“We came to Russek with the intention of starting a new life. I didn’t expect the king to fall madly in love with my daughter. But when he did, it changed everything. I watched my husband sleep with whores,” Eliza whispered. “Do you think I would allow my daughter to behave in such a degrading manner? The perfect opportunity presented itself, so we took it. Jana refused the king’s advances, making it abundantly clear that she wouldn’t share a bed with a married man—even if he was the king. He threatened to have her executed for refusing him. Jana said she would rather die with her virtue intact than do something she would regret. He was furious, and it made him want her even more. A week later, the queen died.”
Kerdan had implied that Jana killed his mother. Allyssa had seen the letter the queen wrote about not trusting Jana. “Surely you’re not saying King Drenton killed his own wife?”
“That is exactly what I’m telling you. Once the queen was properly buried, the king presented himself to Jana, and she accepted his marriage proposal.”
“You’re lying.” Allyssa’s body shook. She was in so much pain she could barely focus on their conversation.
Eliza raised her eyebrows. “Why would I lie? What purpose would it serve?”
“It seems…too convenient.”
“I’m not saying Jana didn’t encourage him. Because she did. We took full advantage of the situation. But she did not kill the queen, nor did Soma have anything to do with her death. The murder of the queen is on the king’s hands.”
A man capable of killing his wife was not a man at all. Didn’t Eliza fear for Jana’s safety?
“When Drenton learned Jana and I were sent into exile, he vowed to seek revenge on our behalf.”
“Jana probably planted that idea in his head as well,” Allyssa ground out. The tips of her fingers started bleeding from working on the knots.
Eliza shrugged. “It is not my fault he is easily influenced. That turned out to be an unexpected boon. Unfortunately, he does have one major weakness—his son, Kerdan.” She said Kerdan’s name with thick disdain. “That boy has too much of his mother in him. It’s time for him to go as well. Luckily, he is the one who lost you. When the king learns of your escape, he will be furious, and the prince will be punished.”
“Your plan won’t work. Kerdan will discover that I have been taken.” One of the knots came loose, and she almost cried out in joy. She started working on the next one. It felt like there were two more to go.
Eliza laughed. “No, he won’t. And soon, it won’t matter because you will be dead.” She knelt on the ground, pulling out a long, skinny dagger, the hilt embedded with diamonds. Allyssa’s heart beat erratically—this could be it. “My grandson recommended a sleeping tonic. However, that would be far too merciful for you.”
Allyssa’s bindings wouldn’t come loose, no matter how furiously she struggled.
“Stupid child. You can’t escape me.” Eliza slid the dagger along Allyssa’s leg, slicing her pants open and leaving a thin line that filled with blood.
Allyssa refused to die here like this. Tears slid down her cheeks. She would fight until the end. Flinging her head forward, she tried to head-butt the woman, but missed. Even though her ankles were tied together, she swung her legs around, kicking Eliza’s hip. The woman fell to the side. Irate, Eliza righted herself, grabbing Allyssa’s injured arm and squeezing. Allyssa’s body went limp, the pain excruciating. Eliza placed the tip of the dagger above Allyssa’s right breast. She smiled and pressed the weapon into her skin.
A white-hot sting shot through her, and Alyssa cried out. I can’t die like this, she silently pleaded. There were too many things she wanted to accomplish with her life. So much left undone, unseen. She wanted to live, to love, and to save her people. The word failure screamed in her mind, breaking her heart, her spirit.
“Oh, don’t worry,” Eliza said, gently stroking her face. “I’m not done with you yet.” She moved the dagger to Allyssa’s shoulder, sliding it down her arm to her elbow, cutting the skin open. Then she placed the dagger below her ear, preparing to slice it off.
Unable to move, Allyssa squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ready herself for the torment that was about to come. If only she could have seen her parents one last time to tell them she loved them. And Odar. Hopefully, he didn’t do something stupid when he leaned of her death. She would never feel his lips on hers again. Never know what it was like to be his wife.
The weight of Eliza’s body suddenly disappeared. Allyssa opened her eyes. Kerdan held Eliza by the neck, slamming her body against the wall. “Is she alive?” he demanded.
Odar knelt next to her, his eyes red. “Yes,” he answered.
The woman’s legs kicked out at Kerdan as she dangled a foot off the ground, clawing at his large hand wrapped around her throat.
“Allyssa,” Odar whispered, his fingers pushing back her hair. He kissed her forehead before cutting the rope around her ankles. He helped her sit up, and then he cut the bindings around her wrists. “Can you stand?”
“I don’t know.” Her ribs and leg throbbed.
Odar gently pulled her to her feet. She yelped from the sharp pain in her thigh. In one swift motion, he picked her up, carrying her to the large bed.
“Besides the piece of wood sticking out of your arm and the shallow knife wounds on your arm and leg, is there anything else I need to know about?” Odar’s eyes scanned her body, assessing her injuries, his face revealing uncurbed fury.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“I must remove the wood from your arm.”
She nodded, knowing it had to be done despite how much it would hurt. It couldn’t be worse than having her fingernails removed.
“Look at me.”
She did as he instructed and focused on his brown eyes, normally so fierce and confident, now wild with uncertainty.
“I’m sorry. There’s no easy way to do this. How about—” He plucked the wood out of her arm before she realized what he was doing. Pain seared down her arm, making her cry out. Clutching the blanket beneath her body, she tried to work through it by taking steady breaths. Blood ran like water from the open wound, making her dizzy.
Odar ripped off a piece of the blanket and wrapped it around her arm, tying it off. “This should slow the bleeding. You will need stitches though.”
Kerdan released Eliza’s lifeless body, and it tumbled to the ground. “I can’t believe she would be so bold as to orchestrate your kidnapping,” he said as he came over to the bed. “Did she intend to kill you?” Allyssa nodded. “Did she say anything of importance to you? Any hint at her plans?”
Eliza had said a great many things, but only one worth mentioning. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure how Kerdan would take the news. Best to come out and just say it. “She told me that your father killed your mother.”
Kerdan’s body went unnaturally still. “What?” His voice had an edge of hostility to it.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, wondering if he believed her.
“My father?” He abruptly sat on the edge of the bed, his face contorted in confusion. “It’s not possible. He loved my mother.”
“We need to get out of here,” Odar said. “Someone is bound to find us if we stay here much longer, and Allyssa’s wounds need tended to.”
Kerdan withdrew his dagger. “You’re right.” He stood, his mask of calm back on. He went over to Eliza’s body and slid the dagger over her throat as if he’d done it a thousand times before. “Let’s go.”
Odar scooped Allyssa up and hurried out of the bedchamber, Kerdan at his heels.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Out in the hallway, six sentries lay crumbled on the floor, their throats slit and blood pooling around their heads. Allyssa averted her eyes, burying her face against Odar’s neck. She breathed in the smell of him, unable to believe she’d just escaped death.
“Do you want me to carry her?” Kerdan asked as he came alongside Odar.
“No. I have her.”
>
Her body started shaking from shock and the wet blood coating her shirt.
“Hurry,” Kerdan said. They went along dark hallway after hallway, not encountering anyone. “In here.” He opened a door and ushered them inside an empty bedchamber lit only by moonlight. Odar laid her on the bed while Kerdan pushed a large piece of furniture in front of the door.
“Don’t light any candles,” Kerdan said. “We need to act quickly. It won’t take long until the bodies are discovered. We have an hour at most.”
“I’m leaving with Allyssa,” Odar said. “We’re going to Fren.”
“Not yet,” Kerdan replied. “We have a deal.”
Odar spun and grabbed Kerdan’s tunic, slamming him against the wall. “She almost died!” His body emanated lethal rage. “We’re leaving—I don’t care what you say.”
Kerdan raised his hands in surrender. “You need to calm down and listen to me.”
“You don’t tell me what to do.” Odar released him and came to Allyssa’s side, inspecting her arm. The bleeding had finally subsided. Going over to the dresser, he pulled open the drawers, rummaging inside them, looking for something.
Ignoring him, Kerdan asked, “Can you walk?”
“I’m not sure.” She scooted to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over the side, hissing in pain.
When Kerdan moved to help her, Odar swiftly stepped in front of him and took hold of her elbows. She stood on wobbly legs, her side stinging, tears in her eyes.
“Your ribs are probably broken,” Odar mumbled as he helped her sit back down. Taking a tunic he’d found in the dresser, he ripped it into strips.
Kerdan turned away, his hands balling into fists.
“What are you going to do about your father?” she asked him. When Kerdan faced her, his eyes held pure desperation, making her heart ache for him. No one should be in his position, forced to confront the reality of what his father did to his mother. It was inhumane.
“I’m going to do what must be done.”
Her blood ran cold. “Which is what, exactly?” There was nothing he could do to fix the past, to make what the king did okay. And if he confronted him, what would the king do to protect his secret?
“I’m going to kill him and take the throne.”
Odar froze mid-strip. Allyssa placed her hand on Odar’s arm so he wouldn’t interfere.
“Is that what you want?” she asked.
“No.” Kerdan rubbed his temple. “But I must avenge my mother’s death and protect Russek.” He went over to the window, staring outside.
Odar tenderly lifted Allyssa’s shirt up under her armpits and began wrapping the strips of fabric around her torso. When he finished, he tied off the end and lowered her shirt. Carefully pulling her arm away from her side, he wrapped a strip of fabric around her wound. When he finished, he said, “We’re leaving.”
“After we kill the royal family,” she insisted. Kerdan’s plans changed nothing.
Odar took both her hands, holding them tight. “The queen’s mother is dead. If that isn’t enough incentive, please realize we need to get out of Russek before the king is murdered and this kingdom is thrown into chaos.”
She could not leave with Jana and her children still alive and able to challenge Kerdan for the throne. “We have to stop the war. I’m going to finish this once and for all.”
Odar leaned forward, placing his forehead against hers. “Are you sure?” She nodded. “You’re severely injured and need a healer.”
“I can do it.” She needed to ensure that Soma and Jana died. That neither could threaten her again. That she could sleep peacefully without them terrorizing her.
“What if Kerdan doesn’t let us leave?” Odar whispered.
“He will.”
Odar stood and faced Kerdan. “While we’re slaughtering your family, what will you be doing?”
Kerdan turned around, leaning against the window ledge. “I’m going to make sure the servants are occupied so the passageways are clear for you. Then I’m going after my father. He left four hours ago with a company of soldiers headed for the Emperion border.”
“And when you catch up to him?”
“I’ll kill him.” It could have been a trick of the light, but Allyssa could have sworn there were tears in Kerdan’s eyes.
“Let’s say Allyssa and I go through with our end of the deal, how will the people of Russek take the news that the entire royal family—except for you—has been murdered?”
A good question and one she hadn’t considered.
“I’m going to use one of Soma’s poisons on the king. I intend to take a small dose of it as well since I’ve already taken the antidote. I will be sick for a few days but will live,” Kerdan replied.
“So it will look like someone attempted to kill the entire family. Only, you will be the sole survivor.” Kerdan nodded. “It’s a sound plan,” Odar agreed, surprising Allyssa. “In order for this to work, time is of the essence.”
Prince Kerdan pulled out a piece of paper. “I’ve sketched the route you need to take to exit the castle and reach the stables without anyone knowing. I have two horses in the back stall. They’ve been deemed ill, and no one will notice they’re gone. Food and clothing are already packed in the saddlebags.”
Odar scanned the map. “I’ve seen enough of the castle to be able to follow this.” He put the paper in his pocket. “I fear for Allyssa’s injuries.”
“I’ll be fine.” She had to be.
“There is a tin in one of the saddlebags. It’s a generic healing salve. It won’t be enough, but it’ll help prevent infection until you can get her to a healer.”
“Very well. We should be on our way.” Odar went over to the dresser and found a clean shirt. He handed it to her. “You can’t walk around the castle covered in blood.”
Using her good arm, she pulled it over her head, carefully putting it on.
Kerdan reached out and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. “Good luck. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
“Be careful.” It seemed an inadequate reply. If it weren’t for this man, she’d be dead and her kingdom doomed. When he came to the dungeon for her, she never imagined they’d become friends. The truth of the statement shocked her—for they were indeed friends.
He lowered his hand and hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but when he glanced at Odar, he closed his mouth and went to the door, shoving the furniture out of the way and peering into the hallway. “Wait fifteen minutes before exiting through the servants’ passageways,” he whispered. “From here on out, try to remain hidden.” He exited the room.
She prayed his journey was successful—that the lonely path he took would lead him to peace and contentment. That he would return Russek to a happy and prosperous kingdom.
“I have a pair of knives but no sword,” Odar commented. “Do you have any weapons?” She shook her head. He withdrew a knife and handed it to her. “Last chance to back out.”
Clutching the weapon, she replied, “No. We’re doing this. We will end the threat of war once and for all.”
He slid an arm around her, helping her stand. “I will take care of everything. Just keep yourself safe. Promise me.”
“I promise.” All she had to do was survive the next hour and then they would make their way to the stables, free from this cage of darkness forever.
***
Hiding in the servants’ passageway outside the door to Jana’s room, Allyssa leaned against the cool wall, breathing heavily. It had taken every ounce of her strength to climb the stairs to this level of the castle. Every step she took felt like a hammer smashing into her ribs. Her new shirt was soaked with blood from the wound on her arm. She kept getting lightheaded and needed to rest.
“Wait here,” Odar whispered. “I’ll go in and kill her myself.”
She nodded, knowing she couldn’t help in her condition. Holding a knife in one hand, he stood before the door, taking several breaths before pushing it open and entering t
he queen’s bedchamber. No sounds came from within. Sweat trickled down the side of her face. She should be the one in there killing Jana. Odar shouldn’t have to do it for her. It wasn’t his responsibility.
After several minutes, he returned, the knife still clutched in his hand. “She wasn’t in there,” he whispered. “I looked everywhere.”
“What do you want to do?” They didn’t have time to search the entire castle for her.
“Let’s move on to Shelene. We can come back for Jana later.” He sheathed his weapon. “Maybe she hasn’t retired for the night yet.”
Her stomach twisted from nerves. Nothing was going according to plan. Odar wrapped his arm around her waist, helping her walk along the narrow passageway. When they reached the door leading to Shelene’s bedchamber, he released her.
“Wait here.”
Allyssa nodded and he pushed open the door, leaving it ajar as he silently stepped into the princess’s room. Glancing inside, she watched him glide across the room to Shelene’s large bed where she lay sleeping, her beautiful black hair cascading around her head. Allyssa’s heart pounded and her breathing sped up. Was Shelene innocent in her mother’s treachery? Did she deserve to die?
Standing next to the bed, Odar bent over the princess, staying in that position for what felt like several minutes. Was he having second thoughts? Allyssa stepped inside the room, ready to help if necessary. Shelene stirred. Bloody hell. What was Odar waiting for?
The princess’s eyes opened. Allyssa stood frozen in place, not wanting to move and draw attention to herself.
“You’re here,” Shelene mumbled, reaching for Odar. “I knew you loved me.” She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He embraced her, caressing her head. Slowly, he moved her hair away from her neck as he mumbled something in her ear. Cradling her head against his shoulder, he lifted the knife and plunged it into her neck. Shelene’s eyes widened in shock. He held her close, not letting go as the blood flowed out of the fatal wound. Allyssa stifled a scream and watched in horror as the life drained from Shelene’s body. When she went slack, Odar gently laid her on the bed.
Cage of Darkness (Reign of Secrets, Book 2) Page 19
