by Imogen Elvis
It was at least midday, by Briar’s estimation, by the time Lara finally woke. She stretched a little and sat up awkwardly, blinking as she pulled against her bonds. It seemed to take her a moment before she remembered they were still prisoners. “No one has come yet?”
Briar shook her head.
“Wonderful.” Lara heaved a sigh. “I wish something would happen. Anything would be better than just sitting here waiting to be delivered like so much cargo. There’s got to be something we can do.”
“The door is locked.” Kade’s voice was studiously emotionless. “And the sailors are wary. They won’t take any chances. The only time they’re going to want to move us is once we get to Mizra.”
“You two escaped from the middle of Sachio’s fort, which was guarded not only by soldiers but by the Nameless Ones as well. This should be easy compared with that. So our last attempt might have failed. There’s got to be something else we can try.”
Briar had to admire Lara’s optimism, even if she couldn’t share it. Somehow, this stuffy little cabin, with the light rapidly dimming outside, seemed more secure than the more fortified prison cell right now.
Lara and Kade settled in to discuss their options, whether they could cause a disturbance and lure a sailor in, then overpower them somehow, whether there was any chance of getting their hands free on their own, and other such suggestions. Briar let their conversation pass her by. If anyone could come up with a plan, it was them. She had been thinking all night, but all her thoughts kept coming back to the ways she had failed already, which wasn’t exactly helpful.
A low roll of thunder trembled through the cabin, shaking the thin walls. A storm must be brewing. Well, at least they were inside, though that was a small consolation. Briar shifted, trying to ease the pressure on her bound arms. Her shoulders ached from the way her hands were pulled so far behind her, and her wrists burned where the ropes rubbed against her skin, creating new welts over old scars. Another rumble of thunder shook the air, closer this time, loud enough almost to cover the scrape of a key being fitted into the lock. Briar’s head snapped up. Someone was coming. Neither Kade nor Lara seemed to have noticed the jangle of keys. Briar thumped the heel of her boot against the floor to get their attention.
“What is it?” Lara asked, breaking off the hot debate she was having with Kade.
Briar jerked her head towards the door. They turned, just as the door swung open, revealing not Micah this time but Kyla. Over the sailor’s shoulder, Briar caught a glimpse of the darkening sky outside. The clouds were foreboding, dark and purple, heavy with the promise of imminent rain. This was going to be one enormous storm. Then the door swung shut again, cutting off her view.
Kyla carried with her a pitcher of water and another wooden mug as Micah had. Water. Briar could have licked her lips if she wasn’t gagged. Kyla stood by the door, watching the three of them warily as they stared up at her. Briar could only imagine the pitiful hope that the sailor saw shining in their eyes.
“You get a drink,” Kyla said finally. “Captain’s orders. But I’m not untying you. Anyone tries anything, makes one move I don’t like, I leave, and you get nothing. Understand?”
“Not much chance of that,” Lara said. “Your friend already showed us what happens. He did a nice job of roughing Briar up, don’t you think?” Lara’s mouth twisted as her eyes flicked between Briar and Kyla. It was an effort for Briar not to turn her swollen cheek away from their gaze.
“She deserved it.”
That was probably true. Briar clenched her hands behind her back and sat very still as Kyla poured a mug of water, before setting the pitcher on the floor. This time they were getting that precious drink.
Kyla crouched warily next to Lara and held the mug to her lips. “Open.” The sailor tilted the cup, water spilling over the sides as Lara tried to gulp it down. More water seemed to be going down Lara’s front than down her throat. The moment the cup was empty, Kyla snatched it away and retreated to a safe distance. Lara licked her lips, catching the last traces of water on her tongue. Outside, thunder rumbled again, and the first drops of rain hit the roof of the cabin, pinging off like pebbles.
“So, you’re the prince.” Kyla refilled the mug for Kade, her eyes flicking to his face. “You’re not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?” Kade asked.
Kyla shrugged. “Dunno. Not you. Guess you never can tell.”
“Tell what?”
“Who’s a dirty traitor, willing to sell people out.” Kyla shrugged and held the cup to Kade’s lips. “Why’re you going to Mizra?”
“We’d like to help with our own executions.” Lara’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “We thought it would help Lord Sachio if we delivered ourselves. Wouldn’t want to cause too much trouble for him.”
“Very funny.” Kyla set the cup on the floor and cocked her head on one side, looking at Kade. “What made you do it? Betray us to the Beldrans?”
“I didn’t betray anyone.” Kade met her eyes without flinching.
“Everyone says you did.”
“They don’t know the truth.”
Kyla shrugged. “Fine. Don’t tell me. It’s not like it’s going to matter once we get to Mizra anyway.”
She moved over towards Briar. Now the gag would be removed. She’d be able to breathe again without feeling sick. Just a few moments more and she would be rid of it, even for a short space of time. She sat perfectly still as Kyla struggled with the knot at the back of Briar’s head, hardly daring to breathe in case that startled the sailor. Kyla let out a muffled swear, before finally, the knot pulled free, taking a few strands of hair with it.
“Bottoms up.” Kyla held the mug to Briar’s lips and tipped. Water spilt everywhere, down the front of Briar habit, down her throat, into her lungs. Briar choked, hacking up the water, unable to swallow any in her need to breathe.
“You’re going too fast.” Kade made a sudden move towards Briar, before catching himself as Kyla’s eyes snapped to him. “Please, you’re drowning her. Give her a chance to catch her breath.”
“If she really wants a drink, she’d actually try to swallow some,” Kyla said. But she drew the cup back, waiting as Briar coughed, then sucked in a couple of ragged breaths. Briar’s heart raced, as if she really had been drowning instead of stupidly breathing in the water she’d been so eagerly awaiting.
“I’m alright.” Her words were hoarse, and Briar barely recognised her own voice.
“Good. Because I don’t have all night.” Thunder crashed outside, and Kyla glanced around.
“Sounds like it’s going to be a huge storm,” Lara said, her voice casual, maybe to distract Kyla and give Briar another moment to recover.
“Pretty big.” Kyla lifted one shoulder. “We’ll weather it. Besides, with that wind from Lorholt, we’re pretty close to Mizra.” Kyla lifted the mug again but didn’t bring it to Briar’s lips yet. Another rumble of thunder, louder than the first crashed around them. “Definitely going to be a rough one.”
With the storm distracting Kyla, could this be a chance? Briar licked her lips, her fingers curling. Her throat was so dry, despite her attempt to drink. She might not be able to get so much as a single note out, but she had to try. What else could they do to her that was worse than being handed over to Master Sachio? Briar connected with the sailor’s life song. She had one chance. Taking a deep breath, she pushed every bit of magic she had into the notes that crackled out of her dry throat.
Sleep.
“Don’t you-” Kyla grabbed for her dagger, even as the magic seized hold of her. The blade slid halfway out of the sheath, before the command from the song became too much, and her eyelids slid shut. Kyla crumpled sideways, snoring softly.
“Well, that was terrifyingly effective,” Lara said. “Well done, Briar.”
“She’s got a dagger,” Briar rasped out. “We could cut the ropes.”
“Good thinking.” Kade shuffled over to Kyla and turned his back to her, feel
ing behind him for the handle of the dagger with his bound hands. “Lara, guide me.”
“A little higher.” Lara craned her neck to see around him. “Left. Down. There. You’ve got it.”
Kade took the dagger from Kyla’s limp fingers and turned the blade around in his hands. Briar held her breath as he sawed through the bonds and, somehow, not into his skin. Careful. Careful. The ropes fell free. Kade stretched his arms, letting out a little grunt. “That feels so much better.”
“Now do me.” Lara turned around, presenting her bonds to him.
Kade sliced the ropes off her and Lara let out a long sigh of relief. “Oh, that feels good.” She rubbed the raised welts on her wrists. “How long is she going to stay asleep?” She nodded towards Kyla.
“I don’t know,” Briar had to admit. “I’ve never stayed long enough to find out.”
“We’d better not tempt fate then.”
“Let me see your ropes,” Kade said. “I’ll cut you loose.”
Briar twisted around and let Kade sliced through the tight cords. Oh, the relief. Her shoulders cried out as she stretched, and her wrists burned. New layers of welts covered the faint scars from the last time she’d worn shackles. “Thank you.”
“How do you feel?” Kade frowned as he looked into Briar’s face.
“How does it look?” Briar answered.
“It looks painful.” Kade brushed gentle fingers over the swelling.
Briar flinched away from his touch. “It’s alright,” she lied.
“We need to keep moving.” Lara sprang to her feet and stepped over to the door. “The storm should cover our escape. But we need to be quick.”
“Go straight to the side, the one closest to the shore,” Kade said. “The sailors should be distracted by the storm. We’ll be separated as soon as we jump. Don’t waste your energy trying to stay together. Head for the shore. Once you’re on land, make your way downstream. Whoever jumps last waits for the others to come to them. We’ll regroup and find somewhere to wait out the storm.”
Lara cracked open the door and peered through the gap. “They’re occupied out there alright. That’s one massive storm.”
Briar peered over Lara’s shoulder. Sheets of water poured from the sky. Thunder rumbled in one continuous wave, shaking the boat. A flash of lightning split the sky, lighting everything up as bright as midday, before winking out. Water washed over the deck until it almost looked like the boat was sinking, except that it all came from the sky.
“This is our chance,” Kade said.
Looking back, Briar gave Kyla’s sleeping form one final, apologetic look. The woman hadn’t been pleasant, and she didn’t feel remorse at putting her to sleep. But she did feel sorry for the trouble that would greet the sailor when she woke up.
“Come on, Briar.” Lara eased open the door and disappeared out into the storm.
Briar followed. The rain took her breath away the moment she stepped out onto the deck, soaking her through in a blink. She had no time to recover from the shock, however, for Lara grabbed Briar’s arm and hustled her across the deck.
“Hurry,” Lara said into her ear. “Don’t stop or they’ll see us.”
As they scurried through driving rain, Briar caught a glimpse of the crew, struggling to lash down a pile of crates that had come loose in the wild weather. Finbar worked side by side with his crew, hauling the slippery boxes up, shouting over the roar of the thunder and the driving rain. No one seemed to have noticed that Kyla hadn’t returned yet.
Briar and Lara reached the railing without anyone raising the alarm. Briar grabbed onto the rail with both hands, anchoring herself inside this enormous storm that threatened to swallow her whole. Everything was so big, so loud and fierce. From here, she couldn’t see the shore. It was hard even to make out the river below, until the lightning flashed, illuminating its heaving, grey, surface.
Lara clambered onto the railing. “We need to go now before they see us.”
“Wait. Where’s Kade?” Briar’s eyes searched the empty stretch of deck between them and the cabin. He should have been right behind them.
“He’ll catch us up. He can take care of himself. But if we don’t go now, we’ll lose our chance.” Lara grabbed Briar’s shoulder, practically hauling her onto the railing beside her.
“But-”
“Trust him. He’ll be fine.” Lara gripped Briar’s arm more tightly. “Ready?”
Briar bit her lip. She desperately did not want to jump over the edge of the ship into water she could barely even see. She didn’t want to leave the ship, knowing that Kade was somewhere back there still. But she also didn’t want to go back into that cabin, so she didn’t really have a choice. “I’m ready.” Closing her eyes, Briar let herself be pulled forward, tumbling down into the water below.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Briar clawed her way out of the river’s clutches, her fingernails clawing at the cracks in the rocks, dragging herself from the water, inch by inch, until finally, she sprawled face first in the mud, gasping, but free. From the moment she hit the water, the brutal current swept her along in its grasp, spinning her downstream for what must have been miles before she finally tore herself from its grip. But she made it.
The rain beat down, heavy and unrelenting, and for a moment, Briar let it wash over her, her eyes fluttering closed as she tried to catch her breath, her heart still hammering in her chest. She could fall asleep right here in the mud, storm or no storm. But Lara and Kade were out here somewhere. She had to get up, make her way downstream to where Kade would surely be waiting. If he’d actually made it off the boat. But of course, he had. He was the most capable of all of them.
But what if someone had seen him as he tried to jump? What if Kyla had woken from her song-induced slumber and raised the alarm before he’d even left the cabin? He hadn’t made it out on deck by the time Briar and Lara jumped overboard. Briar tried to push away her worries. He would be alright. But what if he wasn’t?
There was only one real way to be sure, and that was to start the trek downstream. Briar heaved herself to her feet and stood, swaying with exhaustion. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the unfamiliar landscape around her in stark silver and black. It glinted off wet rocks, shone on the trunks of the sodden trees and lit up the grey, heaving waters of the river.
“Briar? Kade?”
“Lara? I’m over here.” Briar turned towards the shouts. Her voice sounded so small against the rumbling thunder and the pounding rain. She cleared her throat. “It’s me, Briar.”
“Thank the Tree. Stay where you are. I’m coming to you.” Lightning flashed, thunder crashed, and there was Lara, scrambling over the rocky riverbank towards Briar.
“Over here.” Briar waved.
“I see you.” A few moments more and Lara was there, leaping over the last of the rocks, landing awkwardly, her weight shifting to favour one leg as she jumped down the final pile of slippery stones to reach Briar. “I was afraid I’d miss you in the storm. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. What happened to your leg?”
“I tripped over a rock in the dark.” Lara waved Briar’s concern away. “It’s fine.”
“I can heal you.” Briar reached for her magic.
“It’s just a bruise. Besides, Kade is waiting for us. We need to keep moving.”
If he’d made it off the boat. No, he’d be safe. “Alright. If you’re sure you’re alright. Lead the way.”
Lara moved quickly, even with the darkness and rain, and the bruise on her leg. Briar stumbled in her wake, feet heavy. She tripped over the rocky ground, catching her toes on the uneven edges, slipping and slithering on the slick mud. How did Lara make this look so easy? Briar’s breath was ragged in her throat from just trying to keep up.
“Kade,” Lara yelled. “Kade.”
Briar glanced around, her skin creeping with the dread of someone other than Kade hearing Lara’s shouts. What if the barge was nearby and the sailors heard them? But the rive
r was empty, and the bank seemed deserted. No calls answered Lara’s.
“Kade.”
Lara continued to yell, forging on through the storm. Briar followed in silence, too out of breath to add her voice. The pouring rain muffled every other sound, even the pounding of Briar’s heart. She hunched her shoulders against the storm, water pouring down her neck, plastering her hair to her face. How was Kade ever going to hear them? They could march right past him in the dark and be none the wiser. What if-
“Lara? Briar?”
A smile spread across Briar’s face. She lifted her head, her eyes searching the darkened riverbank. “It’s us. We’re coming.”
The next flash of lightning lit up Kade, standing on a large, flat rock, looking out over the river. He waved, before climbing down. Briar picked her way over to Kade, cautious of her footing. The riverbank was even rockier and uneven here, with large slabs of rock piled in jumbled heaps. Making their way through this tangle of stones was no easy matter.
“Are you alright?” Kade asked.
“We’re fine. What about you? I couldn’t see you when we were leaving the boat,” Briar said. “What happened?”
“I wasn’t far behind.” Kade waited for a rumble of thunder to clear before going on. “I found somewhere we can shelter until the rain dies down.”
“Shouldn’t we keep going?” Lara asked. “Finbar and his crew will search for us as soon as they realise we’ve escaped. We should try to put as much distance between us and the river as possible.”
Kade shook his head. “It’s too dark and wet. We’re more likely to hurt ourselves than anything. It’s safer to take shelter. Besides, they won’t be able to hunt for us in this weather.”
“All the more reason we should keep moving,” Lara argued. “We need to make the most of our advantage while we have it.”
The thought of struggling on through the rain and the mud and the dark was enough to drain the last of Briar’s energy. “They’ll be far enough downstream by now that they won’t have any idea of where we are,” she ventured, her voice small. “It will take them a while to backtrack far enough to find us, surely?”
