by J R Stone
She felt it burn. She refrained from screaming or else someone could think that he was hurting her. She did not want anyone else in the room. She needed allies, and Enoch showed potential for that.
He pressed a bandage over the wound on her right shoulder. He went to the other shoulder and repeated the process. He could hear Sarah breathing faster. She was in pain. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “You’ll be fine.”
“Who are you lying to? I won’t be fine. I’ll probably be dead in a few days. The wounds will heal, though,” she said sharply.
Enoch stared at her. She was probably right. He felt uncomfortable. It was the first time he had to take care of a prisoner. He was used to helping wounded soldiers. Without saying another word, he stood up and left the room. Sarah was glad her words had impacted him. She would need help if she wanted to get out of there alive.
“How’s she?” asked the young man as Enoch left her room.
“She’ll make it. Why does Tzeel want her?” asked Enoch, but the man did not answer. “We already have witches and wizards. Why go through all this trouble for another one? Half of the men he took with him died.” Enoch waited, but the man remained silent.
Enoch walked to Tzeel’s room and knocked on the door. Two soldiers were guarding it.
“Come in,” said Tzeel.
Enoch opened the door. Tzeel was sitting in a chair, admiring the sunset. “Today was a great day for us,” he said victoriously. “How’s she?”
“In pain, but she will recover,” said Enoch flatly.
“Good. Thanks, Enoch. I appreciate your help as usual. You can get some of the leaves you need for your daughter,” said Tzeel.
Enoch walked over to a vase and took some leaves from a small plant. Without the substance extracted from them, his daughter would die. He realized that he was saving his daughter at someone else’s daughter’s expense. He wished things were different.
Sarah tried hard not to fall asleep, but she was exhausted. Every inch of her body hurt and she knew sleep would help her recover. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to rest.
She did not sleep for long, though. She was awakened by someone knocking on her door.
“May I come in?” asked the young man opening the door.
“Yes,” she answered, intrigued. He seemed worried about her.
“I’m Tzeel’s brother. Seth.”
Sarah raised her eyebrows and sat up. “That does say a lot about you,” she said sharply.
Seth stared at her. He chose not to say anything. There was no defense for what Tzeel had done.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“How are you feeling?”
“Terrible,” she said flatly.
“Are you hungry?”
“I’m not eating anything that comes from you.”
“If Tzeel wanted you dead, you’d be dead by now,” he said calmly.
“He’s not the one offering me food.”
Sarah watched Seth for a few seconds. He did not seem bothered by her distrust. He left the room without saying anything. She wondered if he would be back.
Still in pain, she had to make an effort to leave the bed and walk to the window. She wanted to see the city. The night had just fallen, so it was not too dark yet.
The view was breathtaking. The valley seemed to protect the city as if embracing it. It seemed unfair to Sarah that someone as evil as Tzeel would live in such a blessed place.
Her thoughts were interrupted by another knock on her door.
“May I?” asked Seth smiling.
Sarah nodded. His insistence intrigued her. He seemed completely different from Tzeel not only in appearance but also in character. They did not seem to be brothers at all.
Seth placed a dish with fruit on a chair. “Choose one, and I’ll eat it,” he said firmly.
Sarah was pleased that he was trying to gain her trust. She walked to the chair and looked at the fruit. They all seemed fresh. She pointed to a pear. “Just take a bite,” she said.
Seth did not hesitate. He picked up the pear and bit into it. “Sweet. And I’m still alive!” He smiled.
Sarah took the pear from his hand and ate it all. She was ravenous. She pointed to another fruit. Seth picked it up and bit into it again. They repeated the process with all the others.
“Let’s hope I’m not sick because if I am, I’ve just passed it on to you,” he said playfully.
“Don’t worry. Your brother will probably kill me before any disease has a chance to do so,” she said coldly.
“He doesn’t want to kill you.”
“What does he want?” she asked curiously. Finding out what was going on would give her the opportunity to think of a plan.
“I’m not sure,” he said shyly.
“I see. He doesn’t tell you his plans,” she said maliciously.
She was clever, Seth could see that, but he was no fool. He knew what she wanted.
“You’re not turning me against my brother. Have a good night,” he said severely.
“Thanks for the fruit,” she said kindly. She did not want to make an enemy. She wanted an ally. She smiled when Seth looked back at her before leaving the room.
Seth passed by the soldiers guarding Sarah’s door. Enoch had also questioned him about Tzeel’s plan. It seemed implausible that Tzeel had risked some of his soldiers’ lives just to have one more witch serving him. Tzeel would have to explain himself. Seth knocked on Tzeel’s bedroom door.
“I’m busy,” said Tzeel.
As Seth did not want to wait, he opened the door. Tzeel was in bed with Liora, one of his witches.
Seth could not care less. “I need to talk to you. Now,” he said firmly.
“Brother, you’re lucky I owe you my life, because that is the only thing that stops me from killing you in moments like this,” said Tzeel angrily. “Leave,” said Tzeel sharply to Liora.
Liora gave Seth a cold look. He was always getting in her way. She picked up her dress and stormed out of the room.
Tzeel picked up a pear from a plate. “You can speak now,” he hissed.
“What do you want with Sarah?”
“None of your business,” said Tzeel between his teeth.
“What do you want with Sarah?” Seth asked louder.
“Why are you so interested, brother?”
“You can’t force a witch to serve you. It’s not safe.”
“You’re worried about my safety? Is that it?” Tzeel frowned. “Or are you worried about her safety? She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
Seth ignored the malice in his brother’s voice. “Why do you want another witch?”
“She’s not a regular witch. Her magic is not cast with incantations and rituals. She alone is more powerful than all wizards and witches we have together.”
“You should make her your ally, not your enemy, then.”
Tzeel started laughing. “How would I do that exactly? Should I have knocked on her door and invited her to move to Totkan and give me whatever I want from her?” he asked sarcastically. “See, brother, that’s why I’m the one in charge here, and not you. There are things that need to be taken by force. That’s a lesson you have always refused to learn. Kindness does not build empires. Now, leave,” he ordered.
Seth knew it was useless to argue. His brother was blind in his search for power.
Tzeel put his clothes on. He needed to see Sarah. Her room was not far from his. He would not knock on any doors at his own palace, so he slowly opened her door.
The moonlight illuminated her bedroom. She was sleeping on her back, her thighs exposed. He could not stop admiring her beauty. He accidentally bumped into a chair.
The noise woke her up. She was scared to see Tzeel in her bedroom. She pushed her dress down trying to hide her body.
“I’m not that kind of man, Sarah,” he said, feeling offended. “I don’t touch women without their consent.”
“Sure, because you’re a good guy,” she said sarcastically
.
“No, because having to use force takes away all the fun.” He paused, upset. He was staring at her. “It’s interesting to see how you picture me as a monster.”
Sarah touched her shoulder. “I wonder where I got that from,” she said in a snarky way.
“I guess it is a matter of perspective then. Let me tell you what I see,” he said coldly. “I see a woman who could have stopped the men in her house by breaking their legs, but who chose to kill them instead. I see a woman who murdered twenty soldiers without giving them the chance to defend themselves. As we speak, there are children out there crying for the loss of their father, thanks to you.”
“You kidnapped me!”
“And you chose to kill. Blaming others for our faults does not make us any less responsible for them.”
For the first time since they had met, Sarah could not face him. She looked down. She tried to conceal her feelings. She tried to be strong, but tears ran down her face.
“If I hadn’t shot you, all those men in the canyon would be dead by now. How many of them threatened you? How many of them hurt you? What makes you think that your life is worth more than theirs?” he asked her sharply. “I could have killed you, Sarah. I chose not to. Unlike you, I choose not to kill when I have a choice. I’m not the monster here,” he said acidly. “I hope you get well soon.”
Sarah continued looking down. She heard Tzeel leave the room. He was right, she knew it. She could have done a hundred other things but kill. Yet, killing was the only thing that had crossed her mind. If her mother found out what she had done in the canyon, she would be disappointed at her. Sarah cried herself to sleep.
III
Tzeel walked to his room. He was pleased that his words had impacted Sarah, making her expose her feelings to him. He would take advantage of that.
He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. There was a lot going on in his mind. He carefully analyzed everything that had happened since the moment he had met Sarah. He was told that she was powerful, but the incident in the canyon proved that she was more powerful than she showed, or even more powerful than she knew. Seth was right. It was not prudent to have her as an enemy. If he wanted her cooperation, he would have to change his behavior.
Hours and hours went by. It was almost sunrise now. Tzeel got up and washed his face. If he could not sleep, he would make good use of his time. He left his room, went to the kitchen, grabbed some fruit, and went to Sarah’s room.
He opened the door slowly. He did not want to wake her up. Much to his surprise, Sarah was not in her bed. She was sleeping on the floor. He wondered if she was afraid he would hurt her.
He put the fruit on the chair and walked over to the window. The view was stunning. The sun was rising, casting its light on part of the city. Tzeel loved Totkan. He had great plans for his people.
“Tzeel,” said Sarah faintly.
Tzeel looked back and saw Sarah standing in the middle of the room. She was as white as a sheet. She closed her eyes and fainted. He was fast enough to catch her in his arms before her body touched the ground. She was burning with fever.
“Sarah!” he exclaimed worriedly.
He carried her to his room. She could not die. “Call Enoch!” he ordered to one of the soldiers guarding his bedroom. He put her in his bed, took a piece of cloth and wetted it in water. He placed the wet cloth on her forehead. He gently touched her face. Her skin was smooth.
Tzeel allowed himself to get lost in her beauty for a moment. He studied every inch of her face: the long lashes, the perfect design of her eyebrows, her small ears. She looked like a painting.
Sarah slowly opened her eyes. Tzeel gave her a faint smile. He knew he was to blame for her fever.
She stared at him. Despite his scars, he was an attractive man. She closed her eyes again. She did not want to admire him in any way.
Enoch ran to Tzeel’s bedroom. He was worried about Sarah. She was too young to suffer like that. For some reason, she reminded him of his daughter. And, maybe for that reason, he felt he needed to protect her. When he rushed into Tzeel’s room, the worried looked on Tzeel’s face made him feel even more anxious.
“What happened?” asked Enoch approaching the bed.
“She has a fever,” said Tzeel getting up so Enoch could get closer to her.
“She has an infection,” said Enoch examining the wound on Sarah’s left shoulder. He looked at the plant in the vase. There were only four leaves left. If he gave them to her, there would be none left for his daughter.
“Enoch,” said Sarah opening her eyes. He looked at her. “Can you take care of it?” she asked grimly.
“Yes,” he said promptly. He could not simply let her die. He took the four leaves. “I’ll extract the substance and prepare the infusion. I’ll be back in some minutes,” he said to Tzeel as he left the room.
Tzeel sat beside Sarah. He replaced the wet cloth on her forehead with a fresh one.
“How are you feeling?” he asked gently.
Sarah pondered. She did not understand him. He had shot her, he had told her she was a monster, yet there he was, worried about whether she would live or die. That could not be a good thing.
“I’m dying,” she said faintly.
“You won’t die.” He held her hand. It was ice-cold. “You’ll make it.” He looked deeply into her eyes. He felt a mix of desire, care, and dominance.
Sarah watched his expression change from worry to admiration and desire. She had to use those in her favor. Maybe she could try to gain his trust and find out his plans and his next moves. She could only think of one way to do that. Sarah placed her hand on his chest. “Make me yours,” she whispered.
Tzeel frowned, taken aback by her request. She was probably hallucinating because of the fever.
Seeing his skepticism, she insisted. “Make me yours, Tzeel,” she said sensually, her hands caressing his chest.
Tzeel wanted her, but she was apparently out of her mind. He stood up. “Enoch will be back anytime soon. He will help you feel better,” he said.
Sarah’s heart filled with hate. She felt rejected. Tzeel felt an excruciating pain in his head.
“Stop it!” he said between his teeth. She would not stop, he could tell. Luckily for him, Enoch was back. The pain immediately went away. Too angry to remain in the room, Tzeel stormed out.
“Drink it,” said Enoch as he gave her a cup.
She looked Enoch in the eye. There was kindness and compassion in the way he looked at her. He seemed trustworthy, but she had to be cautious.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said gently.
“Why is that plant important for you?” She had noticed the way Enoch was looking at the plant before getting the leaves for her.
“My daughter has a rare health condition. The substance extracted from the leaves of that plant help her feel better and have a normal life for a few days.”
“Is that the only plant you have around?”
“It’s not native of this region. Tzeel brought it from a distant place. He brought more, but that’s the only one we still have.”
“I can’t drink this,” she said, touching Enoch’s hand. “Why would you give it to me?” she asked, confused.
“I can’t just sit here and watch you die knowing that I could have saved you.”
Enoch’s sacrifice perplexed Sarah. He had a good heart. “Take it to your daughter, Enoch. I’m not drinking it.”
“Tzeel gave me some leaves last night. Taking this to her now would be useless. She had some this morning,” he said calmly. “See, it needs to be drunk a few minutes after the substance is extracted or else it loses its properties. If you don’t drink it now, I’ll have to throw it away,” he explained.
Sarah could not let his sacrifice be in vain. She took the cup and drank the bitter liquid in it. It tasted horrible. She made an ugly face. Enoch smiled; his daughter used to make a similar face.
“Help me get up,” she asked him.
“You s
hould rest.”
“Please, Enoch, help me get up.”
Enoch held her elbows, giving her support to get up. Sarah still felt a bit dizzy, but she would not give up. Enoch had showed he had a good heart, and she wanted to help him.
She slowly walked over to the plant and sank her fingers into the earth inside the vase. Enoch watched in awe dozens of green leaves grow. Sarah removed a part of the plant root and gave it to him.
“Take it and plant it in your home. It will not only grow, but it will also never die,” she said smiling sweetly. “I hope that gives you a little bit of freedom from Tzeel.”
“Thank you,” he said with tears in his eyes. “I’ll be forever grateful.”
Sarah smiled again and slowly walked to bed. She needed to lie down. Her head was spinning.
“He was different when he was younger. He lost himself when his father died. He surrounded himself with the wrong kind of people, power clouded his judgment, and he made a series of bad decisions. Lucky for us, Seth is around. He talks some sense into Tzeel whenever he can.”
“Are they close?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“What about their mother?”
“She died when they were little. She was not a good person, though. She was cold and cruel. Only her kids missed her when she was gone,” he murmured. He knew Tzeel would be mad at him if he heard him give so much information to a prisoner.
Tzeel was impatiently waiting outside his bedroom. Enoch was taking too long. He abruptly opened the door to see Enoch sitting on a chair by the bed, talking to Sarah.
“Thanks again, Enoch,” she said gratefully.
“My pleasure,” said Enoch leaving the room.
Tzeel looked at the plant. He was sure it was nearly dead when he left the room. Now it was full of green leaves! They smelled great. He touched them to check if they were real. “Did you do this?” he asked curiously. Sarah just nodded.
Tzeel understood why Enoch took so long to leave the bedroom. He was worshipping her. She had gotten herself an ally. “Why?”
