Chapter Nineteen #2
Fifteen minutes pass in what feels like an eternity as Isla sits on the bed, disgruntled. A familiar knock sounds at the door. Ewan, Argus, Irric, and Wyll file in shortly after. The small room feels even smaller after they all bumble in. I clear my throat. “What’s the news? Have we seen him?”
Argus nods, a dark look on his face. Wyll and Irric share identical murderous looks. “He’s in rough shape. I’m not sure we’ll be able to get him out of here very easily.”
“That is if he’s still alive,” Argus adds. Ewan blanches.
“How many guards?” I ask.
“Not many. Probably because he’s unconscious. They’re comfortable. Too comfortable.”
I dip my chin. “It works in our favor.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Ewan asks. He paces nervously by the bed.
The horror that his brother is dying, that he wouldn’t survive the night, is suffocating.
One pass, two pass, three. He wrings his hands together, unable to get a handle on his nerves.
My mind racks with moves to make to get Baelur home, with revelations that would come about.
Moments pass before Ewan sinks into the bed next to Isla. He buries his face in his hands. She leans her head on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him.
“We’ll bring him home, Ewan.” I try to reassure him. He nods. “We can’t do anything tonight. It’s too late. Tomorrow, we do a little more scouting, get familiar with the guard changes, and then we make our moves.”
Ewan stands up from the bed, anxious and tired. He squeezes Isla’s hand and moves towards the door. Irric and Argus follow while Wyll stands with his head cocked. “One bed, eh?” He winks and rushes after his brother before Isla can say something.
She glares at the door for a moment before turning her ire on to me. I simply smirk, waiting for whatever she’s going to spew. “What am I supposed to wear?”
My eyebrows raise to the top of my hairline. Whatever she was going to ask, I wasn’t prepared for that question. Her hands sit on her hips as she awaits my answer. She isn’t going to like what I have to say, but no matter. I slide up to her, pulling her into me. “Nothing, if it suits you.”
Isla’s mouth gapes open. “You dog,” she snaps as she shoves me away from her.
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as a soft chuckle escapes and I move toward the small bag Ewan brought up to the room. Pulling out my shirt, I toss it at her. “Here.”
She looks down at it in her hands, and back up to me. Her mouth opens and closes, as if she’s trying to find the words to say.
Finally, she squares her shoulders up, sets her mouth into a firm line, and stomps off to the small bathing chamber off the room. I chuckle at her stubbornness.
I close my eyes for a moment, reveling in the silence of the empty room.
It’s been so long since I’ve felt the peace in the silence.
We’ve been on the road for so long, slowly terrorizing Prince Cailean when we can.
Ever since the royal council has slowly relinquished their control, and Cailean has been tightening his dominance over the kingdom.
Every Duke that doesn’t follow the prince or disagrees with him in any way, has been slowly stripped of their dukedom. Villages destroyed, people enslaved or killed. It sends my blood boiling in disgust and rage.
The door of the bathing chamber opens, distracting me from the spiral of Cailean. Isla walks out, her clothes bundled up in her arms. My mouth dries at the sight of her in nothing but my shirt. What cruel, cruel games the Fates are playing.
Isla smirks as soon as my eyes reach hers. “Time for bed,” she smiles, smugly, sliding into the small bed. She sighs in relief, as if the bed was the most comfortable thing she’s felt.
My eyebrows raise in a challenge. If she wants to play dirty, I’m more than willing to play. I don’t say anything as I pull my shirt over my head. I kick my boots off, blow out the lanterns that light the room, and make my way towards the bed.
“What are you doing?” Isla hisses as she sits back up. My eyes adjust to the darkness of the moon-lit room.
“Going to sleep.”
“On the floor.”
“You can sleep on the floor, love. But I am not missing this chance to sleep in a bed.”
She muses over her thoughts for a minute. “Fine, but don’t touch me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I gripe, sarcastically. I climb into bed, tugging the thin blanket from her grasp and revel in her small gasp. She tries to yank it back, making me hold onto it a little tighter. We battle, silently, in a small game of tug-o-war.
“Thief,” she grinds out between her teeth. I relish the annoyance in her voice. It’s a small, petty win in a game of wills. “You don’t need this blanket, put on a shirt you big, burly bastard.”
I can’t help the laugh that bursts from my chest. There’s a moment of silence, I’m fairly certain she’s given up, choosing to sleep in the cool.
Until finally, she scoots closer. Scents of lavender and cotton fill my senses.
It’s intoxicating and I instantly find myself regretting not giving her the blanket.
The warmth and comfort lulls me into a sleep filled with dreams of nothing, but her.
∞∞∞
It’s hot. Too hot. I try to pull myself out of the haze of sleep as I recount everything that surrounds me. Rubbing my hands up and down a warm body, my eyes snap open to Isla wrapped around me. Her head is resting perfectly under my chin. She groans, pushing into me.
“Please,” she whispers, grinding into my hard length.
“Isla,” I say quietly. Her eyes spring open. She jumps back and her face turns red. The entire scene causes me to laugh as she fans herself. Isla leaps off the bed and takes off towards the small bathroom.
“Don’t!” She shouts through the door. I shake my head, pulling a shirt on.
We spend the whole morning holed up in the room in silence, choosing to ignore how we woke up. Isla paces like a caged animal, glancing at me and then to the door, waiting for my men to knock.
Wyll and Irric were sent through the village, watching the guards’ rotation all morning, trying to gather as much intel as possible. Argus bounded after them, excusing himself to gather supplies for our trip back to Halstead. Ewan stews by the window, anxiety emanating from him.
I sit in the small chair near the unlit fireplace and watch the two of them fight their own issues. Eventually, the telltale knock of Wyll sounds at the door.
“Finally,” Isla sighs, just as Wyll and Irric slip through the door. Argus right behind them.
“What do you know?” I ask the twins. Wyll regales us with the boring details of the small contingent of guards in this village.
“It’s simple, really,” Wyll drawls. “A quick in and out. A distraction, an extraction, and an evasion.” He crosses his arms in satisfaction.
Irric looks at his brother, a bemused expression on his face. “How long have you been thinking of that plan?”
Wyll shrugged. “Since we left this morning.”
My mind spins with different plans, options for a quick and easy jailbreak. Nothing was simple.
I look over at Wyll. “Sneak into the stables and grab the horses. We’ll need to be ready. Argus and Irric— you two follow me.” I take a deep breath and look at Isla. Trepidation fills her gaze.
“What do you need?” She asks, wearily. I open my mouth to respond, but the words fail.
I’m not ready to ask her to risk her life, to get her to lure the first guard away.
I can picture her scars in my head, as if she was showing them to me right now.
Phantom screams and pleads for mercy run rampant in my head as my imagination tries to tell me what she went through.
Annoyance shoots through me at the weakness those feelings bring about. I immediately try and tamp them down. Isla is needed whether I find myself wanting that or not. Rummaging through the saddle bag Ewan had brought up here, I toss a dress at Isla.
“You’ll need to change into this.”
She holds the dress up and shoots daggers at me. “You’re joking.”
“Unfortunately, no. It’s the distraction we need.”
“I,” she starts. Her neck and cheeks are blotchy with anger. “I can’t wear this.”
Satisfaction blooms in my chest. “Sorry, love. You wanted to come.”
“Rhylen,” she barely whispers.
“Go. Change.” I nod to the door.
“I hate you,” she hisses as she stomps towards the small bathing chamber. Irric and Wyll snicker. I cut my eyes at them to silence them.
“Who are you trying to convince, lovey?” Wyll quips. “You say it so much, I think you might be trying to remind yourself, instead. We all know he’s a handsome bastard. It’s fine.”
Isla slams the door, causing Wyll and Irric to laugh. “I look ridiculous,” she shouts from the small room. I let out an exasperated sigh and walk over to the door.
“Do you need help?”
Silence answers back. There’s huffing and puffing from the other side, before the door cracks open. “I can’t do this.”
I barge through the door, closing it behind me. “What do you mean?”
“Rhylen, I. I can’t. I can’t do this.” She looks at her reflection in the small mirror.
Her lack of confidence on display for me to see.
I clench my jaw, grinding my molars together.
Gone is the defiant little thing, and in her place is a timid mouse; one who has been belittled by arrogant fools.
I examine Isla in the mirror, watching her as if I, too, can hear the little voice in her head telling her she’s not enough.
Soon, Captain Cahir and his family will regret their actions.
I look at the woman in front of me. A new respect for her blooms in my chest. Beneath that bratty exterior she tries to portray, she’s a warrior.
A fierce and loyal friend. She has a fire in her that has been subdued and almost extinguished by a man who manipulated her into thinking it was love.
A fire that I plan to fan the flames. Oh, she was fierce alright, and she’s going to show those who betrayed her, just how hot her flame can burn.
I grab Isla, turning her towards me. Lifting her chin up, I look at her, aiming to wipe away the self-doubt that’s infected her. Soon, she’ll see what everyone else sees, but for now, I settle with erasing her fears of failing. My eyes fall to her pouty, full lips.
“You can, love. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”