by Ann Raina
With a start, all memories returned like an army on the call of attack. She jerked her eyes open and sat up. Panting, she focused in the dim light to take in her surroundings. A headache built behind her forehead and she knew it would be worse within the next hour. Cursing, she rubbed her temples.
If her abode had been luxurious while she had been in the favor of Mrs Wang, this room was at the other end of the spectrum of how to live in a large wood house. It was small, had a barred door and a small, barred window right behind her. The walls were roughly hewn, the ground consisted of tamped sand. She sat on a hard mattress, and behind her along the wall were the many hairy arms that touched her frequently. They had a fixed end between the wooden planks and stretched long like dark orange tentacles to keep in touch with her skin. She pushed them away to no avail and gave up, sparing her attention for more important inhabitants. To her left on a pallet lay Ranien, to her right Sajitar. Both men were still in the land of forced dreams and she sighed, relieved that they were still alive. Her imagination ran wild with the threat that Sajitar would have been killed because she had given him away. Tears welled up, but she forced them back. She had to think.
She outstretched a hand to touch Sajitar when one of the hairy arms quickly wound around her wrist and pulled her back against the wall. She shrieked and tugged with her free hand at the hard cord. Only when she gave up struggling did the hairy arm let go so she could move again. Exhaling, she tried to get away slowly, more controlled, but the result was the same. If she left the closeness to the wall, one of the arms shot forward and pulled her back. She had no room to maneuver and the arms of the alien animal were much too fast to evade. She looked around for something to be used as a knife, but the sandy ground was empty. Not that she had expected help, but it would have been nice, anyway.
“Sajitar?”
She watched his slack face, the slightly parted lips, the thick brows that could express so much mockery, and his strong and masculine chin. She flinched. When did I fall in love with this man? When did my heart take over and refuse intelligent arguments and basic thinking? She had always stood by her morals, even though it had not always been easy. Why not with him?
Watching Sajitar’s face and reveling in memories did not make the tethers go away. His wrists and ankles were caught in wooden pillories that were closed with hatches. If she had been able to move she would have released them easily. It was a miserable trap and therefore worthy of Sananda’s cruel character. To her chagrin, the gardener was tethered the same way. Though he looked at peace with himself, even smiling, he was a prisoner who would go nowhere without his captor’s allowance.
“Ranien?”
He opened his eyes, took a deep breath and quickly understood what had happened. He turned his hands in the wooden enclosure and stretched like a cat after a long nap, yawning. The move ended in a grimace when he felt his breastbone ache from the bullet’s impact.
“I suppose, our escape has come to an end.” He craned his neck to look at her and smiled amiably. It took Rayenne a moment to understand that his interest was aimed at the hairy group behind her. “Oh, Falinies. They are very sensitive. Please, don’t lean against the wall. You might kill some of them.”
“Kill? Ranien, are you out of your mind?”
“Oh, no, Falinies are a rare species on Belthraine. They live of the sweet nectar of Olino plants that you carry on your arms and shoulders at the moment, I suppose.”
“You mean, someone smeared me with a stuff these things want to eat?” The hair on her arms and neck stood on end. She shuddered with disgust.
“Yes. Otherwise they wouldn’t stay. I brought them from the woods to breed them here. As I see, I was very successful.” He took in the surroundings, much less concerned than the time Ray had asked him to help with their escape. His voice was as normal as if they were sitting with a cup of herbal tea in his garden. “I’ve been here before. They added that mattress, but otherwise it’s still the same.”
A guard passed by, casting a hard glance at them and walking on with impressively heavy steps.
“What does a gardener have to do in here?” Rayenne whispered when the man was gone. “Does Sananda have flowers in here, usually?”
“No, she had me in here.” Ranien’s pride made Rayenne’s stomach turn around. “I haven’t worked as a gardener the whole time, you see. The lady needs someone to take care of her estate. In return, she entertained me and sometimes she still does. Maybe not after today,” he added, sighing.
“That’s what you call it, Ranien? Being bound and—”
“You look disgusted, and I don’t understand that. If I get it right, your friend over there carries the same branding. He must have been here for a while, too, and not to his discomfort.”
“Please, could we change subject?” Sajitar asked quietly and moaned when he tried to move. “I feel sick.”
“Saji, you’re awake! How’re you feeling?”
“Head double its size, brain’s shaken, bound like meat on a stick, but, hey, otherwise I feel great.” He turned his head very slowly, squinting when sunlight hit his eyes. He smiled nevertheless. “I saw you fight. You’re a predator, lady.”
She did not know where he got his strength, but his attempt moved her to try and return the smile.
“Would’ve loved to get you before the judge. Sorry that it didn’t work.”
“There’ll be another time.” He took in the room, sighing. “We are no longer in Sananda’s favor, hmm?”
Ranien bared his teeth to a wide grin.
“There were times when I would not have said that. But in our case—” His grin faded. “You may be right. By the way, I did not answer your question last night. I did indeed find out about Talagg-bark. And several other potent extracts of plants and flowers, I may add. The lady has always stocked up my supplies when I told her what I needed.”
Sajitar grimaced and was ready for a brassy reply, but Rayenne was faster.
“What kind of extracts?”
Ranien turned up his eyes like a teacher with an unteachable child.
“I already told you, I spent much time in the forest before I left. I was interested in a hundred things, and my parents taught me everything they knew.” He furrowed his brows. “They were learned in herbs and much more and wanted to live without the aid of others, but…that’s another story. I made experiments. I wanted to learn so much that finally my pa couldn’t teach me anymore.” His attempt at shrugging was meant to fail. “So I walked on alone and found out the many secrets of the woods.”
“And for sharing those secrets, Sananda made you her…” Rayenne searched for a word that would not insult Ranien. “Her special employee.”
Ranien laughed. It was a merry sound that did not quite fit the crude surroundings.
The mere thought of Sananda Wang touching Sajitar made Rayenne’s innards cringe with disgust. Though she knew the woman to be his former lover, she felt the urge to rush her the moment she entered the cell and looked at both men with longing, hungry looks. She wore a clever combination of red cloth that fell soft and lush around her shoulders and down to her knees. It moved with every step and granted a view of her breasts as well as her well-shaped legs. The cloth smoothed around every curve and left little open to imagination.
Rayenne almost gagged and she could not tell if it was because of rejection or envy. This woman had so much that men wanted, it was obscene that she used it for her criminal activities. If Rayenne had had the chance, she would have ripped cloth and skin apart to show the men the woman’s black soul. But, of course, they had seen her nude and had not complained. Maybe men were less interested in the color of a soul.
Rayenne gnashed her teeth.
Sananda did not need to say a word to portray her ultimate desire. She had years of practice and both men understood. Rayenne saw their breaths quicken and their eyes open wide as if they felt a divine presence enter the small abode. If she had expected Sajitar to be frightened, ashamed or angry
she was wrong. He was very still, as if a move would give away his position. Ranien stared at his student, as he had called her, with unbroken admiration. Rayenne wondered if he had been brainwashed or if his mind and his body just plainly fell prey to the hands of any apt woman.
Sananda knew Rayenne’s thoughts by a glance. There was no hiding, not within this raw confrontation. Rayenne swallowed all of the ugly threats that came to her mind. The show was for her, to confront her with helplessness and futile rage. Sananda enjoyed her own show too much to crown it with Rayenne’s fury.
Ray had tried to move forward, but the quick arms of the animal caught her every time. She bided her time, hoping that sooner or later she would pay Sananda back in full. Sananda’s smile was a challenge she felt hard to ignore. How she wished to wrestle that damned woman to the ground and hit that grin off her beautiful face! She managed to take a deep breath. It did not calm her, but at least she refrained from another futile attempt at leaving the mattress. The thin, long arms of the Falinies touched her gently. Rayenne interpreted their closeness as an attempt at soothing her.
“How are you this morning, my lovely ones?” Sananda purred. Even her voice was made to seduce men.
Rayenne rolled her eyes heavenward and prayed for patience to stand the ordeal.
Sananda smiled.
“I do hope you slept well. There is so much to do today, and I would not want you to be too tired to enjoy it.” She stroked Sajitar’s shin without taking her eyes off Rayenne, who did her best to remain still even if her teeth hurt. “Are you willing to serve me, my lovers?” She did not wait for a reply, but went on as if she were inviting guests for dinner. “Saji, you will be first. After your little escapade last night I’m sure you want to make up for your insolence.”
“No, I don’t,” Sajitar spoke up, to the surprise of Rayenne and Sananda, who lost her pout for a moment “I want to be left alone. How often do I have to tell you that I will not stay here? There is no way back! Let us go!”
“Hush, my love, no such angry words in my presence. I won’t allow that.” She gestured the guard to enter the cell. “Gag him with Talagg-bark. And make it fast. I will not have another word from him.”
“Gagging me doesn’t change my mind!” Sajitar struggled with the guard, tried to move his head away, but the gag was placed nonetheless.
He bit the wood, and for a moment, Rayenne wished to be gagged, too. She ground her teeth and cast down her eyes, unwilling to have more of Sananda’s singing triumph. Breathing hard, she knew she would explode if Sananda directed a word at her. There was too much anger in her to be kept inside for long.
“Take him to the adjacent room.” She stroked Sajitar intimately and placed a light kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be with you soon,” she whispered in his ear.
She turned to Ranien and gently touched his kneecap.
“And you, my wonderful gardener, what brought you out last night? Was there a new blossom to be studied? A sacred root you had to plant at night?” Her fingers walked up his leg as if she guided a doll. “Or did you just stumble over the other two and decided to have a stroll?”
“I wanted to help them, but I did not intend to leave you.”
“You did not?”
Rayenne heard puzzlement and smiled in spite of the situation. The fingers stopped close to Ranien’s crotch, the nails ground in his flesh.
Two guards came in and loosened Sajitar’s shackles to lead him out of the cell. Rayenne prayed he would not come to harm. She felt sick when she watched him disappear, held between strong arms.
Ranien did not flinch.
“I wanted to ask for your permission to leave. I need to visit my brother.”
“Your…brother?” If Sananda had had a clear expectation of her visit to the men’s cell, she was gravely disappointed. She shook her head as if Ranien’s words made no sense and took her hand away for a gesture of puzzlement. “Why would you want to go and see your brother? Don’t you like it here with me?”
“Oh, I do like it, my very apt student, but I need to see him. I need to see him with my own eyes and talk to him after all these moons.”
“And if I won’t want you to leave me?” Her eyes pleaded. Her gestures spoke of love and grief when he dared to go away. Her hand moved over his chest, but did not quite touch. “I need you here. You know that.”
“I will come back,” he promised lightly.
“And if I said that every day you are away is one day too much?” The hand was back in its original place, caressing Ranien’s thigh and moving to the center with clear intentions.
Rayenne felt close to retching while Ranien did not seem to notice the rather blunt attempt at changing his mind.
“I consider you well-learned in the lore of herbs and animals. You will fare well without me being close for a while.”
“But I don’t want to,” she pouted. She cupped his balls and stroked a thumb up his length.
Rayenne swallowed bile. Ranien’s expression changed a fraction. Did he truly expect her to grant him leave? Rayenne was close to shouting at both to stop the charade.
“I have to leave,” Ranien stated matter-of-factly. “You’ve had my services long enough. It’s time for me to return to the woods.”
Sananda shook her head slightly, her face pretended sadness.
“It’s not the right time, Ranien, my love. Right now, I need your wisdom more than ever. Please, after another moon, you can take your leave for some time, but not now.” Her hand stroked him in the right places, and though Rayenne wished for a hole in which to vanish and not return, she heard Ranien’s breath accelerate. Sananda caressed and whispered in his ear and when he replied with a smile, she stood straight once more, giving Rayenne a full wave of her best charm. “I will come for you later.” She kissed him chastely on the corner of his mouth and left.
When the door was closed and her footsteps were echoes fading, Rayenne let out her breath. “Are you surprised, Ranien?”
He craned his neck to look at her placidly. “No.”
“Well, was it another gardener, who was convinced that the lady would allow him to leave?”
“You shall never stop believing in the goodness of mankind.” He gently and carefully pulled his hands free of the shackles inch by inch. “And you shall always have a plan B up your sleeve that works if everything else fails, including kindness.”
Rayenne stared at him. An idiotic giggle bubbled in her throat. Am I dreaming?
“You can free yourself? Why didn’t you do so last night?”
“With the guards on alarm?” He sat up and rubbed his wrists before freeing his feet. “I want to escape, not end up in a more secured cell.” He got up and checked the corridor for guards. “We do not have much time, that I know.” He ripped the blanket from the straw mattress. “Now, bend forward and wait.”
She did as told.
“How did you do that?”
“I told you I had been here before. I tried this and that. By now you should know that I am an inventor, someone who loves experiments. Now hold still for a moment and when I tell you, you head for the door.”
“What are you doing?”
“The Falinies are fast but easy to distract. You could have done that yourself with a blanket. If you had one, that is.” He moved the blanket slowly closer to the animals. “Now, duck and run.”
Rayenne exploded from her place and stopped close to the bars without touching them. Any noise, she knew, would bring the guards running. Panting, she looked left and right, then Ranien was behind her, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Tell me, you know a way through this door, right?” Rayenne asked.
He fingered the bars with both hands and looked the construction up and down.
“I admit that I had no need for breaking a cell before, but—”
“What the hell have you done here? Spied on Sananda? Who are you, Ranien?”
Ranien said aah, as his slender fingers groped about the hinges and
its fastening in the wooden frame.
“There is no need to spy on Sananda once you are inside her queendom. She considers every man around here trustworthy since he cannot get away. Or so she thinks.” He gave her a queer look. “And that is true, though anyone with a mind and eyes to see can find out about her secrets.”
“The shield, you mean.”
“The shield, the weapons, the entrances. It’s all plain to see. She’s not as clever as she thinks she is. If you know what kind of men she hires you can even tell about their behavior.”
“That’s why you tricked them.”
“That is a nasty word.” He fumbled with the sticks keeping the hinges together until they were loose enough to be taken out. The barred door was no hindrance any more after that. Slowly, to avoid noise, they set the door aside. When a guard looked down the corridor he would not even know the difference. Ranien looked left and right once more and stepped out, smiling. “Well, will you take it from here?”
“Sananda said Saji should be taken to the next cell.”
The next cells were empty and she cursed. Above, a loud crash shook the foundation. Ranien and Rayenne crouched and looked up. She had feared the ceiling would crack and fall down, but it held.
“What was that?”
“By the sounds I would say it is someone knocking hard on the roof. Maybe he forgot the secret word for entrance.”
“Who would be so tall to knock? Do you have giants around here I haven’t seen before?”
“Giants are old lore,” Ranien replied indignantly, still checking the ceiling before returning to checking the empty cells. The noise repeated. “The shield is cracking, obviously.”
“That means we have to be faster.” She ran from cell to cell to search for Sajitar when finally, at the end of the corridor, a massive door remained. Out of breath, she tried the door hold. “Can you open it? It’s locked.”
“Wait.” Ranien stood left of the door and gestured her to wait to the right. It was a minute later, when the door burst open and two men stormed out, clubs at the ready.