Chapter Twelve
Emilie
Something startled me awake, although after listening quietly for a few moments, I was certain I’d imagined it. Maybe it was my own heart racing or the thoughts pounding against my skull. They were even louder than usual after being back inside Reyna’s mountain.
I sighed and closed my eyes. It was still dark outside; I needed to sleep longer, or at least rest. Ladon had confirmed his intentions to come to an agreement with Jesse tomorrow, which meant we would hopefully make our way into Reyna’s lair and find her beast in hiding.
Who knew what other monstrosities we would discover in the process?
But these days, once I woke, it was nearly impossible to go back to sleep. I turned to my right and then to my left. Then I sighed again and nestled into my thin pillow. It was almost identical to the one Ladon and I had had while in captivity, which only made my thoughts whirl faster.
Suddenly, a hand wrapped around mine, and I stifled a gasp. Ladon’s bunk was adjacent to mine, and we had chosen to lay with our heads at the same end. I should’ve known he was awake too.
His thumb rubbed soothing circles on the back of my hand, and I relaxed.
“Ladon?” I whispered.
“Yes, princess?”
I didn’t even know what I intended to say.
I just needed to hear his voice. We lay like that for a long time, hand in hand, while we listened to the wind whistle in through the crack near the roof.
I would always appreciate Ladon’s ability to set my mind and body at ease.
Nothing else, neither drink nor meditation, gave me the same sense of peace he did. Eventually, I fell back asleep.
The next time I woke, I was refreshed, and although I was nervous, I was ready to get through the day—hopefully with Vessina’s venom in hand and her head severed from her body.
Jade greeted us as promised shortly after we ate a hot breakfast of porridge and tea. It wasn’t much, but it settled my stomach, and considering how little the people here had, I was thankful they spared any for us at all.
When we entered the castle, Jesse was already sitting on his throne waiting for us.
“Good morning,” he said with a bright smile.
I couldn’t quite figure him out—whether his joy was genuine or a facade.
Perhaps if I’d met him a year or even a few months ago, I might’ve been less skeptical.
But my brief experience of life outside my homeland had been enough to make me distrust even the most innocent people. It was an effort to give him a chance.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
A chorus of unenthusiastic approval was enough to please him.
Jade, however, was unmoved. She stood by her brother’s side, looking down upon us. Her piercing eyes rattled me, but most chance gazes did these days. Every glance that swept my way made my skin crawl, but hers even more so.
I wasn’t sure why, but before I could give it any more thought, Jesse spoke again.
“Have you come to a decision?” he asked, placing his elbow on the armrest of his throne and resting his chin on a closed fist. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought he did not care about the outcome of this meeting.
But he did. So much was riding on it for his people. He’d made a lot of promises that he would have difficulty fulfilling without Osavian on his side.
“I have,” Ladon said. He stood at the front of our group, so I couldn’t see his face as he spoke.
His shoulders were pulled back, and he stood tall, regal even, in front of our hosts.
His confidence was so natural and enthralling.
“We will reopen the border crossings, but there will be guard posts. And we must discuss necessary travel documentation.”
Jesse nodded and motioned for Ladon to continue.
“I won’t remove our presence entirely from the western sea, but I will cut the number of ships in half.”
Jesse’s eyes narrowed for the first time. “Twenty percent.”
“Forty,” Ladon countered.
“Thirty.”
Ladon paused for a moment but ultimately nodded his agreement. “Lastly, the issue of trade.”
Jesse sat up straighter in his seat, and Jade seemed more attentive as well.
“We will send one caravan per month.”
Jade scoffed and turned around impatiently. Her brother showed more restraint. “I asked for weekly shipments.”
“And I’m offering monthly.”
I watched Jesse’s jaw ripple with frustration. “Biweekly.”
Ladon didn’t budge. Surely, he didn’t mean to walk away from these negotiations? His brother’s life was on the line—a fact that we all, even Jesse and Jade, knew very well.
The silent moment grew longer and longer while we all waited for his response. It was a standoff to see who had the most patience and fortitude, and Ladon won.
Jesse sighed. “What would it take to make it biweekly? There must be something else you’d like.”
“What do you have to offer?”
Jesse turned to his sister, who leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. Her brows pinched together, and she mulled over whatever he had said.
I rocked back and forth on my feet, eager to hear what else they could barter with.
They exchanged a few more whispered words and stilted expressions before Jesse faced us again and Jade slipped out of the room.
“There’s one thing I could offer that I think might interest you.
Though it’s a bit unconventional. Under normal circumstances, I never would’ve entertained the thought, but Murvort direly needs those resources; there’s no use pretending we don’t. ”
My curiosity was piqued. The way he squirmed in his seat made me impatient as well. Was it something dangerous? Or some scarce resource? Possibly something that was antique or unusual that wouldn’t be practical for Murvort but could be of some interest to the richer folk in Osavian?
We waited on edge until Jade returned. Four guards followed her, and between them, two prisoners in chains dragged along.
I sucked in a sharp breath. The first thing I noticed was their tattered clothes covered in dirt. Their hair and skin were also a mess, and I almost felt sorry for them. Almost… because when the first prisoner raised his head, I recognized him immediately.
I’d seen him many times inside this very estate. Even in his current state, I couldn’t miss his crooked nose and invasive gaze. His hands had been all over my body. I vividly recalled the way he had laughed at my discomfort and the imprint of his heavy limbs wrapped around me.
I turned quickly and clutched my stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Ladon grabbed my arm at the same time Bianca placed a hand on my back. “I’ve got her,” she said, urging Ladon to handle business. But he didn’t loosen his grip.
I attempted to reassure him even though my legs were shaky, and my heart was racing. “It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”
He nodded and released me, allowing Bianca to wrap an arm around my waist and keep me steady. I couldn’t express my gratitude for her support and the fact that she didn’t pry or question my reaction. She simply held me until my legs found their strength again.
Returning my attention to the prisoners, I gave the second one a good look. She was familiar too, though I wasn’t her chosen plaything. She favored Ladon.
My first instinct was to reach for his hand, to check that he was all right, but he appeared to be handling it all much better than I was. Memories flooded my vision faster than I could fight them, and I couldn’t understand how he masked his pain while I struggled to breathe.
I needed to get myself together. I didn’t want the two prisoners to know how deeply they affected me.
If they looked our way, I couldn’t be crumbling into nothing.
It took far too much effort to straighten my posture and lift my chin, but I did it anyway.
Bianca still had a supporting arm around me, but she gave me some space upon seeing my resolve return.
“Are you familiar with Zayn and Clarise?” Jesse asked.
The woman’s name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t recall if I’d ever heard the man’s name. Learning them had never mattered to me.
Ladon shook his head.
It was unclear how much Jesse knew about our time in captivity. He studied the two of us with a neutral expression. If Ladon had been on his own, he might’ve convinced Jesse that we didn’t recognize the two prisoners.
But my unease must’ve been written all over my face. I was still trembling, despite my best efforts to remain stoic. Jesse appraised me for another excruciating moment before cutting the silence.
“Interesting. I thought you might’ve been, considering they were two of Reyna’s closest friends. Are you sure you haven’t seen them before?” Rather than waiting for Ladon’s response, he fixed his eyes on me.
And I felt the weight of the world crushing me. Breathing was nearly impossible, and I was afraid that if I didn’t get out of this cave, I would soon begin to hyperventilate.
I broke first, looking down at my feet. The stone was black and jagged. If I fainted now, I would earn some cuts and bruises. Maybe Ladon or Bianca would catch me first.
“Hmm. It seems one of you might recall their faces,” Jesse said.
Ladon turned around for the first time since Zayn and Clarise had entered the hall, and his face drained of color upon seeing mine.
“Emilie.” His voice was thick with concern—did I somehow look worse than I felt?—and his eyes snapped to Bianca. “Take her back to the inn. Get her out of here.”
“No,” I said, resisting Bianca’s pull on my waist. “No, I want to stay.”
Ladon sighed and tilted his head. I could tell he wanted to argue. Driving each other mad was one of our favorite pastimes, but he wouldn’t win this quarrel. If vital decisions were to be made, I wanted to be present. No matter what it cost me.
I spoke softer, just for him to hear. “I’m not going anywhere, Ladon. I have every right to be here. I’ll be fine.”
He looked taken aback for a moment. “I didn’t… Of course you have a right to stay. I’m only worried about your wellbeing.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m okay.”
I sounded more confident than I felt, and perhaps he sensed that too. But he turned his attention toward Jesse once more, standing noticeably closer to me than he had been a few minutes before.
“Fine. You are correct. Our paths did cross on occasion while Emilie and I were kept hostage here in Murvort. What does it have to do with our agreement?”
Jesse remained calm and maybe even uninterested. Again, I couldn’t discern how much he knew of our time in Murvort. If he knew the things Reyna put us through—the parties that these two prisoners had attended—he didn’t say so. He didn’t seem to care how we knew the prisoners, and he didn’t ask.
“Zayn and Clarise are the only two of Reyna’s supporters that we could find. At least alive.” Jesse and Jade exchanged a grin at that. “I’ll admit I had my own uses for them, but I’m willing to hand them over for the sake of our treaty and trade agreement.”
“Hand them over? And what am I to do with them?” Ladon asked.
Jesse shrugged. “Whatever pleases you. I haven’t been able to get any useful information out of them, but maybe you’ll have more success. Or you could just kill them. They would be yours to decide which purpose they serve.”
My throat was so dry, I could hardly swallow.
Zayn glared at Jesse, and Clarise shuffled back and forth, the chains around her ankles and wrists clanking with each movement. My eyes were drawn to my own wrists, where white scars still covered my skin in the shape of pale vines. I would live with them for the rest of my life.
Could I also live with myself if we took the two of them back to Renoa and… did what exactly? Torture them? Humiliate them the way they did us? Kill them?
As it turned out, I could. The anger coursing through my veins was enough to calm my unsettled stomach. I didn’t know if it would make me feel better or not, but I was certain that I could live with myself. It was what they deserved.
My eyes met Ladon’s, and I knew before he said a word—he could too.