by Tanya Bird
Petra nodded, outwardly calm while panicking inside. Standing over him, she took hold of the arrow with both hands. ‘Any tricks I should know about?’
‘Just do it quickly,’ he said between clenched teeth.
She thought she might throw up. ‘Do you need something to bite down on?’
He shook his head.
She turned to check on Xander, who still had not said a word. He was clutching the reins, eyes fixed on the arrow. ‘Do you know what would be really helpful? If you could watch the road and let us know if you see any people or horses. Do you think you can do that?’
He nodded and turned to face the road. Petra drew in a breath and looked down at her hands. Quickly. With a sharp tug, the wooden arrow came free. Leksi’s face contorted for a moment, but he did not make a sound.
‘Good,’ he said when he could finally speak again. ‘Now help me out of these clothes.’
She moved as fast as she could, trying not to hurt him. When she peeled his shirt off, her hand went over her mouth. There was an oozing gash on his side. Pulling herself together, she pressed his bloodied shirt against the wound to stop the bleeding.
‘Sword,’ Leksi said, looking up at her. ‘It always looks worse than it is. I’ll be fine.’
He was not fine. He was pale and bleeding, and still he found it in him to comfort her. It was supposed to be the other way around.
She gave him a weak smile. ‘Of course you will be fine.’ Her eyes went to the shirt. So much blood.
Dear God.
‘Keep pressure on it,’ he said.
She nodded. That sounded simple enough. So why were her hands shaking so violently? She kept them pressed over the wound, terrified he would bleed out while she tried to figure out a way to secure it.
Xander appeared next to her carrying the towel from her saddlebag and a flask of water. ‘I know how to comfort the dying,’ he said, handing her the towel. ‘Father Gabot takes me with him. Says it will keep me on a moral path.’
Petra blinked away his words. She would not let Leksi die.
Removing the shirt, she pressed the folded towel over the wound and watched as Xander gave Leksi a drink of water. When he was done, he took the soiled shirt from her, seemingly unfazed by the blood, and began wrapping it around the knight’s shoulder, underarm and neck. Thankfully, Petra’s hands finally stilled enough for her to secure it with the towel firmly in place beneath it.
‘Get my tunic from the bag,’ Leksi said. ‘I’m not going home wearing gold.’
She ran to fetch it and helped him put it on while Xander continued to offer small sips of water.
‘You need to drink lots when you lose blood,’ he said in his small voice. ‘That’s what the physician told a woman before she died.’
Leksi patted his arm. ‘I’m lucky you were here.’
Petra crouched in front of Xander. ‘You are an incredible boy. Do you know that?’ By the look on his face, she doubted he had ever received a kind word in his life.
‘Sir Leksi says you’re my mother,’ he replied. ‘Is that true?’
She took in his guarded expression. ‘Yes.’
‘It’s a sin to lie.’
She wanted to hug him, reassure him, but she was a stranger in his eyes. ‘I would not lie to you. I love you.’
‘Father Gabot says my mother is dead.’
She gave a small shrug. ‘Perhaps Father Gabot was misinformed, because I am very much alive.’
He studied her for the longest time before speaking. ‘There are soldiers coming for you.’
Her eyes went to Leksi for confirmation. His dark expression told her that was true. ‘What happened?’
‘Seems they were expecting me.’
‘There were guards in the trees,’ Xander added. ‘Sir Leksi killed them.’
‘All except one, apparently,’ the knight said, glancing at his wound. ‘He’ll be back, and he won’t come alone.’
Petra’s heart raced as she realised the danger they were in. They would kill Leksi and take her son.
She would not let them.
Turning back to Xander, she said, ‘Do you think you can help me get Sir Leksi onto his horse? Then when we reach the manor, you can ask me as many questions as you like, and I promise to answer every one truthfully. Would that be all right?’
He studied her face before nodding.
Leksi pushed himself to his feet, swaying for a moment.
‘You and Xander get on the horse,’ he said.
‘Absolutely not,’ she replied, holding him steady. ‘You and Xander will go on the horse.’ They looked at one another. ‘I can do this. Please.’
Leksi reluctantly nodded before half climbing, half falling onto the horse. Petra helped Xander up behind him.
‘You need to hold on to the saddle,’ she said before walking to the front of the horse and taking the reins. She tried to look confident as she walked in front of the animal, the one that was at least twelve times her weight. She gave the reins a gentle tug, and the horse began to follow her.
Her eyes went to Leksi, and she found him watching her.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
She managed a smile. ‘You just remain upright and try to keep your laughter to a minimum.’ She could not make out his mouth in the dark, but she hoped he was smiling. Turning back, she tried not to stumble on the uneven ground.
‘Take the road,’ he said. ‘It’s too hazardous out here in the dark.’
She led the horse back to the road. ‘How far to Wripis?’
‘At this speed? Around six hours.’
She closed her eyes. She could walk six hours for them. That was what you did for the people you loved—you walked until you fell down.
The first two hours passed quickly, Petra stopping only when Xander began nodding off. She was worried he would fall from the horse, so she placed him in front of Leksi, who cradled him with his good arm. As she stepped back, she let the image of the two of them cement in her mind. In that moment, standing on the side of a road in Corneo, she had everything she could possibly want.
‘We need to keep moving,’ Leksi said.
She returned to the front of the horse, and as she took the reins, light flashed in her peripheral vision. She turned and her heart stopped beating when she recognised the warm glow of torches in the distance.
‘We need to get off the road,’ Leksi told her. ‘Now.’
Was it just her imagination, or did his voice sound weaker? The man slouched on the horse, cradling her sleeping son, would not be able to save them this time.
Her gaze returned to the torches, which shone a little brighter in the distance. She tugged on the bridle, pulling the horse off the road. They would not fight—they would hide.
But just as she stepped onto the thistle-covered grass, a familiar noise reached her, turning her blood cold.
Barking.
She froze, her breathing shallow. She turned to look at Leksi, and even in the dark, she could see his hopeless expression. ‘Dogs?’
‘They’re hunting us,’ he replied quietly. ‘We can’t outrun dogs.’
A ringing noise started in her ears, and she closed her eyes against it. Her mind raced, playing out what was about to happen. Leksi would die trying to defend them. Xander would disappear—again. Maybe they would return him to the priest, who would punish him for her new sins.
No, she would not let that happen.
She gathered the reins and placed them in his good hand, the one holding her son as though he were made of glass. Pressing her forehead to his leg, she said, ‘Go. I will make sure the dogs follow me.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not leaving you here,’ Leksi stated, trying to sit a little straighter in the saddle.
There was strength in his voice, but she knew it would not last. She raised her eyes to him, her expression pleading. ‘There is no time to argue. Please, take Xander and go.’
Dogs barked excitedly in the distance, and they both turned
their heads to look. They were getting closer.
‘Go,’ she urged, her voice more insistent. ‘Please. He will kill you. The two of you can make it if you go now.’
Leksi was shaking his head, but she could see him thinking it through.
‘They’ll catch you,’ he said.
‘I know.’
‘They’ll take you back to him, and he’ll never let you go.’
She blinked and tears spilled down her cheeks. ‘Promise me you will keep him safe.’
He shook his head again, glancing in the direction of the men. ‘Shit.’ His good hand clenched and unclenched. ‘All right. Do exactly as I say. Grab something from the bag that belongs to you.’
She reached for the bag, fumbling with the strap until it opened, then rifled through it. ‘A shoe?’
He turned to look at it. ‘That will do. Rub it between your hands so it smells like you and my blood.’
She began working her messy hands over the detailed leather.
‘Go back to the road and wait for the men. When they’re close, drop the shoe and run north as fast as you can. Once the dogs have the scent, they’ll follow you. Make sure they see you before you run, or they may follow the horse. Understand?’
She nodded, eyes on her beautiful sleeping son.
‘It won’t take them long to catch you, but it should give us enough of a head start.’
She stepped forwards and kissed his leg before reaching up to touch Xander’s face. She wanted to wake him, say goodbye, but there was no time, and she knew it would be easier for Leksi if he remained asleep.
She stepped back from the horse, hugging the bloodied shoe to her. ‘Go.’
They stared at one another in the dark for a moment.
‘This is not over,’ Leksi said. ‘Don’t let that bastard break you.’ He faced forwards and pulled Xander closer before giving his horse a sharp kick, leaving her behind.
She watched them for a moment, willing them to go faster. Her chest squeezed, and when she tried to draw a breath, the pain was unbearable. It was the yelping of dogs that kept her upright. She could tell by their excitement that they were close. It was time to move.
Stepping onto the road, she waited as the torches continued moving towards her. Realising it would raise suspicion if she was just standing there waiting, she turned and jogged in the other direction. The dogs’ excitement seemed to grow the closer they got.
‘Over there!’ someone shouted.
She immediately dropped the shoe and left the road, the running helping to clear her mind. With her feet pounding against the earth, she moved north in a straight line. Given how dark it was, she should have fallen or tripped, but nothing slowed her. When met with a fence, she squeezed through the rails with no thought as to what it was keeping in or out.
The men shouted, and she stopped for a moment to gauge the distance between them. Lights flickered, dogs whined. Slowly, the light shifted towards her, and the thunder of hooves grew louder.
Panting, she turned and ran.
Chapter 24
Three mounted guards closed in around Petra, and the running hounds pulled against their restraints, snarling and growling just a few feet from her. She staggered back from them and slammed into a firm body, turning with a gasp and peering up at a fourth guard. The torch in his hand cast flickering light across his scowling face.
‘Where are the others?’ he asked, his tone impatient.
‘I do not know. We got separated.’
The guard shook his head and looked up at the other men. ‘She was leading us north. Two of you take the dogs south. They won’t have gotten far.’
Her eyes sank shut for a moment, praying she had given them enough of a head start. The guard dragged her towards the horses, and with one swift motion he lifted her and plonked her in the saddle. Taking a length of rope, he tied her hands to one of the stirrup leathers.
‘Is that really necessary?’
He snatched up the reins and turned the horse. ‘You’re lucky I’m not making you run behind me.’
She gripped the front of the saddle as he led her back to the road. ‘Where are you taking me?’ she asked, already knowing the answer.
‘Masville,’ said the mounted guard behind her. ‘King Nilos is eager to see you.’
She had known how it would all play out in the end. But as long as Leksi and Xander made it to the manor, it would all be worth it.
They travelled as a party of three, one soldier on horseback, the other on foot. The dogs had left with the other guards, and she hoped the fact that they had not caught up to them was a good sign.
They headed directly south, arriving in Ituco just before dawn. Petra hoped they would stop for a bit, but it was more of a pause. The men relieved themselves and passed a flask between them before offering it her. She drank the bitter water and handed it back.
A few hours later, they arrived in Chelia, but they did not stop at all. They walked along the main road, ignoring the gazes of passers-by who watched her like a criminal.
Just before noon, Masville Castle came into view, a bleak sight despite the high sun. The image made her nauseous, and for a moment, she thought she might actually be sick. She breathed deeply through her nose. Soon she would be brought before King Nilos; she had no idea what to expect from the man she had betrayed in so many ways.
Before she knew it, they were standing at the entrance of the castle. The click and screech of the portcullis rising made her skin crawl. The exhausted guards walked through without a word to anyone, waiting for the next gate to open. Petra jumped as the other one banged shut behind her. Through they went, right up to the front step of the castle. Petra’s eyes went to the windows above, where she expected to see Nilos watching her, but the angle of the sun made it impossible to see.
Guards came forwards to take the horses while her escorts pulled her down and led her indoors. They were not too rough with her, no doubt aware that King Nilos would not take kindly to them putting their hands on her. Only he was allowed to do that.
She kept her head high as they marched her along the corridor towards the throne room. Her palms were sweating and her heart raced as the large doors swung open in front of her. There was no announcement, no instructions. In a few strides, she was standing in the centre of the room and soon abandoned. She watched her escorts flee, closing the doors behind them.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkened room, but she knew he was in there with her because every hair on her body stood on end. She heard footsteps behind her, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Soon she would need to be brave.
‘My queen has returned,’ Nilos whispered.
Her eyes snapped open, and she drew a breath. ‘Your Majesty.’
He stepped around her, coming to a stop directly in front. The first thing she noticed was his scent, familiar and bordering on repulsive. Her throat closed momentarily, but she forced herself to meet his gaze, and they stared at one another without saying a word. The sight of him unsettled her. His beard was long with patches of grey, and there was a strange light in his eyes. She could tell by his hollow cheeks that he had lost weight. There were new lines on his forehead, and she wondered if her disappearance had done all that to him.
‘Did you really think you could leave me?’
What did he want to hear? And what lies was she prepared to say? ‘I panicked.’
He reached out and grabbed her by the throat. ‘You ran!’ He lifted her to meet his face.
She held onto his arm and tried to remain calm. She would need to be smart if she wished to stay alive, because he was quickly crossing into dangerous territory. Her vision blurred.
‘All that time apart,’ she gasped. ‘I do not want to fight.’ His grip loosened slightly. ‘I am back now. I am here.’ It was not enough to make him let go. ‘I am still yours,’ she added. The words burned her mouth.
He let go and stepped back as though they had burned him also. She collapsed to the floor, her
hands going to her neck as she drew greedy breaths, keeping her eyes down.
‘To my enemy you turn in your hour of need.’ He was pacing now. ‘Have you not lived like a queen here?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered, then coughed.
‘I had men sweeping the kingdom, searching for you. Then I learned you had crossed the border. Still I sent men. I was prepared to go to war to get you back.’
She closed her eyes. ‘It was selfish. I see that now.’
‘Selfish?’ He closed the distance between them and pulled her to her feet by her wrist. ‘Selfish?’ he shouted in her face. ‘Come with me.’
He dragged her across the room towards the door and yanked it open, startling the guards on the other side. Without slowing, he continued down the corridor, his hand like a shackle on hers. She knew better than to pull away. If she was going to survive the next few days, she would need to submit to him.
She glanced down at her purple hand. He was holding her so tightly no blood was getting through. ‘Where are we going?’
He spun, his face inches from hers. ‘You do not get to ask questions!’
She stared down at her numb hand. ‘I understand. I apologise, Your Majesty.’
He turned and continued towards the stairs, which he descended two at a time. She did her best not to fall, but she had not slept for more than a few hours in days, and her coordination was suffering.
They went down another passageway and then through a door that led to the eastern grounds. The king stepped off the path, pulling her across the freshly cut grass towards the wall.
Oh God.
‘Your Majesty—’
His grip tightened. ‘Do not speak unless I ask you a question.’
Tears surfaced, and she fought hard to contain them. Guards stared down at them from on top of the wall, and servants paused to watch them pass. Finally they came to a stop, and she winced when he yanked on her arm.
‘Tell me what you see,’ he said.
Confused, she looked around and then past him. She gasped at the sight, and her other hand went over her mouth.
‘What do you see?’ He dragged her closer to the wall. ‘Tell me.’
