by Rae Brooks
Acting entirely on instinct, she spoke. “Listen, I know I have always been a little hostile towards you—I know you think I’m mad, and certainly difficult to handle, but I want…” His eyes were focused solely on her, and she could feel electricity rising in the air. But then, there was a loud noise from downstairs.
A slamming sound rang through the entire inn, and then voices, louder than any of the others, sounded over the ruckus. “We are going to search the rooms!” Telandan guards, Aela realized. She knew them almost instantly. Her heart sank. They must be here for Leif and her, and if they were… that meant that Taeru…
A horrified whimper escaped her lips, but Leif had started forward and seized her by the hand. Anguish moved through her, rendering her body next to worthless. She had known that something was amiss. There had been a fear in his eyes last moon, and now-now… oh, she couldn’t bear to imagine it. “Come, now,” Leif demanded.
Aela shook her head. No, they would find a way to free her brother. That bloody bastard—Calis Tsrali had caused this, and she knew it. But she would make sure that her brother stayed safe. She hadn’t come all the way to Telandus to let him die. Running backwards, she grabbed her book, pulling on her cloak and threw Leif his. “They’ll know what we look like,” she said quickly.
Leif nodded and pulled the cloak on quickly. “Right, now come on,” he commanded again. She moved towards the door as Leif thrust it open. They spilled into the hallway, running to the window at the end of the hallway. The window was open, and there was a small awning outside. “Jump,” Leif said quickly. Not having time to fuss over who got out first, Aela pulled herself over the seal and out of the window. She hit the awning hard and then slid onto the ground with a thud.
Leif followed her shortly, and her heart breathed a little easier as they were both out of the building. She considered what was left in the room, and she was happy to know that nothing of value would be there. “What’s happened, Leif?” she hissed. He glared at her for saying his name, and she offered him an apologetic glance. Taeru gnawed on her mind, for she knew that he was in trouble.
The book felt heavy in her arms as they moved around the side of the building. There, seven horses stood, waiting for men that had gone inside. All the men, though, had not gone inside. Several of them were walking about the perimeter, with a determined look in their eyes. Leif let out a sharp breath, and then he grabbed Aela’s hand and started in the other direction. “The place will be crawling with guards,” Leif said shortly. “I’ll explain soon, but for now—we have to find somewhere to hide.”
With Leif’s guidance, they moved towards the alleyways of Dark District. Aela’s mind was racing painfully as she imagined all the things Lavus would do to Taeru. Taeru would be tortured, and he would be tortured without mercy. This was Calis’s fault, and she knew it. She hated the prince—hated him with her entire soul. Her brother had trusted him! And Calis had betrayed Taeru. Tears welled in her eyes as she followed Leif. “Don’t cry,” Leif pleaded. “Please, don’t.”
She wasn’t even sure how Leif knew that she was crying, but she tried to stifle her tears for his sake. The conversation they’d had must have been relevant, far more so than Aela had originally thought. She should never have let him talk her into leaving that room—she would have kept Taeru safe. As Leif predicted, guards were everywhere. They were speaking with random stall owners, and the people were all clearly baffled. Aela thought once of Alyx and Juliet—the two that had taken care of Taeru in her absence.
Leif’s hand holding hers was the only thing rooting her to reality. If he had not been there, steadying her, then she would have been whisked away to her own personal torture. Nothing good would have come of that, and she knew it. “I wish we could get to the stables,” Leif murmured, “but the gates will surely be blocked.”
“We can’t run,” Aela whispered, horrified.
As they moved along the area, Aela could sense the unrest growing. It wasn’t just Leif and she who felt strange. There was a weird, intensity tearing through Dark District. She couldn’t understand it, but it was filling her body with adrenaline, and a confidence that she had previously lacked. “Go to Juliet’s,” Aela demanded. “We need to make sure they’re alright.”
Leif scoffed at her. “I never intended to run.” The way he spoke, Aela was certain that she had deeply offended him. She ought to have known better than to have ever expected Leif Firenz to run from a possible fight. “I just wanted a horse. Though, good idea, they might need our help,” Leif agreed. “Just don’t get caught.”
They headed towards the healer’s house with renewed purpose. The guards were too busy trying to get information, and very few of them were actually looking around for Leif and Aela. Aela had never seen so many noblemen in a commoner district before. Too bad the cause was such a terrible one, she thought. Using alleyways, they managed to get within sight of the healer’s home without any incident.
It was as they reached the house, though, as it grew closer and closer—that the incident erupted. At first, Aela thought nothing of it. There was a fight, a simply growing unrest between one of the men that the guards were talking to. The man seemed angry, and he pulled away from the guard when the man tried to advance on him. Leif hurried behind a building to watch, clearly deeming it more interesting than Aela had.
“Why are you going around asking for information about him?” the man snapped. He sounded angry, and none of the usual fear with which commoners dealt with noblemen was present. The man seemed stronger than the guard.
In fact, the guard shrank back a little at the tone. “He is a traitor. He’s from Cathalar, you old fool,” the guard finally growled back. “You withhold information that you know about him, then you are a traitor as well.”
The man laughed, a long, hollow laugh. His grin was visible from Aela and Leif’s distance. The two of them glanced at one another, and Aela’s fears about Taeru were confirmed. What were they doing to him? Across the way, though, the old man spoke. “Well, then you might as well call me a traitor. That boy’s done more for me than any of you pathetic guardsmen have.”
Aela felt a swell of pride. This man probably didn’t even know Taeru was the Phantom Blade, and yet he respected Taeru enough to keep quiet. Even in the face of certain death. “Alright, then,” the guard hissed. He yanked the man around and forced him against a nearby wall. Then, though, a younger woman jumped forward and grabbed the guard, clawing at his eyes with her fingernails.
The guards eyes were damaged as he staggered away. Other guards came to the rescue at once, but a small group of commoners joined the fight as well. The brouhaha was enough to cause Leif to shake his head. “Impressive, Taeru,” he whispered under his breath, before grabbing Aela by the hand. “We have to hurry.”
As they neared Juliet’s house, Aela could see a guard out front already. She let out a long hiss, clenching her fists as they both came to a stop. Juliet was out front, and she seemed to be cooperating well enough with the man questioning her. Leif ducked behind a few crates nearby, watching the scene curiously. “I’m sure he told them to do whatever necessary to protect themselves,” Leif said.
“What about him?” Aela hissed. “What about protecting him?”
Leif let out a hollow laugh, and then he shook his head in pretend amusement. “He never has known anything about his own safety. He would give his life to better the experience of a dying plant.” The words were true, and Leif spoke them as though they tasted badly.
The healer, though, seemed as though she was going to obey Taeru’s wishes. She was nodding, and she looked as friendly as she ever had. When the man glanced back at the fight that had erupted, he spoke angrily. Juliet frowned, and then she shook her head warily. When the man prompted again, there was a ghost of a smile on her lips, and she continued to shake her head. No, she wasn’t complying with Taeru’s wishes. Aela felt a grim satisfaction move through her.
The guard jerked forward and seized the woman by the arms. “L
eave her alone!” Aela’s body reacted instinctively. She leapt out from behind the crates, and only then did she realize that she still had no bow. Apparently, any and all weapons could be sold only to people approved to carry them. Aela, naturally, was not.
The guard’s head snapped to find Aela. He shouted to the other men, gesturing to her. This created another large commotion. A few of the men that were still fighting the commoners turned to see her, and then Leif sprang to her defense. “I really wish you hadn’t done that,” he hissed.
“Get them!” one of the men, probably a leader, shouted.
“Run!” Juliet cried, though the guard was still holding her. Leif turned away, and Aela understood. If they tried to do anything but run, they would all be captured. Perhaps, Leif and Aela could help Juliet and her family later—just as they could help Taeru. Leif led Aela by the hand once more, bringing her behind several other houses, through storage buildings and deserted stalls.
Horses pursued them, and Aela could hear the footsteps. Leif had reacted quickly enough to disguise their position again, though, and the men only had a rough estimate of where they might be. Still, Leif kept moving, twisting his way through the alleyways, jumping from street to street as he worked to blend in.
At last, they were face to face with one of the guards. The man, though not one of the ones who was pursuing them, recognized them immediately. He drew his sword, cutting a gash along Leif’s arm, as Leif had stepped forward and shoved Aela back. “Stop at once!” the guard cried.
Aela moved forward, kicking him hard in the knee. The man fell without much resistance, and Leif took Aela by the hand again and they sprinted off towards another street. “Someone stop them!” the guard who had fallen shouted. Apparently, everyone in the Telandan military was skilled in giving orders, just not following them.
“These fools wouldn’t last a moment against father’s army,” she growled.
Once more, Leif shot her an agitated glance. She assumed he didn’t like her speaking so freely about matters that were not disclosed. Moving became a little more difficult, and in between one of the alleyways, another of the men spotted them. “Over here!” he cried. Leif changed directions at once, vaulting over a wall before skidding to a stop outside a cellar door.
He reached forward, grabbing at the handle, presumably to see if it would open. It did, and he yanked his head forward as a gesture for Aela to go. She obeyed, easing herself into the darkness of the cellar. She could see a few shelves and various instruments in the light provided by the sun before Leif slammed the doors shut, and they were plunged into darkness. “Did you see a torch?” he asked after a moment. She moved towards his voice, not at all inclined to be in complete darkness.
“I don’t know,” she muttered. She wished she’d thought to look around for one before Leif had closed the door. “Feel around by the door. In the one near the tavern, there is always a torch there.”
Aela was certain that she had gotten further away from Leif when she finally heard him speak. “I have the torch. Now I need a way to start a spark.” His words were so collected and calm, as though they weren’t in danger of being captured and killed. Again, she found that she was of little use to him. She had gone too far back in the cellar, and the only movements she managed successfully sent wooden objects clattering to the floor. She waited, and as expected, Leif spoke again shortly. “Here.” She envied how well he could move about in the darkness.
She heard the spark after a few moments, and past what she expected was a shelf, she could see the tiny flicker. It lit once, and then it went out. Then, a scraping of stone sounded again, and again, and at last there was a flame large enough for her to see. She could see Leif’s form illuminated. He turned towards her, and she could see his face. As he took a few more paces, a bemused smile played across his lips. “How did you even get back there, princess?” he teased.
She realized, now that light was in the room, that she had gotten behind a counter, and was atop a crate very near to a shelf. A few of the wooden objects that she’d sent to the floor were scattered beneath her. A frown possessed her lips. She didn’t remember stepping up onto a crate—or over any sort of counter. Letting out a huff, she crawled off the crate and then over the counter, to stand before Leif. “That is impressive,” he murmured.
“Oh, be quiet,” she hissed. Of all the talents that she had acquired, moving well through the dark was not one of them. She had always hated the feeling of helplessness that darkness brought, having no idea what was coming. “What are we going to do?”
Now that the darkness had receded, and she could focus on more than not knocking objects over, she could hear men shuffling about in the floor above. She hoped that they would not check the cellar. “Wait here for a moment, and when we get out, you need to find some women’s clothes. Change into them, and then pull your hair into a ponytail. You will look like a woman and they will not know who you are.”
“What about you?” she squeaked. A quick smile moved across his lips, and she noticed that he didn’t look particularly worried.
After a moment, he glanced towards a few of the crates in the corner. “Perhaps there are some clothes down here, and I am a much better sneak than you. Trust me.” He grinned at her, and she found that her fears melted a little at it.
Then, though, she knew that she had to ask him. Her mouth twitched a little, and she found herself questioning whether or not she did want to know. “What happened?” she asked weakly. He had moved to the crate to begin his search for clothes. “What happened to him?” she tried again.
She could see, as Leif had left her to hold the torch, the way his body stiffened against the question. Leif took a breath, and to her surprise, he spoke without trying to evade her. “When he went to see the prince, they both knew that people had found out about their relationship. Lavus had fought with Calis, telling him that his wedding would be this sun up. Calis told Taeru that he wouldn’t do it, that he would leave Telandus. Taeru wanted him to know who he was before Calis made that decision.”
Aela’s entire body trembled, paling. She had suspected when she had heard the man mentioning that Taeru was a traitor. But to think that Taeru had willingly placed himself into this situation was preposterous. “This is Calis’s fault!” she hissed. “He said that he loved Taeru. Taeru trusted him!” Aela cried.
Leif said nothing for a few moments, and he gestured for Aela to bring the torch to where he was. She obliged, though her anger did not subside. “That monster! He had to know that Taeru had done nothing! Taeru never tried to get information! Why would he do this?” she cried.
A glare from Leif forced her into reluctant silence. Then, he looked away from her with hardened eyes. “He didn’t think Calis would say anything. He did say that he might be followed, though. Calis didn’t want to meet him, for fear that they would be discovered—but Taeru insisted.”
“That’s a lie!” she growled. Calis would never have placed Taeru’s safety above his own. He had probably never planned not to attend that wedding. He had always planned for this—perhaps he had always known who Taeru was. Her fist clenched.
Letting out a breath, Leif turned to look at her. He halted his search and stared at her with one of the most intense stares he’d ever given her. “You saw Calis, and you saw Taeru. They were in love with one another, Aela. I don’t think the prince did this. And until we reach Taeru, we have no way of knowing. Save your anger.” His words were so calm, again. Aela’s body quivered under the sound of them. Why did they have such an effect on her?
“Leif,” she said. He just shook his head, and then a quick smile turned his lips upwards. She cocked her head at him, and a smile formed on her own lips. She wasn’t happy, and she knew that—but standing here with Leif, she believed that she would be again. With that thought, she narrowed her eyes, and then she took a quick step forward.
Using an arm to snake around his neck, she brought his lips down to her own, grabbing them with all the need and want th
at she’d felt over the past few phases that they had been together. Her body lit on fire, and every piece of her ignited in relief and desire. She felt satisfied, and yet wanted more. Her feelings finally released.
Not one to miss out on these sorts of opportunities, Leif put his arms around her back and brought their bodies closer together. The added closeness sent Aela’s heart into a frenzy, and her body ached and pulled towards him. She kissed harder against the fervor of his lips. One of his hands brushed along her face, and she moved against him.
At last, the two of them parted, and Aela found that her breath was coming in shorter bursts than it had been. Though, he was smiling—a mixture of smug and happy—Leif turned back to the crate without a word. She waited, and in a few moments, he produced a small, blue dress that looked as though it might fit her. “I found clothes.”
“Lovely,” she said. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, and then she began to smile, he returned it, and they were both laughing at some strange occurrence after a few moments.
She took the dress from him, and then she shook her head with disapproval. She wasn’t sure why they had both laughed, but the moment had felt more peaceful than it should have. Moving behind one of the shelves, she eased out of her boy’s clothes, removing the wrap around her breasts, and into the dress. The removal of pressure was unexpectedly freeing. Fortunately, the dress fit her exceptionally well. It was a little outdated, but nothing that would be noticeable. She would need to find a different pair of shoes, so for now, she took off her boots and used a strip from her old tunic to pull her hair into a quick, high ponytail.
When she reappeared, Leif appraised her for a moment before nodding his head. “That will work. Find somewhere to blend in. I’ll see if I can’t find a way to get into the Shining District and determine where Juliet and the others are. I’ll find you when something has changed.”
