The darkness let in the first thoughts. And the first thing that came to my mind were green eyes. I was with Steven, I remember that clearly. How the green eyes smiled and then changed. They darkened and lit up again with a bright, much more furious hue. They were angry. Really angry. That single memory made my insides twist painfully.
Why did we argue? Something made him so angry he left. But what?
It’s not the only thing, something happened after he left.
A figure emerged from a shadow in my mind. Tall and slim. Melodious laughter rang in my ears. I remembered the smell of roses.
She was there, I know she was. But what then?
I wanted to get somewhere. Home? Maybe. A meeting was waiting for me. Important one, I didn't want to miss. And something stopped me.
Pavement.
I should find out where I am. I'm lying on the cold ground, I know that for sure. I just don't want to open my eyes and see for myself. All I need is to feel the stone blocks underneath me. I vaguely remember the blow to the head, and the dull headache only confirms this. The pavement wasn't trying to stop me, but catch me in its hard embrace. And headache is not the only problem. Thoughts ran to the sides again, hid in the shadows of my mind. The pain drove them all away.
It took several long minutes before I tried to reassemble them into something remotely coherent. I was last in Aré and I certainly missed the meeting with the Council. The question is why?
I opened my eyes with great effort, the stone ceiling looking exactly as I had imagined the floor. Stone is worked only to fit to the next in line. On the ground, smoothed by the steps of those who long before me walked up and down the cell. Maybe for the last time in their life.
Great. Wonderful morning. Lucky me…
I sat up slowly. With my hand, I found what I thought was a wounded spot. Apart from a small lump, I didn’t find anything unusual. It doesn't explain in the least why I feel so terrible. My head is spinning and my stomach protests at the slightest movement.
I looked around, apart from the stone walls and wooden doors covered with iron plates, I saw nothing interesting. No window or other source of light, even though it is not dark here. Just cold walls and cold floors. It wasn't until I looked around the second time I realised I’m not alone.
A young man with a protruding scar across half of his face starts under his left eye and extends across his nose to below his right eye. He's sitting in a corner to my right. Grey eyes stare at the rows of stones on the wall, his brown hair combed back. A few days of stubble indicates how long he's probably been here. He looks strangely familiar to me, I'm sure I've met him before. If my thoughts stopped disappearing as soon as they appeared, I might even remember where and what his name is.
"A few hours, if you want to ask how long you've been out," he spoke in a low, harsh, voice without a trace of an accent. I have once already thought about how such a young face does not fit the voice at all. He must be one of my subjects, so... are we still in Zessia?
"I was actually wondering if you saw a tall, annoyingly blonde woman here." I cleared my throat and stretched carefully. My whole body is stiff. Dishevelled hair are probably my least worry. And I don't have anything to fasten them with, so I wrapped them around my hand and tied a knot. It's quite an improvised solution, but hey… I’m out of options here.
"Do you know each other?" his simple question reawakened a wave of anger. It can't be a coincidence Catarina showed up on the very day I was kidnapped. I bet she's involved in the whole thing somehow. This is exactly her style. I really should have gotten rid of her a long time ago. Damn Emmett.
"Why are you here?" I asked instead of explaining.
"I don't know," he shrugged, not the least bit bothered he has to sit here. On the contrary, he seems reconciled with it.
"And for how long?"
"A few days. More than a week."
"Is anyone else here?"
"I didn't see anyone except the guards. I think there was someone in the cell opposite, but he's no longer there," he obediently answers my questions and doesn't ask any questions. He behaves so obediently I have a feeling he may be waiting for an order. Did I see him in the army? He doesn’t have a uniform, but an ordinary shirt. I can imagine him in a dark uniform. Maybe we met on the battlefield and now he no longer belongs to the army?
I stood up, kind of expecting my legs to buckle. My tired body decided to obey me. Nice change. I can't see anything through the small window in the door. Not a guard, not a banner, not a sign, not a light, nothing. Just a bare wall. Dark stones indicate we are no longer at home. In Zessia, everything is built of light -if not white- stones. These are more suited to the north.
I held out my hand in front of me, trying to conjure up my own Light. Nothing happened, which is quite strange, but I guess it was to be expected. "How often does anyone come here?"
"Once a day the guards, and the blonde was here too. It's not like she'd introduce herself, though."
"She really didn't tell you why you're here?"
"Only that my time will come. And..." he paused, pulled up his sleeve to show me a round bruise with a red dot in the middle. "she took my blood," he added. It doesn't make sense, one can tell from a little blood if he's a mage or not, but why would Catarina try to find out like that? The Dishonests proceed in a completely different way. Besides, he's clearly not a mage. And she would’ve known.
I walked over to the first wall and placed my hand on it. I tried to get some magic into it. I can only feel the cold stone, the same thing against the other wall. I'm starting to feel like the walls are resisting, which means they're full of power. That is encouraging news. The other prisoner watches me with interest. "I just…" even if I explained it to him, he probably wouldn't understand me. "never mind."
"You won't get out of here."
"Certainly not with that attitude," I smiled, undid the row of buttons on my black coat and threw it on the floor. One of the sleeves on my white shirt is stained with blood, I quickly rolled up the sleeve, revealing a few small red dots on my forearm. Same as his, minus the bruises. They really look like punctures. Three small and one slightly larger. So someone took my blood and drugged me in the process. "Perfect..." explains why I feel so sick. I pulled the sleeve back down. I need to get out of here as quickly as possible.
He looked at me with the look, like I’m the fool here because I want out. And he is the normal one. He tried something like a smile, the expression genuinely amused me. "With all the time you've spent here, haven't you by any chance seen symbols on some of these stones?"
"Like runes?" he stood up and walked across our cell with four big steps. Down in the corner, a rune hides in the shadows. I pushed him away and bent down. I touched the rune with the tip of my finger. It tingles. It’s not the first time I’ve seen runes hidden in a cell. A clever architect would hide them so that the prisoner could not read them. Even smarter one wouldn't let me touch them. "Do you understand that?" the doubt in his voice offends me. If not me, who else?
"Of course..." I looked at him again. He's so open, like he didn't recognize me. Not that I don't look royal enough without a crown, but my portraits adorn all cities, temples... and even with dishevelled hair, I look better than most women. I like to think of myself as unforgettable. So he has to know. Although... I can't remember where I saw him either. It couldn't have been on any battlefield, I wouldn't have paid so much attention to him or his scar. "If we can find all the runes, I should be able to get us out of here."
"How? As long as the doodles are here, you can't do magic."
"Who says I can't?" I’m starting to take it personally. I'm not some young idiot who just got out of school. And those doodles are the most sophisticated thing we've ever come up with.
"Do whatever you want. There's a cell like this waiting for me anyway." the resigned tone and the pain written all over his face summed it all up. He had long since given up hope.
And I finally remembered where I'd seen the scar. Just like the broken look in his eyess. It was at the trial. It's Major Ethan Rees, the celebrated hero and darling of the East, or at least he used to be. We met there only briefly, he refused to testify. They accused him of murdering his own family, and he decided he had nothing to say about it. Remis was on his side, claiming his friend is innocent, and it was up to me to confirm. Despite the evidence, if necessary. But it wasn't. He is innocent. He ran away before I could tell him, and he hadn't been seen for over two years. "There's no cell waiting for you, Ethan."
"How could you know what awaits me?" he spoke quietly, his head resting against the wall. Suddenly he looked at me. "How in the name of Light do you know my name?"
"I'm really sorry for what happened to your family. Caelen believed you were innocent and he was right. You were acquitted the very day you disappeared." I carefully try to examine each stone. I found a second rune, at least three more are missing.
"What do you know about my family, huh? About me or Caelen? How could a little girl…" he stood up angrily. He walked over to the fabric on the ground, examining my coat with interest before his grey eyes focused on me again. "Unless... oh no."
"Oh yes," I smiled, I raised my right hand with the ring. Ethan let go of my coat and laughed nervously. He stepped back, crashed into the wall, and laughed nervously again. "Before you panic, I'd like to remind you I need to get out of here. I'm quite busy outside this cell. I just have to find the rest of the runes. We'll sort out the fact that you didn't recognize me later." it's supposed to be a joke, but no one ever laughs at it.
"Certainly, Your Majesty, ma'am," he blushed, he walked around the cell and put his hand on all the symbols. Altogether he found seven.
"One rune is missing." four corners, four runes. Two more on the longer walls, right in the middle and one on the floor.
"There aren’t any others."
"Want to bet?" I sat down on the ground and tilted my head. Directly above me is a small, inconspicuous rune. It looks more like a crack in a stone, but it's there. I shook my head with a laugh. "Seriously... how stupid you must be..."
"What?" he sat down as well. I obviously got his interest.
"I'm just saying, a totally incompetent idiot would place the runes symmetrically. It's like an escape guide."
"The runes are in here so no one inside could do magic, it doesn't matter where they are... does it, Your Majesty?" sounds so confident when he says that.
With my hand, I traced the X, scratched into the stone. "Theoretically, yes. There's not much power here, and the runes around prevents more from getting in. They almost repel it and believe me, it's very uncomfortable for me to be inside. However, I am inside, with my own, considerable storage of power." Ethan frowned in confusion. "It's like a party without alcohol, to which you bring your own booze to. Theoretically, you shouldn't get drunk, but who will stop you when you're already inside."
"Even if that's true, you still can't leave."
"Can, can not... When I was little, I broke these traps all the time." it’s so simple, just erase one rune and the whole thing falls apart.
"Have you often been in similar situations, Your Majesty? As a child?" he asked, surprised.
"No," I laughed. "Not what I meant. My father is overly protective, claiming I’m his little Anie," I should think of a way to get rid of the rune in the stone. "speaking of I'd appreciate if you dropped the title, my name is Andrea. I'm not going to address you as Major Reese either, Ethan."
"I wouldn't say the rank is still valid. I'm not in the army any more,"
"It's still valid," I assured him. "Remis almost turned down the Northern leadership because of you. I had to promise him you would get your place and rank back as soon as you’d return. You should also know he never stopped looking for you." in his spare time, he went through the long-cold tracks in search of his lost friend. Ethan smirked. Seems like he is not so eager to return. "If I'm counting correctly, it's late afternoon."
"Evening, ma'am..." I pierced him with a look. "Andrea," he corrected himself quietly.
"So I have all night," I put my palm on the rune, it’s pleasantly warm. Could I burn the rune out of stone? I tried to concentrate only on the warmth coming from my hand. After a few minutes, I gave up. The stone is warmer to the touch, but it is certainly not hot enough. Why did I think of burning something out of stone? Genius… I folded my arms and thought.
"And if it doesn't work?"
"Don't be so pessimistic, everything will be fine. Besides, I'm sure someone is already looking for me. Like the other Heirs," my gaze stopped at my ring. Are they looking? The fact there’s no magic in here could affect my ring. “and they’re not the only ones.” green eyes came to mind. How can I be sure he is looking for me? Maybe he didn't even notice I’m gone. No, he must have noticed. Even if he decided he didn't want to stay in my world for a second longer, he would want to tell me personally and as soon as possible. "Unless it's some kind of coup attempt," I smirked at the thought. Not even all the Virtuous together have the courage to try. So it's only a matter of time before someone in the Palace puts it all together. I spoke to Emmett last, and he won't give up until he finds me. That is if he leaves the Blonde aside and gets out of bed. I tilted my head back angrily.
I need to fucking concentrate.
I need something to make a hole in the stone and damage the rune. At least one of them. I lay on my back with my hands behind my head. The cold stone cooled me pleasantly at first, but after a while I started to feel cold. Annoyed, I got up again and reached for my coat. Whenever I can't use magic, every unnecessary movement annoys me. It's so uncomfortably human.
I put my hand through the first sleeve and immediately took the coat off again. My gaze stopped on the knobs. They look like they're made of gold, but if I'm not mistaken, they're just gilded. And with a perfectly flat, sharp edge. I grabbed the knob tightly and pulled it. It’s holding tight there. I tried again, to no avail. "Ethan, can you?"
"Are you sure?" he took the coat from me, stopping hesitantly at the knob. It's an ordinary coat, and now a dirty one, who cares if it has all the buttons. It’ll end up on a pile of clothes I'll never see again.
"It’s not the only coat I own, you know," he sighed, and with a violent motion yanked it. He placed it in my set palm. "Thank you so very much, my dear major."
threw the knob in the air and watched it fall down. I tried to catch it with magic before it fell, but I didn't make it. It rolled to his feet. Ethan handed it back to me, laughing. My attempt must seem strange to him. "Can't you just wait for someone to rescue you?"
I tried again, throwing the knob in the air. This time I left my hand stretched and when it started to fall, I sent a blast of magic towards it. The knob changed course, crashed harmlessly to the ceiling and fell to the ground. Who says I couldn't do magic here? "Do I strike you as the type waiting to be rescued?"
My best chance is the rune above me. There is a small crack in the stone, and when we enlarge it, it should sufficiently damage the rune. Which then breaks the spell, fills the cell with magic, and I take us out of here. As soon as I find out how far I have to jump. But I’ll figure that out later, one step at a time.
I didn't throw the knob away this time, I don't want to dwell on it any longer. I spun it on the ground and led it up very slowly. I'm just concentrating on not spinning it too fast and losing control. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. The walls around me are shrinking, suffocating me. Making me sick. So the architect of the place wasn't a complete idiot and there’s a protection spell.
I think of the rotating knob and the crack in the stone. I just have to focus on those two things, I have to spin it properly and let it hit the stone. It's a perfect plan, simple, I could do it even as a child. I have to do it now. There's plenty of air around me, I know that for sure. And yet I feel like the walls are getting closer and closer, they plan to crush me. Squeeze the soul out of me, suffocate me with a cold stone. Quite a scary image. Getting into my head. Why the fuck am I thinking about that just now?
It's getting harder and harder to breathe and focus on the one damn thing, the gold knob, which isn't quite made of gold. Can’t be.
It's not spinning fast enough yet. I know it doesn't spin fast enough and I don't have to look. I feel the damn thing. My thoughts revolve with it.
Only now did the whole space begin to defend itself. It makes me really sick. Crushes me in its grasp. I dug my nails into my palms.
Just a little longer. A bit faster.
A cramp ran through my hand.
Fuck!
It has to be enough. I opened my eyes and send the bloody thing against the stone ceiling. A shower of debris fell into my hair.
I buried my face in my hands to stop the spinning. Concentrating on breathing, for a change. The walls around me receded. I didn't know how uncomfortable it would be when the space around me filled with magic. At other times I would probably welcome it, now it only intensifies everything.
I heard a loud bang, someone screamed, and a moment later they hit something. I heard a loud crunch. The one only cracking bones could make. A strong pair of hands lifted me off the ground moments later and leaned me against the wall. It is pleasantly cold and gives me the right support. "We have to go," I looked at Ethan. It seems to me he speaks too loudly, but it will only be a feeling. Ethan seems too calm. And it seems a stunned or dead man in a green uniform behind him provided him with a weapon.
I reckoned we'd have to open the door ourselves, this is a welcome change in plan. If I'd knew the guard would run in at the slightest sign of trouble, I could have spared myself this whole charade.
"I guess there are more to come, what now?" I gestured for Ethan to go first. He looked around and headed to the right. A short corridor in front of us ends at a crossroads. Bare walls without windows give no indication of where we are. That green uniform is a clue, though.
He keeps close to the wall, stepping silently while looking around. This man was born for this. He peaked out from around the corner, immediately returned, putting a finger to his lips. I heard two pairs of heavy boots. They are approaching, fast. Ethan gestured for me to stay behind him. Like a defenceless little girl. Before I could answer him, he leaned out from around the corner, his sword finding its way through the uniform of the first of the two guards.
The wounded man screamed, Ethan snatched his sword and fended off the other's attack in a single motion. I didn't have time to watch the rest of the match. I was interrupted by different steps from another side. I turned just in time to avoid the incoming blow.
I stepped aside, just to give the man with bloodshot eyes and hideously round face a chance to turn around and prepare for another attack. By the time my entire sword appeared, my hand was already on its way to his chest. I squeezed the cold handle and pushed. The blade met no resistance, slipping between the ribs before he realised it. With a surprised expression, he fell to the ground. A red spot spilled over the emblem with a white crane.
"You had a sword all this time?" cried Ethan, irritably. There's drops of fresh blood on his shirt and face -probably not his.
"Well, duh… I'm still the Heiress, Immortal... and other stuff." I don't feel like explaining to him where I got my sword and where I'm going to send it back.
"There will be more to come..." Ethan headed down the corridor and to the left. I had no choice but to follow him. Splitting up would be the worst idea. A few stairs at the end of the corridor lead to the door. He opened them slowly, peeked out cautiously before closing them again. Ice cold air got in. "There are guards on the walls, another set goes around the courtyard, opposite us is a closed gate, about fifty meters. Any plan?"
Plan is to get away. Nothing has changed. I swapped places with him and looked out. The icy air stings my skin, we won't get very far in such a cold. Even if we somehow open the gate and the guards didn't notice anything. I'd rather just take us away. I have a bad feeling about it here.
"I feel like we're in a fucking Athran," he rubbed his hands and shoved his palms into his armpits. I should've lend him my coat, it's pretty warm.
"Narral," I corrected him.
"What?"
"We're in Narral," he shook his head in confusion. "These stones, the square and the tall gate, that's the architecture of Narral, in Athran everything looks like home because, well, we built it there. It's just from a bit of different materials," I explained in a whisper. The temperature outside must be close to zero, so we are in the more distant part of Narral. So I'm going to have to jump across two whole countries, along with him. And if it doesn't kill me, it will be an experience.
"As if it mattered," he shivered. Like me, he grew up in the very south of our country. Neither one of us was made for this freezing weather.
But I can't agree with him. It is quite important to find out where we are. Otherwise, we will not be able to get back. "We need to get to Nerkam."
"Really, how? On foot?" he shook his head incredulously.
"Sure, I don't even know which way it is, but it's only a few thousand kilometers. We will surely be there to celebrate the day of my birth," I replied sarcastically. Such a journey can certainly be done in more than half a year. Ethan blinked in surprise. "What?"
"Nothing... I just," he looks at me with exactly the same look as everyone else. Slowly realising that I am not exactly human, but a little big mouth girl with the power. "Nothing."
"If it's gonna make you feel any better, I can put on my uniform. The white one," I smiled. I would appreciate it if he didn't look so scared. For the most part, I'm really nice. "Give me your hand. We'll jump."
With the same disbelief as before, he examined my outstretched hand. "I can't go back," he said sadly, taking a step back.
"You can't stay here." he's still my subject and, thanks to Remis, a soldier. I could give him an order, but I don't want to. "You're innocent, you don't have to hide, especially in Narral. Let me get you back to Nerkam, if you want to leave after that, I won't stop you. No one will stop you."
"How do you know I'm innocent. Everyone believes I killed my," Ethan's voice broke.
"Except for you not leaving the post," I pointed to the hand holding the sword. "You're left-handed. We have a lot of proofs claiming otherwise."
"Do you know who did it?" he asked cautiously.
"I know. Give me your hand. I'll get us home and then I'll take you to him," I said with urgency in my voice. I'd like to reassure him, but we're really running out of time and I want out. I want home. Ethan hesitated, but finally caught on tight. A scream came from the corridor behind us. "Close your eyes," I advised.
Several places have crossed my mind, I need to choose one of them. Heavy steps added to the speed. At any moment they'll emerge from around the corner. I have to get home. Now. I closed my eyes, the golden sun on the floor of the small hall and the semicircular table with eight chairs became for a moment the most important point of my life.
That's the place I chose. I know it perfectly and there is nothing waiting for me that I would not know and have to overcome.
A sharp pain coursed through my entire body. It knocked oxygen out of my lungs, forced my guts to contract, tensed my muscles and crushed my bones. I heard myself scream. The cold walls around us disappeared, melted away, and remained far behind. Absolute emptiness was replaced by new walls in the next moment. Warm and safe.
To my own surprise, I found I made it. I got us home safely. Both. And didn't killed myself in the process. Jon will be happy.
There are too many people in the hall with a three-dimensional map. More than it should. There's my father, Steven and Emmett, and Remis and Hamilton. Riley stands aside with my favourite general's deputies and Allaway. And everyone is shouting over each other. I wanted to ask if that's how they envision the search for me, but I'm actually glad I can breathe without help -and that Ethan is supporting me. Because I definitely can't support myself.
Steven ran first. He's talking to me, but I can't concentrate on any words. I'm only interested in his eyes. I need to know if he's still angry.
He snatched me from Ehtan's hands as if I were no more than a doll. So he could hold me in his own arms. He made sure my hair didn't get tangled in my view, I wouldn't fall or be cold. It's only with my face half buried in his soft sweater I feel like I'm really at home. Surrounded by the scent of cedar. "Do you know how much you scared me?" he whispered.
I never wanted to scare him. He must know there is no chance anything would happen to me. "I've only been gone for a few hours," I whispered back. Steven holds me tighter and tighter. I can feel myself losing control over my own body.
"You've been gone for more than two days," his worried voice startled me. The others look at me with the same concern. I want to explain to them everything is fine, but I can't.
My eyes closed. What does it matter for how long I was gone? Now I'm here and so is he. Nothing else matters to me.
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