Chapter seven
Iwas wondering where you’d gone.”
Camilla stood in front of the cage, brows furrowed.
“Not that I minded.
What happened, girl? What did you do?”
Camilla placed her hands on her hips, waiting for me to answer.
I couldn’t muster up the energy to speak.
After spending an entire day in this cage on an empty stomach, it was impossible for me to even try to explain that I attempted to heal her emperor but got accused of witchcraft.
“Speak when you’re spoken to!”
Camilla demanded.
I tilted my head, forming my thoughts before Tobias, appeared.
He wore a dark red tunic, and stubble imprinted his sharp face.
“She’s a mute, we’ve realized,”
he grunted and turned to Camilla.
There went my answer.
“Isn’t that perfect for us?”
Camilla’s lips twitched up in greeting.
“Tobias.
Nice to see you, as always.
Quite perfect, actually.
Hopefully they don’t decide to get rid of her. She’d be useful for me since she can’t speak ill. What is she accused of?”
It took all the willpower I possessed not to furrow my brows and remain undisturbed by her words.
This just got a lot more interesting.
Why would someone speak ill of her?
“Witchcraft.”
“Do you believe she’s a witch?”
“Who knows.”
Tobias shrugged.
“Do you have any news for me?”
Something flickered across Camilla’s face.
“No, not yet, Tobias.
Give me time,”
she muttered.
“My Lord notices everything.”
Tobias scoffed.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
He walked towards what I figured was the emperor’s tent.
Camilla lingered for a moment, staring into or through me.
I stared back.
Who was she?
“You and I are not so different after all.”
That did it.
I couldn’t stop from pressing my brows together.
We could not be more different from each other.
I could see something in her face, pity in the form of fear I saw in her eyes the day before.
Strange.
She strode toward the opposite direction of Tobias, the bottom of her crimson dress brushing against mud.
Evening came when I found myself leaning against the ice-cold bars, observing the camp.
Warriors passed by with wary glances.
Some smirked.
Some tried to grab me through the bars and laughed when I pulled away. But the most interesting part of observing these warriors was the tension between some of them. It was almost like they fought together in battle, but they were at war with each other at camp. Occasionally, fights broke out between the warriors, making the day go by swiftly.
In a way, I felt safer in this cage away from the unknown dangers that lay outside.
I hadn’t seen the emperor all day and wondered if the wound was infected or in fact, healing.
Maybe I had killed him like I did that woman.
Maybe I didn’t have a healer’s touch after all.
Regardless of his condition, it didn’t seem likely that I would survive this situation.
If I did manage to heal him and they decided not to execute me, I’d still lose my mind and body in this cage.
A chuckle pulled my eyes toward a certain healer. Oleo.
Oh, no.
My legs went weak, but I managed to back away from the door.
Oleo’s fingers wrapped around the bars of the cage as he leaned forward.
“I saw right through your ruse, mute,”
he spat in my face.
“You won’t survive another day here.
I ordered your execution tomorrow for what you did to my emperor.”
My breath faltered and stopped.
So the emperor was in a worse condition.
I was not able to further his healing.
I had failed. Again. Oleo’s eyes felt like fire burning through mine, and I couldn’t pull away from him or the truth that he sang.
“I will not stand for witchcraft.
I’ve done this before to your kind—in fact, many of you.
I know one when I see one.”
I slid another shaky step back.
I was going to die.
Realization sunk into my chest and captured my breath.
Oleo laughed softly as he pushed against the bars.
“See you at first light, she-devil.”
And then Oleo waltzed away.
The world around me slowed down.
I was afraid, but then I wasn’t.
I was more afraid of the unknown, not necessarily the act of death itself.
Could it be possible I would see my family in such a short time from now? My brother could be holding me and welcoming me in Hevan by first light.
Or wherever he’d be.
My brother and I were not religious like the rest of my family was.
It was comical since we were the only redheads.
Maybe these people who accused me of witchery made a point.
If he ended up in Hevan, then I would, but if he didn’t, then I’d be wherever he was. And that made my heart happy.
I wouldn’t be alone.
We’d finally be together again.
A sense of peace flowed through my chest.
After many hours of watching fire burn and drunken warriors stumble by, exhaustion hit me, and darkness swept through.
Movement in front of the cage probed my eyes open.
Oleo.
He was dressed in a long black tunic with a warrior by his side.
An executioner, no doubt.
This was my time.
The door to the cage creaked open, and naturally, I stumbled back.
Maybe I wasn’t ready like I thought I was.
The warrior slammed his elbow across my head and sent me sprawling onto the muddy ground, my trembling hands barely catching my fall.
My chest heaved as I fought for air through my lungs from the impact.
I looked at the demented healer, his eyes filled with raging vengeance.
His lean body loomed above me, casting a shadow from the rising sun with terrifying malice.
I crawled backward further into the cage, but the healer stepped forward and grabbed the front of my linen dress, dragging me up to my feet once more.
“Your time is here, witch,”
Oleo hissed and rammed his iron fist into my empty stomach.
My breath was knocked out of me, and I coughed.
The warrior grabbed a hold of my arm in a tight grip and pulled me out.
I tripped into the mud, but the warrior dragged me through the pathway into a clearing.
“Live no more, she-devil.
The world will be a better place without you in it.”
The healer scowled as he walked behind us.
The warrior stopped and drew a knife from his hip.
My heart pounded violently against my chest.
I didn’t have enough time to ask Erus to take me wherever my brother was.
I shouldn’t have slept last night.
What was I thinking? I didn’t have time.
Not now. Not ever.
Oleo stepped in front of me as the knife pressed against my throat.
“I will never have a woman ruin my reputation.”
“Stop this,”
a voice thundered across the small clearing.
The warrior with the knife against my throat hesitated.
The healer whirled and faced the emperor, who approached us.
I gasped silently.
The emperor didn’t look gravely ill, though I couldn’t see the wound that hid under his black tunic.
His face was slightly paler than his usual tan and—because I was a healer and knew the signs of the body fighting for healing—I noticed moisture at the top of his forehead.
But besides that, he looked to be fine.
Oleo’s face paled.
“My Lord, she has done great damage,”
the healer pressed.
“Release her,”
the emperor ordered the warrior.
Without waiting another second, the warrior obeyed and released his deadly hold on me.
I stumbled in the mud as I tried to gain my balance.
My heart thundered loudly knowing how close I was to kissing the face of death moments before.
“Master, y—you need to understand—”
Oleo stuttered.
“Leave.”
The emperor focused his gaze on the healer.
In astonishment, the healer choked.
“My Emperor—”
“Now.”
The emperor raised his voice.
The healer bowed his head without any more questioning.
As Oleo scurried through the reeking mud, he gave me a glare that sent shivers down my spine.
The warrior near me, asked quietly.
“What would you like me to do with her?”
“You may go.”
The warrior gave a concerned look before he sheathed his knife in his leather strap across his chest and uncertainly walked in the same direction as Oleo.
I couldn’t decide if I’d rather go with the warrior or the healer.
Both, just a moment prior, were about to execute me, but I knew this was the last place I wanted to be: in the emperor’s hands.
The emperor stepped forward.
“You treated my wound.”
His gentle tone caught me off guard.
His obsidian eyes peered into mine, and he tilted his head.
“Why did you do it?”
My heart sprinted.
He knew I wasn’t trying to hurt him or spread infection like the healer insisted.
I wondered how his wound was healing.
I didn’t know how to answer his question as I stumbled to find the words.
He didn’t wait for me to answer, as he turned on his heel and called over his shoulder.
“Follow me.”
I swallowed.
He saved my life and didn’t seem to want to end it any time soon.
If I fled from here, no doubt he’d outrun me, then I’d be dead for sure.
I followed him back to his tent, praying to Erus he wasn’t going to rip my heart out of my chest.
“I will need some food and drink for the morning.
I have a long day ahead of me, and I’ll need all the energy I can get,”
the emperor ordered while he stepped away to his chests across the room and prepared for the day.
Bringing the emperor’s food and drink didn’t take much time.
My heart and mind were still catching up to the fact that I didn’t die this morning.
Though there wasn’t much to it before, I missed the life I lived just four days prior, and my chest tightened knowing I’d never see that village again.
The peaceful time I spent alone in Fenrah’s apothecary, focused on herbs and medicine. Would I ever see Fenrah again?
How long until I found my freedom? If I found my freedom.
Perhaps, I'd find solace in a humble cottage tucked away in a peaceful meadow, surrounded by trees and most importantly, far away from everything and everyone.
I decided to grab some more creosote near his tent to help the healing of his wounds and mine.
It didn’t take long before I found exactly what I needed.
I scanned the area for more herbs that would be useful and settled on a large bushel that was between two white tents.
I heard warriors walk past me in serious conversation about how their blade was sharper than the other’s. I hunched over to the bush, feeling a sense of familiarity.
After I snapped the healthiest herbs and pocketed all but one, I walked back, observing the natural curvature of the herb and occasionally darting my eyes about, ensuring Oleo wasn’t about to stab my back.
I heard a twig snap and rushed to the entrance of the tent.
I slammed into a hard body, nearly losing my balance.
I looked up and found Helon, the emperor’s uncle, smiling down at me with recognition from the day before written across his face.
“Oh, it’s you, again.”
Helon smirked.
I glanced toward the front to find the emperor there with his arms crossed over his chest, his stance strong, and looking more annoyed than ever before.
Helon’s hand remained upon the small of my back to ensure my balance.
“Quiet little thing, aren’t you?”
Helon murmured.
His voice and touch were so foreign to me; most men were repulsed by my presence.
But there were some that liked to play with the she-devil—and those were the worst types of men.
Which was Helon?
“Girl, fetch some water for another cleaning.”
The emperor gave me a bored glance.
So, I did help his wound, and he wanted me to continue dressing his wound.
I felt a wave of relief crash over my body.
Helon’s arm dropped, and I bowed my head as I left for my task, releasing a quiet exhale.
I managed to clean my face of the dirt and blood that accumulated from the healer’s pursuit before returning to the emperor’s tent with his fresh bowl of water.
I noticed, through a small mirror that appeared near the water source, a red mark was left on my cheek from the brutal elbow earlier today.
I gently touched my fingers to my face.
It was sore but would heal just fine.
I walked back and entered the tent.
Ryle, Helon, and others among the emperor stood near the wooden table.
I placed the fresh bowl of water near his bed and stepped to the side of the tent.
“Then it’s settled, Aris.
We’ll be heading back to our homeland in the next two days,”
Helon stated to the emperor.
Nods of agreement traveled across the room.
Ryle rose from his chair.
“I understand we’re all eager to return, Helon, but we have worked too long to conquer these lands.
There are enough warriors among us to stay behind and ensure the lands are secured.
This will allow us to head back to our homeland without worrying about losing what we’ve fought long for.”
“Ryle, you will stay behind and ensure the lands.
Helon, be ready in two days.
We’re heading back,”
the emperor concluded.
“Two days will give us time to finish the last of the lands,”
Ryle contemplated.
“That’s good.
The rest will remain secure with me until we’ve been established here.”
He walked towards the sheer flaps at the entrance and nodded to the emperor.
“Emperor Aris, I’ll meet you at midday.”
The rest of the group followed Ryle, with Helon being the last to leave.
The emperor walked to his bedside near the water bowl I placed and slowly took his tunic off, careful not to rupture the stitches.
My heart skipped a beat as his long, thin sleeve slid off his strong, sculpted shoulders.
I kept my eyes on the floor as I stepped to the water bowl with a fresh linen in my hand.
Carefully, I soaked the linen and braced myself as I picked off the old herbs from the suture.
I reminded myself I’d done this before, demanding my hands to stop trembling before he noticed.
His abdominal muscles clenched as my fingers touched near his wound.
I glanced up to ensure he wanted me to continue.
He locked his eyes with mine and gave me a silent nod.
My breath hitched as his face was too close to mine. He was beautiful, but in the darkest way possible. It felt terribly wrong to be this close to evil. I could feel it pulling me in deeper into its darkness.
Once all the herbs had been cleared from his stitches, I reached for the linen that had been soaking.
I squeezed the excess water and gently placed the wet cloth on the suture.
His abdominal muscles tightened even more, and his breathing deepened as I cleaned his wound of any blood that seeped through.
I tried my hardest to prevent skin-to-skin contact, and every time I did touch him, a sharp flutter kicked in my stomach, and I flinched. He seemed to notice that too.
His wound seemed to be healing the way it should.
As I finished cleaning it, I placed fresh and healthy herbs on top of it, watching them settle in place.
Reaching for a longer linen that I had brought, I wrapped it around his naked torso to keep the herbs intact.
My face came close to his, and though I was used to healing others and being in their personal space, I couldn’t stop the heat that rose through my neck and settled in my ears.
He was watching me so intensely, I had to force myself not to meet his gaze.
I quickened my pace, and so did my heart.
Finally, I tied the linen at the front and went to release my hands, but the emperor held my hand on the knot.
I was startled from the touch and instinctively looked up.
His dark eyes were upon me.
“Thank you,”
he said softly.
His touch burned through my hand.
It was the only thing I could concentrate on.
I lowered my head, and he released my hand.
In silence, I demanded my heart to even itself instantly as I stepped to the side of the tent, watching him leave shortly after.
The fact that I was nervous as a healer led me to wonder if I was truly meant to heal others.