Those tiny red flowers had to be keppers. And the Kepper Mines must be named so because that was where Apethaga harvested the poison from the kepper flowers. Then, in turn, they packaged and either used or sold the poison.
“You’ve been a nuisance for weeks,” King Theon said. “Now that you’ve gone and killed my Russek friend, we have a problem. King Drenton will want your heads.”
Ari clasped Savenek’s hand and said, “We have powerful friends. Empress Rema sent us here. If any harm comes to us, Emperion will retaliate. I’d think long and hard before you do anything.”
The king chuckled. “Trust me, I have. Why do you think you were allowed to stay at my palace?” He motioned the soldiers next to him. “Arrest them for treason.”
The soldiers surrounded the two of them. Savenek didn’t put up a fight as his weapons were confiscated and his sack taken.
“Put them in the dungeon,” King Theon ordered. “I need to find out if King Drenton wants me to kill them, or if he’d like that pleasure himself.” He turned his horse around and started to leave.
“Why are you doing this?” Ari called after him.
The king paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Why? My dear, it should be obvious. Emperion has been the largest and strongest kingdom for far too long. It is time to end that.”
“By stirring up war?” she asked. “We’ve been living peaceably for years. Why change things now?”
King Theon chuckled. “Twenty-five years ago, Emperor Hamen invaded my kingdom and killed my parents.”
“And Empress Rema and Emperor Darmik killed Hamen. If anything, you should thank them.”
“Thank them? For taking that pleasure away from me? I think not. I vowed to destroy Emperion. And I plan to do so—even if I have to marry off every single one of my children and form alliances with every other kingdom. I will do it all to make Emperion suffer.” He spurred his horse onward and rode away.
The dungeon was dark and blessedly cold. Granted, it also smelled. But it was better than being stuck out in the sweltering Apethaga heat.
The soldiers had thrown Savenek and Ari into adjacent cells. As far as he could tell, there weren’t any other prisoners down here. In all the exploring and spying Savenek had done, he’d never found the entrance to the dungeon. And that was because it was located in the stables. He hadn’t thought to look there.
“How are you doing?” he asked Ari.
“I’m okay.”
She’d probably never been in an environment like this before. As part of Savenek’s training, he’d spent time in dungeon-like conditions, had been through torture simulations, and had undergone interrogations.
“I lied,” Ari said. “I’m scared.”
He wished he could see her face. However, their cells were separated by a solid wall. He could probably reach out through the bars and touch her hand if she did the same. That was an intriguing idea.
“It’ll be all right. I promise.”
She didn’t reply for a while. Maybe she didn’t believe him. However, he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
“We’ll never make it in time. War will break out,” she said, “and we’ll either be stuck in this hellhole or be dead.”
This was hardly a hellhole. There weren’t any rats gnawing on them, no gruesome torture equipment was visible, and the lock on the cell was a simple one. Savenek could easily break out of here. He’d just have to pick the lock to his own cell, and then pick Ari’s. Once freed, they’d have to make it past the soldiers guarding the dungeon. Since the exit was in the stables, maybe they could even steal two horses. But then where would they go? If the entire capital was surrounded by those damn flowers, they couldn’t escape.
No, there had to be a way around or through the flowers. The path had to be a carefully guarded secret—that was why he and Ari had been drugged when they were brought to the palace. And that was why a special contingent of soldiers had escorted them. If Savenek and Ari broke out of the dungeon and hid in the city, they wouldn’t have more than an hour or so to talk to the citizens to see if someone knew the way past the kepper fields, because a search party would be raised. The best course of action was to discover the way from the soldiers themselves. The problem was that likely only a few soldiers knew the way.
Savenek sighed. Discovering the path was going to take some time. Then he and Ari would have to travel as fast as possible. They still had to make it across Apethaga, over the wall at the kingdom’s edge, and into Emperion. Once there, they would go their separate ways. The idea of leaving Ari made him feel…uncomfortable.
Slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the distance, coming closer. That meant the first of their interrogators was here. Whoever it was would most likely start with Ari. She was stubborn and wouldn’t give anything away. Which meant the interrogator would probably move on to Savenek. The man would hurt Savenek in front of Ari to get her to talk. The interrogator would probably start by removing Savenek’s ear or finger.
He clutched his hands into fists. He had to buy them time to learn the way out of here before they started mutilating him. It would be harder to wield a sword and throw a dagger if he didn’t have all his fingers. Maybe he’d pretend to be left handed so the interrogator would start there. He could lose a finger or two on his left hand. It wasn’t ideal, but it was better than his right hand.
“I knew you two were trouble the first time I saw you,” Prince Patteon said, stopping before Savenek’s cell. “I suggested we kill you the day you arrived. However, my father insisted we leave you alone so we could string you along. We hoped you’d write a letter to your Empress Rema stating negotiations were underway so she wouldn’t think anything was amiss. But you didn’t send a single letter of correspondence.”
Savenek rested his head against the wall of his cell, not looking directly at the prince. He didn’t want to seem too interested in what the man had to say. Thankfully, Ari kept her mouth shut.
Patteon made an odd noise somewhere between a snort and a laugh, and then he moved to stand in front of Ari’s cell. “Who are you really?” he asked. “I don’t think the two of you are brother and sister. You don’t look alike, talk alike, or act alike.”
Ari didn’t say anything.
“I have two sisters. I know what a normal relationship between siblings is.” He squatted and held onto the bars of Ari’s cell. “I see the way he looks at you, and you at him.”
“What do you plan to do with us?” Ari asked, her voice soft and delicate.
Savenek wished she hadn’t said anything.
“My father sent a letter to Russek. King Drenton will determine your fate.”
Savenek laughed. “And here I thought Apethaga was a strong and mighty kingdom.” He laughed again. “I had no idea you were under Russek’s thumb and did Russek’s bidding. Hopefully, they won’t crush you after they get what they want. They’re not the most honorable people.”
Patteon stood. “And you’re honorable?”
Savenek shrugged. “I have to hand it to you,” he said, trying to draw the prince in. “You’ve got a nice place here. And killer security.” He smiled.
“Yes. Nice find, that kepper flower. It has proved to be quite useful. In more ways than one. Well, I don’t care to stay here any longer. If either of you decide to come clean and tell me the truth of who you are, just holler. Someone will come.”
“Does it matter who we are?” Ari asked. “The empress sent us to do her bidding.”
“And multiple people tried to assassinate the two of you. But here you are.”
“I thought that was the work of Telmena,” Savenek commented.
“I didn’t say who was responsible, just that it had happened.” Patteon strolled away.
“I’ve never liked him,” Ari commented. It was silent for several seconds, neither one of them speaking. “Ven?”
“Yeah?”
“You could get out of here right now if you wanted to, couldn’t you?”
; He listened, trying to hear if anyone else was nearby. He didn’t hear anyone breathing, no footsteps, no signs of another person. “Yes, I could.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I need to know how to get out of Apethaga first.”
“Let’s say you did know how to get out of the kingdom.” There was a shuffling noise. It sounded as if she’d moved closer to his cell.
He stood and went over to the wall he shared with her cell. Sitting down, he leaned toward the bars. “I won’t leave without you,” he assured her.
“That’s what I was afraid of.” She sighed. “If you get the chance to escape, you have to take it.” Her voice was firm and resolute.
“You want me to leave without you?” Not that he ever would.
“Yes.”
He didn’t understand her. “Why?”
“My best friend taught me that Emperion always comes first. We are secondary. If one of us has the chance to get out of here and warn the empress, that person has a duty to do so.”
Savenek admired her loyalty and dedication to the kingdom. Not for the first time, he thought she would make an excellent member of the Brotherhood. He would have to look in to allowing women to join.
“Ari?”
“Yes?”
“If we make it out of this, I want to…” he wanted to say court her, but he didn’t know if that was possible. “I want to see you again.”
Her fingers reached toward his cell. He stuck his hand between the bars of his cell and took hold of her hand, squeezing it. He didn’t ever want to let go of this woman.
Two soldiers approached Savenek’s cell, speaking the Apethaga language. Since Savenek couldn’t understand them, he remained lying on the ground, ignoring them. One soldier said something to Savenek, his voice growing angry and his words clipped. Savenek peered at him as the soldier pointed at Ari’s cell. Savenek shrugged, having no idea what the man wanted. When the two soldiers finally left, Savenek mumbled, “Wonder what that was about.”
“Come here,” Ari whispered.
Savenek moved to the corner of his cell where the wall and bars met—it was the closest he could get to Ari.
“They asked whether you reported to the empress or some other organization. When you didn’t answer, they threatened to…hurt me.”
That was the next logical step—harming one of them in order to extract information from the other. This was why Nathenek had insisted Savenek never form close relationships with other people. But the fact of the matter was this: Savenek liked Ari. He more than liked her. He was falling in love with her.
“When neither of us reacted, they thought we couldn’t understand them and they left.”
“I’m glad you didn’t say anything,” Savenek said. If they knew Ari could speak their language, they wouldn’t be so loose with their tongues. A plan started to form. If they could get the right person talking in Ari’s presence, maybe that person would reveal the way out of this damned town.
“I want to go home,” she said, her voice small and frail.
“Tell me about your brother.” He needed to distract her. If she started thinking too much about where they were and why, he feared she’d spiral into depression. It happened a lot of times with the younger recruits in the Brotherhood. Being locked in a confining space tended to do that to people.
“I’m afraid talking about him will make me miss him.”
“Possibly.” But it would also remind her what she was fighting for.
They heard a door close in the distance followed by the sound of talking. “Someone is coming,” Savenek whispered. “Go to the back of the cell and pretend to sleep.” He jumped to his feet and moved to the opposite side of his cell, sitting on the cold stone floor.
Princess Lareissa approached. “I heard you got yourself thrown in here,” she said to Savenek by way of greeting.
“Thought I’d see the entire palace before leaving,” he responded. “I have to admit, these accommodations aren’t quite as nice as my previous ones.”
She smiled. “I always liked you. The way you joke and flirt. So unlike my brothers.”
“Why are you here?” he asked, curious if anyone knew the princess was down here.
She raised her right shoulder in a dainty shrug. “I wanted to see you for myself. Father said he caught you trying to escape the capital.” She raised her eyebrows in question.
Savenek nodded. “When I realized your brother had no intention of selling us weapons, we decided to leave. My sister is eager to return home.”
Lareissa glanced over her shoulder and then took a step closer to his cell. “You know there’s no way out, don’t you?” she whispered.
He thought long and hard before answering. “Can’t fault a guy for trying.” He stood and came to the bars, closer to her. “Just like with you. I knew you were out of my league. Untouchable. Still, I wanted to be near you because you’re so beautiful.”
“You’re a dangerous one.” And that was why she liked him. That was why he played the role. “My father wrote to King Drenton of Russek to see if he should send you there or kill you himself.”
“I mistakenly thought your father was the king and in charge of Apethaga,” Savenek said. “I didn’t realize he worked for Russek. I guess that’s why you’re not of much importance. Why they’re marrying you off to some old guy from Telmena.”
Lareissa bristled, not liking what he said. “You know nothing.” She turned and left.
“Were you trying to upset her?” Ari asked.
“Yes.” When people were upset and their emotions got out of control, they let things slip. “Not even the princess knows the way out of the town. I’m surprised but not shocked. If she knew how to get out of here, she would have left by now.” That meant he had to bait someone higher up, which would be harder to do. “I have an idea.”
“Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like this,” Ari mumbled.
Because she wouldn’t like it. However, it was their best option at this point. Savenek proceeded to tell her his plan.
“Hello!” Ari hollered. She stood with her hands wrapped around the bars of her cell, frantically calling out. “Can anyone hear me?”
“Ya?” one of the guards said as he approached.
“I want to speak with Prince Patteon,” she said. “Tell him I’m ready to talk.”
Savenek doubted the guard understood a word of what she said. That was why he’d instructed her to use the prince’s name. At the very least, the guard should understand that.
“Patteon?”
“Yes.” She nodded her head with more vigor than necessary.
The guard left, presumably to get the prince. So far, so good.
Normally, Savenek never worked with anyone other than his father. The couple of times he had been sent on a mission with one of his fellow classmates, he learned quickly that when problems arose or things didn’t go as planned, the other person couldn’t think quickly enough to improvise. It was one of the reasons Savenek enjoyed his father so much. Nathenek was bloody brilliant. Strict, but brilliant. Yet, for some reason, Savenek had no reservations about working with Ari. She would play her part, and she would play it well. She’d demonstrated her intelligence and quick thinking on more than one occasion.
The guard returned. He unlocked Ari’s cell and waved her out. Without hesitating, she followed him down the corridor and out of sight.
Savenek curled his fingers into fists. He’d known it was a possibility that Ari would be taken to Patteon’s quarters instead of the prince coming to the prison to talk to her. Regardless, Savenek hated the idea of Ari being away from him. He hated the idea of her needing him when he couldn’t be there to help her. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and slowly released it. She could take care of herself. It was one of the things he loved most about her. Still, that didn’t mean he had to like her being in the hands of the enemy. If Patteon laid a finger on her, Savenek would make sure to remove all the prince’s fingers in the mos
t excruciatingly painful way imaginable.
With Ari gone, the dungeon felt lifeless. It was too quiet down here. Savenek supposed he should use this time to go over their escape route. Rubbing his face, he thought back to when they’d been brought to the prison. The soldiers had led them into the stables, to the back, where a door had been built into the floor. They were escorted down a flight of precariously narrow stone steps, along a hallway, second right, first left, seventh and eighth cells on the right.
He imagined taking the reverse order, picturing where he’d stand before going around each corner. There had been guards at the door to the dungeon and two more at the entrance to the stables. Which meant there would be at least four men to kill. If he recalled correctly, he’d seen six torches hanging on the dungeon walls. If Savenek took one and snuffed the flames out, the end would still be hot and make an excellent weapon. Another option was to break a torch in half, thus creating two jagged pieces of wood. The stables contained rakes, shovels, and a few other items that could easily be used as weapons.
Exiting the structure at night would give them additional cover and was the best chance they had of escaping. Now all they needed to know was how to get past the blasted valley filled with poisonous flowers.
Two guards escorted Ari back to her cell. She walked in even strides with her head held high, no signs of injury or distress. Savenek forced himself to remain where he was sitting on the floor while Ari was locked in her cell.
Once the guards were far enough away, he went over to the corner and reached his hand out. Ari latched onto it and squeezed.
“I know the way,” she whispered.
Relief flooded Savenek. Now they could get out of here.
“It went exactly as you predicted,” she said. “I cried and told Patteon the story we came up with. That we are both from Emperor’s City and had been accompanying our parents who we’d been apprenticing for. We were supposed to meet up with another group, but they never showed up. One night, our parents went out to look for the other group, and they never returned. We had instructions to continue on if they didn’t come back. So we did. We were both confident we could negotiate the weapons deal. Only, we’d failed miserably. I told him I wanted to go home and would tell him whatever he wanted to know if he let me go.”
Oath of Deception Page 20
