by C. R. Pugh
“It’s not mealtime yet,” Kaela pointed out, worry etched in her voice. “Why are they coming?”
I glanced at Pierce. “How many?”
“A lot,” he grumbled.
“Laela knows you men are Peton Warriors,” Kaela wheezed. “She won’t take any chances.” She coughed a couple of times and added, “You must keep your mind guarded, whatever you do.”
“How?” I asked. The guards were drawing near and my stomach was churning with dread.
Kaela reached her arm around the stone wall and through the bars. I clasped her small hand in mine.
“You know what she can do,” Kaela reminded me. “Guard your mind. Don’t let her in.”
At least fifteen male guards flooded the walkway between our cells. Most of them carried crossbows, and I had no doubt they had been ordered to shoot us if we tried to fight them.
“The governor has ordered the commander of Peton to report to the hall to be judged,” a male soldier barked.
“I’m the commander,” Pierce answered before I could say anything.
The guards turned in unison to face Pierce. My stomach dropped when I realized what was about to happen.
He’s trying to protect me.
I slammed my palms against the bars. “Don’t listen to him! He’s lying. I’m the commander of Peton. I’m the one you want!”
The guard who had spoken before looked back and forth between Pierce and me. “Take them both. Governor Laela can sort them out.”
“No!” I bellowed. “Just me!” The guards had already unlocked Pierce’s gate and were dragging him out into the hallway. They pressed him up against the bars of my cell, binding his wrists behind his back.
I reached through the bars and grasped hold of Pierce’s shoulders. “What have you done?” I said through gritted teeth.
Through the dark curls that hung down over his eyes, I saw Pierce’s eyes soften. “I’m not letting you go alone,” he whispered.
Two guards ripped him out of my hands, shoving him toward the stairs at the end of the hallway. Another guard unlocked the door to my own cell. I crouched into a defensive stance and curled my hands into fists. I was ready to kill them all to save Pierce.
The guard stood motionless in the doorway, hands on his hips. Two men stood on each side of him aiming their crossbows at me. “Are you coming with us quietly or staying here with arrows through your chest?”
If they were bluffing, I would never know. I straightened up and swallowed back the bile that crept up my throat. Pierce lied to keep me from harm, but that was my job as the older brother.
I won’t let Pierce face that woman alone either.
I stepped out of the cell, giving the guards a scathing look. They bound my hands behind my back and pushed me toward the stairs behind Pierce. I glanced over my shoulder at Archer. He’d been watching from his own cell, his hands gripping the bars so tightly his knuckles were white. Without a word, he turned his back on me and sat down.
Whatever Archer was concocting, I hoped he finished it soon.
Kaela stood at the bars to her cell, her brown eyes wide with concern. Even in the dark, her resemblance to Kaelem and Laelynn was remarkable.
Before she was out of sight, she mouthed, “Be strong.”
My own mother died before I was old enough to remember her, but I imagined she would have been much like Kaela, fighting for Pierce and me until the end.
Pierce and I were led back into the great hall with at least eight guards surrounding us, their crossbows ready to shoot. At least a hundred of Ahern’s citizens stood along the edges of the room with guards scattered throughout. Governor Laela sat upon her granite throne at the front. Her black eyes watched us as we walked forward to stand in front of her.
I hadn’t been wrong in thinking this woman couldn’t be trusted. Kaela had admitted she was twisted and evil. It wasn’t the crossbows I feared as I stood in judgement before her. Behind those dark eyes, she was sifting through our thoughts. I braced myself for an assault on my mind.
“I sent for one commander, but there are two before me,” Laela said, her voice echoing through the room. She eyed the guard standing beside Pierce and me.
“Each of them claimed the title, your grace,” he replied.
Governor Laela began to chuckle and a wicked gleam filled her eyes. “Well, well.”
“We did not kill those men,” Pierce growled up at her. “We are not murderers.”
Laela smirked. “We have several witnesses.” She flicked her fingers at one of the guards and he scurried out of the hall behind us. A few minutes later, a young woman was led inside the hall. She had tan skin from working out in the sun, like the other citizens of Ahern. Her hair was dark, sandy blonde, pulled back into two braids, and she wore a tunic with trousers, like all the other women in the village.
The young woman was followed by Costian, the young man we had met the first day in Ahern. I gaped at him as he marched forward. He never looked our way.
The boy must be under her spell too. Marshall had tried to send him away so that if we were caught, he would not be involved.
Laela looked down her nose at us. “This young woman was the wife of the man who was murdered on the outskirts of the village. Treva, did you see these men walking down by the stream?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, your grace, I did.”
“And did this man here …” Laela pointed at me. “… have a dagger at his waist, the weapon that killed your husband.”
“Yes, he did,” she answered.
Pierce snorted beside me. He sensed it like I did. Laela wasn’t letting them speak for themselves. She was putting the thoughts into their minds while she spoke to them. I clenched my jaw to keep from swearing.
“And Costian,” Laela called out. “You said you witnessed these men arguing with your friend, Marshall?”
“Yes, your grace,” he replied. “They were wanting to trade and Marshall told them no. They became angry with him.”
“Angry enough to kill him?” she asked, lifting her brows.
“Maybe,” Costian said. “The tallest one had to be dragged away by his friends.”
I bit back another curse. Costian did not even have to have those thoughts put into his mind.
“There you have it,” Laela announced, giving us a cruel smile. “Do you still deny the truth?”
“We did not kill anyone,” I answered.
Laela rose from her seat and strolled toward us, the train of her dress and cape dragging along the floor behind her. The governor took a slow turn around us, inspecting us to see how we measured up.
Once she had made a full circle, she stopped in front of me and stared into my eyes. “You told me you were the commander. Perhaps you were lying.” I opened my mouth to correct her, but she went on without a pause. “You are both strong.” Governor Laela gave Pierce a greedy-eyed look. “But I only need one of you alive. The other …” She slowly backed away. “… will pay for the murders of my two poor citizens.”
Her words were filled with sorrow and sincerity, but I could see the scorn in her eyes.
“Why do you need one of us?” Pierce asked her.
Laela chuckled again. “What a boon it would be for me to have a true Peton Warrior as one of my soldiers. Someone knowledgeable of the Valley and other clans.”
Other clans? “You mean someone knowledgeable of Peton,” I growled.
“Even if you kill one of us, the other would never fight for you or lead you there,” Pierce snarled.
Laela gave us a cruel grin again. “Oh, I think you will.” She turned on her heel and strolled back to her throne.
My brows pinched together as I mulled over her words. Laela cared nothing for the two men who had died. All she wanted was an excuse to kill one of us, and I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen to the survivor. Laela would fill his mind with her twisted thoughts.
“You will fight,” she announced. Everyone in the hall stirred and murmured to each other. “Remove their bo
nds and give each of them a blade.”
The guards were swift to obey her orders. The ropes around my wrists were cut and a dagger was shoved into my hand in less than a minute.
Governor Laela stood and looked down at us. “You will fight each other to the death. The winner will be my newest captain.”
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
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23
Audrick
I stumbled out of the brush between the pine trees, finally in sight of the compound. Doubling over, I rested my hands on my knees, exhausted and out of breath from the journey back. The rain had subsided before morning and the sun shone down through the pine trees, though it did nothing to warm the winter air.
It took me longer than I had thought to find my way back. The twenty-four hours Grandfather had given me came and went a day ago, but Darren was supposed to be covering for my absence if anyone happened to ask him where I was.
I made it, I thought, wondering how Ravyn and her Warrior friends had managed to live out in the forest for weeks and even months at a time. I was starving. The watercress and the few nuts Ravyn had spared were not enough to hold me, and I found my stomach aching an hour into my trek back to this hellish place.
Getting back inside the compound was the tricky part. I’d made my escape through the back door, but there was no one stationed there to open the door. I would have to enter through the front.
Since it was no longer raining, I took off my jacket – the evidence of my journey – and buried it beneath some dirt and leaves. I stuffed the locator in my waistband and marched to the front door, trying to appear as if I was supposed to be there.
The front was still in shambles since the doors had been blown off their hinges. Flat panels of wood had been placed as makeshift doors until new ones could be built. The keypad was still gone and large hunks of concrete were missing from the walls. Four soldiers stood guard with rifles. As I passed them to walk through the small corridor, each of them gave me sideways glances, but didn’t say a word. One of the soldiers left his post as I passed him, following me to the wooden panels. Without a word, the soldier helped me slide the panel out of the way and I slid inside.
Well, that was easy, I thought as the panel slid back into place, securing me inside.
I stared at the wooden panel, wondering why I felt so claustrophobic. Perhaps Ravyn was right about this place. We were all prisoners.
Shaking off the feeling, I turned on my heel and strode down the foyer. I turned right at the corner, heading back toward the control room when my feet skidded to a halt. Renny was leaning against the wall around the corner. He straightened up when he caught sight of me.
Renny’s brown hair was parted on the side and slicked down all over his head. He was no taller than I was, but thinner. It was his long, pointed nose and his glassy, brown eyes that made me think of a weasel.
I cleared my throat. “Renny. What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same thing, Audrick,” he accused. “Why were you outside?”
I shook my head at him. “Just taking a walk outside. Is that against the rules now?”
Renny shrugged and narrowed his eyes. “It seems odd … for you.”
“It’s sunny outside,” I said, trying to keep my voice firm. “We won’t be able to go outside at all in a week or two.”
Renny raised an accusing eyebrow at me, but I ignored it and brushed past him. I needed to get back to the control room to make sure everything had gone to plan. Darren was supposed to be there to watch the monitors while I’d been gone.
I forced myself to walk at a relaxed pace, sensing Renny was following me. All the scientists worked together on the same floor, so this should not have me worrying … and yet it did.
Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Renny smirking again.
What are you up to, you weasel?
I rounded another corner and decided to take the stairs down instead of the elevator. Renny chuckled as he stopped and hit the down button to the elevator. Once I entered the stairwell, I snorted and tried to shake off the feeling that something was wrong.
Renny is trying to mess with you, I thought.
I jogged down two flights of stairs and entered the corridors again. Renny hadn’t beaten me down to this floor yet. The elevator was still humming from travelling down the shaft. Was he trying to rattle me?
Lengthening my stride, I strode down the hallway toward the control room. I heard the elevator ding behind me but I didn’t look back to see where Renny decided to go. He was free to go anywhere in the compound, like I was. Making a left at the next intersection, I pushed open the door to the control room and ducked inside.
The monitors were on, but Darren wasn’t in the room. The rolling chair was empty. He likely needed to relieve himself or was grabbing something to eat. It was nearing the midday mealtime. I wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead with the back of my sleeve and padded toward the computer screens.
The door behind me slammed closed. I whipped around to see who had closed it, expecting it to be Darren or even Renny, if he had followed me here.
My stomach clenched. Grandfather had closed the door behind him, his eyes narrowed and a scowl on his face. Renny stood beside him with his arms folded over his chest, wearing a triumphant smile. Two soldiers stood motionless on either side of Renny and my grandfather.
“I am disappointed in you,” Grandfather said in an angry whisper. The vein in his forehead was near to bursting. “How dare you betray me.”
“Betray you?” I said, my voice shaking.
“Don’t bother denying it,” Grandfather spat.
Renny snorted. “Take a look at what I found.” He waved to the monitors.
I turned around and focused on the computer consoles. Four of them were playing on a loop.
The first one showed a video of me inside the foyer. I was facing the wall, installing the bomb to blow out the compound’s power. From the angle of the video footage, a person watching would not know what I was doing, unless they had been told.
The second one showed footage of me inside Ravyn’s cell the day I had cut her bonds. Once again, the angle hid what I was doing from an observer. The third and fourth bits of footage were more obvious, but ones I’d hoped would go unnoticed. One showed me leaving through the back door and the other had spotted me burying my raincoat in the dirt.
The videos replayed again and again in front of my eyes.
Renny snuck up behind me and snatched the locator out of my waistband. “Look-y what we have here.” He waved the device at me and smiled in his condescending way.
Grandfather took a threatening step forward, his fingers curled into fists. “Where have you been, Audrick?”
He stood behind me, glowering down at me over my shoulder. My palms were sweating and shaking and my heart pounded.
Where was Darren? My stomach roiled when I realized how Renny and my grandfather might have uncovered the truth. Had they found him in here and questioned him? Or worse?
Grandfather grabbed me by the throat and pushed me back against the wall. I clutched his wrist, struggling for breath, but he tightened his grip.
“Where did you go?” Grandfather asked, his words slow and menacing. “Did you go see her?” He looked down his nose at me for a moment then shouted, “WHERE DID YOU GO?”
I gritted my teeth together, determined not to say a word, and terrified by what my own grandfather might do.
“You did see my prized soldier, didn’t you?” Grandfather sneered. “What is she planning? Did she tell you?”
Grandfather dropped his hand and took a step back. I rubbed my neck and swallowed a few times.
Father had been right to fear him. He needs to be destroyed.
Shaking his head at me, Grandfather growled, “You will tell me everything before this day is through.”
I pinched my lips together. Grandfather sniggered at my futile attempt at bravery.
“You think you won’t, but you will.” He turned to Renny. “Go get the serum.”
Renny grinned at me again and darted out of the room. I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Oh, yes,” Grandfather said, eyeing me. “How do you think I found out about the multiple sabotages you have made to this compound?”
Darren. “What did you do to him?” I croaked, thinking of all the methods of torture Grandfather had used on Ravyn.
Grandfather chuckled again. “No more than I plan for you … if you don’t cooperate. Tell me, did you free that girl? Did you?”
I didn’t answer. He already knew and was taunting me. Sweat dripped down my temples and my lips were near to trembling from dread.
“Not going to admit it, then?” Grandfather narrowed his eyes. “You will.” He turned to the soldiers standing guard. “Take him!”
The soldiers marched forward and gripped my arms. “Grandfather!” I pleaded, my eyes wide with horror. My own grandfather was going to torture me.
He turned back to me, but there was no mercy in his gray eyes. “Not even my flesh and blood will stop me from succeeding in my plans,” he snarled.
Without another word, Grandfather turned on his heel and marched out of the room. The soldiers dragged me out of the door behind him.
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24
Thorne
I narrowed my eyes at Governor Laela. “I will never fight my own brother.”
“You’re brothers? How sweet.” Laela gave me a vicious grin and turned her dark gaze upon Pierce.
Whirling to face my brother, I knew instantly she was probing into his mind. Pierce’s shoulders bunched and his head lowered in concentration. His eyes pinched shut and his hands clenched into fists.
I stepped toward him. “Fight her, Brother,” I murmured. “You’re stronger than she is.” I placed my hand on his shoulders. Pierce gritted his teeth and shook his head against her mental assault. “Don’t let her in, Brother,” I pleaded.