Chapter 23 Tobias
Tobias
Tobias strummed his fingers against his stomach as he stared up at the water-stained ceiling.
The familiarity of the chamber around him had turned suffocating, a hand clasped to his throat and a body weighing down his chest. Perhaps he wouldn’t have minded seventeen days in an inn if the circumstances were different—if the small room with its singular bed were shared between him and Leila alone, an invitation to do whatever they pleased with one another.
But it was the very last chamber the inn had to offer, and so for nearly three weeks, he’d been locked away with his beloved, and Raphael, and Hylas, and Enzo.
They’d reached the inn after traveling on foot through three different towns, venturing as far from the port as they could before sundown.
Since then, each day blended with the last. They took turns sharing the bed while the unlucky ones were relegated to the floor.
They took turns utilizing the limited water for bathing.
And Raphael, Hylas, and Enzo took turns venturing into town, fetching food and hearing news from the heralds.
But Tobias and Leila never stepped foot on the Trogolian roads, never saw the light of day beyond their window, as soldiers were searching for them.
And the soldiers were everywhere.
Raphael let out a throaty sigh from across the room.
He sat in their lone wooden chair, his legs propped atop their wobbly table, and his boredom was all too relatable.
At least he was able to leave the inn on a whim, but Tobias was trapped.
He never imagined fleeing the palace would feel like imprisonment.
Leila wriggled at Tobias’s side. She was just as imprisoned as he was.
Twice She’d shadow walked to the brothel to see Delphi, but She’d limited Herself to brief visits late in the night to avoid Isa’s critical eye.
A part of him wondered if She was screaming inside just as he was, or if She was used to hiding.
She had done so for the first twenty years of Her life.
The door flung open, and Hylas and Enzo made their way inside, a sack slung over Enzo’s shoulder. Tobias swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat upright. God, let there be good news. They certainly needed it. But the moment he caught the bleak look in Hylas’s gaze, his hope dissolved.
“Soldiers?” Tobias said.
Hylas nodded. “Stationed across the entire coast of Lake Atabi, and more are on the way.”
“More?” Leila sat up. “They’re already monopolizing all coastal cities.”
“It seems scouring the border isn’t enough for Brontes,” Hylas said. “Which means—”
“We have to head north before his soldiers do,” Tobias grumbled.
Raphael groaned, tipping his head back as he gazed helplessly at the ceiling. “How the hell are we supposed to do that when we can’t even leave this bloody chamber?”
“About that . . .” Hylas’s nervous gaze flitted to Enzo. “The soldiers have been ordered to conduct random searches.”
“Are you fucking serious?” Tobias said.
“They’ve already begun farther south and are making their way through the whole of the realm. It’s only a matter of time before they find us.”
“How is this happening?” Raphael flung his hands overhead, his frustration mounting. “Brontes knew we were headed this way before we even reached the shore.”
Hylas shrugged one shoulder. “Perhaps it was someone from the brothel—one of the courtesans, or a passing patron.”
“We didn’t tell anyone where we were headed.” Leila turned to Tobias. “Only Delphi and your family knew. They’d never betray us like this.”
“Someone had to have said something,” Tobias said. “He’s bringing all his manpower here. He wouldn’t do that unless he was certain.”
Raphael’s eyes shot wide. “Oh my God.” He sat still for a moment, then cradled his face in his palms. “Oh my fucking God.”
“What?” Tobias asked.
“In one of our meetings with Keene and Flynn.” Raphael dropped his hands and cringed. “I mentioned Trogolia. I said it should be our next stop.” He cursed under his breath. “This is my fault. I damned us all.”
“Stop it, Raph.” Leila made Her way to his side, resting a hand on his shoulder. “You couldn’t have possibly known.”
“I told Flynn, and Flynn went straight to Brontes. God, I’m so stupid.”
“This isn’t your fault,” Tobias said. “We came to the Joseons in good faith. You couldn’t have predicted Flynn would stray so far.”
Raphael didn’t respond, still muttering vulgarities under his breath.
Leila massaged his shoulder, though Her gaze had gone vacant, Her eyes pointed at nothing in particular.
The look chilled Tobias. Was She losing hope?
That suffocating feeling took hold of him again, except it wasn’t because of their confinement—it was their worries that bogged him down.
He’d promised Her an army. Hell, he’d promised Her safety at a bare minimum. Had he already failed Her?
“We need to leave,” he managed to utter.
“We need to leave now.” Raphael hopped up from his seat, visibly agitated as he paced the floor. “We’re pigs in a pen awaiting slaughter. And if I have to spend one more night in this godforsaken chamber—”
“Enzo has a plan.” Hylas nudged Enzo’s shoulder. “Show them.”
A grin split Enzo’s face, and he pulled the sack from his shoulder and dumped its contents onto the floor. “Hapa!”
A mess sat at his feet—tins of paint and woven reed masks.
Tobias plucked one mask from the others, the head of a mountain goat with a heavy brow and massive horns curved like nocked bows.
Brick red paint covered its entirety, even the straps used to secure the mask at the base of the skull.
Tobias turned to Enzo and frowned. “Is this supposed to be a disguise?”
Raphael’s eyes lit up. “Is that for—?”
“The Festival of Pleasures.” Leila mirrored his expression and spun toward Hylas. “Is it tonight?”
“It’s in three days’ time.”
“Shit.” Raphael ran a hand over his hair. “That’s too far off.”
“Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?” Tobias said.
“The Festival of Pleasures,” Raphael maintained. “It’s a Trogolian tradition marking the end of summer and the start of autumn.”
Tobias started. “It’s autumn already?”
“Nearly so,” Hylas said.
“The custom was intended to honor their old gods, but these days it’s mostly an excuse for blameless debauchery,” Raphael added.
“They celebrate with masks and hedonism. It’s all very uncivilized.” Leila flicked a dismissive wrist.
“Precisely. Everyone will be disguised.” Hope beamed in Hylas’s eyes. “Which means—”
“We can travel through the city, and no one will notice us,” Tobias said.
“No more than anyone else, at least.”
“It is good idea, yes?” Enzo stood tall, visibly pleased with himself.
Tobias didn’t respond, still turning over the idea.
A foreign celebration in a foreign land—it was their most promising solution, but the uncertainty gnawed at him.
Leila must’ve felt the same, as She’d remained mostly silent through the discussion, Her gaze unreadable.
How was it that the closer they neared their salvation, the farther away it became?
“The march will begin at nightfall before the festival’s dawn,” Hylas continued. “Everyone takes to the streets to drink and—”
“Fuck.” Enzo’s grin widened.
Hylas’s cheeks reddened. “And indulge in excess. I imagine there’ll be a great deal of destruction.”
“Soldiers will be much busy,” Enzo added.
“But they will still be on guard and large in numbers. It’s a risk, surely, but I’m struggling to see any alternatives.”
Something sour pulled in Tobias’s belly. He eyed the mask in his grasp, a single eyebrow raised. “A goat?”
“The god of death and decay,” Raphael said. “They used to worship him as autumn came and the plants began to die.”
“What a sweet story.”
“So, we’re in agreement?” Hylas glanced among the group, searching their gazes. “This is when we make our escape?”
Tobias’s unease didn’t lift, but he kept his carriage strong, forcing his troubled thoughts aside. Leila stood completely still, no doubt warring inside just as he was. When She met his gaze, She offered him a silent nod. He turned to the others.
“In three days, we head north.”
Tobias was the only member of their traveling party ignorant to Trogolian customs, but the others were quick to make him acquainted with the perversions to come.
Three days of waiting meant three days to study the Festival of Pleasures and plan their escape, which seemed to be little more than a haphazard dance in the dark amid lechers and drunks.
Chaos will be our cover. He repeated the sentiment in his thoughts, praying it would ease his nerves. They’d be five faceless figures in a sea of thousands. Who could possibly tell them apart from anyone else?
An explosion sounded, and twinkling lights erupted outside their window.
Tobias couldn’t help but flinch. Fireworks weren’t unheard of in Thessen, but he’d never been so close to them.
Surely this wasn’t safe, though based on the other theatrics of the evening, safety wasn’t a high priority.
The hallway was filled with patrons singing, dancing, and screaming, as they had been for the past several hours.
Night had only just fallen, and with the blackness came swarms of people eager to celebrate.
Tobias didn’t need to peer out his window to know the streets were packed.
A fist pounded against their door, rattling its hinges.
“I know you’re in there, Donya!” a man slurred.
“I know you’re with my brother!” The drunken fool had been calling for his wife for some time.
Perhaps she was in a chamber nearby, but Tobias hadn’t a clue.
All he could do was sit and wait for their escape.
The pounding continued, and Leila rolled Her eyes. “Night has fallen. Can’t we leave now?”