Chapter 16
MarIK glanced up at the sky once more, praying that Sharon had reached safety. He hated not knowing what was going on with her. FisON shoved him for the third time in five minutes, trying to make him walk faster, but MarIK continued to ignore him and took his time. He was surprised that FisON didn’t bind his wrists. It was a mistake that FisON may regret soon enough. Movement ahead of them caught his attention as they entered the trading post. OrIN stood in the center of the room with his arms over his chest, and the Morin commander stood next to him.
“Where is the female?” the Morin asked.
“He says she died in the explosion.” FisON tried to shove MarIK again, but he was ready for it this time and planted his feet. FisON fumbled and ended up looking like an idiot.
The Morin commander turned to glare at OrIN. “If there is no female, there is no deal.”
“She’s not dead. He’s lying.” Orin tried to reassure the Morin but it didn’t look like it was working.
OrIN moved toward MarIK angrily. “You hid her somewhere. Tell me where she is and I’ll make your death quick.”
“She is no longer here.”
FisON looked at him. “He probably dumped her somewhere so that he could escape.”
“No, he wouldn’t just abandon her. His honor wouldn’t allow him to do such a thing. Where did you find him?”
“In a cave.”
“She has to be there.”
“I searched the cave. She wasn’t in it,” FisON said proudly.
OrIN ignored him. “I want five warriors to go to the cave and search thoroughly for the female. She has to be there. Also, send a group of warriors to the tunnel to look for remains in case she did die.” He turned to the Morin commander, “We will find her.”
“We will give you a couple of hours to search, then we’ll leave if it proves fruitless.”
OrIN glared at MarIK. “We’ll find her. Where are the warriors who helped you? You couldn’t have gotten the Katierans out without aid.”
“They all died in the explosion.”
“Another lie, MarIK. You dishonor yourself. Take him to a holding facility.”
MarIK didn’t fight the warriors who took hold of his arms and led him to the other end of the south corridor. They had chosen those quarters to hold their enemies because the quarters had no escape routes and the rooms had no furnishings, not even a bed. He had never thought those rooms would be where he would spend his last hours. There was no doubt in his mind that once their search revealed nothing, OrIN would order his death.
“Why did you do it, Commander? Why did you betray OrIN?” Lieutenant RosET, one of the warriors, asked.
“It was the honorable thing to do. OrIN has gone mad — kidnapping females, trying to overturn the ruling families, and, worse, making deals with the enemy. I couldn’t let this go unchallenged.”
“Why didn’t you recruit more to aid you?”
“I didn’t want more of my warriors to suffer because of my actions.”
RosET looked over at the other warrior, Lieutenant StemER. “Even now, you will go to your death to protect the female and the warriors who helped you.”
“I would not be an honorable male if I betrayed those who are innocent or following their conscience.”
“You are the most honorable male I have ever met, Commander. We want you to know that many approved of your actions and would have aided you if you had told them what you planned.”
MarIK was grateful to hear that. “I appreciate that.”
“You’re not alone, Commander.” As Lieutenant StemER said that, he pointed ahead of them. MarIK ceased walking when he looked at the gathered warriors. Approximately twenty waited for him.
“The Goddess rewards her worthy warriors,” Lieutenant RosET said, smiling wide.
“She does indeed.”
