Chapter 11 Rorin
Rorin
By the end of this day, we will finally be in Sabel. We have to be.
This morning started rough when Will and I got into an argument over the transportation arrangements for our hostage. He suggested she ride on the back of his horse. I suggested she be tied to the back of a horse.
Civility and Will’s stubbornness won out.
Once Bennett took the lead for today, he made sure to sidle up to him, pointedly ignoring me.
For the past several hours, I’ve visualized the diagrams and maps of the City of Sabel, trying to make a route for us to take from memory. The city is enormous — the size of Valen and Oriya combined, at least. Which just begs one question – how the fuck am I going to find her?
She’ll be like a needle in a haystack, unless by a stroke of luck and Marjorie’s meddling, these runes will reactivate, and I’ll get the uncomfortable burning sensation racing through my arm again.
A masochistic beacon pointing straight to her. I’ve no idea if that will happen, but I can hope.
Until then, our first priority will be finding somewhere to stay. Once that’s settled, Max will make contact with Felix and Armond to let them know Obsidian’s brand-new king is still with them.
King.
Well, King Consort technically, but… still, it’s a title I had always wondered if it would be mine. All signs pointed to yes, thanks to my birthright, but my father was never big on following any sort of customary rules. He’d rule forever if he could.
He’s nothing more than a little puppet king, now that Baelor is involved. I think to myself, vicious thoughts towards the princess and our sires linger in the air, and the nape of Pruella’s neck twitches as if she can hear them. I smirk, biting back a laugh that earns me a curious look from Millie.
She and Max have hung back with me, keeping the two of us in check with such proximity to Hadar’s heir.
She called us “liabilities”, something both Max and I resent. But considering how uncomfortable and unsettled my Wield is right now, just by seeing the back of Pruella's head… well, maybe Millie has a point.
The moment the smoke billowing from the busy city crested over the horizon, I thought Bennett might slide off his horse and kiss the sand.
He was doing well until the city’s metallic architecture came into view, and he actually did slide off his horse.
Thankfully, he didn’t kiss the sand; he only pressed a dramatic hand to his heart and muttered thanks to the gods.
Nighttime was well underway by the time we actually made it behind the city walls, but the nightlife was alive and well. It would seem that despite their doing away with the monarchy and installing a Consulate, there’s no evidence of civil unrest.
Must be nice. My conscience grumbles. What half the realm would do for a peaceful political change.
“There’s no way our five horses are going to fit through these streets.” Will notes.
I look over our group and see that he’s right. Our horses will barely fit through the narrow lanes amidst their self-driving wagons, patrons, and market stands. I nod for Bennett to go ahead and find accommodations for the horses; we’ll have to be on foot while we’re here.
He hops off the back of his horse and hands the reins over to Will before jogging into the fray.
“Do we have a plan?”
“What were you hoping for, Will?” I grit, and Millie gives me a sharp look. Grinding my teeth together, I sigh and look towards him. “No – honestly, I was hoping that Marjorie’s runes would have…”
“Worked?” He finishes for me, and I dip my chin.
I rock back on my heels, not sure what else to say. We descend back into the awkward silence until Bennett appears again, a wide grin on his face. Surprisingly, he’s returned not just with information but a soot-covered companion. “Erm–” Will starts.
“He said he could show us the closest place with stables and empty beds.”
“Swell.” I huff, dismounting the animal, the rest of our group following suit.
The man leads us around the outskirts of the city, picking the least busy streets he can find so we don’t have to walk single file, before dropping us off at a tall, terracotta building.
The stables weren’t hard to find, and neither were our rooms. Max, Millie, and Bennett split off to one while Will, the princess, and I took the other.
I wasted no time rushing off to the shower once we were settled. With the amount of dirt, sand, and grime sloughing off my skin, I’ve turned the water grey. My head hangs between my shoulders, and I watch as it circles down the drain.
I’m getting worse. More uncontrolled, and I’m afraid that if I’m wrong and she’s not here…
I don’t know if I’ll be able to suppress the mists that much longer.
Every time I feel myself returning to normal, Ezra’s beady blue eyes and stringy blonde hair show up, and the rage I’d just handled resurfaces more fiercely.
I’ve envisioned so many ways in which I’ll finish him. From making those eyes bulge out of his skull as he gasps for breath, to standing behind Eveera while I witness her eviscerate him with her tendrils.
Both scenarios are acceptable, and those are only a fraction of the ways I can see being satisfactory enough for me. But one thing is for sure – it will be slow. It will be worth it to watch him suffer for as long as he has held onto her.
I’ll make him rue the moment he decided to take off with the queen he’d sworn fealty to.
Steam billows off my skin, mimicking the smokestacks that consume Sabel’s rooftops, and I can hear Will rapping on the door. Muffled through the wood, I hear him shout for me to hurry it up before the water runs cold, throwing something in there about two other people needing a shower themselves.
For that reminder, I made them wait five more minutes.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
“Ror-in.” Will barks, while I towel off. He made the mistake of standing too close to the door because when I opened it, he stumbled forward.
“All yours.”
He gives me a dead stare and brushes past me, “thanks. Don’t kill her while I’m showering.” He calls out, and I toss him a mocking smile, shutting the door behind me.
Will was pleased to find the princess still alive once he dragged himself from the bathroom, throwing muttered apologies her direction.
Pruella gives him a tight-lipped smile and leaves the rest of us to talk.
Max sits stiffly, staring hard at her retreating.
Millie scoots closer to him on the chaise to make room for Will to join us, and pulls on his sleeve to break his trance.
“Alright,” my hands clasp together loudly, my attention turning to the three of them. “I need the two of you to reach Felix and Armond – let them know where we are.”
Millie’s head bobs up and down, “we can do that.” She gives another tug on Max’s sleeve until he stands and starts to escort them out of the room, when she stops short in the doorway. “If I leave this room, will the three of you be fine?”
“What do you mean?” Will asks, and she sets a hand on her hip.
“I mean – once I step out of this door and shut it, the three of you won’t break out in a brawl with full intent to maim the other?”
Bennett smothers a laugh, which earns him a second hand on her opposite hip. “Cross our hearts, Mill– no go.”
She sighs and continues leading Max from the room.
“It’s probably best you don’t show your face anywhere near the city center or the Consulate until we have her.” Will pipes, settling himself into the cushions.
I give him a sidelong glance, but I know he’s right. “Okay, then you go with Max and Millie. Bennett and I will start the search.”
Bennett’s mouth opens, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, and I brace myself for a rebuttal. “Yes?”
“Ah, well, erm– you’re just forgetting something. Or rather someone.” He jabs his fingers towards the door behind me.
The princess.
“Right…” I hiss, dragging a hand through my hair, “okay, Will goes with Max, and drops the princess off with Millie–”
“Drops the princess where?” Her voice grates on my ears, and we all turn to find her standing, listening to the conversation.
“Will, please.” He gives me a curt nod and grabs hold of her elbow, “make sure Millie keeps her shielded.”
He hesitates for a moment, but eventually relents, leaving just Bennett and me behind.
“You and me?” He chirps, his eyes lit with humor.
“You and me, let’s go.”
Bennett and I dove headfirst into the commotion, the two of us winding and shoving through the crowds. And after about twenty minutes of mindless wandering, he shouts over the noise at me.
“Where exactly are we going?”
“Everywhere.”
He clasps a hand firmly on my shoulder, forcing me to a halt. “Ha. Right, except for that this is a large city, Ror, which means I’m going to need you to narrow that down.”
Rather than meeting his eyes, I keep mine trained on scanning every head around us – looking for Ezra’s pale face and bright blonde hair.
“Rorin, I’m going to need some sort of direction here.”
“Eveera would hate it here,” I grumble, hoping to see her wild hair and gold eyes in each of the women who pass us.
SNAP! SNAP!
Bennett’s fingers come into view, and reflexively, I slap them out from in front of my face. “What? What!” Steam blows out of his nostrils as he huffs, giving me a frustrated look.
“Get out of your head for a moment and think.” He taps his finger twice against my temple, “where would he put her? Where would he go without her? We can’t just wander all night long, my legs are getting tired.”
I have no idea. I admit, I didn’t pay hardly any attention to him.
In fact, the extent of things I did know was limited to three: his disdain for Eveera’s lack of listening skills, her “unsavory” coping methods, and the fact that she was so willing to be near me. And none of those three things is helpful right now.
Bennett stares incredulously, waiting for my answer, until he throws both hands in the air. “Rorin.”
“I don’t know! We’ll just have to make people talk.” Confusion mars his features, and I raise my hand, wisps of smoke slipping in and out of my fingers.
“No. No, Rorin. There are too many people.”
I cock my brow at him, “it’s gotten us this far, hasn’t it? I’ll be subtle, I promise.” He sighs. “Don’t become like Will, Bennett. I only have the patience for one argumentative guard.”
“You have to be subtle. No. Killing. We’ve… done enough damage as it is.” My eyes roll while he spins in place, gesturing towards the businesses that surround us. “Pick.”
I turn around, looking intently at every mismatched building, until I spot through the mass of bodies the darkened entrance of a tavern. Or at least from this distance, what I can assume is a tavern.
“There.”
“Where?”
I place both my hands on either side of his head and twist it so that he’s looking exactly where I want him to. “There,” I say again.
“Ah.”
We elbow our way through the street until we are standing directly in front of the doors. The left is propped open, and we can hear the patrons behind it.
“Alright,” I say, taking a step forward. “Let’s try this again.”
Despite the late hour, the bar has about fifteen people inside, including the barman standing behind the counter. He’s got a grim expression, and he’s covered in the same thin layer of grime and soot I’m realizing is commonplace here.
“Ah-hem.” I clear my throat, and when he doesn’t immediately look up, I knock on the sticky counter twice. “Excuse me.”
“You wanna drink?” He asks slowly, his accent thick and slurred.
Bennett and I both shake our heads. “No. We need to know if you’ve seen someone.”
“I see a lot of people.” The man drolls.
I bite down on my lip, my fingers flexing against the wood. “I’m sure that you do. But this man is different. Blonde hair, shifty blue eyes, pale skin. He’d be lacking in the…” I gesture at his person, and his gaze drops down to look at himself, “local attire.”
“He may have even had a small woman on his arm? Dark hair, bright eyes, snake tattoos you can’t miss.” Bennett adds.
The barman’s face lights up at the descriptions, and he straightens his posture.
“Foreigners, ah? Lots of foreigners round these parts, alright?” He sucks on his teeth and tilts his head, wiping the counter down haphazardly.
“But if I uh – see your man, I’ll give you a holler.
” He gives us a false grin before waltzing away.
My hold on the counter grows tighter, the wood splintering underneath my palms. Bennett’s head snaps down, and he sets his hand on top of my knuckles, trying to peel each finger up. “Property damage isn’t going to help.” He whispers and chucks his chin to our left, “look.”
I angle my head to find a smallish man against the far wall, looking nervously in our direction before darting out of the backdoors. Interesting. I muse. “Bennett, I think we just found who I plan to talk to next.”