A Fugitive's Kiss

by Jaime Clevenger

  She stood still for a moment, trying to breathe, her legs and hands starting to shake. She’d made it to the tavern only to be trapped here. Dropping to her knees, she searched the ground for something sharp. If she could only cut open the door… There was only dirt. After trying the door again, she squeezed her hands into fists and pounded wildly against the door, screaming with all her might. When she’d exhausted her breath, she slumped against the door. In the quiet she heard a faint voice on the other side of the wood. She straightened up and pounded the door, shouting again.

  Grunts were followed by the sound of scraping metal. Someone was moving something away from the door. But was the person on the other side of the door a soldier sent to kill her or someone from town? She ripped off the gray wig she’d worn and tossed it in the tunnel behind her, hoping she wouldn’t be recognized.

  The door popped open finally, and the tunnel flooded with light. Aysha reached up through the narrow space and then was helped the rest of the way out by two strong arms. The arms belonged, she realized with a start, to Telvin. He held a finger to his lips and quickly closed the trapdoor. Aysha knelt to lock the door and then Telvin quickly rearranged the crates. The door was sealed once more. Before she had time to consider that she would have perished if Telvin hadn’t found her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the back of the storage shed.

  “Wait here. I’ll be back for you.”

  He slipped out of the shed and locked the door from the outside. Aysha waited, uneasy at being locked in another tight dark space. She shivered though her skin was slick with sweat. Several minutes passed before the door opened again. Telvin entered, carefully closing the door behind him.

  “Darin was right. I underestimated you. How you managed to escape Alekander and a castle full of soldiers…”

  “How did you know about the tunnel under the castle? And where it led?”

  He cocked his head. “I didn’t know about the tunnel. I only knew where I’d find you. The clouds don’t give an exact map—only an image.”

  Aysha glanced at the cuts on Telvin’s hands and arms. He’d clearly been in a fight. “Is Darin here?”

  “Following orders, she’s in Eldering. I wouldn’t let her come to Tiersten. Is the king dead?”

  Aysha considered the slim possibility that the king might survive his wounds. “Not yet, but the end’s near enough. He was unconscious when I left him. The wound split him open from one side to the other.”

  Telvin sighed heavily. “General Alekander sent a messenger to Caratia to inform me of the attack on the king. We met him on the road an hour ago. But I already knew. I only hoped I was wrong…The timing of this isn’t in our favor.” Telvin cleared his throat. “Dead or not, what we do in the next few hours determines our fate.”

  “Why did you send Darin to Eldering?”

  “She had to stop Ranik from coming to find you—and to pass along word to our allies in Eldering.”

  “My brother’s here?”

  “He’s on his way to Eldering. With the king dead, or soon to be, neither Darin nor Ranik can afford to be anywhere near Tiersten. Alekander would like a sword in both of them.”

  “Why does he want Ranik dead?”

  “He’s wanted for attempted murder. Alekander’s murder, to be exact. I had planned to make a deal with the king to save Ranik’s life but now…”

  “There’s no way. Ranik would never try to kill anyone. His hands shake when we have to butcher a goat. He would never—”

  Telvin raised his hand to interrupt as Aysha’s voice got louder. “There are ears everywhere. Your brother stabbed General Alekander—that much is indisputable. Unfortunately, Alekander survived the wound.”

  “Tell me you have a plan.” Aysha felt desperate. She couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice. “Are you certain Ranik’s safe in Eldering?”

  “As safe as Darin is. Eldering was the only place I could send them. But you didn’t ask about Darin.”

  Aysha pushed aside Telvin’s rebuke. She was not about to argue her feelings for Darin with him. “Darin always takes care of herself. Ranik…”

  “Needs some looking after,” he finished. Telvin continued in a softer voice, “I worry about him as well. He doesn’t listen. I only hope he stays in Eldering and doesn’t try to come here.”

  “How do you even know my brother?” Aysha stopped. She read the unspoken words on Telvin’s face but could hardly believe it. He cared for Ranik—was probably even his lover. If that was the case, Ranik had lost Jenner. “You and Ranik…”

  Telvin didn’t dispute her guess. “I trust Darin to take care of your brother. Which leaves me to deal with Alekander. If he takes control, all the plans we’ve had in place will change. I knew the winds were against us this morning. But why did he make his move now? He doesn’t have enough men on his side.” Telvin shook his head as if still mulling over Alekander’s motivations. “Who was with the king last night? Was Alekander alone with him?”

  “Not when the king last rang for me…It was some time after midnight, and his shoulder was aching. There were a few guards, but otherwise we were the only ones awake.”

  “And this morning?”

  “I woke before the first light. I heard a fight…then soldiers running in all directions. General Alekander was shouting out orders. He came to my room and said that the king had been stabbed. If he was the one who stabbed the king, I don’t understand why he’d want me to try and save him. He threatened my life if the king died.”

  “Alekander thought the king would be dead from the fever. I think he’d gotten used to the notion that he’d come to power before winter’s end. When you came along, he had to take matters into his own hands.” Telvin clenched his fist. “His timing is terrible. Our forces would be ready by the end of spring…”

  “Alekander said something about men from the town being seen in the castle.”

  “He’ll try and blame them, no doubt, so he has an excuse for more hangings.”

  Aysha felt sick at this thought. She’d guessed as much. Alekander couldn’t be king—not after everything that had been done. “The soldiers hate Alekander, you know. How many are on your side?”

  “Not enough…Most are still in Caratia, the rest are in Eldering or scattered about the other towns between here and there. The soldiers here might hate Alekander but they’ll follow his lead.” Telvin shook his head. “Is there any chance he knew about the tunnel out of the castle?”

  “He was rarely in the king’s chambers. I doubt he would have left me alone in there if he’d known of it. But I’m certain he’ll search out how I made my escape.”

  “If he believes you’re a witch, he may think you had other means of escaping. He might not look for a hidden door.” Telvin paced the small space. He kicked one of the barrels of ale and cursed, then abruptly stopped and held his hand up to his temple. “Has General Fellings been to Heffen this week?”

  “He came to see the king a day ago. But I busied myself with crushing herbs and worrying over hot tea. I’m not the spy you’d hoped for.”

  “Alekander will take control of Heffen and proclaim himself king, no doubt, by the time Bairndt’s buried. With luck, I can find General Fellings before then. He has the soldiers’ trust. Fortunately, this move by Alekander will seal my ties with Fellings. We’ll need his men if we plan on overtaking General Alekander. And you—”

  “I’ve done what you sent me to do as well as I could. But I should have listened to Darin. All I accomplished was to get the king well enough to have him stabbed. I’m not meant to be spying on generals or escaping through hidden tunnels…I’ve spent my last night in Heffen.”

  Telvin didn’t argue. He seemed to have not heard her, in fact. Staring at the door of the shed, he held his finger up to his lips. There were voices in the alley outside. Telvin made no move to lock the shed door but quickly pointed to a barrel. Aysha hid behind the barrel as he crept into a dark corner behind another barrel. The shed door swung open and Aysha saw th
e riding boots of a soldier, splattered with mud. She watched the boots stomp within inches of the barrel she was behind and then turn about.

  Someone called out, “Any sign of her?”

  “No old witch here. How do you find a damn witch anyway? She’s likely turned herself into a rat. Could be anywhere.” The door closed as quickly as it had opened, but Aysha’s heart rattled in her chest. For once, the darkness was a comfort, but she imagined the door swinging open again at any moment. She kept her spot behind the barrel, knowing that Telvin would cue her when it was safe to move.

  Had Alekander known about the secret passageway and where it led—or had he merely sent his soldiers to comb the city for her? She thought of Alekander’s face, cold and without any flicker of emotion, as the blood oozed out of the king’s belly. Many would likely wish the king a painful death—those who’d lost kin when he’d ordered his soldiers to attack and those who’d watched their children starve because of his decrees. But she couldn’t wish anyone pain in their last moments. She remembered the sound of his gasping as she’d applied pressure on the wound and felt a moment of regret for leaving his side.

  Telvin reached for her hand, pulling her upright. He had his finger to his lips again as he cracked open the door. No one was in the alley when they slipped out and made their way behind the tavern. Telvin tried the handle of the first house they passed. The door was unlocked and he stepped inside, pulling Aysha in with him. She wondered how his senses worked compared to Darin’s. Darin had called him a forecaster, but she had said too that his sense wasn’t as strong as some. Aysha realized it was strong enough to have already saved her life. Had he known the door of this house would be unlocked or was that only luck?

  “Change out of that cloak and throw away the robes you’ve worn. Search this house for something to wear. Wash your face as well.” He handed her a pouch of coins. “Even if you don’t like your fate, you’ll spend more nights in Heffen.”

  Aysha shook her head.

  “Doesn’t matter what you want, I’m afraid. I’ve seen the clouds. But you’re welcome to fight it. Go find your brother and Darin.”

  “In Eldering?”

  He nodded. “Leave tonight. There’s always traders making the route. Wait at the edge of town for a wagon leaving—don’t talk to anyone in town. Alekander has ears everywhere.”

  As soon as Telvin had gone, Aysha heard a scrape of wood from one of the rooms behind her. She turned and saw a child’s face peek out from a doorway of a back room. The boy’s clothes hung off his thin frame and his eyes shown large in his gaunt face.

  “Hello,” Aysha said. The boy disappeared behind the door. Aysha took off the tattered black cloak and laid it over a chair. The room was sparse but clean. She slipped a coin under the bedroom door. “I’d like to buy a clean tunic.”

  “We don’t have any tunics for girls.”

  “Doesn’t your mother have one she could spare?”

  The boy peeked out around the edge of the door. “She’s gone.”

  Aysha fought back a sudden rush of tears. “What about your father?”

  He disappeared behind the door once more and then came out with a nightshirt of thick brown wool. She shook her head and he went off to find another shirt. They kept this up until he brought out a cream-colored woven shirt. Aysha handed him a second silver coin.

  “Will you help me heat some water?”

  The boy showed her where the pots were kept and then Aysha sent him off to find soap. Streams of muddy water washed off her skin to fill the basin. Her face and neck had been lathered in dirt for weeks and the skin underneath tingled. The boy watched her intently, poking his finger into the filthy water and then grinning as her clean skin emerged. She sent him to dump the wash water and then she repeated the whole process with her hair. She changed into the clean tunic and then sat down to comb her hair with her fingers and towel it dry. The boy climbed into her lap. He weighed hardly anything.

  “When did you eat last?”

  He shrugged. “There’s nothing to eat.”

  “We’ll make soup.”

  The boy sat on the stool as she searched the cupboards. Potatoes and leeks were the only items of substance, but with dried herbs and a clove of garlic, the broth had some taste.

  Aysha ladled the soup into two bowls and was just setting the bowls on the table when the door opened. A short man with dark hair and a full beard stood in the entryway.

  “Who are you?” he said, his voice echoing.

  “She has money,” the boy said, hopping off his stool to run to his father. He held up the silver coins that Aysha had given him and continued, “And she made us soup.” The man stared at Aysha and then quickly closed the door, shushing the boy before he could go on.

  “You can’t be here,” the man said. He held the boy at his side, stopping him from going close to Aysha. “I know you. You’re Lady Spur.”

  Aysha didn’t respond. The man’s face was unfamiliar to her. She glanced at the young boy, cheeks caved in with hunger. His eyes darted from his father’s face to hers.

  “Lady Spur?” the boy whispered.

  “Soldiers are searching all the houses for the king’s witch. If they find you instead…”

  “I’ll wait for nightfall. If anyone sees me leaving now…I won’t risk bringing you or your son any danger.”

  “But I don’t want her to go,” the boy said, tears welling in his eyes. “Stay and eat with us.”

  “I’m not hungry. Can you show me a place to hide?”

  The man started to argue, but the boy was already pulling her to the back room. A door led into a narrow dugout storage basement. She nodded as he closed the door, leaving her in darkness again.

  The boy was asleep when the basement door was opened hours later. She’d fallen asleep curled on the dirt floor and was stiff and cold. The man held a candle. “You’ll have to leave.”

  She followed him to the front door without arguing, but she was chilled and hated the thought of going out into the dark night. The soldiers would be combing the streets for her.

  “There’s a curfew. The soldiers will shoot anyone out after dark.”

  “They’re looking for me,” Aysha said. She picked up the black cloak. “I can’t keep this. Will you take it in trade for the tunic?”

  “You already paid us for the tunic.” He paused. “I have something else to trade for that.” The man went to the back room and reappeared holding a blue cloak. “I gave away most of my wife’s things. But I kept this…”

  Aysha started when she felt it. It was made of the same cloth that Darin had worn so long ago—smooth as lambskin and nearly the same color. “It’s much better than mine. It isn’t a fair trade.” Aysha reached for her coin purse to offer him more silver, but he stopped her hand.

  “Tiersten needs you alive. I wish I could hide you here but I can’t risk it. Don’t let the soldiers see you.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Daybreak brought a stinging cold rain and the sun climbed slowly in the horizon. Ranik took one look at the sideways rain and shook his head. Darin tried to tempt the horses out to their paddocks with grain, but the horses seemed to agree with Ranik. They had stopped at this barn, halfway between Caratia and Eldering, when Darin caught scent of the cold front blowing in over the mountains.

  All she could think of was Aysha and whether or not she’d gotten out of the castle. Even if the storm let up, they were still a half day’s ride from Eldering. If Telvin kept his promise, he’d have her out of Heffen and she’d be en route to meet them in Eldering now.

  Ranik was quiet, as he’d been since the morning they left Caratia. She wasn’t sure if he trusted her yet. He brushed Cobalt and eyed the storm clouds.

  “I don’t want to wait for the rains to clear,” Darin said.

  Ranik eyed the gray clouds. “I’m worried about Aysha too.”

  Darin paid their hosts, a farmer and his wife, for breakfast and the night’s stay, then pulled the hood of her c
loak over her head and went to tack up Onyx. Ranik was already waiting under the overhang of the barn. He handed her an apple, likely a parting gift from the farmer’s wife, and slipped another into Cobalt’s saddlebag.

  At the outskirts of Eldering, Darin pulled Onyx to the side of the road to let a wagon pass. She got off Onyx to wait for Ranik, now a good distance behind her. Cobalt had slowed with the mud and Ranik was nearly dragging him.

  “Do you think he ate something that doesn’t agree with him?” Ranik asked as he pulled up aside Darin. “Maybe it was the hay that farmer gave them…”

  Worry made lines around Ranik’s eyes and the expression was so similar to Aysha’s that Darin stared for a long moment. “Both horses ate the same hay—and they shared their grain as well.”

  “But Cobalt was slow in finishing his grain. He’s usually cleaned his trough before I’ve even gone to fill the water buckets, but he left some behind today.”

  Darin handed Onyx’s reins to Ranik and approached Cobalt. She looked him over, then leaned close to catch his scent. “Nothing’s wrong with him.”

  “Maybe it’s a bad tooth?”

  Darin shook her head. “I’d smell that.” She hadn’t explained her sense to Ranik and didn’t want to now, standing on the side of a road as the rain pelted their hoods. “I think it’s the mud that’s slowing him down.” She bent to pick up his hoof and pried off clomps of sticky mud with her pick.

  “Or he doesn’t want us to go to Eldering.” Ranik glanced at the road behind them. “I think we should have gone to Tiersten. I don’t care what Telv said about it not being safe for me. It isn’t safe for Aysha either.”

  Darin didn’t admit that she agreed with him. The fact that Cobalt’s head kept turning north toward every path that split off the main road made her wonder as well. What did the gelding sense? He was Aysha’s horse… But Telvin’s words had been clear. Ranik couldn’t go to Tiersten. “Let’s keep moving.”

  Ranik slipped the horse’s halter on and attached his lead line, stowing the bridle and reins in his saddlebag. They set off again, leading the horses as they entered Eldering. When they turned down the main street, the bay spread out before them.