Chapter 21
It has to be tonight. We cannot wait any longer. “I heard them talking about moving us,” I whisper quickly. It is late. Everyone is gathered around, but we only have until Briony stops moaning Henrik’s name until we have to stop and resume our positions.
It happens like this every night. As soon as she has deposited Alana with Eldrion, Briony comes here, fucks Henrik, then runs back up in time to take Alana back to her chambers.
“We should do it as soon as he’s back.” I glance at Raine. “You’re sure about this?”
She nods, resting her hands on her stomach. “I am not giving birth in this cell,” she says. “So if I have to fake some contractions to get us out of here. Then, yeah, I’m sure.”
I smile at her, but I can feel Maura’s eyes boring into me like daggers. “It’s too risky,” she says.
“No, it’s not. Henrik is our sole guard. No one else will be in danger. He’ll open the cell, and when he examines Raine, I’ll attack.”
A flurry of voices rise up, and I have to hush them quickly. Most are in agreement. Only a few believe we should wait and be cautious.
“Right now, we know Henrik’s routine. We know this place and its movements. If we’re moved, we could be separated or worse. And next time we might not have just one hapless guard to contend with. We could have more than one.” I pause and turn to Maura. “But as the only elder present, Maura, you have final say. I will not do anything without your blessing.”
Maura sucks in her cheeks. Fury blooms across her cheekbones. “You have made up your mind,” she says. “I won’t pretend I think trying to stop you will do any good.”
“Then you agree?” I ask, my hand twitching in my pocket.
Maura sighs. “I agree.” She answers me with closed eyes, and when I nod at the others to prepare themselves, she leans in close and takes my hand. “I know why you’re doing this, though, Kayan. And I know it has nothing to do with us changing location.”
I hesitate, fiddling with the discarded fishbone I spent the last week fashioning into a sharper point.
She meets my eyes, her lips a thin foreboding line. “You’re doing this for her. Because she wants to rescue us and you don’t want her to be hurt.”
I open my mouth to object. At the same time, my thumb pricks the fishbone and I wince. “Both things can be true.” I take out the bone and deftly unfasten the magic binders from my wrists.
Maura makes a hmm sound in the back of her throat, but clearly chooses not to say anymore because she turns away from me and laces her fingers together as if she’s praying. Perhaps she is, because I’m sure I see her lips twitching. Uttering words of the old tongue to wish us luck and good fortune.
“They’re done,” Pen hisses. He is closest to the door side of the cage and also has a keen sense of hearing. It was him who heard Henrik and the other guard, Bran, talking about moving us.
A few moments later, the door clatters back and Henrik strides back in, adjusting his trousers. There is no sign of Briony, but she will be on her way back to Alana. To wait outside while she and Eldrion... do whatever it is they do in their nightly sessions.
Henrik assesses us carefully, checks we’re all roughly where he left us, then grunts that it’ll be lights out soon and we should be getting some sleep. Right on cue, as he walks away, Raine begins her performance.
First, a wince. Then a shuffling of discomfort. A groan and then, the true stroke of genius, behind her someone throws a splash of water from our ration bottle. By the time Henrik turns around, Raine is clutching her stomach, panting, and begging for help.
“Please,” she says, eyes wide. “It’s too early. The baby isn’t due yet.”
Henrik’s mouth drops open. Still in the flush of his tryst with Briony, he stutters, hesitates, and when Raine starts to double over in pretend waves of pain, runs to the bars.
“Please, help me,” Raine pleads.
“I can’t.” Henrik brushes his hand through his hair. His face is pale and sweaty. “I’m so sorry, I can’t.”
“At least unfasten her chains, so I can deliver the baby.” Maura speaks up, pulling herself to her feet. “I am the only one here with enough experience and I’m not close enough.”
“Tell them what to do.” Henrik waves his hand at those closest to Raine.
“She can’t give birth in chains.” Maura tilts her chin up defiantly. “Young man, do you have a mother? A sister? A lover?”
Henrik glances at the door, so quickly it’s almost unnoticeable. But clearly he’s thinking of Briony. “I...”
Maura stands firm, while I try to make myself as invisible as possible. Right now, all Henrik should be thinking about is the pregnant mother who needs help and the kind old fae woman who has offered it.
Eventually, he nods, fumbles for his keys, and pulls open the door. He strides over to Raine and unfastens her chains. She mutters a strained thank-you and sinks to her knees.
“Hang on, Raine, I’m coming.” Maura holds out her hands.
Henrik stands between Maura and me, back to me, and puts the key into the cuff around her neck. It clicks open. But before he can turn around, I jump for him. Wrapping my entire body around his, I bring my weapon to his throat and press it against his skin until a bead of blood bubbles up from its stubbled surface.
Maura grabs the keys from him and throws them to Raine, who instantly starts unlocking everyone else.
“You won’t get away with this,” Henrik says. Then he adds, “You won’t even make it over the bridge. The sentinels will see you and they’ll shoot arrows at you until you’re –”
“Which is why you’re coming with us,” I spit. “Leverage.”
At that, Henrik laughs. He laughs so hard, I feel his ribs move beneath me. “You think they’d let you free to save my life?” He squirms beneath me but I keep hold of him, surprised by how much desperation has fuelled my strength. “They couldn’t care less about me, you fools.”
“Which is why we need the cuffs off, too.” I nod at Pen. Now unchained, he marches out of the cells and begins to raid Henrik’s desk. “There’s nothing here,” he says. “I thought they were... We saw them. The keys. They’re always in here.”
I tighten my grip on Henrik. “Where are they?”
“There is no point,” he says, with almost a hint of a sigh.
“Where are they?”
There’s a pause, and then he says, “All right. I’ll show you.”
Slowly, still holding my weapon at his throat, I march him out of the cell. But we haven’t even crossed the threshold before he turns on me. Wrenching round in my grasp, cutting his own throat, but not deep enough to wound him badly, he knocks the weapon from my hand and punches me hard in the stomach. I try to fight him off, but he is bigger and stronger.
He batters me to the ground. I yell at the others to stay back and concentrate on finding the keys to the binders. He has his hands around my throat when the door clatters back on its hinges and Briony’s sweet voice calls, “Henrik!”
The split second in which he looks for her is enough to give me an advantage. I use his body weight against him, flip him over, and pin him to the ground. “Let us go. Help us,” I say, staring into his eyes.
I expect him to go limp beneath me. To relent. But he doesn’t. So, when Maura puts the weapon back into my hand, I don’t hesitate.
I thrust it into his gut and twist.