Cursing, James caught hold of Carlo’s clothes again and pulled him closer to the stake, trying to knee him in the side, but his ankles were tethered to the same stake. So instead he elbowed him in the gut, the attack frenzied. Hopeless, because soldiers were running toward them.
And Carlo was laughing.
As the Amaridians pinned James down, the Beast slowly got to his feet, a wild grin on his face though he had to be in pain. “Easy, friends, easy. It is good to see that the bastard of Harendell still holds on to his spirit. Let him sleep so that we might have more games tomorrow.”
He strode away and disappeared into a tent.
Not caring if it was a waste of energy, James fought against the soldiers trying to pin him down. “How can you follow him?” he snarled. “He’s fucking insane. A sadist. You should do the world a favor and put him down.”
“A mad dog he might be, but he’s our mad dog,” one of the Amaridians answered, then slammed his fist into James’s stomach. “I’ve lost comrades to your blade, bastard. You’ll find no friends among us.”
They held him down while one of the soldiers hammered the stakeeven deeper into the frozen ground, then they threw a blanket over James.
Aching and exhausted and furious beyond measure, James stared through the flickering fire and found Ahnna staring back at him.
Her face was expressionless, but her eyes held dull resentment that James knew was for him and him alone. He waited for her angry words, for her hatred, for her threats, but instead Ahnna turned her back on him.
Which was so much worse.
Merciless dawn came early, along with a cheerful Carlo who sang an aria to the rising sun while pissing on a campfire.
Not an inch of James didn’t hurt, but he did his best to ignore the pain while he ate and drank what was given to him, all his focus on Ahnna.
She was pale and dead-eyed, listless as she picked at her food, and she refused to meet his gaze. Carlo had stolen the spirit out of her with his words; the sadist was a master at knowing exactly what would hurt the most.
Nothing mattered to Ahnna more than her people’s welfare. Knowing her efforts to aid them had been used to damn them was bad enough, but being powerless to do anything about it was torture.
“Are we ready to start our day?” Carlo asked as he approached. He held out a gloved hand to Ahnna. “I do so love a ride in the snow. Especially with a beautiful woman.”
Ahnna didn’t look at him, only stared blankly at the ground. Making a noise of exasperation, Carlo reached down and closed his fingers around her broken arm. A sob of pain tore from Ahnna as he hauled her to her feet, the sound of it nearly throwing James’s tenuous control over the edge.
“Enjoy your exertions today, James,” Carlo called over his shoulder as he pulled Ahnna toward the waiting Dippy. Then he skipped and kicked up a cloud of snow. “It’s getting so deep! How fun!”
“He doesn’t understand the meaning of that word,” one of the soldiers restraining James muttered when Carlo was out of earshot. “He’s going to accidentally kill you and then she’s going to have the rest of us flayed for allowing it to happen.”
James didn’t recognize him from the night prior, so he asked, “Why do you put up with him? Tear out his throat and say it was the lions.”
The grizzled Amaridian soldier huffed out a breath. “Katarina would only flay us for not keeping him safe. Of all her jewels, Carlo shines the brightest in her eyes.” His eyes flicked up to meet James’s. “I’d think you’d be familiar with such a dynamic given the way Alexandra dotes on your simpering whelp of a little brother. All of us hate your bastard self, but none of us would deny you’re the better man. Must be the Cardiffian in you.”
The soldiers all smirked but James said nothing. William was being used as a puppet by Alexandra, and while she no doubt did it forhis sake,James feared what would be done in his brother’s name. William had his weaknesses, but he didn’t deserve to be manipulated. As for Cardiff, James had no doubt that his family there was also at risk. How long until Alexandra put an end to the hard-won peace he’d fought to achieve? How long until the burnings resumed, the border closed, and the hatred rose hot as ever?
How much worse would it be with Alexandra in control?
And what could James do about it if he escaped?
All his authority, all the respect accorded to him, had been because his father and siblings had demanded it. Now his father was dead. Alexandra hated him. And if what Lestara said was true, then William’s sentiments toward him were also badly tarnished. James knew he deserved his brother’s ire, but the very real consequence was that even if he returned to Harendell to shout the truth of Alexandra’s treachery, William might not listen.
And it likely wouldn’t be long until James met a knife in a dark alley and said nothing at all.
The soldiers were examining his wrists, which were bruised and scabbed from the ropes around them. After a muttered exchange about how the wounds would foul if they got worse, they set to shoving fabric beneath the bindings and then dragged him over to a horse, fastening his leash to the animal’s saddle.
“Good luck, bastard,” the grizzled Amaridian muttered, then climbed on the horse and urged it into a trot.
After that, James could spare no thought for anything beyond staying on his feet.
The snow fell heavily, thick fluffy flakes that piled higher and higher on the trail. Wind whipped through the pines, turning his face and hands to ice even as the rest of him dripped sweat. Sweat that turned to ice whenever they slowed the horses to give them a rest, his whole body swiftly racked with shivers as the cold bit down to his bones.
Just keep running,James ordered himself.Just stay on your feet until dusk.
