“Take them up – please!” Kalaviv shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth. “They killed Aladdin and his guard! There's so much blood!”
I looked to the remaining people in the hole who didn't release a word to contradict Kalaviv. We all wanted to get the hell out of here and no doubt they were more than happy for us to spring the attack.
A bark of laughter sounded from above and my blood chilled as I recognised the source. Captain Marik was up there. Was he one of them?
I ground my teeth, my heart pounding a desperate tune.
We were most-likely outnumbered but we'd have the jump on them. And with Kyra on our side and protecting our bodies, we were practically an army.
The cage reached the bottom of the hole and I braced myself, ready to launch my attack. Aladdin caught my eye, a steely determination burning in his gaze and I returned his fierce smile with one of my own. We’d just survived a real life nightmare, and whatever came next would surely be nothing in comparison to that.
The second the cage rose high enough, I kicked the door wide and leapt at the closest guard, adrenaline singing a familiar song in my veins. He yelled, falling backwards as I took him to the floor, reaching for his hip in an effort to disarm him. He swore, landing a punch to my shoulder as he tried to get me off. But I was under Kyra's protection and his blows were nothing to me.
He stabbed something hard into my side but my skin didn't let it pass. I grinned triumphantly, snatching his wrist and wrestling the dagger from his grip. His throat was slit in moments, but before I could get up, a hand caught the back of my collar. I rolled away in a surge of energy and gazed up at Captain Marik as he held my own Forken sword above my head.
Bastard! That's mine.
I mean the Emperor's.
He brought it down towards my chest, ready to cleave me apart. A rush of air and the tang of blood filled my senses. Even with Kyra's magic over me, I flinched beneath the impact. The blade slammed against my chest and I felt nothing but the resounding vibration right through to my bones.
Marik stumbled backwards in shock, nearly dropping the blade as it did nothing but shred apart my shirt. I rolled to my knees, spotting Aladdin battling another guard on the opposite side of the hole. Kyra hovered around him, waiting for his commands, but it looked like the huge golden axe he'd wished for was enough.
I gained my feet as Marik stepped forward to attack me again, his upper lip peeled back in a snarl.
“Get back in the hole you piece of filth!” He spat at my feet, swinging the blade as he advanced. He looked unnerved and in a moment of horrifying clarity I realised he had nothing of the glassy-eyed look about him the other guards had.
Confusion and horror muddled in my brain.
“How long have you been serving Gothel?” I growled, raising my fists as I awaited his next attack.
“What's it to you, foreigner?” he bit at me.
“I'm no foreigner,” I said evenly, advancing on him with purpose.
He backed up and despite all of his training, he knew he was beaten here with my skin impervious to his blade. In that moment I was a god, and he was a mere mortal under the heel of my shoe. Like I'd been a thousand times under his rule.
“My name is Cassian Lazar,” I snarled.
He stared at me, his brows pinching together. “Lazar?” he snorted. “The criminal? Not possible.”
Aladdin finished off the man he was fighting and silence fell around us. Marik was the only one who remained.
Kalaviv moved to Aladdin's side, looking furious as he glared at my old Captain. I stepped forward once more and Marik backed up, just a foot from the hole behind him.
“Remove the disguise,”Aladdin ordered Kyra and she took it from my face as I nodded my agreement, the sensation of feathers brushing my skin for a moment.
Marik stared upon me with his eyes widening. “And what will you do now, scum? You're a dog gone rogue. Answer to your Queen or fall beneath her divine power. How dare you rise above your position?”
Anger burned a hole in my chest. “I love my kingdom, Marik, but I'm no longer one of your mutts. I'm my own master now.” I lurched forward with a growl and he stumbled back in alarm. His arms wheeled as his boots hit the edge of the hole. I snatched his hand which held my sword, holding him on the edge of falling while taking the beloved blade into my grip.
Marik cried out, but I ended his suffering with a single stab to the gut. Satisfaction sprawled through me as he met my gaze. I was a beaten animal who'd finally bitten back. And he knew I'd won.
I released him and he wailed as I yanked my sword free. He cried my name with his final breath as he tumbled down into the darkness and a faraway thump sounded his demise.
After several endless seconds, I lifted my gaze and found Aladdin watching me with a victorious smirk.
“Brutal, mate. Absolutely brutal.”
I shifted closer to Aladdin as the moment of calm stretched between us. His gaze caught on me and for an eternal moment, I forgot how to breathe.
“I thought you were going to die,” I admitted, tears welling in my eyes as I drew close enough to touch him but didn’t quite.
“I’m just realising I should have wished to be Kahn-proof before that Pageant fight,” Aladdin replied ruefully, sweeping his dark hair out of his eyes. “I could have saved us all a lot of hassle.”
“I don’t think Gothel would have allowed you to win no matter what,” Cassian said darkly. “This whole Pageant has been a sham from the start. Even if you’d somehow won the fight, she never would have let you claim the Princess’s hand and taken Kahn’s place as the next Emperor.”
“I think you’re probably right there, mate,” Aladdin admitted. “That Shaitan has her claws hooked too deeply into this kingdom to allow me to win it from her.”
“I was so worried about you,” I said, my bottom lip trembling as I moved closer to inspect my master. He was still covered in blood from the fight with Kahn despite the fact that I’d healed his wounds and the sight of it just reminded me of how close I’d come to losing him.
“I’m just not that easy to kill,” Aladdin said dismissively but it didn’t lessen the anguish I felt in my heart.
It was my fault, I should have suggested he make wishes to protect himself. I could have made his body into smoke so that Kahn’s fists just slid through him or his hands into blades so that he could have just stab, stab, stabbed.
I think a few people would have noticed if he was a smoke person with knife hands, idiot.
“I don’t care, he would have been safe. I’m just so stupid, stupid, stupid!” I smacked my hands against my head repeatedly as I lost control of my temper.
Aladdin snatched my wrists as he stopped my assault on myself and he held me firmly as he looked into my eyes.
“Don’t do that,” he breathed and for a moment I saw his concern for me swirling in his dark irises. It was enough to banish my rage at myself and fill me with desperate worry again.
“I couldn’t bear to lose you,” I whispered as the tears finally slipped free.
Aladdin’s lips parted in surprise and his thumb quickly swiped away the line of moisture down my cheek. My gaze lingered on his mouth for a moment before I forced myself to look back into his eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied slowly. “I’m yours for as long as you want me.”
I frowned in confusion. That wasn’t right; he wasn’t mine, I was his. He was my master and I was his genie but the honesty in his voice fought against the impulse to correct him.
Aladdin’s gaze fell on the hand which still cupped my cheek. “I can barely even feel you,” he muttered with a frown. “Can you get rid of the blade-proof thing now? I prefer having sensation in my skin to this.”
“Are you sure?” I asked with concern. He’d be more vulnerable if I removed that protection from him.
“Yes,” he said firmly and Cassian nodded in agreement.
I withdrew my magical protection from them and che
wed my lip as Aladdin’s thumb swept across my cheek. He gave me the faintest of smiles before releasing me and left my skin tingling in his absence.
Let’s hope he doesn’t end up getting stabbed now.
“We need to get past the rest of the guards and back into the palace if we want to save Rapunzel,” Cassian said, his deep tone breaking the spell which had me captured in Aladdin’s gaze.
Aladdin released me and moved towards his friend, leaving my cheek tingling, grieving the absence of his touch.
Oh hell, you’ve got it bad.
“Got what bad?” I asked in confusion but I didn’t reply.
“Well I think what we need is a distraction,” Aladdin murmured, his attention on Cassian. “Are you ready to make your escape, Kalaviv?”
The lord stepped forward eagerly. “I want nothing more than to get the hell out of here,” he confirmed.
“Okay then,” Aladdin said, looking to me once more. “We’ll need a ladder so that the rest of the prisoners can climb out of there please Kyra. And let’s have a hoard of weapons for them too. And maybe you could heal me and Cassian for good measure.”
He offered me a great full smile as I healed his fresh wounds and Cassian nodded his consent before I offered him the same treatment.
I produced the things he’d requested eagerly, wanting nothing more than to please him after letting him down so completely in the fight with Kahn.
You didn’t let him down, he lost that fight fair and square. Besides, aren’t you happy that he isn’t going to marry Rapunzel now?
“Why would that make me happy?” I hissed as the other prisoners began to scale the ladder and Cassian drew Aladdin away from the hole which led to the pit. I trailed behind them, not wanting to be separated from Aladdin again too soon.
My other self went quiet on me but her presence seemed smug with whatever knowledge she was withholding. I couldn’t deal with her nonsense right now though, I needed to help Aladdin in any way I could.
“I say we let Kalaviv lead the other prisoners against the guards and while they’re fighting their way out of here, we use the distraction to head back to the palace,” Cassian said, glancing at Kalaviv in a way that made me think he didn’t want him listening in.
“And then what? We just kidnap the Princess and make a run for it?” Aladdin asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Are you saying you don’t want to help the Princess?” Cassian asked, his eyes narrowing as he took in Aladdin’s dismissive tone.
“No, I’m just confirming that you want to make an attempt to do the impossible,” Aladdin replied, a smile tugging at his lips. “Because I may be the best thief ever born but stealing the Princess of Osaria from the middle of the palace could be a little ambitious even for me.”
“Well that’s the only plan I can come up with at the moment,” Cassian replied, sounding a little defeated. “We can’t leave her to the mercy of Kahn. And without a way to kill Gothel, we can’t very well hang around here either. If we can just get her to safety before she’s forced to marry that beast then at least we can buy ourselves some more time. If you don’t want to attempt it then I’ll go alone.”
“And let you hog all the glory for yourself?” Aladdin scoffed, running a hand over his face which was still caked with blood. He glanced at his bloodstained fingers with a frown and looked up at me hopefully. “Would you mind cleaning me up, Kyra?”
I offered him a smile as I used my magic to remove the blood and grime from his body and clad him in a deep blue outfit which brought out the darkness of his colouring.
“What’s it to be then?” Cassian demanded, his eyes a little wild with worry for the Princess.
“Well I’m not going to let you just prance in there and save her alone. Besides, you’ll never manage it without me,” Aladdin said cockily. “Are you in Kyra?”
“Your wish is my command,” I agreed eagerly.
“Then let’s go steal a Princess,” Aladdin said.
“Save,” Cassian corrected as the two of them moved towards Kalaviv and the growing group of prisoners at the top of the pit.
“That’s not the word I’ll use when I’m telling this story,” Aladdin replied, throwing me a wink that made me giggle.
The sky was dark with clouds obscuring the stars for once and I was glad of the extra protection against prying eyes. It wouldn’t be long before the guards at the closest gate realised Marik was late to return though and I was beginning to worry about us being discovered.
“Tick tock,” I whispered, reminding the others that we needed to hurry.
Aladdin stepped into the midst of the prisoners and glanced around at them as they looked to him for orders. I guessed they thought he’d saved them so that gave him automatic rights as their leader.
“Listen up,” Aladdin commanded, his voice low so that it wouldn’t carry but still filled with authority. “Freedom is that way. There are guards who won’t want to let you pass but you know what hell awaits you if they capture you again.”
Murmured responses came filled with fear as the prisoners tentatively took weapons from the pile I’d conjured.
“Let’s go,” Kalaviv said firmly, moving toward the steps that led down from the dome.
Aladdin hung back as the rest of the prisoners followed him and I moved to his side as his gaze fell on me.
“Do you know which part of the palace the Princess is being held in, Kyra?” he asked softly.
“Her rooms,” I replied.
“Good. There’s a secret passage that leads to Rapunzel’s rooms which lets out near the maze in the gardens,” he said with a knowing smile.
“How do you know that?” Cassian asked, his voice flat.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Aladdin teased before turning away from him. “Let’s go.”
Cassian’s jaw ticked as he resisted the urge to push for an answer and I fell into step with him as we started moving.
We followed the rest of the prisoners down off of the domed structure which contained the pit. I walked between Cassian and Aladdin as we hurried along the wide path which led to the gates where the guards would be waiting to stop us.
I stayed close to Aladdin, unwilling to part from him after his close call in the arena. If he needed me again then I’d be right there. I’d stick to him like a magnet, he’d get so sick of me that he wouldn’t ever want to look at my face again but that was okay. So long as he was safe.
If you annoy him too much he’ll just shove you back in the lamp. It’s easier to keep you close in there anyway.
I decided not to dignify that with a response. Aladdin had promised to keep me out of the lamp and I didn’t believe he’d go back on his word for a second.
What’s the word of a thief worth anyway?
“Everything,” I breathed in response and I shut up because deep down even I knew I was right about that.
The clash of metal on metal was the first I knew of us arriving at the gates which were manned by the guards. The prisoners ahead of us had engaged them before us and my heart leapt with anticipation as Aladdin darted into the mayhem.
I scrambled after him, managing to stay on his heels. Cassian ran in too and quickly became locked in battle with a royal guard who had a bug in his brain.
I gasped as the guard swung his blade wide, willing my body to turn to smoke as he almost took my head from my shoulders.
Aladdin yelled out angrily, charging forward to cut him off before he could aim another strike at me and knocking him from his feet with a savage kick to the side of his knee.
Aladdin swung his scimitar while the guard was down, killing the man and the bug in one fell swoop.
With another push forward and a cry of victory, the last guards fell beneath the combined rage of our group and Kalaviv led the charge through the gate.
The prisoners swung right towards the next gate where freedom awaited them beyond it, but Cassian and Aladdin peeled away from them, heading left towards the palace instead.
&nb
sp; I chased after them, grinning at the sound of the alarm bells as they started up. No doubt more guards would be pouring towards the gates to secure them and try to keep the prisoners from escaping but I very much doubted any of them would be looking for someone trying to get in.
Ding dong, ding dong. What a funny noise, it almost made me want to dance.
We moved into the walled gardens, ducking between rose bushes and towering statues which stared at us ominously in the darkness.
The sound of pounding footsteps made us halt as we were passing a huge water fountain and we quickly ducked into its shadow as a platoon of guards raced by.
Cassian leaned up as their footsteps receded, peering over the lip of the fountain and gripping the edge of it as he watched them leave.
A grating sound came from the stone and suddenly, the brick Cassian was leaning on shifted forward and fell into the fountain with a loud splash.
Aladdin glared at him as we all froze again and a torturous moment passed as we waited to find out if the guards had heard us.
When we were sure they hadn’t, Aladdin pushed his dark hair out of his eyes in an irritated gesture and turned to look at me.
“Kyra, I wish for Cassian to move silently,” he hissed when we finally accepted the fact that we’d somehow gotten away with that.
My magic sprang to my fingers but I waited on Cassian’s agreement before I could act.
The former guard let out an irritable sigh before nodding his agreement. “Shouldn’t you wish it for yourself too?” he asked Aladdin as my power slipped over him and we continued to head for the passage once more.
“I don’t need to,” Aladdin replied dismissively. “I’ve been sneaking about silently since I was knee high to a gnat. It’s as easy as breathing to me.” He reached out to slap Cassian’s cheek a few times and the former guard flinched away from the patronising gesture.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 53