She stepped around Odar, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I thought your men would have someone standing guard.”
“Maybe this isn’t the right entrance. Or perhaps my men have already left?” If that were the case, she had no idea what to do with the assassin.
“I’ll go first,” he said. “Stay behind me.”
She rolled her eyes. “Really? I need the protection of a man because I can’t fend for myself?”
“I just assumed that if there was danger—a sudden drop or someone shooting an arrow—that I’d be the one to die while you ran to safety. That is all.”
“Oh, so you get to be the brave one while I run away?”
He shook his head with exasperation. “Fine,” he said, letting go and waving her forward. “If it means that much to you, go first.” The lines around his eyes tightened, a sure sign he was annoyed.
She patted his shoulder, his muscles tense. “If my men are in there, it’s best I go first so they see me. They know who I am. You, on the other hand, they might shoot.” She reached down to her boot for a dagger. Only, it wasn’t there. The assassin had removed her weapons when he first took her.
“Here.” Odar handed her one of the knives he stole from the assassin. She clutched the weapon in her hand as she slowly made her way toward the entrance.
At the opening, there were three dark tunnels to choose from. Allyssa paused to listen. Voices came from the left, so she headed down that tunnel, eager to find her men. Odar tapped her shoulder. When she glanced back at him, he put a finger to his lips. She nodded and made her way along the dark tunnel, trying to be as quiet as possible.
After thirty feet or so, a faint light shown from ahead. The tunnel gradually curved to the right where it abruptly ended, opening to a large cavern. Allyssa jolted to a halt, Odar bumping into her. Spread throughout the cavern were several small fires, which illuminated a dozen men dressed in solid black with the crest of Russek embroidered on their tunics. She took a step back.
“Not so fast,” a gruff voice said from behind her.
She spun around and came face to face with a Russek soldier. He held a small knife against Odar’s throat and pointed a long sword at her stomach. She was about to attack him when he whistled, alerting the other soldiers to their presence. Outnumbered, she slid the knife up her sleeve, hoping no one would find it.
“Don’t do anything,” Odar mumbled as several men from the cavern approached with their weapons drawn.
“What do we have here?” one of the men asked, looking them over. Neither Allyssa nor Odar answered. He waved his hand, and the soldier holding the knife and sword aimed at them lowered his weapons, no longer threatening them. The man looked at her expectantly, awaiting an answer.
These men were going to kill them unless they knew their true identities. “This is Prince Odar of Fren. I am Princess Allyssa of Emperion, and you have no authority in my kingdom.”
“It won’t be your kingdom much longer,” he said snidely. “Bring them inside.”
Someone roughly yanked her arms back and confiscated the knife in her sleeve. A solider punched Odar in the stomach. He hunched forward, gasping in pain. The soldiers shoved them into the cavern, many making rude remarks about having a prince and princess on their hands. She ignored their brusque comments and observed the area, looking for weapons and possible escape routes. One section had hundreds of swords, bows, arrows, and spears. Cartons of food were piled high in another area. Along the right side were at least twenty wooden boats. There were no signs of her soldiers anywhere.
In the middle of the cavern, the Russek men formed a loose circle around her and Odar. Most of the men were twice as wide and at least two heads taller than her. “A squad of my best men are on their way,” she said, trying to sound commanding instead of like a frightened child. “Unhand me. If you let us go, my men won’t kill you.”
The man who appeared to be in charge crooned, “By a squad of your best men, do you mean the six soldiers who showed up here a couple of days ago?”
Dread coursed through her. Russek soldiers were brutal, vicious men. She recalled three of Neco’s best spies returning to court bloodied and bruised. They told how their squad had been ambushed, twenty-one of the twenty-four captured, mutilated, and eventually killed. Bile rose in the back of her throat. “Where are my men?”
Odar’s eyes darkened with barely suppressed fury. He wanted to fight back. However, he knew as well as she did that their best chance of surviving was to rely on their names and positions. They were worth more to Russek alive.
“Put them in the back with her men,” the leader instructed.
Allyssa almost sagged to the ground with relief. Her men were here! With the eight of them working together, they could take on these Russek soldiers. They just needed a solid plan—and those she had in abundance.
One man took hold of her and another grabbed Odar, dragging them to the back where a dark tunnel jutted off the cavern.
“This one’s mighty pretty,” the soldier holding her said. “Maybe we can play with her a bit. I’ve never tasted a princess before.”
Odar growled and threw his head back, smashing the face of the man who held him. Allyssa didn’t hesitate. She stomped on her guard’s foot. His grip loosened, and she kneed him in the groin. When she turned to run, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist. Kicking and punching, she tried to break his hold; however, his arm was solid muscle and he squeezed her so tightly she could barely breathe.
“Feisty little thing, aren’t ya?” He took her farther into the tunnel, away from Odar. She screamed as a new terror sank in.
“What’s going on?” a Russek soldier asked, coming into the tunnel with two additional men behind him. When he saw Odar grappling with one of his men, he ordered the two soldiers to assist in the fight. He approached Allyssa and her guard. “Is she too much for you to handle?” he asked in amusement.
“No, I’ve got her.” He grunted.
“Hurry up and put her in the back cave, untouched, and rejoin me. There’s been a new development.” The guard holding her hauled her away. They came to a small cave lit only by a few torches. He roughly shoved her inside and left.
The eerie lighting illuminated a horrific scene. Dark red blood was splattered through the cave. It coated the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the center of the room, bodies lay piled on top of one another. Allyssa took a step forward and kicked a severed arm. Tattooed on the wrist was the mark many of the older Emperion soldiers bore—the mark of Emperion. These dead men were her soldiers.
She fell to her knees and gagged, her body shaking with horror. If she hadn’t sent her men here, they wouldn’t have met this gruesome fate. One’s eyes had been gouged out, another’s hands chopped off, and one had been beheaded. How could anyone do this? It was inhumane—even during a time of war.
Three men shoved Odar into the room, blood on his lips and a welt forming on his left cheek. “If you step one foot out of this cave, the princess pays the price for your mistake.”
Odar cursed at the men as they left. He dropped to his knees beside her. “Are you hurt?”
She knew he meant physically, not emotionally. “I’m fine.”
He scanned the room, his face turning white. “I’m so sorry. These are your men?” She nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her securely against his chest.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to block out the rancid smell of the room, the oppressive heat, and the incessant buzzing in her ears. Russek would pay for this. Her fingers clasped Odar’s tunic, holding on for strength, support, and to prevent herself from tearing out of this cave and confronting the Russek monsters. If her most-skilled men were no match for these barbaric beasts, then Odar and Allyssa didn’t stand a chance.
“We’ll figure something out,” he whispered in her ear. “I promise.”
Chapter Five
Huddled near the exit to the cave, Allyssa breathed in the fresh air from the tunnel. She tried
not to glance at her butchered soldiers. Every time she did, she retched, feeling like she was coated with their blood.
Her focus had to be on escaping. Surely she could outsmart these Russek low-life thugs. Odar paced behind her. He kept running his hands through his hair. It now stood up in every direction, making him look mad. He paused, peered down at her, and then resumed his pacing. They hadn’t spoken to one another. Instead, they remained lost in their own thoughts.
“Someone’s coming,” she murmured, clamoring to her feet. Soldiers’ voices echoed in the tunnel as they neared.
“Don’t show any fear,” he whispered. “They will feed off it.” She didn’t know if it was possible to be afraid when she was so furious.
Three Russek men entered. “Come with us,” one of them said. They all withdrew their swords.
Allyssa glided into the tunnel, Odar and the soldiers close behind. In the main cavern, the rest of the men were clustered together in the center as they listened to someone speak.
“Here they are,” her guard said. The speaker turned around to face them.
Allyssa stared into the eyes of the assassin. Fear like she had never known coursed through her. What was he doing here? He should be tied to a tree, paralyzed. Even if ten hours had passed, which she was certain hadn’t, he could not have hiked here so quickly.
The assassin chuckled. “Surprised to see me?”
“How are you moving about?” she demanded.
The assassin stood tall and poised, a smile on his lips. His arm had been wrapped with a makeshift sling—the only indication he suffered any duress. He must have managed to put his elbow back into alignment.
“Do you actually think I’d be stupid enough to use something I’m not immune to?”
She hadn’t even considered the possibility. He must have spent years building up a tolerance to the paralyzing substance.
“Sire, are these the ones you’re looking for?” the Russek soldier next to her asked.
Sire?
“Yes,” the assassin replied. “Thank you for detaining them.”
Odar stiffened beside her. “I knew you looked familiar, but I couldn’t place you until now, Prince Soma.”
“Prince?” Allyssa blurted out. “You’re a prince? Of where?” As the words left her mouth, she realized how condescending she sounded. Surrounded by Russek men, he could only be the prince of one kingdom. “I’m only aware of one prince in Russek, and his name isn’t Soma.”
“You’re referring to the crown prince, my stepbrother Kerdan.” His words were edged with something she couldn’t quite discern. Jealousy? Loathing?
She had never met Prince Kerdan, but she knew he was King Drenton’s only son. Kerdan was born a couple of years before her and was heir to the Russek throne. “Stepbrother?” There were rumors King Drenton had remarried.
“My mother is Queen Jana of Russek.” Her eyes widened with shock. The assassin took a menacing step toward her. “That’s right,” he crooned. “We’re cousins.”
Horror filled her. There was no way she was related to this sick bastard. “It’s not possible.”
“I assure you, it is,” he replied, the cold smile still plastered on his face as if he enjoyed watching her squirm.
“Jana was sent into exile with her mother twenty years ago. She was sixteen, unmarried, and considered to be a sickly girl who wasn’t expected to live long.”
Soma folded his arms and tilted his head to the side. “Why do you think the rumors about Jana being sick were made up? It was to hide the fact that she was with child—me.”
Allyssa stood there, stunned by this revelation. “Who is your father?”
“One of her personal guards. Shortly after she was forced into exile, she gave birth. A few years later, she had my sister, Shelene. Once we were old enough, my father—still one of her guards—smuggled us out of Emperion.” He took another step toward her. “And now, cousin, I am ready to right the wrongs of your parents.”
“Who sent you?” Odar demanded. “King Drenton?” The dozen Russek soldiers surrounding them were loyal to the king, not the prince. A wise move on Odar’s part to remind the men of that.
Prince Soma’s eyes focused on Odar. “My sister isn’t very happy with you right now.” He swung and punched Odar’s face with his good arm. Before Odar could strike back, two soldiers grabbed him, pinning his arms behind his back as Soma kicked him.
Allyssa screamed and dove for Soma. The soldier standing closest to her wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her back. She violently struggled, trying to break free. Soma whipped out his short blade and pointed it at Odar. “Stop fighting, Princess, or I’ll impale this blade into the prince’s thigh.”
She stilled, and the soldier holding her let go.
“Good,” Soma purred. “Now, I do recall threatening you, not him, if either of you misbehaved.”
She took a step away from him as panic set in. “You will not lay a finger on me.”
Soma made a motion with his hand, and the soldier next to her took hold of her wrists, binding them tightly together with rope. This could not be happening.
“Maybe I should let the prince watch as I have my way with you.” Soma’s eyes gleamed with malice, and a wicked smile shone on his face. Her stomach rolled with nausea. She would rather die than have him violate her.
“I’ll kill you!” Odar snarled, his face red with rage.
“Oh, but you already had your chance,” Soma purred. “And you didn’t take it. I told you what would happen when I caught you.”
He stood before Allyssa. When he reached for her, she swung her head, hitting his bad arm. He cried out in pain, cursing, and backhanded her across the face. She flew to the ground, her cheek stinging from the hit. But it had been bloody worth it to see the look of pain on Soma’s face.
A soldier ran into the cave. “Emperion soldiers have been spotted.”
“Where?” Soma demanded.
“Three miles south of here,” the man panted.
“How many?”
“Two dozen.”
Allyssa got to her feet. It had to be Marek with a squad searching for her. She just had to hold out a little longer and help would arrive. However, were Marek and his men skilled enough to fight these Russek barbarians? After all, these soldiers had already killed some of her best men. At least there were twenty-four of her men to twelve of these idiots. She’d take those odds.
“We must move quickly,” Soma said. “You two, guard the prisoners. Everyone else, with me.” He moved over to the section of the cave where the supplies were located. His men started packing food and provisions in saddlebags.
“That monster is my cousin,” she muttered.
Odar ran his hands through his hair. “Cousin or not, he is an assassin and a Russek prince. We need a plan.”
“We bide our time and wait for my men to find us.”
One of the soldiers guarding them laughed. “Neither of you will be found before you enter Russek.”
Allyssa was about to argue and tell this bloke exactly what she thought of him when Odar shook his head. “Ignore him. We don’t have much time.”
She sighed, trying to think of ways to stall so her men could catch up to them.
Odar leaned forward so his lips were next to her right ear. “Do you have anything you can leave behind? A piece of jewelry or clothing that your men will recognize? We could leave a trail so they can find us easier.”
“I have nothing.” Before she departed on the journey to Fren, she had left all distinguishing items behind, dressing as a commoner so no one would know her identity.
“Back up,” the solider said to Odar, hitting him on his shoulder. “And no whispering.”
Odar leaned away from her. “Let’s assume we are taken to Russek.”
Bloody hell. How could they be in this position? Allyssa had been putting thieves behind bars for years, and now here she was, stuck in a situation she couldn’t fight or talk her way out of. She’d never fel
t so helpless before. “If we make it to Russek, we’ll be used as bargaining chips against our parents.”
“Maybe.”
“You’re not so sure?” The king would be stupid not to use them.
“I think,” Odar hesitated, “that perhaps the king doesn’t know about this mission.”
“What are you suggesting?” she asked.
Odar glanced at the soldiers guarding them before answering. “Think about it. Jana hates your father. Shelene hates me.”
“So they want us dead?”
“Or to make us suffer.” His eyes were grim, revealing the truth in what he said.
Allyssa closed her eyes. She was going to be sick.
“I promise to get you out of this alive.”
She opened her eyes and looked at Odar. His eye was swollen, lip bloody, and cheek purple. “Likewise.” She wouldn’t let anything happen to him.
He lowered his voice and whispered, “From here on out, whatever I say to Soma, whatever I do at the Russek court, it’s all to save you.” There was an intensity to him that she’d never seen before.
“But who will save you?” she countered.
“I can take care of myself. Have faith in me, and I promise to protect you.”
“Time to go!” Soma called out.
The two soldiers guarding her and Odar shoved them forward. “If we enter Russek, we are entering hell,” Odar murmured. “It will change you, and you will never be the same.” His face hardened as if he had made up his mind about something. Cold fear slithered down her throat, choking her. She had the notion that her horrible situation was about to get worse.
Allyssa moved slowly to the tunnel leading out of the cave.
“Hurry up.” A soldier pushed her forward. She stumbled and caught herself. The tendons in Odar’s arms protruded, but he made no move to help her.
They exited the tunnel. Soma took half the soldiers a few feet away where he quietly spoke to them. When he finished, the men, all heavily armed, pounded on their chests and left.
Soma came over and checked her bindings, ensuring they remained secure, before tying the prince’s wrists together. “Let’s go.”
Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets, Book 2) Page 4
