Chapter 30 #2
Blinking until her eyesight cleared, she swung her dagger at the next man, who grabbed her wrist and twisted it. The weapon fell from her spasming fingers.
He pulled her arm behind her back hard enough her elbow and shoulder threatened to dislocate. Fire exploded from the joint, racing across her neck and torso. A sharp blade pressed under her chin.
She froze, hardly daring to breathe.
“Well, what have we here?” one of the two remaining guards asked.
“One of the so-called-queen’s ladies,” said the one clutching her. “What did you think you were going to accomplish here, little girl? Beyond getting yourself killed, of course.”
Aliya didn’t speak. If she did, she risked slitting her own throat. She strained her ears, but there was no sound to indicate Roland was attempting to breach the front door.
“What should we do with her?” guard number one asked.
The one holding her shifted, as though he was shrugging his shoulders. “Let’s put her with the others until we can see what the Inquisitor wants to do with her.”
Well, putting her with the other hostages was a better option than slicing an artery and letting her bleed out at their feet.
The blade dropped from her neck. The man gripping her wrenched her shoulder one more time.
Something popped in the joint. Aliya screamed as fire chased every nerve in her arm. Her eyesight went dark.
Someone swatted her on the side of the head. “Shut up, or we’ll show you real pain, you traitor.”
Her captor shoved her forward. Aliya stumbled, uncertain where she was going until they pushed her and she landed in a pile of bodies with a muffled scream.
“Stay there and be quiet,” the first guard’s voice whipped over her eardrums.
People extracted themselves from beneath her. Pointed ears and pale faces flashed through her vision. The other prisoners.
“Sorry,” Aliya mumbled, trying to untangle herself. Finding an empty spot, she sat, hugging her injured arm against her side with her good hand. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing and tried to ignore the sharp pain radiating out from her shoulder in agonizing waves.
Roland had abandoned her. He’d betrayed her.
Zadé would be livid when she found out, but even the famed High General wouldn’t be able to force the royal to honor his word. If she somehow managed to do so, it would already be too late.
Aliya squeezed her eyes shut, whether it was to block out the discomfort or to keep the tears from escaping, she didn’t know. Nor did she care.
After things quieted, a gentle hand settled on her undamaged shoulder. “Are you okay?”
A familiar voice whispered in Aliya’s ears and she opened her eyes to meet Sorisana’s eyes.
“Prr-row!”
A furry black body crawled into Aliya’s lap, Shadow’s tail trailing under her chin.
“I think my shoulder’s dislocated,” Aliya murmured, more to Shadow than Elessan’s mother.
Sorisana’s lips turned down as she examined the area. “It may be partially out, but it’s not complete.” Bracing one hand on Aliya’s opposite arm, she grabbed the sore elbow. Meeting Aliya’s gaze, Sorisana’s face softened in sympathy. “Try to relax. Take a deep breath.”
Aliya did. Sorisana lifted the injured limb, twisting.
Something popped in the joint, and with the sensation of bone grinding on bone, it slid back into place.
The fire ebbed from Aliya’s nerves, leaving only a dull throbbing behind.
She sighed. “Thank you.” She rolled her shoulder experimentally. It was tender, but the pain wasn’t debilitating and wouldn’t distract her if she had to fight.
Sorisana’s eyes went round. “What’s that?” When Aliya glanced back, her trembling finger was pointing at Aliya’s neck.
Aliya reached to her throat, half expecting to find a trickle of blood from the guard’s blade, but instead, her fingers caught the chain holding her pendant. Pulling it free, she showed it to Sorisana. “It’s my mother’s necklace.” The one that symbolized Sorisana’s debt to Aliya’s ancestor.
The older woman gaped, her eyes wide.
When she didn’t respond, Aliya took a deep breath.
Sorisana blinked, her expression still slack. “I gave that to—”
Aliya slammed her hand over the other woman’s mouth before she could reveal Aliya’s surname and glanced at the other prisoners surrounding them. The last thing she needed was for everyone to figure out who she was and for someone to report her to Brooks to negotiate their own freedom.
A heartbeat later, Sorisana’s eyes narrowed and she nodded her understanding.
Aliya removed her hand.
“It’s what convinced El to help me in the beginning, I think,” she whispered, as she stared at the pendant, her thoughts back on their first night. “The first night, when he found me in the woods.”
Sorisana smiled, her eyes softening as she reached out and traced the carving. “He told me you had it. I suppose I didn’t quite believe you actually wore it. It’s our family crest. I gave it to a,” she paused, “friend, your ancestor, I suppose, as a marker for my life debt.”
Aliya blinked. Oh. Reaching behind her neck, she worked her fingers to unclasp the chain. “I should return this. Your son has more than paid back anything owed.” He had, after all, saved her life three times.
Sorisana’s hands stilled hers, her eyes sparkling with a mix of joy and pride. “Keep it. It rightfully belongs to my son’s future bride.” Leaning close, she whispered, “Your Majesty.”
The backs of Aliya’s eyes burned. Maybe, in another life, that could’ve been her.
But not anymore. Shaking off the other woman’s grip, Aliya finished unclasping the pendant and handed it to Sorisana.
“Then you should give it to Princess Tsara.” The words scraped up her throat, sounding for all the world like she’d been drinking acid. “They’re married.”
Sorisana blinked, astonishment clearing all expression from her face for the second time in as many minutes. After a deep breath, she shook her head. “No, you must be mistaken.”
Aliya snorted, wiping her eyes before the tears spilled over. “Believe me,” she hissed as the anger bubbled to the surface. “I wish I was.”
Grabbing Aliya’s hands, she folded her fingers over the pendant, pushing it back into Aliya’s chest. “No. Yesterday, he was ready to defy King Enorathil and stay here, because he loves you. My son is not so fickle he would engage himself to another less than a day later.” She pursed her lips.
“Something’s going on, and we’re going to figure it out. ”
Aliya resisted rolling her eyes. It wasn’t Sorisana’s fault she was unintentionally rubbing salt in open wounds.
“Tsara manipulated him into it in exchange for convincing her father to maintain our alliance and provide food for my people.” She swallowed, clearing her throat in an attempt to eliminate the lump swelling to fill it.
“The same boons your king used to manipulate me into agreeing to marry him, even though he was previously bound by way of Tsara’s arrangement. ”
Sorisana’s jaw slackened. “Double dipping?”
Aliya nodded, relieved that Sorisana seemed just as offended as she was. Perhaps honor did exist in some of the elves, just like in the humans. “And being they’re already married, and I don’t see Roland letting me out of our contract, I don’t know that there’s anything to be done about it.”
The silence settled between them for several heartbeats.