‘Do you blame me for that?’ I raised my hands to show the sores left on my skin by the manacles. ‘Or is it my fault for being imprisoned and dragged around like a slave?’
‘Yes… no… I don’t know! But Tangra, they came for you. Now everyone’s gone.’ She sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. ‘“Serve her,” he said, “and I’ll take you and your mother on the ship with us. You’ll be a lady’s maid.”’
Jagon and his promises.
‘Then blame him, not me. I offered you nothing and didn’t blame you for locking the door,’ I said, maybe too harshly, but my body was vibrating with tension as I watched the cook pouring stew into bowls.
Amala looked at me, tears shining in her eyes, before she stood up and moved her bedding far away from me. As much as I pitied the girl, I couldn’t shoulder her burden or ease her sorrow.
I ate the bowl of stew placed in front of me. It had a faint hint of my concoction, but other than this, nothing indicated the recipe had been tampered with. When Jagon slurped a mouthful while quietly chatting with Tymon, I exhaled, getting ready for action.
Half an hour later, most of the men were snoring, and those who weren’t walked around aimlessly, eyes glazed in confusion. All except Jagon. He stumbled towards me. ‘How… How the fuck you did you manage… to poison them?’ He fell back, hitting the wall before he slid down, shaking his head.
‘Poison? You misjudge me. It’s a simple house remedy for a sleepless night… with a touch of magic.’ I grinned, embracing him and patting his clothes as I searched for the keys to the manacles.
‘If you leave, you’ll die. Tangra… They saw your magic. The preceptor is searching for you… on the Great Hierophant’s orders.’ He was slurring his words, head swaying from side to side. ‘Roksana, listen. Your king can’t protect you, but I can hide you, my Vila. I found you… you’re mine…’
His voice faded while I stripped him of everything useful. A dagger, a few vials of poison, and, at the end, hidden on a chain around his neck, was the key to the manacles. I drew a shaky breath at the rush of pure, uncorrupted aether flowing through my body. I didn’t have time to spare. The draught, significantly diluted and tempered by heat, would only give me two, maybe three hours, and I had to use them to get as far from Jagon and his men as possible.
I gathered my newly acquired weapon, a few supplies, and all the gold I could find in Jagon’s pockets, then rushed to the stairs and my freedom.
‘You killed them.’ Amala’s voice was devoid of emotion. My maid stood there, hands clasped to her chest, staring with wide, terrified eyes, her bowl of stew untouched on the floor.
‘No, they’re just sleeping. Now, you have a choice. Come with me, and if we make it to Truso, I’ll ensure you’re looked after. Or stay and face Jagon’s wrath.’ That was all I could offer; a choice. Not a good choice, and not one without danger, but at least I wasn’t leaving her like a sacrificial lamb to pay for my transgressions.
‘I’m not going anywhere with you, you… poisoner.’ She spat last words like a curse, and for a moment, I considered knocking her out cold. I quickly dismissed this idea; this wasn’t a child I had to protect, and in the end, maybe staying here would be safer than going with me.
‘As you wish. Goodbye, Amala.’
I rushed out, slipping as I turned to clamber up the steep stairs, each step threatening to send me onto the rocks orthe raging sea. The climb took an eternity, but eventually, the clifftop appeared, lashed by the wind and rain, but I didn’t care.
I was free and heading home.
Still, the triumphant scream died in my throat when I saw the line of torches weaving up the path from the port. Each flame was carried by a soldier with the bright orange tabard of the Tangra Empire. I was trapped, and the only men who could fight them were now sleeping like the dead in the cavern below.
Chapter 36
Roksana
Ice peppered my face as the wind scoured it from the granite cliff, causing me to squint. I couldn’t hide here forever. The approaching soldiers were still a long way off, but even the howling wind failed to deafen the clatter of armour and the sound of their marching song.
They moved with purpose, well-trained, well-armed – a cohesive unit that knew its target. The leader, a slim man sitting on the only horse, wasn’t looking around to search; he knew exactly where to go, but how?
Then I saw why. There was a man tied to the horse, a sailor, going by his clothes. He must have been a smuggler if he knew about the cave.
‘Fuck!’ I muttered, crouching behind the feeble shrubs.
With him leading them here, the men in the cavern and I were as good as dead. Thorns pricked my skin, the brambles defending themselves when my fist instinctively grabbed them tight. Could I make a barrier out of them? I looked at the withered leaves and impressive thorns.
‘No. Even if I made you grow, that smuggler knows exactly where the stairs are,’ I said to the plant, the only entity I could share my thoughts with. Would they search the cliffs if I grew the bushes enough to hide? It was risky, but a feasible solution. Hide, wait for them to find Jagon’s men, and run away when the fighting started.
It was a workable plan in the current circumstances… only that meant leaving the sleeping people to be slaughtered like sheep. They might have been thugs and smugglers, but that didn’t sit well with me. Then there was Amala. I couldn’t let that poor girl endure my… I shuddered. Even if she hated me, I would not allow that.
‘Oh, for fucks sake, why do I care what happens to these bastards? Why does everything have to be so complicated?’ I cursed, running back to the cavern, trying not to break my leg on the slippery steps.
‘The heart should never guide the knife… What a load of steaming pig shit. Maybe Tova can swap my heart for one of his machines, because this is bloody ridiculous.’ I was muttering angrily, my ire rising with each passing step. By the time I entered the cavern, I was ready to fight the Tangra army myself. Amala looked up from her bedroll, scowling as I ignored her.
Reversing the effect of my own potion was child’s play, especially since it was a sleeping draught. All I needed was a stimulant of sorts, and knowing smugglers and sailors, I figured they had kava beans nearby.
