by E. L. Todd
“What?” Aleco asked. “Why would you want to be found?” He spotted the blood trickling down her throat and panicked at the sight. “Damn,” he said as he wiped the blood away. “Accacia, are you alright?”
“Yes.” She pushed his hand away and cleaned the wound with her sleeve. Aleco pulled a handkerchief from his pack and pressed it against her bleeding neck, supporting the back of her head with his gloved hand. “Keep the pressure on,” he said, his voice full of concern. He held the cloth in place. “Accacia, you should sit down.”
She swatted his hand away again. “I’m okay,” she said. She was more concerned about the guild investigating the bloody campsite. They wouldn’t be pleased with Aleco’s handiwork. “We need to move. The others will arrive soon.”
Aleco knew she was right. He was so distressed about her safety he hadn’t thought of his own. Accacia walked away. Aleco rescued her from a fate worse than death, so she should be happy to see him, but she wasn’t. She just wanted to get away from him.
“Accacia, I’m glad you are well,” he said. “I was worried about you.”
She ignored him. Sometimes he was an asshole, and sometimes he wasn’t. She wished he would just pick a side and stay there. Accacia wasn’t going to bother handing herself over to the guild anymore. Now that Aleco was there, she was certain he would never allow it.
“Why did you want to be found?” he asked. Aleco could think of only one explanation, but it wasn’t plausible. She must have stumbled into the wilderness, confused and lost on her path back to the forest. Accacia must have been ignorant of the location of the hideaway. He can’t imagine why else she would travel here.
“Because of your memory,” she said. “If you didn’t return me, which I knew you had no intention of doing, they were going to kill you. I couldn’t let that happen.”
His eyes widened at her words. “So you were willing to give yourself to that ruthless barbarian just so I could continue my pathetic existence living in secret?”
“Yes.”
“Accacia—I never would have wanted you to do that.”
“I know,” she said. “You’ve saved my life countless times—I wanted to return the favor.” She meant her words. Even though he had hurt her and abused her, turning into the man she hated more than anything, she couldn’t deny what he had done for her. Aleco was just as much of a victim as she was. He deserved to be free.
Aleco was speechless. She would voluntarily return herself to the duke, who had tormented her so deeply that she turned to suicide, just to spare his feeble life. He couldn’t fathom the unbelievable sacrifice she attempted to make for him. Even after the appalling way he had mistreated her, she still tried to protect him. He had been rude to her since the moment they met, with vulgar comments and hateful insults; he couldn’t understand her unwavering loyalty to him. Aleco thought about their last encounter and his unacceptable behavior. She begged for his forgiveness but his fury only increased at her pleas. He regretted the vicious comments he said to her, and the painful way he grabbed her arms. Aleco was disgusted with himself. He touched her on the forearm. “Accacia—”
She jerked her arm from his grasp. She stopped and stared at him, her green eyes flashing in anger. He knew she was furious with him by that look alone. Aleco completely understood, but he hoped it had dimmed after he saved her. He also wished that it would disappear altogether. She obviously cared for him; she wouldn’t have sacrificed herself if she didn’t. “Don’t touch me.” The fire in her eyes dwindled when he retracted his arm. “I never want your hands on me, Aleco,” she said. “Don’t touch me again.”
Aleco blocked her way by positioning his body in her path, though he didn’t touch her. “Accacia, I am truly sorry for what I did to you,” he apologized, his voice full of remorse. “I regret everything. Please, Accacia,” he begged. “I’m sorry.” She walked around him. He obstructed her path again and stopped her. He pulled down the hood of his cloak and locked his fierce gaze on her, reminding her that he had revealed his true identity to her because he trusted her. “I mean it, Accacia,” he said. “I never apologize to anyone for my irrational behavior, but I am apologizing to you—because I mean it. Please, Accacia,” he said. “I promise I will never hurt you again. You have my word.”
“Where have I heard that before?” She traversed around him and moved forward. “Your promises mean nothing to me, Aleco,” she said. “They mean less than nothing.”
Her painful words stung him. He didn’t blame her for feeling that way. He ruined their trusting relationship because he couldn’t control his temper, and he hated himself for it. Accacia still made the effort to protect him, even after he bruised her, so he knew she still cared for him. That gave him hope. Aleco strode beside her. “Please give me another chance,” he said. “I’m a different man than I was then, Accacia.”
“From a few hours ago?” she asked.
“Yes, I am,” he said. “Accacia, listen to me—”
“Drop it, Aleco.” She silenced him. “I have nothing more to say to you. Let’s move.”
Aleco bit his tongue; he knew his attempt was futile. He would try again later. Aleco couldn’t fathom her selfless actions. Never in his life had he met someone who would do anything for him—other than his parents. After the terrible way he treated her and the venomous anger he spat at her, she still cared for him unconditionally, and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect him. It was a type of love that Aleco had forgotten about. He would do anything to regain her trust, but was clueless how to win it back. After everything she had been through, he doubted she could find the will to forgive him. He meant his earlier words; he was a different man. Aleco would risk everything to protect her—even his own life. Now, he just had to prove it to her.
She walked past him, but Aleco remained rooted to his spot, hands on his hips, as he gazed at the brambles of twigs on the forest floor. Aleco heard the snap of a branch from behind him. He withdrew his blade from his scabbard.
The forest was silent, too silent, in fact. Aleco knew he was being watched and waited for the oncoming attack. Accacia advanced through the forest, completely unaware of the situation. Aleco was thankful for her ignorance. He didn’t know what he was up against.
He heard the launch of an arrow and intercepted it with his blade, severing it in half. Five guildsmen stepped out of the darkness, armored with strung bows and gleaming swords. Pons stood in the lead along with three other swordsmen. He spun his dagger between his fingertips, just as before, but his earlier friendliness had disappeared. Aleco was outnumbered, which wouldn’t pose a threat to him with ordinary men, but these weren’t ordinary men—he had no chance.
From behind, two men dragged Accacia before Pons. He stared at her with indifference as she tried to halt their advancement by pushing her boots against the earth. She fought against their restraint by kicking them and jerking her body away in an attempt to escape the clutches of their gloved hands. She yanked her arm towards her body, but couldn’t slip from their grasp. She screamed in frustration. “Let me go!” She bit the man on the arm and tore out a chunk of skin with her teeth, releasing a tide of blood. “Let me go,” she repeated as she thrashed in his clutches. Frustrated, the guildsman smacked her across the face, and she whimpered in response. The resounding clap amplified and echoed through the forest. She fell silent and ceased her resistance. Aleco squeezed his sword.
Pons spun the dagger between his fingertips. “So instead of doing as I requested, you chose to murder my two men, your old comrades, and bring along a friend?”
“She’s my sister,” he explained.
“Didn’t realize you had a sister,” he said.
“I never mentioned it.”
Pons stopped spinning his dagger. “Why is she here, Aleco?”
Aleco clutched the hilt of his sword as he searched for an answer. He could see no possibility of escape for both of them, but he would attempt to spare Accacia. “She offered to aid me in my mission,” he said. “We
were traveling through the forest when your men chose to make things bloody—they got what they deserved. She has no part in this. I am the one who executed your men, so release her.” Pons stared at him. Aleco returned his look from within his hood, holding his ground as he waited for Pons to accept his explanation and release Accacia or reject the phony story and kill them both where they stood.
Pons beckoned the soldiers with a flick of his fingers. The men dragged Accacia’s body before him. In the dark, Aleco could see the redness of her cheek and the dried blood that cracked against her neck. Her gaze remained glued to the ground and she avoided locking her gaze with any of the men; she didn’t even look at Aleco. Her body trembled as she awaited judgment.
Pons brushed away the strands of brunette locks that concealed her features. He lifted her chin and stared directly into her tear-stained face; her lips quivered at his inspection. Pons recognized the unparalleled beauty in her countenance and knew who she was. Pons cupped her face. “You know what I think, Aleco?” he said. He wiped away the tear on her cheek and Accacia closed her eyes at his touch. “I think you’re a liar.”
Aleco’s body shook with anger when Pons touched her. “Release her,” he demanded. Aleco inserted himself between Pons and Accacia, protecting her with his body. “She has nothing to do with any of this. Let her go.”
Pons ignored his words. “Grab him,” he instructed the guards. Aleco raised his sword but Pons steadied his hand with his words. “If you want her to live, I suggest you put that away.”
A soldier held his sword against Accacia’s throat and the other guildsman clasped her hands behind her back. He secured her hands in an unbreakable knot and she gasped when he tightened the rope. Aleco sheathed his sword and held his hands up in surrender. They restrained his arms and secured his wrists a special knot that can only be severed by the edge of a blade.
He looked at Accacia’s bloodless face, paler than the midnight moon, as she stood motionless within their grasp. The lines around her lips sagged in despair and the skin around her eyes was pruned from her dripping tears. Previously, her face was contorted in fear as she fought for her freedom, but now her eyes appeared hollow and glossy, hopeless. “We’ll be fine,” Aleco said. She didn’t look at him, nod her understanding, or even blink at his words—she had given up.
The escort team marched them through the forest, their feet falling in unison as they maneuvered around the stumps of trees and mounds of earth toward the hidden hideaway. Aleco fidgeted with the knot behind his back and searched for a loophole in the rope. Accacia’s safety was his responsibility and he had to secure her release. If he lost his life, he didn’t care—he would protect her at any cost. Aleco knew the old man preferred Accacia over him anyway.
He glanced at Accacia. She sauntered alongside him with her eyes diverted to the dirt below her feet. Frustrated by her slow pace, the guildsmen shoved her forward and she yelped as she stumbled along. Aleco concentrated on loosening his knot.
Aleco watched the breath of the men escape into the air, the only visible evidence they were even there. Their footfalls were silent with the exception of the occasional crack of an unsuspecting branch that lay hidden on their path. Accacia’s footfalls fell against the earth like a played drum. Aleco spotted the dark outline of a falcon alongside their progression, pouncing from branch to branch through the glade. It cried into the night as it followed their death march. The falcon screeched every few seconds and the high pitched call became louder with every scream. The noise resonated within their ears and stole their attention, all other interests forgotten. The falcon continued its shrill squeal.
Pons armed his bow and aimed at the falcon. At the moment of release, Accacia nudged his shoulder and the arrow missed its target, embedding in a nearby tree. The falcon screamed once more before it escaped into darkness.
Pons grabbed Accacia by the throat and squeezed her windpipe with his fierce grip. She coughed in response as she tried to inhale air, but his grasp was too tight. Accacia suffered in silence without oxygen. Her eyes rolled away and her mouth began to close.
“Stop,” Aleco yelled. The soldiers held Aleco back. “You’re going to kill her.”
Pons released her neck and tossed her to the ground. She rolled on her side and coughed into the soil. Her entire body shook with the effort. Pons stood over her and waited for her hack to subside. Pons watched her rise to her feet. When she looked at him, he smashed his fist directly into her face and sent her back to the forest floor with a bloody mouth. Aleco tried to advance towards her, but he was held steady by an additional guard, who forced him back with a blade to his throat. “Leave her be,” he begged. “Please.”
“Bring her to her feet.” Pons smiled as he walked away from Accacia. Aleco saw the blood gush from her mouth and his body shook with anger at the sight.
Accacia spit blood onto the soil. “I will tell Drake what you’ve done. He will never forgive your actions,” she threatened. “You won’t leave his presence alive.”
“What if I just kill you now?” he challenged.
“The only reward you’ll receive for my death is your own.”
Pons ignored her last words. “Let’s move on.”
They dragged Accacia forward with blood dripping down her chin, leaving a trail of dark spots in the soil. She remained silent as they pushed her forward and never complained about the pain, nor did she request a cloth to cover the wound. Aleco knew Accacia’s previous words were a complete lie. His brother would never have the opportunity to execute Pons—Aleco would see to that.
They passed three rocks, each one smaller than the previous. It was the signal that the hideaway was near. The landscape of the forest repeated its designs with the same blades of grass, thick trees, and copse of bushes every few feet, making every position in the forest identical to any other. It was the very reason why the Serpentine Guild had selected the hidden realm for the hideaway—it was almost impossible to find.
They veered to the left and entered a patch of clustered trees where they found a garden of massive rocks jumbled together in jagged points and slanted slopes. They crept through the maze of stone and squeezed into a hallway between two boulders. On their right was a small opening, large enough for one man to slide through. They entered the hidden opening one person at a time.
Accacia couldn’t see through the pitch black so she relied on the sound of the guildsmen before her for direction through the winding passage. She uplifted small rocks with her boot and heard the pebbles collide with the heel of the men’s shoes. Occasionally, the stone walls would rub against her shoulders, and the further down they traveled within the depths of the earth, the more anxious she became. Accacia conjured memories of Orgoom Forest to ease her suffering. There was a meadow in the middle of the forest she used to visit on sunny afternoons. She would lay in the grass with her journal and scribble about her studies. The smell of the spring day tickled her nose and aggravated her allergies, but she remained where she was, unable to look away from the captivating view. Her eyes would grow heavy, drunk from the beating sun, and she would nap for hours on the hilltop until she finally ran home to Father Giloth. She savored the images as she continued through the stone prison.
The slanting tunnel finally opened to a large cavern. Pons and the other men lit their torches, and light illuminated the room. The sight was unremarkable with no ornamentation at all. The walls were barren with the exception of dirt. The floor was covered in moist soil that made muddy footprints when Accacia walked across it. There was only one structure in the cavern.
The blood red doors of the entrance were high and wide, large enough to give entry to a group of oxen. The frame was marked with a black border and untarnished metal which shined in the light of the flames. The entryway was decorated with vertical black lines and contained two thin slits next to the handles, bordered by a golden metal. Accacia couldn’t fathom the purpose of these holes, other than to peek in on the activities on the opposite side of the door�
�but she knew this couldn’t be so.
Accacia’s musings were interrupted by the sound of metal being withdrawn from a scabbard. Two guildsmen unsheathed their blades, which were identical to Aleco’s, and approached the opening. The men inserted their black blades into the slits and simultaneously turned the vertical holes horizontal. The maneuver was accompanied by an audible click as the door unlocked. A large boom echoed throughout the cavern, making Accacia jump at the unexpected sound. A blast of cold wind prickled her skin when the heavy doors swung outwards. They walked through the doorway into the Hideaway of the Serpentine Guild.
Serpentine Guild Hideaway
17
Accacia didn’t know what to expect from this place. They shoved her through the entrance and she stumbled into the wide room. The chamber was an extension of the forest. The floor was made of the same moist dirt with centipedes crawling from the surface, and short stalks of grass protruded from the soil. Moss covered the stone walls from the floor to the ceiling, where chiseled holes channeled sunlight to the ground. Accacia smelled the humid plant life and it had the same scent as the forest. She would have enjoyed the peaceful scene if she wasn’t so frightened. She glanced over at Aleco, who was already looking her way, and heard him whisper, “I’ll keep you safe.”
They walked across the alcove and into a cramped hallway that veered off into three different directions. They chose the middle path and continued forward. Accacia was already lost in the maze.
Aleco examined his surroundings, searching for a means of escape. He glanced into a room as they passed and a flash of metallic sheen caught his eye. It happened so quickly, Aleco was unsure he actually saw it. He turned to get another look, but the doorway was already behind him.
Aleco knew where they were headed. The prisoners were stored in the Vast, a small city constructed in the rear of the tunnel. It is an isolated area, impossible to escape from. As they entered the massive cavern, the Vast was displayed in the sunlight dancing from the ceiling. A thick bridge extended across the deep chasm, which was a bottomless, black pit, to the other side where the city rested. Torches flickered among the wooden constructs of the city. It resembled a palace bathed in candlelight. Aleco heard Accacia gasp quietly in amazement. He felt the same way his first time seeing the Vast, too.
