp whistles. I’ll go set up on the other side of the lane, in case you need a distraction,” Alba said, snapping me from the place I wrestled to escape.
If I hadn’t been so concerned with finding this contact and relaying the information, I might have been impressed with her take charge attitude.
She seemed to keep a cool head and was quick to pick up on information.
I hadn’t even recalled telling her we were going to a shop, but I had revealed his occupation, so one could only assume.
I hoped Rav wouldn’t flay me for having loose lips in this situation.
My heart beat steady and quick, like the pounding of a hammer on an anvil, nearly rattling my chest with its force. I tried to hedge my thoughts about all that could go terribly wrong back at Rahana before we managed to bring help, but the fear rooted in my belly was fermenting, hard to ignore.
Few passed on the street as the sun hung low in the sky. Despite it being nearly night, I expected a place with a population like Hava City to have more activity. An almost eerie silence rolled in, accentuating every step I took that cost us time.
I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone grabbed my shoulder.
No, not someone grabbing my shoulder. Some thing landing on it.
“What are you doing here?! I told you you weren’t allowed in Windguard!”
“I came to find you, but you were gone, so I sniffed out your trail.”
I couldn’t really be mad. Finding my loved ones to make sure they were safe was something I’d do.
“I need you to be extra hidden here, okay?” The blue dragon nuzzled himself into the deep pocket of my hood.
I ducked into an alley between two buildings, the masonry to my immediate right. I’d lost sight of Alba, but she probably chose to hide herself as well.
With my fingers pinched together, I raised them to my mouth and blew two strong and short notes.
The seconds that passed felt like minutes, then the minutes felt like hours.
Had I hidden myself too well? Did the shelter of the buildings drown out my signal?
I stepped back into view of the street, casting my gaze around and toward the mason shop door.
All the businesses looked closed for the evening.
Well shit. Had we come too late? I hadn’t factored in business hours causing an issue. Maybe we’d taken too long to trek here.
Waiting until morning was much too risky. Deciding it was worth trying again, I brought my fingers to my mouth, but before I whistled, the faint sound of someone approaching echoed in the empty street.
But I couldn’t locate from which direction. Because they were coming from multiple. The sound grew, like a crescendo that sang in thunderous applause. A group.
An army.
When I spotted the first set of Windguardian soldiers, I started moving, only to face another set in the distance.
Pivoting again, the same thing happened.
Crossing the street would expose me, but hiding in the alley became a non-option when soldiers veered down it from the other end.
They were closing in, leaving me with no plan of escape.
“Stay hidden.” If Braxius chose to bolt now, which I was tempted to order him to do, I feared some soldiers with archery training may target him in the sky. People with magic were sentenced to death, so a creature associated with magic would surely suffer the same fate.
I didn’t have time for this. The camp was in danger.
While I felt confident Rahana could fend off an attack, I knew insights from the mason would help us plan our course of action better, give us an advantage.
Frantically scanning the other side of the street, I still didn’t see Alba.
All I could hope was that she’d remain unseen.
It would be up to her to update the contact. If he was even here.
It dawned on me that this wasn’t a normal patrol. This was an ambush. Meaning they were on the lookout. Maybe the soldiers sent to the river were meant to draw out the traitor in their midst, and by me coming and giving the signal, I’d confirmed who their suspect was.
Shit, shit, shit. Already in the line of sight of a few soldiers, I had nowhere to go. My best move was to play it cool, casual, unbothered. I leaned against the side of the masonry building, picking at my nails. What else could I do?
The soldiers circled, indicating I was clearly the intended target.
“Are you the one who stole Taia’s mortar and pestle from King Taja?” one of the soldiers asked from the encroaching ring formed around me.
A string of unique curse words sprung to mind. I knew the palace had been aware of what I’d stolen, since I’d narrowly escaped. Still, after all this time and the multiple trips to Hava City, I thought the coast was clear.
My lips remained tight, biting back a retort that surely Taia, Twin Goddess of the Forest, never actually used the thing and to label it as hers was a bit dramatic.
I forced my chest to give the appearance of steady breathing, though my lungs burned and my heart pounded.
Innocent people wouldn’t look nervous, and they had no way to pin that on me.
How they even suspected me, I couldn’t figure out.
Another soldier chuckled. Not a laugh of amusement, but one of cruelty that sent chills down my spine. “Thought you might be difficult. Let’s loosen those lips, shall we?” His fingers curled, summoning his men forward.
Oh, this wasn’t going to be a good time. I remained against the wall, but every muscle primed to reach for the bow strapped to my back—until Alba emerged through the wall of soldiers, dragged by two of them with a gag in her mouth.
A wave of defeat crashed over me. I’d been willing to fight my way out, or at least try even with the odds stacked against me, but I wouldn’t risk Alba. They knew the leverage they held, swords wielded with the promise of following through.
“Yes, I am the one who stole from Taja’s palace.” I forced out the condemning words from my throat, pushing off the wall, the only security I had against the mob before me.
“His Majesty requests your presence,” the same soldier who asked the previous question said as he stepped forward.
Rough hands gripped my arms in a similar fashion to Alba, and we headed towards Kabash.
To the scene of my crime; the palace. Toward an awaiting punishment, and away from any potential I had to help my camp.
They’d forced Alba and me to travel in separate wagons, each blessed with the delightful company of multiple soldiers who’d clearly worked all day in the heat smothered by their armor.
They’d taken offense when I’d suggested we crack a window for the smell.
My face remained neutral, but the cackle in my mind was loud as hell.
My weapons had been taken, my hands bound behind my back in iron chains, but Braxius remained tucked away. Thank the gods.
Escorted through the palace, my chains singing against the smooth polished stone, I knew by our route that we were headed for the throne room.
I’d mastered these halls briefly during my undercover stint as a baker’s assistant.
Unfortunately, I’d come away with no useful information, only a reaffirmed abysmal opinion on the maniacal ruler—until I made my stay worthwhile by snagging something from the palace’s treasure room.
The sterile decor painted a matching picture of how inviting this man was. Columns bordered the hallways, squared bases carved into ferocious beasts like lions and dragons snapping at those passing by.
I think I’d much prefer those carvings come to life and maul me than face the man I hated most.
We entered the marble drenched room, the sound of a dozen soldiers thrumming against the floor as they brought us before the man who held our lives in his golden embellished hands.
Torches flickered their light against the stone, symmetrically framing the gold painted throne before me, raised on a platform to look down on whoever entered, of course.
Our envoy brought us to a halt. “Your Majesty. As requested.”