Flora was so busy staring at Lord Reynald, wondering what to do, that she missed the wolf's next lunge. She heard the crowds shock and thought she might puke as she turned to look. The blood was the first thing Flora saw. The wolf's teeth tore into Dawson's leg and held, shaking its head fiercely as its teeth sunk deeper and blood gushed from around its lips, pulling Dawson along the ground.
Dawson's screams could be felt as he arched his back in pain bringing his knife down along the animal's jaw. The wolf's blood mixing in with Dawson's own along the sand as the animal pulled its teeth from his skin and was dashing back across the ring, the knife had cut deep and a flap of the animal's snout swayed in the movement barely attached.
Dawson's leg was not much better shape. Flora's eyes narrowed in on the wolf's slobbery infectious foam sticking to his leg.
The rabid wolf seemed to not notice it's own wounds. Its ears pulled back and canines bared, even more fierce than before. Hunched down again, ready for the hunt. The wolf stared at Dawson, and Dawson stood on a leg that could barely hold him up. Facing the wolf straight on.
Flora's heart pounded as she watched. "Stop this!" Flora screamed as the wolf lunged again.
She shouldn't have screamed. Dawson recognized her voice. Looking up as the wolf crashed into him.
The impact sent the two sprawling across the ground, blood gushing into the sand. All Flora could see was the blood and sand spit up the air coating the walls and the green hedges outlining the ring, looking like roses that had once grown there. Her voice grew hoarse from screaming again and again. Others in the crowd started screaming as well.
After a moment the sand stopped sputtering, but the blood continued gushing. Flora wasn't sure what happened until Dawson crawled out from under the still carcass of the wolf. He only pulled himself out from under the body when his body slumped against the ground.
He passed out in his own blood, laying there until guards finally opened the gate before reaching down and dragging him from the pit. His leg dragging behind him in a bloody mess. Leaving the dead wolf where it was.
She stared into the pit door he disappeared into, deaf to the crowd giving him pitiful applause as they resettled their hats and sat straight again. She had been totally unaware of the earthquake that rolled through the pavilion. She stared into the pit until an arm covered her wrist and she looked down, snatching back her arm, stepping back as if to strike out.
Until she noticed it was Vander's hand. She tried to relax, tried to smother the panic that was building in her. Act like the Lady she was supposed to be. The only thing that kept her alive here, but she didn't know if she could.
It took her a moment to notice her own fingers were coated with blood. She hadn't even noticed stabbing her fingernails into Vendor's arm where a small trail of blood dripped off his forearm. He hadn't said a word. She hadn't even noticed.
As the applause faded, King Adriat and Queen Curilane were escorted past them, followed by Lord Reynald and one of the priestesses. He paused beside them taking in Flora's appearance. Flora brought her hands behind her back before he could comment on the blood.
"Control yourself sweet cousin. You are making a show in such polite company," he said with a raised brow, with sweat running off his eyebrow. "These are criminals. They deserve their punishment." He walked away, dutifully following the King and Queen.
Tears threatened to drop until Flora's eyes fell down to see Vander looking at her. His own hand covering the blood that pushed to drip from his wrist, holding it until it clotted. He had hidden it from Lord Reynald.
He stood up beside her reaching his arm over her shoulders, turning his head towards her. "Are you okay?" He whispered quietly into her ear.
Flora leaned back and looked into his eyes. Before looking back down, his nostrils were flared wide as he waited for her to respond. His green eyes held so many questions, such suspicion. She would have to trust him. She needed an alley in this castle, and who better than the sworn enemy of Merridan.
Flora gave a nod of her head, not able to speak, as she fought to choke back her screaming agony. "I will try to see he is cared for," Vander said before walking away.
Flora didn't let the hope she felt crawl back into her heart. She braced her spine, crumpling her hands into fists as she turned the other way, no longer caring where Lady Dells could be.
She heard a cough and stopped, one of the guards came behind her. "I am to escort you back to your room—Miss," he said. His wary eyes sharp. He knew she was not a Lady. The Lord had sent him to watch her.
"Where is Oswald?" Flora asked.
"Why should you care peasant?" The guard said quietly with a tilt of his head as he grabbed her elbow and turned her.
Flora snarled at him, wretched her arm from his and walked back into the castle. Her mind ticking through a plan.
My Side
If Flora waited any longer her family would be dead. That was one thing she knew for sure. She kept her eyes down, her breath steady. She didn't want anyone to notice her as the guards took her back to her room and locked her into her prison. She pressed her ear against the door until she heard the second latch close from the outer door, the main door to Lady Willa's room, blocking her from the main castle.
The guard had locked her in, but she was happier that he had locked himself out. Flora picked up Vander's pocket watch and glanced at the hands as she went to pick the door. It was nearly time for dinner to be served, and she was sure Lady Willa would not be returning for a while. Though she didn't know if anyone else had plans to visit, and she had to move now. She slid the pocket watch into her boot and moved to the door.
Flora took the first pin she had dutifully carried since she stole it from Lady Willa's makeup chair. She struggled with the lock, the pin was almost not long enough, but eventually she managed too jam it in far enough for the lock to turn. Flora opened the door slowly, with only a slight creak of its hinges, she tried to pull the pin from the door but it was stuck tight so she left it there. She slid into the room, relishing in its emptiness. She dashed for the closet looking for something much less auspicious to clamber down the castle walls in instead of her gown. She found a servant man's tan trousers and white shirts in one of the drawers from whom she assumed was Marcus's. Bringing them to her nose, she smelt nothing.
Thankfully, she still had her boots in her room. She went back to the main room with her one arm full, as the other stretched around her back to undo the ties of her gown, spinning in circles, searching for anything else that would help her escape.
A pare knife gleamed against the mirror on the makeup table, left over from Lady Willa's breakfast. It would have to do. She heard a creak across the room and slid along the wall.
Ambrosia had walked in from her own rooms across from Flora. She was humming, and looking down at some fabric in her hands as she walked across Lady Willa's own rooms.
Flora froze, hoping that Ambrosia wouldn't notice the open door to where her cell was, and also hoped that she was going to walk out of this room, but she had none of that luck. Ambrosia moved around the bed and was placing clothes along Lady Willa's bed when Flora slid behind her. Dropping the clothes in her hand and placing the paring knife along her throat.
"I really don't want to kill you," Flora said, her lips so close to the girl's hair it tickled her lips. "So don't scream."
Ambrosia froze, the only thing moving was her chest as she breathed in and out, but she remained quiet. "We are going to lock you in the closet," Flora said with a shimmer of her voice that moved through her body.
"Hurry now," she said again, pushing the small of Ambrosia's back gently. "Not much time, if I hear you scream, I am going to come back and kill you. Cause if you scream, I'm dead anyway," Flora said her rage from seeing Dawson still pounding in the background of her heart. She had to focus to keep her arm steady with the knife.
When Flora gently shut Ambrosia in the closet she caught a look at her face. The disgust that Flora had thought she would fi
nd was actually a small smile and the look in her eyes was something Flora did not understand.
As Flora pulled the door shut Ambrosia finally spoke. "There is a better knife hidden under the cushion on Lady Willa's cosmetic chair."
Flora stopped and stared at Ambrosia, her eyes narrowing. Not quite sure if this was a trap. Flora shut the door without saying anything.
On soft feet she went to Lady Willa's chair, carefully inspecting it for traps. She kicked the cushion off with her boot, in case even the cloth was poisoned. There was one knife there, along with her old leaf hairpin. Flora didn't know what to make of that. Her eyes flicked to the door with the maid, hearing nothing but the rustle of clothing as Ambrosia settled herself.
She grabbed the pin, snapped it into the bun in her hair, before grabbing the knife. Not much better than the paring knife, but she was relieved to have some weapons on her. She quickly stripped from her dress then and threw on the man's clothes tucking the large shirt in the front and rolling up the billowing sleeves. She even had to tuck the pants into her boots.
Flora extinguished the lights back in her room and went over to Lady Willa's open window to peer out. Reaching her head out over the cliff as far as she dared. She looked around, all of the guard's eyes were facing the outer wall. Unless someone looked up she should be able get down without being seen. The cloudy sky cast a purple hue over the walls as the sun faded on the other side of the castle, sending vast shadows along the rest of the castle grounds while dark storm clouds moved towards Caris in the distance. She could have thrown a stone over the wall she was so close.
The prison and her brothers were on the other side of the castle though, she would have to escape and then find a way to get Dawson and Thren out later. It was too dangerous to wait in the castle any longer, that much was clear to her. It was only a matter of time till Lord Reynald killed her. Regardless of what information she had.
The brick scoured her fingertips, the blood dripping out as they clipped the rough stone outside her window, not helping as she tried to grasp the wall. Flora was halfway down the sheer face when she had to place her feet up on one of the snarling gargoyles to release her tired arms for a moment. As she breathed a voice drifted up to her from the ground.
"Lord Reynald, of course its damn Lord Reynald," Flora mumbled under her breath and froze. She tried to sink behind the statue of the gargoyle, but as more of her weight perched on the base of the statue her breath caught sas he heard the first tale of a crack.
Her eyes snapped down and they followed the crack as it continued to travel down the side of the rock. As slow as possible she pressed herself along the wall and made her way to the next gargoyle over, gently taking her weight from the cracked stone.
There was a covered stone bridge not too far away. If she could make it to that, she could drop into a different garden away from Lord Reynald. He wouldn't even know she was there.
She was nearly to the bridge, shimming her hands along a roof ledge as she slowly eased her way over. The rest of her body hanging like dead weight. Her arms were screaming from the strain and movement of her body, having to go so slow that her arms were shaking. She didn't dare look down at Lord Reynald below her feet.
The crash of the gargoyle had her fingertips releasing from the rooftop, skin peeling off with it, as she crashed onto the rooftop of the stone bridge with a similar bang that seemed to ripple off the surrounding brick, becoming louder by the moment.
"Guards!" Was the last thing Flora heard as she swung onto the main walkway of the bridge and into the castle's belly.
Dragon Tails
Flora recognized the statue of the ancient queen as she hopped through the first window she came across. She peeled herself off the ground and up the stairs to Lady Dells's room.
Using her weight to throw her momentum around each bend, she could still hear guards shouting, but the noise was coming through the windows. The guards were still in the garden below, because of course, why would someone who is trying to escape a castle run back into it?
Her breathing was strained as she wondered how much longer she had till they looked inwards. She was buying time and she needed to find a better way to protect herself.
Flora slammed into the golden minotour by the door and scrapped at the doorknob. She threw open Miranda's door when she finally grasped it, not caring about the noise as it bashed against the wall, and thankful to find the room empty, with only a faded misty hint of long burnt out candles to tell that someone had been in that room at all today.
She dashed to the wall where the many ancient weapons were displayed and stopped dead, falling over with the momentum in which she hauled herself, stopping short with her hand against the wall.
The beautiful dark sword that had been in the centre was gone. She stomped her foot hard against the ground and put her hands on her hips with pursed lips. She would have to grab something else.
She stepped back, looking farther up the wall. There were now only wooden staffs within reach, but nothing like that would do against as many swords as she might be dealing with tonight.
Higher up she could see double-sided axes and maces which would serve her purpose, but they were out of reach. She kept backing up as she looked and bumped into a small table, covered in books. The table was tall enough that it might get her to the axe. As she quickly pushed the books off, the clang of metal hitting stone rapped through the room and Flora jumped with it.
The sword gleamed partially uncovered from the now cut up hunks of books that lay above it. "There you are," She said as she grasped its handle with trembling hands. Her fingers hummed, as they wrapped around the rough hilt. It was heavy and larger than what she was used to, but she could feel the tension leave her neck, and new that she could handle this sword. It was similar to Roanans, and she had practised against him with a sword like this before. Thankfully it was not often you came against a man of Roanan's size. She held it in front of her with both hands, her head on a fast swivel as she tried to survey what else she could use.
A whistling shrill like she had never heard before that came from behind her had her freezing. When she heard nothing else she turned with a swing, the sword out in front of her moving in a fast ark. No one was there and the sword cut through thin air. The shrill came again, and she followed it with the point of her blade until she was looking down.
There, right beside her knee, on the table, was a small dappled grey lizard. Standing from nose to tail no longer than one of the many quills scattered around. Had it been still she would have thought it was a decoration, but decorations did not flare their wings. They shimmered in the light like a frosted window pane, glistening and opaque, as smoke rose from its nostrils
"Wings—" Flora said her eyes widening as she let the sword dangle back in one hand.
It was a dragon. A small one, but still a dragon.
She bent down to eye level, mesmerized by the small creature, her heart thumping, the sword in her hand dragging into her one palm as it rested on the floor. The little creature shrilled again, a frail blue flame flaring from its mouth.
A noise came from the doorway she had come through. It was an effort to tear her gaze from the small dragon. Looking at the door, Lady Dells was already standing there with her hands resting on her cane and a smile on her face.
Flora instantly swung her sword back into her two hands, ready for anything.
Lady Dells lifted a bandaged hand to her mouth as she put a finger to her lips then shut the door behind her, turning the lock.
The door shook from the other side as someone tried to get in. She heard the guards mumbling but they didn't try for long before hurrying off down the hallway.
Lady Dells took a step towards her and she raised the sword level at her chest. Lady Dells stopped her walk, her eyes crinkling at the sword in Flora's hands.
A claw bit through the leather on her boot making her flinch. She tried to hold it back as to not step on the little dragon. The dragon had jumped from
the table, gliding down to her boot. Its smoky blue eyes stared up at her with intelligence as it continued to climb up her pants. Stopping occasionally as it climbed to give her what she assumed was a sniff. Though as her split tongue slivered out, she wondered if it was tasting the remnants of the sweat that she felt covered in.
"She is beautiful isn't she," Lady Dells said, her eyes trailing the creature. "She has been a handful though, she has essentially destroyed my hands since you caused her to hatch."
Flora felt confused as she looked back at the dragon. The dragon was mesmerizing and the shock of seeing one made Flora feel calm and still. Its dappled grey skin nearly appeared white as it turned its body, inspecting Flora as much as Flora was inspecting her.
Her gaze was broke from the dragon by a thunder of doors being opened along the rest of the passageway and guards shouting loudly. Once again right outside the door, but these guards didn't try it this time, quickly passing on.
"Sorry Miranda—Lady Dells" Flora said, not dropping her sword, trying to sound kind to a woman that had done nothing to her yet. "I do not know what you mean."
"Those guards won't find you here. I promise. No need to be afraid, I am sure we have a few seconds," replied Lady Dells. She waved Flora to follow her into another room but one that had natural light from the moon streaming through a window. "And of course you know what I mean. You are an elemental after all."
Flora raised her sword higher at Lady Dells and followed a distance behind.
"You don't seem shocked that you helped hatch a dragon, which I am sure you realized after you read the book I gave you. And I knew eventually you would be escaping from your prison. Like I said, you are an elemental. I would not have let you die. You are a gift," Lady Dells said in return.
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