“Hey, we’ll be alright,” he said. “Didn’t I promise I’d protect you?”
He took my hand.
My other hand slid into my apron and brushed against the Rosas Rojas.
Did it truly allow communication? Or had it just been a wishful dream?
Estrella ran into the room. Thomas followed a few steps behind her. He grinned at me.
“Hey, angel.”
“Thomas? What are you doing down here?”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Estrella said, “but we have to move!”
“Soldiers are everywhere,” Thomas said. “They’re questioning the miners, and someone has been stealing food from them. They’re about to start searching.”
He glared at Shadow.
“They’re on their way,” Estrella said. “They’ll be here any minute.”
“Why would they come here?” I asked.
“We’ll outrun them,” Shadow said. “No one knows the mines like a miner.”
“The city guard has doubled,” I said.
They didn’t ask how I knew.
“Good thing you have two feet then,” Shadow said. “There will be twice as much guard kicking to do.”
He winked at me, but his face was tense.
“Hey,” Thomas said. “Are you flirting with my girl?”
Shadow stared at him for a moment.
“It isn’t safe here, Thomas. Go back to Gerta’s.”
“So you can make eyes at Rook? No, I’m staying.”
“You know the miners, right, Thomas?” I said.
He nodded.
“Could you work with them to delay the soldiers? Direct them away from us?”
Thomas kissed my hand.
“Anything for you, angel.”
He ran into the darkness. Right, he would have Gerta’s owl eyes charm.
“That was a good idea,” Shadow said. “But we still need to hurry.”
I stared at his hand holding mine. He had promised to protect me. He was willing to die to protect me.
What was I willing to do for him?
I shook my hand out of his grasp and stepped back.
“We don’t have to rob the palace,” I said. “We don’t have to risk anyone’s life.”
Estrella scoffed.
“We’ve thought through this pretty thoroughly, Rook.”
“My name’s not Rook.”
Shadow laughed.
“Of course it isn’t. Come on, we need to go.”
“Salara.”
It cost me everything to say that word. My name.
They stared at me, confused.
“Princess Salara,” I said.
Estrella gasped.
“William joked about ransoming Seda, but if we kidnapped Princess Salara-”
“And ransom her! Rook, you’re a genius! We’ve been to her room. We could get in again.”
“There will be guards now,” Estrella said. “Surely there will be guards.”
“So we’ll deal with them. There will be guards at the treasury as well.”
Shadow squeezed my hand. Estrella smiled.
“We can plan on the way to the palace,” Estrella said. “They’d do anything to get her back. I’ll pick up some herbs in the harbor to knock her out. How much do you think she weighs, Shadow?”
He laughed.
It was too much. Hope had flickered back into his face. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see his reaction.
“I’m Princess Salara!”
They stopped laughing. My heartbeat pulsed through my entire body. I opened my eyes. Their smiles had not faded, not entirely. More than anything they looked confused.
“You don’t look anything like her,” Shadow said.
“A decoy isn’t a bad idea,” Estrella said, “but they’d never buy it.”
“I am Princess Salara,” I said again.
“We saw her in her room,” Shadow said. “She’s in the palace.”
“We saw Elsie wearing a wig made with my hair.”
I shook my head, and my short hair rustled around my face. I willed my voice to be charming and sang Divinia’s blessing.
Dark as a rook’s wing, hair flows like the Ghone. Night prism eyes reflect colors unknown.
Moonlight complexion, pearly reflection.
By every standard, you are perfection.
Radiant voice like the song of a star.
Reddest of roses, loveliest by far.
I name thee Salara, Salarian princess,
Born to be queen of them all.
Ideals align, beauty be thine.
Names, souls, and destinies all intertwine.
In my apron, the Rosas Rojas glowed. I pulled it out, and it lit the entire room. The light caused my hair’s dark prism of colors to reflect on the wall. I felt a tingle against my chest as the wig charm pulsed with power. My hair grew a few inches, causing even more colors to dance.
Shadow let his breath out in a long hiss. His expression was hard.
“I’ll go stop Roslynn and William,” Estrella said. “They won’t need to contact the nobles now.”
“This is impossible,” Shadow said. “I’ve seen the Princess. You look nothing like her.”
But he believed me. I could tell. He slid sideways, blocking the cavern entrance.
Blocking me in.
He stood for a while, just watching me. Checking every detail as if he was seeing me for the first time.
Or would never see me again.
“Why?” he said finally.
“Shadow-”
“Why?”
“I’ve already told you. I wanted to get out. Wanted to see things. To see what it would be like to be just myself.”
“So it was a game? Like your picnic on Gerta’s farm? Pretending summer was winter just because you could?”
“Shadow, I’m still Rook."
His shoulders shook. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing or crying.
Or both.
“You were never Rook. She doesn’t exist.”
“Shadow, I told you to protect you! To keep you from storming the castle.”
“Can’t you see you’ve made everything worse? They won’t stop until they’ve caught us. Even if we return you! Crimes against the Princess.”
He laughed.
“I think kidnapping certainly qualifies as a crime against the Princess.”
“So bring me back. Ransom me. Once I’m in the palace again, I can help. I got the Rosas Rojas to work. I talked to Lady Alma. The salt patches have spread. There isn’t any food left to buy. The Dragon sunk our last salt ship. She said they’ll need hundreds to work in the mines, regardless of the tax. And Castana is threatening war. Lady Alma thinks a marriage treaty may be the only way to avoid it.”
He made a sort of choking sound.
“It will make a good story in court, won’t it? How you won the bandit’s heart? Tricked him into falling in love with you and saved the kingdom? I’m sure your future husband will laugh harder than anyone.”
“Shadow, that isn’t fair.”
I blinked tears out of my eyes and stared at him. If he could only understand!
Shadow pulled his knife out of his pack. I stepped back and inhaled sharply.
“Don’t worry, Princess. Your blood isn’t worth spilling.”
He pulled a piece of silk out of the basket and cut it into strips.
“Sit down.”
I sat.
He tied my hands and feet together with the silk.
“Only the finest,” he said. “You can tell the court we treated you well.”
“Shadow, I know you’re upset. And I am sorry. But I’m still the same person.”
“We’ll need quiet since your guards are coming.”
He cut another piece of silk and tied it around my mouth, gagging me. Then he pulled a handful of diamonds out of the opera hat and sprinkled them around me.
“All the comforts of home.”
I glared at him.
“I’ve thought
about this moment a lot,” he said. “Planned what I would say if I ever got to confront Salara. I’d tell you about my father. About prison and the mines. I never planned to tell you about my mother and sister. They’re too good for you. But you already know it all, so my speeches seem a bit silly. The worst part is you’re not even worth hating.”
His voice cracked.
“I’ve spent so many years blaming you. Waiting to tell you how I feel about you.”
I wanted to tell him how much stories of him had frightened me when I lived in the castle. He had been a terror that kept me up at night. But those had just been stories. Someone else’s version of him.
Just like Princess Salara was someone else’s version of me.
The cavern brightened as William, Roslynn, and Estrella entered with their candles.
“This is a mistake,” William said. “This is ridiculous.”
Roslynn opened her eyes a moment to look at me, then shut them again. Estrella watched Shadow.
“What now?” she said.
“According to Princess Salara, she used the Rosas Rojas to talk to Lady Alma. We have to assume the soldiers know where we are.”
“How dare you?” Estrella said. “We trusted you! Even I trusted you!”
“We’ll transport the Princess back to the palace,” Shadow said. “Lady Alma will be expecting us. Hopefully we can negotiate with her. If we can get to the Ghone, we should be able to avoid the soldiers.”
“We do have an advantage,” Roslynn said. She tapped her eyes.
“That isn’t funny,” William said. “You’re supposed to be hoping the curse fades.”
“It will fade. It is fading. That doesn’t mean I can’t use it in the meantime.”
“We should split up,” Estrella said. “William and Roslynn can scout ahead. I’ll escort the prisoner. Shadow can guard the back.”
Shadow shook his head.
“I’m injured. I won’t be any good in a fight. Besides, the sea is our only hope of getting into Castlemont fast enough. You run ahead and find a boat we can use. Try to make contact with Lady Alma. She should be expecting us.”
“But you need help guarding her. You shouldn’t have to deal with her any more. You shouldn’t even have to look at her.”
“We need to reach Lady Alma quickly. If the guards find us, everything is lost. I’ll escort the Princess. You get a boat and make contact. We’ll meet you by the mouth of the Ghone.”
“Fine.”
Estrella knelt beside me and loosened the silk around my feet so I could walk. She pulled me to my feet and tied a piece of rope around my waist. She handed the end to Shadow. Then she untied my apron and folded it.
“She might try to use the Rosas Rojas again,” she said.
Shadow took the apron and slipped it into his bag.
“I won’t run away,” I said. “This was my idea.”
At least, I tried to say it. The gag muffled my voice.
Estrella slapped my face. The sound echoed through the cavern.
“Not another word,” she said. “We don’t need any more of your help.”
Chapter 27
Estrella lit a candle and ran down the tunnel. Her rapid steps echoed through the mines long after the light faded.
“We’ll get a head start,” William said. “If there’s anything in your way, we’ll take care of it.”
“Watch out for the soldiers. Whistle once if you run into trouble.”
They blew out their candles. Shadow pulled the rope around my waist. I hobbled after him. We were going too slow! I struggled to walk with my feet tied.
Why couldn’t they trust me?
Why couldn’t he trust me?
Bits of silk stuck to my tongue. My mouth had gone dry.
Shadow’s steps were uneven and slow. I could help him support his injured leg if he would lean on me.
But he wouldn’t. I couldn’t even suggest it with the gag in my mouth.
Tears streamed down my face. Why pretend I was alright? No one could see me in the darkness. And I had no friends left to care. The tears soaked into the silk gag until the salty taste reached my tongue. Still we walked, both of us shuffling.
If they trusted me, I could have contacted Lady Alma with the Rosas Rojas and set up a meeting place. She knew I was in the mines, but had I mentioned I was with Shadow?
I ran out of tears long before our journey ended. The mountain must be far away by now since travel below ground was so much faster than it was above. I crashed into Shadow as he stopped suddenly. I heard footsteps coming towards us, but couldn’t tell whose they were. Had the soldiers found us?
“The mouth of the Ghone is just ahead,” Roslynn’s voice floated from the darkness. “It looks clear. No sign of Estrella yet.”
“It is daylight,” William said. “Very sunny.”
“We’ll wait in the tunnels then,” Shadow said. “Estrella will signal us when she’s ready.”
Behind us, somewhere far back in the mines, a sound echoed. It grew louder and louder. Footsteps. It sounded like an entire army.
And it very well might be.
“We’ll distract them,” William said.
“That’s too dangerous,” said Shadow.
“We’ll lead them away from you,” Roslynn said. “We can make noise in the other tunnels. At least slow them down until Estrella gets here. What matters is that we don’t lose the Princess.”
She and William walked away. Shadow pulled me forward. The tunnel grew gradually lighter. Even the dim light was blinding after so much time underground. It made my head ache. I had some idea what living with the owl eyes curse must be like.
I could see Shadow now. We walked side by side. He limped, and I shuffled as we fought to reach the Ghone. His eyes were red. Had he been crying in the dark? Or was it an effect of the owl eyes curse?
A flash of light caught me off guard and blinded me. Sunlight shining off the Ghone. Shadow brushed his hair over his eyes.
“Sit,” he said. “We’ll wait here.”
His voice sounded shaky.
Unstable.
It was difficult to sit with my hands tied together. I fell the last few feet. That would leave a bruise.
Shadow had difficulty sitting as well. He reclined against the wall with his injured leg stretched straight in front of him. Blood had soaked through the bandages.
Maybe Estrella could buy a crystal in town. Lady Alma would have a healing charm if either of them thought to bring it.
Reflections from the Ghone sparkled on the roof of the tunnel. Light caught my hair and refracted into the usual dark prism of colors.
The light became unbearably bright. I brought my hands up to my face, covering my eyes the best I could. I peeked at Shadow. He covered his face and turned away from the tunnel entrance. The light grew brighter and brighter. I glanced up. A single star floated on the ceiling, blinding us. Had Estrella sent it to let us know she was nearby?
“A bad day to have owl eyes.”
A hand wrapped around my waist and picked me up. I screamed, but little sound escaped the gag. Shadow scrambled to his feet, but the person holding me kicked his injured leg. He gasped and collapsed on the ground. I heard the dull thud as my captor kicked him again. Felt the force of the blows through the arms that held me tight to someone’s chest. I wriggled, trying to stop the attacker, and turned to see his face.
The Dragon.
He smiled at me.
“Should I kill him now?”
I shook my head.
He laughed.
“Whatever you think, you are too kindhearted to be a good bandit.”
He kicked Shadow one more time and carried me out of the tunnel. We stepped into a rowboat with four pirates at the oars. They pushed off once we settled at the front and rowed towards the open sea.
Sir Gilbert tried to untie the silk gag, but the knot was too tight. He pulled a small knife from his belt and cut the cloth. I smacked my mouth, trying to spit out or swallow
the bits of thread stuck to my tongue. Sir Gilbert handed me a canteen. I drank and spit out bits of thread. The water tasted slightly salty.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To my ship. Hold still, and I’ll cut the rest.”
He cut through the silk. I massaged my wrists and looked at the churning river. If I jumped in, could I make it to shore?
“This is the swiftest part of the Ghone,” he said. “Even I can’t swim in that.”
“Take me back to Shadow.”
He laughed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve clearly just rescued you. You want to go back to the ruffian who tied you up? I should have stabbed him through the heart for hurting you.”
“He didn’t hurt me.”
Sir Gilbert took my hand and traced the red lines the silk had left on my skin.
“Yes, he did.”
He touched my cheek. I winced. Apparently the slap had left a bruise.
“Estrella did that,” I said.
His smiled faded for a moment.
“I believe it. She punched me when I broke off our engagement.”
“Why did you leave? She loved you.”
“Yes, but I was in love with someone else.”
I didn’t have to ask who. His every look and gesture gave it away.
“You don’t know me.”
“I know everything about you that can be known. And we started off very well. Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy the picnic. Or dinner. Or walking through your gallery?”
“Yes, of course. But, you’re a pirate.”
He chuckled. The pirates at the oars joined him.
“And you’re a bandit now! The life of a noble is often dull. We both understand that. We both found ways around it.”
“You stole the fairy salt shipments to Castana and almost caused a war! You’ve murdered sailors! Sank whole ships! You sank Captain’s ship!”
“And you’ve crept into people’s homes while they slept and stolen their belongings. You kicked royal guards in the face and would have done worse if it had been in your power. You have blood on your hands too. Shadow’s family is only the beginning of it. Do you know what has been done in your name?”
“I didn’t order any of that.”
“But you didn’t ask about it either. Neither of us is innocent, Princess. Which works out well for both of us.”
Rook and Shadow (Salarian Chronicles Book 1) Page 23