Page 19 of The Boy Bride

“Vanu wants you to do that?” Khatu said finally.

“He has spoken on the matter,” said Faru angrily. “He wishes the boy disposed of. If it were not so, I would abide by his wishes. As the oath which your grandfather swore compels me—as you well know. What message did you bring me, Khatu?”

“Eh? Ma wants to talk to you in the house.”

“Very well. Padunu, assist my sons in carrying out my instructions.”

“Of course, Lord Faru,” said White Cloak—Padunu, evidently.

Faru walked off across the yard toward the house. Lill was having trouble seeing—his vision was fading out around the edges. He had to think of something, but what? His legs were free, and he could kick, but hard enough to knock down one of them? And there wasn’t one; there were three of them, all bigger than Lill.

“Of course I cannot assist with the actual, er, task,” said Padunu, folding his hands and looking superior. “That is not something that my sacred office will permit.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Khatu, who had been watching his father walk away, but now turned back. “We’ve got it. You can fuck off.”

Did Lill want him to go or not? He couldn’t think—he had no control over what was happening.

Padunu wasn’t leaving, though. “Your disrespect is ill-omened, Son of Faru,” he said. “I will stay to see your father’s orders carried out.”

Khatu rolled his eyes dramatically. Then he bent and grabbed Lill around the legs, hoisting him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Lill gasped in relief as the rope went slack.

“Untie that from the tree, will you?” Khatu said.

“What are you doing?” Padunu demanded.

“You know.” Khatu shrugged, which felt like an earthquake to Lill. “Gonna carry out those orders.”

Barda got the rope untied and slung the loose end to his brother, who caught it in his free hand. Lill saw his chance to break free—a moment too late. Before he could move, Khatu let out what was presumably a roar of bee-fuckery and began to run with Lill over his shoulder. Lill was too stunned to resist.

“What are we doing?” Barda demanded in a gleeful shout, pounding after them.

“We’re taking him and throwing him in Vanu’s window to make him reconsider!” Khatu shouted back.

Barda whooped.

“Please—don’t,” Lill protested with what little breath he could gulp in as he bounced on Khatu’s shoulder. His hair had slid over his shoulder and flopped in his face; he had to spit strands out of his mouth. “He—wants me—dead. I’d rather—not⁠—”

“He’ll change his mind!” Barda shouted enthusiastically. “He needs to start thinking with his dick more, is all.”

“Fucking sun in the winter, brother!”

They’d reached their destination; Lill couldn’t tell where they were until Khatu slid him down off his shoulder and set him on his feet, where he swayed unsteadily. They were outside the house with the dry stone walls on either side, the only way into that compound on the west side of the fortress.

“I’m going to tell your father!” came Padunu’s voice from behind them.

“Quick, get him inside,” urged Barda.

“How are we going to do this?”

“What? This was your plan!”

Khatu laughed boisterously. “So it was!”

“Untie me and boost me up, and I can climb in that open window,” said Lill. He just needed the damned rope off, then he could move. Then he could think what to do next.

“Summer sun, that’s a good idea,” said Khatu.

“No it’s not,” said Barda. “He’ll try to get away. He’s got to go in tied up. Bet you Vanu likes that, anyway.”