by Frost Kay
Sage felt her friend shrug beside her.
“My nephew has had episodes since his parents died in a Scythian raid a few months ago. I’ve since taken charge of their care, so I’ve had to learn how to calm him down.”
She shifted and pulled her sheet tighter around her. “Your nephew?”
“My brother and his wife had twins, a boy and a girl, but I’m raising them now. Or at least, I was…” She trailed off.
“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed Jasmine’s hand. “You will see them again.”
“And you’re a damn liar.”
“Nothing is impossible.”
A snort. “You know how ridiculous that sounds?”
She did, actually. A chuckle slipped out, and then another. Sage laughed and laughed and laughed, until tears streamed down her cheeks and her belly cramped.
“It wasn’t that funny.”
She wiped her eyes and stared into the darkness. “It’s this ridiculous situation. Everything about it is surreal.”
“I understand what you mean.”
She opened her mouth to continue when she heard what sounded like a shoe scuffing against stone, followed by the scraping of stone as a door was pushed open, and the two girls were left blinking in the newfound light. Sage rubbed at her eyes and then squinted as her eyes tried to adjust. She was barely able to make out the two masculine shapes standing in the doorway. “What do you want?” she demanded.
They ignored her and moved into the room. As her eyes began to adjust, one of the men approached Jasmine and knelt beside her, removing the chain connecting her feet to the floor. The girl attempted to scramble back away from him, but was held immobile by a large hand wrapped around her ankle.
“What are you doing?” Jasmine yelled.
Sage’s hand tightened on Jasmine’s when the warriors remained silent, trading a look. This didn’t bode well.
“Get your hands off me!” Jasmine commanded.
In a coordinated move, the men placed themselves on either side of her and plucked the small woman from the ground, holding onto her arms and feet.
“No!” Jas yelled as she fought.
Sage surged to her feet still holding tight to Jasmine’s hand. “Let her go!” Her fist struck out, smashing into the taller of the men. He grunted but didn’t release her friend. Sage’s sheet fluttered to the ground, leaving her body exposed, but she didn’t care about her nudity.
Jasmine let out a pained cry when the shorter one wrapped his arms around her damaged ribs.
“Careful,” the taller warrior warned. “Don’t hurt her. Can you handle her?”
“Yes.”
The taller warrior dropped her flailing feet to the floor and turned to Sage. “Do not make this difficult. We do not want to hurt you.”
Sage wrapped her other hand around Jasmine’s arm and gave him a defiant look. “Let her go.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, before he pushed her and tore her grasp from Jas.
“NO!” she screamed as the shorter warrior hauled her friend, kicking and screaming, into his arms. She lunged toward Jas, only to be jerked back by large arms.
“Sage!” Jasmine screamed and reached for her just as the warrior disappeared through the door.
Sage spun on the taller warrior when his arms released her, and sprang at him, only to be tripped by her shackled feet. Her bare knees slammed into the stone, her teeth clacking together at the impact. Tears sprang to her eyes. “Bring her back!”
His lips turned downward. “Forget about her.” He picked up her sheet from the floor and tossed it to her. “Cover yourself. Not all are gentlemanly.”
She caught it with numb hands, still unable to believe they had stolen Jasmine. “What will happen to her?”
“She will be disposed of.”
Disposed of? Her panic doubled. “What are you going to do?” He gave her a sad look and moved out the door. “Tell me, damn it!”
“She’s never coming back,” he said and closed the door, shutting all light out once again.
“Bring her back!” she screamed, completely blind. Without hesitation, she started wrenching at her shackles. “Come on, you bastards! Bend, break, something!”
No matter how hard she screamed and pulled, they didn’t budge. It was perhaps hours that she went on like that, but to no avail. Her breath see-sawed from her chest, and her hands throbbed in time with her heart when, finally, she collapsed against the cool floor, tears streaming down her face. They’d taken her friend. She should have fought harder. Done something.
And now they were both alone.
She cried and cried until there were no more tears, and exhaustion claimed her.
***
Sage woke up, still naked and on a stone floor. She groaned and rolled onto her back, a tear leaking from her eye as she stared up into the darkness above her.
“I’m so sorry, Jas. Sorrier than I could ever tell you,” she whispered, her heart so heavy it felt difficult to breathe.
She swiped her eyes with the back of her hand and lay her cheek upon the cool floor. She ached all over at the loss of her friend. It felt like someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart. Another tear snuck out. She’d only known Jasmine for little more than a week, but they’d bonded in an extraordinary way, having supported one another through the most gruesome of circumstances. She’d chosen to stand and fight, and Sage admired her for it. Even when she was badly beaten, she stood back up. That endurance and grit had made Sage feel like she could fight harder, too...
But now, her friend was gone, and she was alone. Hadn’t they just been laughing together, comforting each other in spite of their circumstance? How could she just be ripped away? Tears welled up in her eyes. It wasn’t fair, to either of them.
“Jasmine,” she whispered, her tears spilling over. “What did they do to you? How can you be gone? I need you. I need your iron will to keep me going. I, I-” Her throat felt tight, her voice raw. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you and-” She let out a sob. Her breath stuttered as tears streamed down her face, her words barely intelligible. “I’m s-s-sorry that your babies have to grow up without their momma a-a-and now you.” She wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “I’ll miss you so much. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” She was choking out breaths now, her cries echoing around her in the darkness. For the second time, she cried her heart out for her friend, her grief overwhelming her.
After her tears had mostly dried, she lay on her back, staring once again into the darkness above, just thinking. She thought of her friend and how it seemed so unfair that no one would know of the enormous sacrifice she’d made just to help a stranger.
“But I do,” she said softly, “and I’ll never forget it, just like I’ll never forget you.” She also thought of those two tiny children, the ones no doubt missing their auntie, with no one to care for them. She would do it if she could. She would give those children the love and care they needed and deserved. “And if, by some miracle, I get out of here alive, I’ll see to it your babies don’t, either.” Those children deserved to know about their aunt, and Jasmine deserved to be remembered.
A sense of calm came over her. The pain didn’t diminish, but the hopelessness did. She realized she still had a reason to fight and to live. She wasn’t just fighting for herself but for those babies who’d already lost so much. When she escaped, Sage could fully mourn, but first, she had to survive.
She was a survivor, not just a victim. Now she had to act like one.
***
Her tongue felt swollen in her mouth, and her lips were cracked. Her arms shook as she forced herself to sit up and lean against the wall. She was wasting away in here. A meager amount of bread and water were delivered each day, but it wasn’t enough to sustain her. It was just enough for her to die slowly. That she felt she could handle. It was the darkness that was bound to drive her insane. Her eyes roved the darkness, seeking any sort of light. How long had she been here?
“You�
�ve been here for five days, Sage.”
She jumped and glanced around, shocked to hear the sound of Tehl’s voice.
“Tehl?”
“You’re just having a nightmare. Go back to sleep.”
Sage blinked slowly. “I was dreaming?”
A grunt. “You have nightmares almost every night. It’s a miracle I haven’t been stabbed yet.”
“It seemed so real,” she said.
“Nightmares usually do. Now, go back to sleep. I’ll protect you.”
“But I…” Something wasn’t right.
She ran a hand along the bed and froze when cool air whispered across her chest. Her bare chest. She jerked the sheet over her body and slammed her eyes closed. What was happening? She’d never slept naked in bed with Tehl. Why was she naked?
A masculine laugh rippled through the dark, causing goosebumps to rise on her arms. “You can sleep naked anytime you like, love.”
Sage tucked the sheet under her armpits, and pressed her palms to her forehead. She was hallucinating.
She felt a touch on her arm and jerked, opening her eyes only to find she was still surrounded by darkness. “Who’s there?” she croaked.
“Just me,” Tehl replied.
“You…you can’t be!”
“Why not? Think about it logically. How many times have I had to wake up and convince you that you were just dreaming? Thirty? Forty?”
This was starting to freak her out. Where was she?
“You’re at home.”
“Stop speaking to me! I can’t think,” she yelled. Sage wrapped her arms around her belly, and rocked back and forth. What had Gav said to do when she had nightmares? “Say what is truth,” she whispered. “My name is Sage. I am a blacksmith. I’m the crown prince’s consort. Lilja and Mira are my friends. I’ve never slept naked with Tehl. Rhys kidnapped me.” She swallowed. “Rhys is dead. You’re not real.”
“Very good.”
“You’re not real.”
“I thought we established that.”
“My mind is making you up.”
“Seems likely.”
Sage shook her head. “Why in the world would my mind create you?”
A snort. “Don’t ask me to decipher a woman’s mind. I almost never know what you’re thinking anyway.”
“But why?”
“I’m thinking that’s a question only you can answer.”
“Why couldn’t I have imagined my mum, Lilja, Mira, or Gav? Why choose you?”
“I don’t understand it, either.”
“But you’re me,” she pointed out. “I’m talking to myself.”
“It does seem that way.”
She slumped against the wall as her stomach cramped painfully.
“You need to eat soon.”
“That’s not helpful,” she retorted. “I can’t control what they give me.”
“You’ll die soon.”
“Not soon,” she whispered. “Slowly. At least they’ve given me enough water,” she whispered, curling up into a ball. As hungry as she was, it wasn’t enough to keep her awake. Her eyelids were so heavy they closed of their own volition and she shifted her sheet so she was cocooned inside it. “Tehl?”
“Yes?”
Tears burned the backs of her eyes. Just hearing his voice was a comfort, even if his presence was imagined. She slid her hand out of the sheet with a faint tremor. “Will you hold my hand?”
Silence. It was a ridiculous question. She needed the comfort of human contact, but it was ridiculous to ask her hallucination to do so. She started to pull back when she felt Tehl’s hand slip into hers and squeeze three times. Tears filled her eyes. Jas did that every night they fell asleep in the jungle. Sage pulled his hand closer and swore she smelled his spicy scent.
“Thank you,” she said, grateful.
“You’re welcome, love.”
Then, she slept.
Chapter Thirteen
Sage
“I’m dying.”
“No, you’re not,” argued Tehl.
Sage twisted her neck to face the direction of Tehl’s voice. “I’m not even strong enough to move anymore. It won’t be long.”
“You have to fight.”
She laughed weakly. “I can’t fight starvation.”
“You’re giving up.” It was an accusation.
“What do you expect me to do? I can’t do anything.”
“Don’t give up hope.”
“How exactly? There is no hope. I’m in enemy territory with no hope for rescue, no hope for escape, and no hope for recovery. The situation is hopeless.”
“So, you’re going to give up? Just like that? You’re going to let Jasmine’s sacrifice be in vain? That’s selfish and weak.”
Her anger flared. “Shut up, Tehl! Why can’t I be selfish and weak, just this once? I’m dying, for heaven’s sake!” She blew out a frustrated breath. “Just let me go in peace. I can’t be strong all the time. Why do you expect me to be?”
“Because I’m you.”
She blinked. In that moment something occurred to her. She was holding herself to a higher standard than she held everyone else. It was she who never allowed herself to be weak. She never allowed herself to be taken care of. She was harder on herself than anyone else, and she made excuses for others when they made mistakes, but for herself, she accepted none. Tears pricked her eyes at the thought.
And then she made another realization. “I don’t have to be the martyr.”
“No, love, you don’t.”
“Will my parents be disappointed in me?” she asked.
“No, Sage, your parents are beyond proud of you. They worry, though.”
“That’s what parents do.”
“Indeed, it is.”
“What about your father? I worry about him.”
“He’s not beyond helping. You’re proof of that.”
Sage thought about Sam and Gav. She never thought she’d want more brothers, but after living with them, she found she didn’t want to live without them. They’d become her family. Then there was Tehl. Painfully, she shifted onto her side. “And what about you? Do you need me? Will you be okay?”
“I won’t lie and say I don’t need you. Even you must be able to see that.”
She snickered and then winced when her stomach cramped. “I never know what will come out of your mouth. You make me laugh.” A small smile tightened her dry cheeks. “I didn’t expect that when I married you. Surprisingly, your awkwardness is somewhat charming.”
“Call me ‘Prince Charming.’”
“Never,” she retorted, and curled up tighter.
“But back to before, I will be okay, you know. I’m a survivor, like you.”
She closed her eyes. “I never thought about it that way.”
“We’re a lot more alike than you realize.”
She snorted. “I realize it. I’m just not sure I like it.” A yawn. “I need to sleep now… I’ll talk to you when I wake up.”
“Okay. Sleep sweet, love.”
“M’kay.”
***
“You need to wake up,” Tehl urged.
“I’m too tired.”
“Open your damn eyes!”
Her eyelids sprang open at his demand, only to slam shut. Stars dotted her vision, and tears leaked out.
“What have you done to her?” someone snarled. “You almost killed her! What were you thinking? You weren’t thinking! Get out of my sight!”
Someone moved into the room and knelt beside her to brush the hair from her face. “Oh, wild one,” a deep and smooth voice whispered. “What have they done to you?”
She cracked an eye, only to be blinded by brightness, and immediately squeezed it shut again.
“Close the door!”
She sighed in relief when the darkness returned.
“Sage? I need to move you. Can you open your eyes for me?”
Flopping her head toward the voice, she forced her eyes open. The room was dark
, but one sliver of light shone from the door, giving just enough light that she could make out a face in the darkness. “Hello,” she whispered.
The face leaned nearer. An extremely handsome face. A perfect face, with eyes as dark as pitch. “Are you here to steal my soul?” she asked.
Her heart stuttered in her chest with the breathtaking smile he gave her. “No. I could never steal something like that, nor would I want to. If I were to keep a soul, it would have to be given to me.”
His words didn’t make sense, but it was such a pleasure to see something after being in the dark for so long. Not to mention being with someone so stunning. It was almost too much. His dark gaze roamed from her face to the sheet covering her nude body. By the darkening of his face, it was apparent that, as he looked on her, he found no pleasure in it. His face hardened, and she flinched back when he met her eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He bowed his head for a moment. “What hurts?”
“Everything.”
A nod. He lifted his head and pushed shiny black hair from his face. “I need to move you somewhere I can take care of you. Is that okay?”
Hope fluttered in her chest. “You’ll take me out of here? I would love to see the world again before I die.”
“You’re not going to die,” he said with conviction. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
He eyed her sheet. “I’m going to lift you and wrap the sheet around you. Can you hold on to it while I lift you?”
She didn’t think so, but she wouldn’t admit that. “Yes.”
A whimper escaped her when he wedged his arm underneath her back.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and lifted her to her feet.
Pain hit her like a wall, but she managed to keep the sheet barely clenched in her fist, the fabric draping down her front. Cool air chilled the backs of her thighs and back. She swayed into a firm chest as her knees buckled. The warm arm pressed against the bare skin of her back, anchoring her to his chest.