Chapter 5 #2
A second later he was behind me, urging me up, his hands light against my waist until I felt him on the rungs right below me. The ladder swayed and dipped with every step we climbed, but Dario was at the top, holding onto the ropes, trying to keep it as steady as possible.
I climbed and climbed, my stomach churning the entire time. Fresh air from the roof blew on me, as more shouts came from outside. I could hear a soturion down the street, laughing. I froze again. But a pair of large strong hands wrapped around my arms, and hauled me up onto the roof.
Dario stumbled back, clasping me to him, then reached for Galen’s hand, pulling him up beside us. He grimaced, but shook it off. His hand had to be hurting.
The ladder shook as the next person began to climb.
“Go,” Galen said. “Take her to safety. I’ll stay back, make sure the others get out.”
Dario bit his lip. I could practically see the inner battle raging in his eyes—the need to protect me, versus the need to stay behind and guard the others.
Because Lyriana had asked him to, because it was what Rhyan would have wanted.
But also, as I was beginning to see, because it was just the kind of person he was.
So much more like Rhyan than I’d realized. The thought alone made my heart ache.
Dario set down the bags Cal had handed him.
Inside were soturion cloaks, the kind that would help us all blend into the night, and camouflage with our surroundings.
And a thin stave of sun and moon wood. Dario grabbed it, shoving it into his belt, and then he reached for a spare cloak.
“These are for you,” he said. “When we get to the bottom.” He took my hand, pulling me toward the edge of the roof overlooking the alley.
The ladder was bunched into a pile that he quickly released.
“Thank you, Galen,” I said quickly. “For getting me up here.”
He shook his head, like it was nothing, his broken nose highlighted in the moonlight.
“Hey,” he said, “I’ve got you, Jules. We go way back.
Plus, us fugitives need to stick together.
” He winked, and smiled softly, the same smile he’d had since we were kids, running around together in the Bamarian Court.
And for a second, I could see us so clearly.
Young and innocent, so unaware of the horrors of this world.
Or the fates awaiting us as we grew up. We were just running on the beach behind Cresthaven, splashing in the waves.
Laughing. Having fun. I’d forgotten. Forgotten so much as I tried to survive.
I’d tried not to dwell on the past, or dwell on what I had lost. Otherwise the memories—especially the happy ones—made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.
Galen eyed Dario. “Keep her safe.”
“On my life,” he swore, a hand to his heart. Then to me, Dario asked, “Can you climb? Or do you want me to carry you?”
I eyed the alley below us warily, looking between it and him. We still had a long way to climb down. And the ladder wasn’t the sturdiest thing. I’d already frozen once.
My cheeks flushed as I shook my head. “Can you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, just slung my cloak over his shoulder, and stepped off the roof, steadying his feet onto the ladder rung just below, then gestured me forward. “Sit down for me, right on the edge, right there.”
I did as he asked. Without warning, Dario wrapped his arm around me, dragging me forward by the waist, tugging me off the roof.
I bit back a yell, wrapping my arms around his neck, and my legs behind his back, my pulse racing.
His jaw muscle clenched as he took on my weight, adjusting me so I was more secure, and more fully against him.
I exhaled sharply, squeezing him.
“You’re doing good,” he said quietly. “Now just hang on. I’ve got you.”
He placed both hands on the ladder, and I locked my ankles around his back, my fingers clasped together. Then he started to move, climbing down almost as quickly as he’d climbed up the first ladder.
I was prepared to flinch, or feel that awful gnawing sensation in my stomach that came just before I went numb. The feeling that almost always came when I was touched.
But nothing happened. I almost felt … safe. My heart thundered with every step he took. The cold damp wind blew my hair into my face, remnants of a storm from the coast. A moment later, Dario was untangling me from his body, and setting me down.
He handed me the stave, and then he pulled the spare cloak off his shoulder. He went to work at once, wrapping the material around my waist and then drawing the excess up over my shoulders, draping the ends over my head like a hood.
“Are you ready?” he asked, breathlessly.
“Ready.”
He took my hand, and we were off.
We raced down the alley, heading across the street, away from Cal and Marisol’s yells.
Away from the screams coming from the inn as the soturi burst into guests’ rooms looking for us.
Another shout came from the ground. More soturi in the streets, patrolling the waterways as they hunted us.
My heart hammered and Dario ran faster, leading us into the park nearby.
I looked back, just once, and spotted Meera and Aiden heading for the ladder.
We moved past the park, into the trees, snaking in and out of them, Dario grasping my fingers as he ran ahead. I had to leap over brambles and avoid small bushes, while barely keeping myself from tripping over the uneven terrain, but Dario kept a firm grasp on my hand.
“We need to get back on the street,” he said when we finally paused. “This is as far as we can go in this direction.”
I doubled over, my chest heaving, my breaths coming in rapid bursts. I wasn’t used to this much movement—the Palace wasn’t exactly interested in keeping us strong.
“Let’s move,” Dario said.
But I clutched my chest. “I need to catch my breath.”
His mouth tightened. “Deep breath,” he commanded. “Not these little ones. Okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth. We have to keep going.”
I tried to do what he said. He gave an encouraging nod, and after a moment I felt my breathing steady. I stood up and he adjusted the hood of my cloak, ensuring it covered my hair completely. Then he tugged me forward out onto a waterway lit faintly by torchlight.
The street was empty as we crossed it. Dario quickly led us through a maze of alleys and empty waterways, behind a block of small shops. We were about to come out of its shadows when Dario pushed me against the wall, his hand over my mouth.
My stomach churned, pain gnawing at my insides. I gritted my teeth, ready to bite his hand off when I heard something.
Voices.
“The bitch couldn’t have gone far.” A soturion.
There was an answering laugh. “Considering how many times the Bastardmaker’s had her on her back, I think she’s gone far enough. She better be worth that reward we was promised.”
I closed my eyes, my hands shaking.
“Shhh.” Dario’s hand took hold of mine, of both of them, and pressed them to my stomach, squeezing gently. Our eyes met, and he moved his hand from my mouth, breathing slow and even.
The first soturion sneered. “Oh she will be. This one they pay for—and they pay well. If she gets any farther, she’ll be worth even more for our trouble.”
“Is that so? We should find her then,” said the second voice. “And hide her for a bit—we could probably double the price, and take the rest of the year off.”
Two sets of footsteps echoed in the abandoned streets, coming closer, and closer.
My pulse raced. Dario slowly leaned in toward me. He released my hands. Then he drew his hood over our heads. His body pressed against mine, so close I could feel his chest rising and falling.
The soturi’s laughter grew louder.
Dario cradled my head, pulling me against him, still making shushing sounds. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, inhaling, surprised that despite all we’d been through, he still smelled pleasant.
“What’s this?” said the first soturion. His voice was so clear and so close, I knew they’d reached the alley and could see us.
My heart thundered, and my vision was going out of focus. They saw us. They fucking saw us.
Dario slowly pulled my face against his, his lips just barely brushing against my cheek. “Shhh,” he said again.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my entire body trembling.
“Ah,” said the second soturion. “Leave ’em. Wish I had a girl against a wall. But I want that money more. Come on.”
The first soturion laughed. “Give it to her man. Do it for us!”
They both burst into laughter, but soon the sound faded, their footsteps vanishing.
Breathing heavily, Dario pulled back, and instinctively, I pressed my hands to his chest, pushing him away.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his face contorted in pain. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t mean to—” I looked at my hands. “It’s fine.”
“No, I shouldn’t have … but I-I just didn’t know what else to do to hide you. Are you okay?”
“Please, don’t. It’s fine.” And surprisingly, I meant it.
“We need to run again,” he said. “Final burst. Okay, Jules? Can you do that for me?”
It was the first time he’d used my nickname. I nodded.
And we ran out of the alleyway and turned.
Dario led us down the length of the street, passing the buildings that hovered over the block until we reached the next one.
Checking for soturi, we crossed the waterway and ducked into the next alley, moving through the dark, and then back out to the torchlit street.
Five soturi appeared, and Dario pushed me back.
We hid in the shadows of the alley until they passed; luckily they hadn’t noticed and were moving away from us, not closer. The minute the coast was clear, Dario took my hand and started sprinting, racing down the block, crossing the waterway and ducking into an alley.
“How much farther?” I asked. I was out of breath, and my legs were cramping. I knew Dario had slowed down for me considerably—more than considerably—and I was barely keeping up. But I was pushing myself to my limit, and I didn’t think I’d last much longer.
“Just another minute,” he said. “Come on. We’re almost there. You can do this.”
He led me forward. Thene’s temple lay in the distance. The tall building was covered in golden sculptures of seraphim wings. We ran past it, and then up a small hill surrounded by trees. It was the home of our contact with the Purple Sun.
We reached the top of the hill, my stomach painfully tight, my calves burning, and my feet so sore they felt ready to fall off.
A wall encircled the two-story home, almost like a fortress. Someone very wealthy lived here.
A soturion approached the gate. “The hour is too late for visitors. The sun unseen. Go.”
“Dawn approaches,” I said, answering the code. “And the sun rises.”
“And what color is the sun?” he asked.
“Vylette,” I said.
The gate opened at once, and we were shown down a waterway and up a small set of stairs that led into the home.
Our host, an elderly mage, didn’t show his face; I appreciated his secrecy. He was patient as we explained that four more of us were on the way, and that soturi from Ka Kormac would be searching the country for us.
We were shown into a small room to wait for our friends.
The elderly mage disappeared briefly, returning with glasses of water for us, as well as a plate of bread, cheese, and sliced apples.
He promised to bring more food, telling us they’d started to prepare meals for us once they got the call.
I couldn’t eat, but I was thirsty and drained my glass.
I immediately refilled it as Dario took a plate for himself and piled everything onto it.
He sat, and held the plate in front of me, offering me whatever I wanted.
I shook my head. “What’s taking them so long?” I said. “We weren’t that far ahead.”
“They’ll be here,” Dario said.
“But what if—”
“They’ll be here,” he repeated sternly.
But the only person who appeared was the mage to refill our water jug and to put out more fruits, and another serving of warm bread, this one accompanied by several dips.
Before I knew it, the hour was called again.
“Where are they?” I asked Dario, my mind already running through a hundred terrible scenarios.
“We should call,” he said.
“That could be dangerous.” We’d been waiting, desperate to make contact, but our voices coming through the vadati could be deadly if they were close enough for a soturion to hear.
If they were hiding, one call could ruin their cover.
The whole idea of the vadati was starting to feel more and more dangerous and foolish.
“Give me the stone,” Dario said. “I’ve had to do this before—make a call without alerting anyone else.”
I handed it over, and he took a deep breath before he held it close to his mouth. “Aiden,” he said. He spoke as quietly as he could and still have the stone pick up his voice. “Aiden?”
White clouds filled the clear stone, starting to turn blue, but then they faded. It had connected. But Aiden hadn’t answered.
I reached for the stone. “Meera,” I said. “Meera?” Nothing.
“Let’s try Tristan and Galen,” he said. But a knock on the door stopped us. It creaked open revealing a red-faced Meera and Aiden bursting into the room, out of breath.
The door closed and Meera looked frantically between me and Dario. “It’s just the two of you? Just you two?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Shit,” Aiden cursed. “Shit.”
“What?” Dario asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Did Tristan call you?” Meera asked, her voice frantic. “Did you hear anything on your vadati?”
“No,” I said, looking at Dario. “We didn’t hear a thing. Not even when we called you two.”
“Fuck,” Aiden said. “He tried to call us. But when we tried to answer, all we heard was a scream. His. And Galen’s.” Aiden pushed his fingers through his auburn hair, groaning in frustration.
I clutched my chest. “You haven’t heard from them since?” I asked.
I was suddenly dizzy, and had to walk over to the wall, holding onto it to keep from fainting. Because I knew—I knew they’d been captured. Ambushed by the Emperor’s men, just like I had been. Dragged back to the Palace by his soturi.
We’d been so close to escape. So close to freedom.
“Julianna?” Dario asked, coming to stand beside me. “Are you … are you okay?”
I shook my head. “We can’t stay here. They’ll torture our location out of them.”
“Gods,” Meera said. “What do we do? How do we help them?”
“We don’t,” I said, feeling numb. “We can’t. As soon as they finish using them to get what they want, as soon they finish their interrogation—it’s over. They’re dead.”