by Paris Hansch
Adelia explained the situation, and Elaine frowned. After looking him over, he was given the all-clear, and they drilled him with more questions, but James didn’t have anything else to say. Elaine eventually sent him back home, instructing him to return if any symptoms returned.
Adelia wandered back to her room and sifted through her desk. If an anchor wasn’t a thing, perhaps it was an action. But anchor to what? She buried herself in her books, searching for hours. Before she knew it, she woke up with her face on the desk. It was just past sundown, and the sky was dark. Mina should have come to wake her. Adelia shrugged on a cloak and made her way down to the servant’s quarters, but no one had seen her. She wasn’t in her room, either. It wasn’t like Mina not to come home.
Adelia quickened her step. It was dangerous for her to be out there alone in the dark. Something might have already happened to her. She hurried through the corridors. The only other person who would care was one with whom she didn’t want to speak, but she didn’t have a choice. If she went out alone, it would only complicate the situation.
Adelia banged on Alexander’s door, her heart thumping with each resonating sound.
Chapter Seven
Alexander
Alexander tossed and turned in his bed, pulling a pillow over his ear. It took him forever to find a comfortable position in which to fall asleep, and now, there was an incessant rapping at his door. He was certain that he had made it clear that no one should bother him. Alexander sighed into his pillow. Whoever it was, they clearly weren’t going to leave. He rolled out of bed, tightening his sword on his belt, and opened the door. It was just his sister.
“Adelia, I don’t—”
“Mina is missing.”
Alexander frowned. “What?”
His sister’s face was flushed as though she was out of breath. “We parted ways in the markets today, and she still hasn’t come home.”
Alexander glanced out of the window, then jogged back to the bed to pull on his boots. It was already dark, and it was dangerous on the streets, especially now with the threat of war looming over them. Thankfully, his little sister had gotten to the point faster than normal. But there wasn’t time to gather a search party, and certainly, none of the councilors would help. They would probably think that it was a good thing that she had disappeared.
“I’ll come help you,” said Adelia.
Alexander grabbed his cloak and moved past her. “I’ll find her, don’t worry. You stay here in case she comes back.” He really just wanted her to stay within the perimeter of the castle. She definitely wouldn’t be safe out there.
He sprinted from the castle toward the stables. Mina might be clever, but no amount of witty remarks or plucky courage was going to save her from bandits, or worse, the Lanadese. She had been wearing Adelia’s dress, too, so she would be a prime target. What if their soldiers had already infiltrated and had mistaken her for his sister?
Alexander groaned as he scanned along the rows of horses. Of course, they would all be unsaddled by now. But there wasn’t enough time to saddle them again. He went straight for his horse, and she let him mount without a problem. It would be more difficult than normal, but luckily, they had practiced riding without a saddle before.
With one squeeze of his thighs, they took off toward the city. Maybe Mina was doing this on purpose; maybe she was still mad. Maybe she was even trying to find another solution by herself. It wouldn’t surprise him. He shouldn’t have avoided mentioning the marriage. She and his sister had the right to know—he just hadn’t had the courage to face them.
The city was silent. The deserted streets were filled only with the pounding of his heart, falling into sync with the horse’s hooves. They dashed up and down the streets, scanning every alleyway and square. Alexander gripped his horse’s feathery mane between his fingers. The stable boy had already removed her decorations—the silver droplets woven amongst her feathers to indicate his lordly status—but their absence had little effect on his grip.
He could see Mina’s smile in his head, the spark of joy in her eyes as she ran.
Alexander, you forgot this!
The way she never missed a detail.
Alexander, your cloak is crooked. Let me fix it.
The way she could always see right through him.
Alexander, I know there’s something wrong.
He shook his head vigorously. He would never forgive himself if he let her get hurt again. He’d never even found the vermin who hurt her in the first place.
Alexander spurred his mare, concentrating so hard on his surroundings that he almost didn’t see the woman hobbling across the street in front of him. He dove to the left, and the woman’s eyes widened as both she and her basket of bread tumbled backward to the ground. Alexander pulled his horse to a stop and leaped off, offering the woman his hand.
“My deepest apologies, madam,” he said. The skin on her hand was unusually rough and reddened, as though it had never properly healed from some kind of burn injury. “Are you all right?”
The woman dusted herself off, her skirts covered in dirt and soot. “I’m quite all right,” she said, her gaze sweeping him up and down. She seemed to stare straight through him for a moment.
Alexander quickly broke her gaze and knelt to gather the escaped bread rolls, placing them back into the basket. Food was expensive in Anadrieth, and that wouldn’t change anytime soon.
“Please, allow me to escort you home. It’s not safe at this time, and I’m sure you’ve heard the news.”
The woman shook her head, taking the basket from him. “No need. I was just delivering these to a neighbor.” She smiled, the warmth reaching her rounded cheeks. “Take care, nephraile,” she murmured.
“What?” said Alexander, scrunching his nose, but she was already walking away. He guessed that she would be all right, but he couldn’t shake the vaguely familiar feeling that he felt from her. She must have come to petition to him at some stage, and he had simply remembered her face, though it had been a while since he’d held the last open hall for complaints.
Alexander took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. He wasn’t going to get anywhere by galloping around, making a scene and alerting everyone to his presence. It might be better on foot for now. He led his mare around the area for several minutes. The light was all but gone in the sky now, with only the occasional glow of a lantern to light his way, with many left unlit to conserve oil for the festival. Even oil was about to become scarce.
He paused. There was a muffled commotion in the next alleyway. He left his horse, drew his sword and crept forward until he could make out words.
“Well, well, what a find we have here. Think the Mistress will want this one? She’s a pretty lass.”
Alexander stopped dead in his tracks, willing his heart to stop thudding in his chest. They couldn’t be talking about that woman. She was dead—she had to be. He stole a glance around the corner. There were at least four men standing around a girl.
“Are you sure we should—”
“We need the gold.”
Alexander’s knuckles whitened, and he stared at his boots, straining his ears to listen. There was clearly someone in trouble, but he had to hear more. For these bandits to be speaking of the Mistress was bad news. Perhaps it was a false alarm, and they were simply hiding behind the name. Or perhaps, after nearly a decade, she had begun to move again. If she truly wasn’t dead, the whole empire would suffer, just like last time. His heart thumped in his chest. He couldn’t handle that. Not again—not now.
A snapping sound echoed in the alley, followed by a high-pitched yelp.
“My arm!”
Alexander readied his sword. He couldn’t wait any longer, and he stepped out, brandishing his Golden Dawn. His words faltered in his throat as the woman’s face came into view.
Mina!
A burly man was cradling his wrist, and a taller one had his arm wrapped around Mina’s neck. The other men turned toward him, st
alking closer. Alexander matched their stride. His sword arm was shaking slightly, but his fingers held the hilt with an iron grip. He had to get ahold of himself.
“Release her,” he called out, “and I’ll consider lightening your sentence.” The men looked at each other, and he could almost see the math solving itself in their thick heads—four to one. They grinned at him.
“Sure. You and what army?”
“Better scram, or you won’t see another day,” said the skinny one, drawing his short sword.
Alexander frowned, glancing down at his clothes. He forgot that he had changed out of his formal robes. They must not recognize him. Three of them rushed him at once, while the fourth backed away, with Mina in tow.
Alexander deflected their blows with ease, closing the distance to slam his fist into the short one’s temple, making the man fall. Their movements were sluggish, their swings unpracticed. It was clear that their primary skills were intimidation and brute strength, not sword fighting finesse.
He dodged a fist, spinning to disarm the burly one. Out of the corner of his eye, a shape crashed with a sickening thud. Mina stood over him, rubbing her neck, and Alexander did a double-take. The tall bandit seemed to be knocked out cold.
Desperate footsteps pulled his attention back to the remaining bandit, who had set off at a run. Something whizzed past his ear, planting itself firmly in the back of the bandit’s thigh. The bandit howled, tripping and landing face-first.
Mina’s voice echoed over his shoulder. “Don’t take your eyes off your opponent.”
Alexander blinked. He looked at her, then the bandit, then back at her. What had just happened? More footsteps rounded the corner as the night patrol arrived on the scene, their swords already drawn.
“Stop right there!”
Alexander sheathed his sword, drawing his shoulders back. His soldiers rounded on them, some grabbing the bandits.
“Milord… is that you? Are you all right?” asked the captain of the patrol, his quick gestures signaling the men to sheathe their weapons and bow. Alexander frowned. General Barrett may be an excellent fighter, but he was apparently not capable of training the soldiers or scheduling patrols. Had he not have arrived on time, Mina would have surely been kidnapped, or worse.
Alexander waved a hand. “I’m fine. Arrest these men at once. I’ll join you in the dungeons.” The soldiers’ arms slapped across their chests in unison before they hauled the bandits away. He turned his attention back to Mina. “Are you hurt?”
Mina raised an eyebrow. “No. Are you?”
Alexander paused. “No.” He brushed his hair out of his eyes. “Why didn’t you return?”
She gestured at the scene. “I was a little preoccupied, as you probably saw. Why did you come?”
“I—Adelia was worried.”
Mina folded her arms. “I don’t recall your concern for her earlier. You could have just sent your men.”
Alexander gritted his teeth. “I needed to make sure you were okay—”
“Why?”
“Because!” He turned his face, exhaling. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. “I’m getting the horse.” He stomped away, placing his fingers between his lips to whistle. A conversation with her never went how he expected. It was like stepping onto an icy lake with the intention of making it across, only to find that you never had a solid footing in the first place. He should have guessed that she would still be mad at him.
Alexander sighed, nudging his horse to its feet. He turned and almost jumped. Mina was standing right behind him, and he hadn’t even heard her approach. Shaking off his surprise, he knelt with his fingers intertwined to give her a boost onto the horse.
“Here,” he said, motioning with his hands. When nothing happened, he glanced around. Mina was already on the horse, adjusting her dress and stroking its neck.
“Were you planning on walking back?” Mina asked. “It’s a nice night for it.” She grasped the horse’s feathers as though she knew what she was doing.
Alexander placed his hand on the horse, which flicked its tail at him, leading them toward the castle. He didn’t understand. Mina acted more like she was going for a pleasant evening stroll rather than someone who had just survived a kidnapping.
“What are you doing? Get on,” she said.
He opened his mouth, and she stared at him. Deciding it would be faster than walking back, he swung his leg over, mounting behind her. She was warm against his chest, and he tried to concentrate on his boots while he rearranged his clothes. It didn’t help that he had to lean forward more than usual to grasp the mane. His arms pressed into her sides.
Any respectable maiden would be appropriately mortified, but Mina had leaned forward, her legs locked around the horse’s sides rather than being in a graceful side-saddle. Practical yet entirely unladylike. They didn’t speak the entire way home.
Had Mina actually taken down two of them by herself?
No.
If he admitted that she was trained to fight, it would mean that his brother was right about her. He couldn’t entertain that possibility. Alexander shook the thought from his mind. This was the strangest night he’d had in a while.
After returning the somewhat irritated horse to the stables, a messenger ran up to him. “The prisoners are in the dungeons now, Milord.”
Alexander nodded. He didn’t bother asking Mina to return upstairs to appease his sister. It seemed like she was coming with him whether he liked it or not, anyway. They descended the stairwell, the dungeon walls even colder than the rest of the castle. Torches were lit at the farthest intervals possible, sending shadows creeping around the walls and hiding large patches of the ground. He made a mental note to fix that; tripping was the last thing that anyone needed when handling a prisoner.
Alexander stood in front of the bars, running his eyes across the captives. The four men were in a holding cell, the skinny one with a crude, bloody bandage wrapped around his thigh and the burly one with a splint on his wrist. Common thugs. They probably wouldn’t know much, but even the smallest details fell to the bottom of the ladder.
“If you answer my questions, I’ll spare you from the noose,” he said. They didn’t look him in the eye. “What were you planning on doing with this woman?” Alexander gestured to Mina.
“Nothing,” said the tall one, his chin tilted up. “Nothing you nobles would give a dragon’s claw about, anyway.”
“So, this is the great Lord Alexander? That barbarian lord might be a better leader for us, after all.”
The short one chuckled. “Bet you think there’s some grand plot for this lass of yours. Well, don’t get too disappointed. We’re just doing what we can to survive.”
Alexander frowned. He knew that jobs were scarce, but no one should be starving. “What do you mean, survive? I’ve done the calculations. There’s enough to go—”
“How would you know? You don’t see,” said the burly one. “You just sit up here in this cozy castle, doing dragon knows what.”
“Had to leave my kid in one of the homes.”
“The noose ain’t a threat. Death’s a mercy for people like us.”
Alexander gripped the bars, his knuckles whitening. They were lying, obviously; they had to be. Councilor Raoul calculated the reports himself. There were certainly enough resources distributed to everyone, even if it was tight. They were bandits because they chose to be bandits, and there was nothing that he could do about that. He decided to press on.
“Then, what about the Mistress?”
The men fell silent, glancing at each other. The burly one shrugged. “Couldn’t say.”
“What about her?”
Alexander’s lips curved. They must know something. The tall one spoke before he could.
“Bribes or threats won’t work. We don’t know nothing. She ain’t more than a terrifying rumor.”
“Then, how—”
“You don’t find her. She finds you.”
“And eats you whole,
” added the short one. Everyone stared at him. “Well, that’s what I heard,” he mumbled.
“Don’t lie,” said Alexander. “I heard you talking about her, and it didn’t sound like trivial speculation.”
“Sorry, mister,” drawled the burly one. “You’re gonna have to use some easier words, us being lowly bandits and all.”
Alexander gritted his teeth. “You mentioned her like you knew her.”
The tall one rolled his eyes. “We already told you. Rumor has it that the Mistress is on the move again. Just a rumor, is all. But everyone knows she deals in people. No one else would pay.”
“We got to eat somehow.”
Alexander was about to retort when a gentle hand fell on his arm.
“You’re not going to get anything more from them like that,” said Mina. She turned to head up the stairs, finished with the conversation.
Perhaps he had expected too much from the men. He was getting too riled up regardless. Leaving his captain in charge, Alexander followed her back to the hallway.
“We’re not done,” he said, his voice echoing against the walls.
Mina cocked her head. “My apologies. I thought you’d already gleaned the necessary information with that masterful interrogation.”
Alexander’s hand went to his hip. “I can’t let any lead concerning the Mistress slip through my hands. Not sure if you remember, but she kidnapped dozens of our children across the empire, started rebellions and dragons knows what else.”
She sighed. “Even so, you can’t get angry at them for trying to survive. Whether they’re thieves or nobles, soldiers or servants, they’re still your people, and they’ve entrusted their lives to you.”
Alexander rubbed his temples. “I am working day and night to keep this region alive. If they know about something that could endanger my people, I need to know. I have to focus on what’s best for Anadrieth.”
Mina’s face softened, and she gave him that look, the one that said that she was disappointed in him. “But you’re listening to all the wrong people. When’s the last time you were actually in the city? When’s the last time you talked to one of your people?”
