7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
Gerta
I wipe my eyes, the bite of the wind helping me wake a little more. Unfortunately, I drank a little more of the ale than I meant to, and I’m not as alert as I ought to be. My head throbs, warning of an incoming headache.
Even less fortunately, I can’t help but dig deeper into my memories, trying to remember how I behaved toward our prisoner last night that has him behaving like we are far closer than we are. Honestly, this is far closer than I have ever wanted to be with anyone . . .
“Gerta,” Kay calls from the other side of the latrine wall, “would you come back here for a moment, please?”
I wince, fingering the chain on my left wrist. “I’d really prefer not to, actually.”
“I assure you that I am decent. I just have a question about the latrines. They’re set up a little differently than the ones back at my base, and I don’t want to use the wrong one by accident.”
Letting my shoulders slump, I round the latrine wall. “It really isn’t that diffi—”
The chain on my left hand yanks me off my feet.
Before I can faceplant in the latrine area, though, firm hands grasp my shoulders. They twist me around and set me onto the snow. Then, while the world is spinning furiously between the sudden movements and the unfortunate ale, cloth touches my lips .
I cry out, but my scream is garbled by the gag that is being tied securely around my head.
“I am so sorry, ma’am,” Kay says, grasping my unchained hand before I can tug the gag away. “I assure you that I will do my best to make this as painless a process as possible.”
Grunting my confusion, I try to turn to face him.
“Your capture, that is.” All trace of bashfulness leaves from Kay’s voice, making him sound as cool and emotionless as his face was when I first laid eyes on him.
I’ve been duped.
My left hand might be chained to him, but it’s freer than my right. I desperately reach for my belted sheath . . . but it’s not there, and neither is my knife.
Still holding my right wrist, Kay rounds me so he can look into my eyes with his that are too warm of a color to belong to a heartless being like him. I see the dagger I was just wearing a moment ago tucked into his belt.
That would explain the embrace that seemed so out of character. I wonder what he took from me while we danced. My dignity?
“Gerta of Gaelia,” Kay says, shamelessly holding my gaze, “by the power vested in me from the Holy Emperess of Constantinium, you are under arrest.”
The next few moments are among the most awkward and uncomfortable of my life.
Kay is determined to carry me away from the camp, but I am more determined that it won’t happen. The further complication comes from the fact that he’s trying to restrain both my hands while chained to one .
“Please just comply,” Kay grunts as he hoists me over his shoulders a second time.
Not while I have breath in my lungs. Or I should say, not while my blood still flows since I’m currently breathless. But I can’t actually say anything with the gag, so I just make it clear in my body language.
I kick him in the leg and then knee him in the chest.
Kay doubles over, and I use his moment of weakness to throw myself over his shoulder.
Unfortunately, the chain makes it hard to go far at all. I barely hit the ground before it goes taut and nearly yanks my arm out of its socket with how tangled it is around Kay. And due to those tangles, Kay topples after me.
I gasp as what air was left in me leaves me the moment he crashes across my middle. His eyes nearly roll backwards as he realizes how close he came to bashing his head on a latrine cover.
It’s his own fault for trying to abduct me here of all places.
Kay rolls his head to face me. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Gerta. I assure you that no harm shall come to you under my care. You will be protected with all the rights offered to political prisoners.”
That was what I was afraid of.
Since I am still gagged, I poke both his eyes to give him my answer. Then I reach to finally free my mouth. I don’t know if any of the fellows can hear me from over here, but Wolf might if she didn’t wander too far.
And I plan on screaming loudly enough for even the Snow Queen to take notice.
Choking on his own cry of pain, Kay twists away from me. And continues to twist until the chain is wrapped around him twice and my left arm has joined it in coiling around his back.
I realize what he’s doing and realize time is running out. I tug on my gag harder, but then his right hand, that despite its chain is freer than my left hand that is anchored to his body, grabs hold of it.
Still clutching my hand, Kay wraps his right arm behind my shoulders. His left arm slides behind my legs.
Writhing, I try to pull away, but the chain has me securely attached to him. Then Kay pushes himself to his feet while cradling me like an infant.
I give a few stubborn wiggles, but Kay just turns and starts walking away from the latrines.
“Once again, I must apologize, ma’am,” Kay adds as he blinks rapidly. My eye jab didn’t leave him as unscathed as he’s trying to make it seem. “I don’t normally manhandle prisoners.”
Grunting as much as I can past the gag, I hit my head into his chest just to be spiteful.
Kay keeps walking, undeterred. What is he? Made of ice?
I stop fighting. He’s going to exhaust himself carrying me sooner or later, and I’ll need to conserve my energy until I have the chance to escape. I still have the key to the shackles, after all. At least, I think I do. The ale from last night gave me a headache in exchange for the memories I lost to it.
I glance down at my pouch as the ice king continues to maneuver us through the forest.
“I have the key safe and sound,” he assures me, like he actually thinks that’s what I want to hear. “I’ll unchain you once you’re secured.”
Glaring up at him, I hope he feels every insult I can’t say to him yet, as my promised headache now throbs at full force.
“I thought it would be more convenient this way,” Kay says, sounding like he has since changed his mind concerning the convenience of this. “I was only tasked with capturing the ringleader of your band. And this way I can return the favor, letting your men go free like you did with mine. That is, if they are clever enough to abandon their hideout before my men reach it.”
My men . . . They might not hear me even if I scream now, but they can still track. Every step Kay takes in the snow leaves a footprint, and Wolf should know his scent by now. They’ll rescue me.
And then Kay will learn that hospitality is shown only to prisoners who didn’t turn the tables on me.
Kay glances back down at me, and there is a note of what almost looks like remorse behind his frozen expression.
Mayhap my hospitality hasn’t fallen on a frozen heart after all. And I might just be able to use that to my advantage . . .
I widen my eyes, letting the icy wind dry them out. Tears brim to compensate for the dryness.
Kay glances down at me as we approach the road where the trees grow further apart. He frowns. “There is no need to cry, lassie. No harm will come to you. Theft and rebellion are no longer capital crimes.”
As though imprisonment is any better than death. The whole reason I sleep in a cave and live off the land is because I value freedom more than comfort— more than life.
I’ll die before I submit to Constantinium rule.
Sniffling, I close my eyes as more tears slip out.
His step falters, and I wonder how weary he must be after carrying me so far. Mayhap weak enough to just let me go?
I gasp, gagging on the cloth wrapped so tightly between my lips.
Kay stills. “You no longer require a gag.”
Opening my eyes, I brace myself for being set down. I don’t know how that will help me yet, since I can’t run without the key, but at least my feet will be on Gaelic soil again .
Except Kay makes no move to set me down, and I’m left with a view of the white sky that is rapidly becoming gray. A blizzard is moving in.
In Gaelia, a snowstorm is both a way of life and a cause of death. For me right now, it means the snow will cover my prints and likely hide our scent. If my men don’t find me soon, they’ll have to return to the cave. And then they may never have the chance to find me again.
I have until we cross the border to escape Kay’s clutches before I have more enemies to deal with. That is, if he doesn’t have his men waiting farther down the road, since it seems like everything he’s said and done thus far has been a sick ruse.
And that’s assuming he has any idea how to survive a Gaelic blizzard. Otherwise, I’m anchored to my death.
Not that a single word that comes out of his lying mouth should be trusted.
That lying mouth that is playing with my hair. What under the Three Heavens?!
Horrified, I writhe again. What kind of sick power play is this? Mayhap I kissed his hand while I had him chained, but I was drunk on his ale.
I head butt him, intensifying my headache. But Kay pulls away— along with my gag.
Turning, I see him with blood trailing down his nose and the gag between his lips. Kay spits the gag out before frowning at me. “I see now I should have expected that.”
Desperately gasping in air, I glare at him. “You could have just released my hand and let me remove my gag.”
“And risk you lifting your knife from me in the process? No, this may be painful, but I took the route with fewer risks.”
“The route with the fewer risks is letting me go now before I have to make you. ”
Kay shakes his head. “It’s not just about the lowest number of risks. It’s about accomplishing my mission.”
“So, I should be assured you have taken into consideration the fact that the skies are about to become our greatest foe?”
“Of course.” Kay glances up as he begins walking again, sliding down to the road that is as snow-covered as the forest. “I have a shelter prepared for us about an hour’s walk ahead.”
“We don’t have an hour.”
Kay doesn’t answer and continues trekking.
I glance back up at the ever-darkening skies.
We’re going to die.