by M. J. Bavis
Tears spilt over at the mention of his name. Shushing, Tony pulled me inside and closed the door.
“Tell me everything,” he said, unusually solemn.
I didn’t wait to sit down. “He found me, and we escaped but…but they caught us and, oh, Tony, they have him. They took Leo! They’re taking him to Gorah and it’s all my fault.” My eyes darted around, unfocused and helpless. “He made a deal with them: my freedom for his capture. I tried to stop him, but—” I gathered myself, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “He made them bring me back here.”
“Wait, that guy was one of them? I should—”
“No, Tony.” I placed my hand on his chest, only pressing lightly. “He’s a trained soldier. He’ll be long gone now.”
Tony read between the lines, and seemingly let the matter go, moving onto scanning me from head to toe. Grimacing, he shook his head at the sight.
What a sight I must be…
“What did they do to you? You look awful.” Tony helped me further in.
I cringed as I sat down. I only hoped I wouldn’t ruin his sofa. “I’m okay. My leg is broken, but it’s healing, slowly.”
“You need to go to a hospital.”
“No, too many questions. I have to get Leo back. They’ll—Tony, I’ve ruined everything!” I wanted to lie down, face down.
“I want to hear everything, but before that, can I get you anything? Water? Food? Painkillers?” Tony picked up a T-shirt from the back of a chair and pulled it on. “I really think you should go to the hospital.”
I shook my head. “Just water, please.” Although starving, I wasn’t hungry.
Tony rushed into the kitchen and returned with a pint of water. He waited as I emptied it through chapped lips in erratic gulps. I noticed he was eyeing my wrists as I handed the glass back. Dried blood painted lines on the skin of my wrists, hands, and forearms.
“Tell me everything, from the start.”
I recounted what Tony needed to know and he listened solemnly until I came to a pause.
“I don’t get it. If they went through all that trouble to get you then why’d they let you go in exchange for Leo?” Tony rubbed his jaw.
Of course, that was one crucial detail I couldn’t leave out.
“To cut a complicated story short, the Queen of Narun was assassinated nearly twenty years ago and because of it, the King decided to place his son in hiding to keep him safe. To this day, only the King and a few of his advisors knew of his whereabouts.” Leo’s familiar features played in my head. Had there been a resemblance to the King?
“Anyway,” I shook off the image of Leo’s signature smile, “since then the Gorahites have wanted nothing more than to find him.” I swallowed, struggling to continue. “Leo… He made a deal with Sebastian that he would reveal the location of the Prince in exchange for my freedom.”
“Leo gave up this Prince for you?” Tony blew out a lung-full. “He really does love you.” The words shocked but didn’t surprise. “So, they’ll let Leo go once they have this Prince in custody?”
“No,” I said. “Leo is the Prince. He is the only heir to Narun, the son of the King.”
“Come again?” Disbelief danced around his features. I repeated myself and Tony placed two hands behind his neck, slumping back in his chair. “Well, I’ll be darned…You two sure keep having aces up your sleeves.” He blew air, cheeks puffed. “You didn’t know?”
“No, of course not! Had I known he was the King’s son, well, none of this would’ve happened.”
“You do know, it was his choice. It’s not your fault they’ve taken him. He’d do anything for you.”
“I have to get him back,” I retorted, staring at my hands.
“What can we do? You’re a mess and I’m, you know, normal.”
“I have to return to Narun, in hope that it won’t be too late to send a team—an army out.” I got up to stand on my good leg, feeling futile but needing to do something.
“Woah there!” Tony gave me little choice but to sit back down. “You can’t go in your state!”
“I have to. They already have a head-start and it’s a long way to Narun.” A sense of urgency gripped my stomach.
“Can’t you just ring someone?”
“No network.”
“Right. Still” —Tony eyed my cast, now visible since I’d scrolled the trouser leg up to my knee during the drive— “you gotta get that leg sorted.”
I licked the corners of my lips. He was right. I needed a real cast for the leg to heal properly. Yet, a trip to the hospital would raise too many questions. I was poster quality only for hostages kept in a dungeon.
I’d have to get someone to make a house call.
“I’ll ask Anita.” I sighed and tugged down the sleeves of my shirt. I wanted to burn the shirt.
“Good call, lass. I’ll ring Jill and she can bring you some clothes and stuff.” Tony crinkled his nose. “Um, did you want to take a shower first?”
“Sorry, I must stink.” It was the faintest grin, but after the last weeks, it felt freeing.
“It’s not that, but it would be better if Jill doesn’t see you like this, or Anita.” Tony lifted a finger, walked to his bedroom, and returned with a wall mirror. He raised it, and I caught my reflection.
“I see your point.”
I had to touch my cheek to make sure the reflection really was me. Aptly, I looked like I had spent weeks in a dungeon, void of light and nutrition. My left eye and cheek were multiple shades of purple, my hair buttered flat. The clothes hung off my frail frame as if I had taken part in an extreme version of the Biggest Loser and won.
Tony took the mirror back, stopping still on his way back to the lounge.
“What’s wrong?” I asked as he slammed his palm on the side of his head.
“I forgot. I completely forgot!” Tony dashed back to his bedroom, and I heard him rummaging through drawers. He returned with a piece of paper in one hand, phone on the other.
“Leo, when he rang, he gave me a number. He said if he doesn’t come back, I need to ring this number.” Tony wafted a piece of paper in the air.
“Dial it.”
Tony held the phone next to his ear. A glint of hope sparked up inside—
“It’s a dead line.”
Hope belly-flopped. Tony dialled again, with the same result. Frustrated, he tossed the paper on the sofa. It floated off it and landed on the floor.
“I must’ve written the number wrong.”
I tried to reach the paper. “Did he say anything else? Who, or what it was for?”
“Nope.” Tony picked up the paper and handed it to me. “He just said to ring it.”
I didn’t recognise the number and I wasn’t willing to waste time on it.
“Forget the number.” I folded the paper neatly between my fingers, stroking the fold. “Leo can explain it when we get him back, right?”
The doubt Tony tried to conceal from his eyes twisted the knife already piercing my gut.
Chapter 40
With Jill’s assistance, I lowered myself to the sofa, pen and paper in hand. A plate of mash, chicken and vegetables waited for me on the coffee table. I wolfed down half a plate and had to stop, my stomach stretched to its max.
I pulled at the top Jill had brought me. I wished the sleeves would’ve covered the marks on my wrists a little better.
“Right so,” I pushed the plate aside and took the pen in hand, “I need to get some supplies for the journey—”
The doorbell startled me.
“That’ll be Anita.” Jill bolted for the door.
Tony had warned me Jill had been on the phone with Anita as soon as Tony had rung her to come over.
“Camilla.” Anita hurried over, gave me a hug, and knelt beside the sofa. “How are you?” Her expression told me loud and clear she knew the answer to that question—anyone could tell I didn’t exactly trip on a lamp post.
“Thank you for coming.” I twisted on the sofa. “I
’m not sure how much Jill told you—”
“She said you were hurt and needed some discreet care.” Anita assessed my state; her frown deepened. “You’re very pale, sweetie.” She grazed my cheek. “And thin.”
Only Anita could see beyond the big, black bruise on my face.
“It’s complicated. As always.” I bit my lower lip.
“Hmm. Let’s have a look at you. Tony, would you mind getting my bag from the door, please? It weighs a ton.” Anita took her coat off and rolled up her sleeves.
I took a raspy breath. “My leg needs attention and my wrists bandaging. The rest is nicks and bruises. No infections so far. I’m a little malnourished, dehydrated—vitamin levels and iron are down—and generally run-down, but I can handle that,” I recounted out of instinct.
“Well” —Anita unzipped the duffel bag Tony brought in— “leave something for me to diagnose.”
I flashed a coy smile. I was itching to get back on the road but after weeks of emotional torture, it felt comforting to have someone care for me.
“So, the leg…” Anita pulled her gloves on. “Jill said it might be broken?”
“Yes. Minor tibial shaft fracture, no damage to the fibula.”
Anita squeezed my leg lightly. “You’ll need X-rays if that’s the case. We need to see if—”
“It’s aligned, and stable,” I confirmed. “It needs a cast but it’s healing. As you can see the bruising and swelling have mostly gone down.”
“But—”
“The fracture is precisely here. Spiral fracture.” I drew a line on the skin of my leg and stopped as I saw Anita stare at my exposed wrists. Her mind followed the breadcrumbs and found the gingerbread house.
She gave me one of those looks of pity and shock wrapped with a questioning frown. I didn’t bother with an explanation.
“I suppose there’s no point telling you to call the police,” she said quietly, the sound I made confirming her hunch. “Who held you hostage?”
“People who the police have no power over. It’s under control,” I lied.
She gave me a disbelieving look. “I have the kit to put a cast on and I brought you some crutches, just in case.” Anita finished taking my blood pressure and took out a needle from her bag. “I’ll run basic bloods; you look anaemic. You need to drink a lot of fluids and eat, but start slowly.” She pushed the plate of mash further on the table. “Soups and that sort of thing. Food easy to digest. And of course, stay out of harm’s way, okay?”
I pressed on the cotton wool on the crease of my arm as Anita looked for a plaster.
“The results will take a few days,” Anita added.
“I’m leaving—”
“Absolutely not. You’re not going anywhere until we see that you’re all right. It’ll take up to two days for the cast to harden fully, anyway. Anything else, and I’m marching straight to the police.”
I would be long gone before the police arrived.
“I don’t want to lie to you, Anita. My friend’s life is on the line, so I’ll be leaving as soon as you’re done. You’ll be wasting the police’s time.”
Anita assessed the level of determination on my face, shared a look with Tony, and realised I wasn’t going to budge. With a defeated nod, she turned back to my wounds.
“Man, I can’t believe Leo’s like…royalty,” Tony voiced his thoughts, breaking the silence.
Who knew I’d had a Prince as a personal stalker. He’d seen it all. Yup, the son of the King had once even watched me hurl—and cleaned up after. Terrific.
“He’ll always just be Leo to me,” Jill said. “Royalty sounds too snobby.”
The irony: we all knew a different side to Leo, yet none of us had known the real him.
His absence was growing into a planet orbiting my thoughts. Not knowing where he was, how he was, or if he was alive made everything worse. By now he would’ve realised what a horrible mistake it was giving himself up for me.
I hoped he blamed me.
Once Anita had given me the best home care possible, she gave me a firm hug and pressed an envelope in my hand. Before I had time to object, she was gone. Inside I found a wad of cash. She had come thoroughly prepared.
I would pay her back one day.
“So, what’s the plan?” Tony asked behind me as I shut the front door, balancing on a crutch.
My brain shifted gears. “I need to get to a shop.” I nodded towards the list resting on the table I’d finished while Anita placed the cast. “Get supplies and go.” I’d wasted too much time already.
“So, what do we need to pack with us?” Tony said.
My head tilted. “We?”
Jill appeared behind Tony. “Yes, to come with you.”
My depleted muscles tensed. The thought of Jill or Tony ending up on the bad side of a Gorahite soldier shook me. I couldn’t handle the risk.
“That’s not a good idea.” I sounded stern. “Sebastian might have his men keeping an eye on me. Plus, the closer we get, the more soldiers we might encounter. It’s a risky time for strangers to be entering either land.” I lowered my chin. “With my credibility, I’m not sure my word could vouch for you guys.”
“We’ll be fine—”
“Hang on.” Tony raised a finger, and Jill swallowed the rest of her sentence. “You think there’s a chance something could happen? That Sebastian’s men might…?”
I nodded, and Tony turned his head from side to side.
“Okay. Okay,” he said after a moment. “In that case, Jill can hold the fort here.” Tony shook his head at Jill as she tried to object and turned back to me. “It’ll just be you and me, buddy. I might not be much of a fighter, but I’m a darn good chauffeur.”
Leg broke and in poor health, I could do with his help.
I gave Tony a sharp nod.
It was due time to rescue a Prince.
Chapter 41
Jill disappeared behind a row of shelves, list in hand. The crutches gave some independence, but the speed they reduced me to was infuriating. Hence, Jill was the go-getter, Tony the man with the trolley, and I, well, the annoying one telling them to hurry up.
“Do I need a jumper?” Tony stopped with the trolley abruptly.
“I’m sure you have one at home,” I said as I bypassed him.
“Shouldn’t I get a black hoodie?”
“Yes. And some pantyhose and you can be a ninja ballerina,” I remarked irritated.
Tony pretended to run me over with the trolley. “I’m serious! Don’t I need to blend in in the dark?”
I pushed at the trolley with a crutch. “Tony, seriously, and with all my love, you need a lot more than a black hoodie to hide from these guys.” If he was any more chilled out about our mission, he’d be all out frozen.
Tony scoffed and mumbled something about crutches and ninjas. Jill returned and unloaded two handfuls into the trolley, before carrying on down the aisle in search of another item on the list.
I limped behind.
“Excuse me, miss?” A man brushed my elbow.
He was well-shaped, average height with a white shirt—sleeves rolled up—and navy trousers. My guess was he was in his early forties.
“Can I recommend a book?” He held up a children’s novel. “I thought you might enjoy it. You can purchase it outside.” He smiled, placed the book on a shelf near me and walked off.
I took turns in staring at the man’s back and the cover of the book. He walked to the end of the aisle on the other side of the shop, still within my sight, and stopped by a shelf.
The cover of the book was of a boy riding a donkey. The title was written in large, colourful font: The Unusual Prince.
Was he serious? Did I know him? He looked like a businessman on a lunch break although his poise was particularly strong.
My jaw tightened. It had to be. I gripped the crutches and raced towards the man. He picked up an item to investigate closer.
“Milla, Jill’s asking if there’s anything else you need,
” Tony said nearby. “She’s got everything on the list.” I hopped past him. “Oy, Milla, what’s up?” Tony caught my arm, making me nearly stumble over.
“That man. I need to follow him.” I freed my arm, focused on the stranger slowly making his way forward.
“What man? What’s wrong?”
“I think…” Was I imagining things? “I think he’s going to take me to Leo.”
Tony’s trolley swirled around with him as he tried to see where I was looking. The man gave a subtle glance and disappeared around the corner.
I have to follow him fast.
“I don’t have time to—” I started, but Tony’s face convinced me I had to make the time. “The man in the white shirt, he passed me a book and recommended that I read it, but I think he’s going to take me to Leo, which is why I have to follow him before he disappears!” I sounded obsessed—or possessed. Same difference.
Tony gave me the look one gives a toddler after they’ve victoriously put on their shoes—on the wrong feet.
“Milla, I know you really want him back—”
“What’s going on?” Jill joined us, tuning into our body language.
“She thinks this man she saw is going to take her to Leo,” Tony explained, a little condescending. I tried to move forward but Tony yanked at my arm.
“What man? One of Sebastian’s soldiers?” Jill quieted her voice, her hair whisking from side to side as she took in the surroundings.
“No, no. I don’t know.” I eyed the area where the man had gone. “He—he gave me a book…No, I’m not crazy, it was called The Unusual Prince! It was a children’s book.”
I took my opportunity when Jill and Tony shared a glance and went after the man. They soon followed.
I ignored the hushed conversation behind me. I rounded the corner but couldn’t see him.
“Excuse me?” an elderly shop assistant called from the till. “Miss, excuse me.” She smiled as I faced her. “Your uncle asked me to tell you he’s waiting for you outside.”
The stirring in my gut reached boiling point. I was right. I left the woman with a hasty thank you and hobbled towards the exit, my entourage not far behind.