Chapter 10:
Escape
“I tell you, Alia was like no maiden I have ever had,” Marcellus says.
“You speak the same about every maiden you bed,” Giddius says. The four of us are riding again. I’m stuck connected to ale for brains, forced to listen to him gloat to Mister Stick-up-his-ass about his night. I’d cover my ears if my hands were free.
“Why doubt my words? Was Galia not to your liking?” Marcellus asks.
Giddius doesn’t answer. I test the limit of my wrist bindings to the saddle horn with small tugs. The sleeves aren’t as tight as yesterday. I twist my arm around for a glimpse at the elbow knot.
“Perhaps you would have had a better time with Alia,” Marcellus says. “I would have given her to you, but tacticians are not her desire. She wished to be with a great, mighty warrior.” He tests the limits of how far my eyes can roll.
Trevus retied the elbow knot with only a single loop last night. It’s small and simple, unlike the plethora of knots that the castle guards would employ. There may be a way to work the loop loose, and as soon as one arm is free, the other will follow.
“While you are the brute between us, I am no less a warrior,” Giddius says. “I have never lost a competition of the bow.”
“I have beaten three men in battle,” Marcellus says.
“I have struck bowmen through their own arrow slits.”
“I defeated the champion of-”
I cut him off. “If you’re all such great warriors, why do you need me?”
They both turn my way, finally ceasing their boasting.
“The king is incarcerated in Nepolis,” Trevus says. “No matter how skilled a warrior may be, he shall not succeed at scaling a castle wall three times his height.”
“You know I can’t pick up a broom and fly?” I say.
“The guardsmen shall grant you access upon discovering you are a sorceress. Nepolis is a Mephian castle.”
“We’re- We’re going to Mephia?” I suspected so, but hearing it said out loud unearthed feelings I didn’t know I had. After being abducted from my country, the prospect of returning ignites a mix of excitement and trepidation.
“The girly appears eager to return to her homeland,” Marcellus says.
My
homeland
. Mephia was my home as a young child. The memories of playing in that small village seem like they’re from someone else’s life, one that will never again be within my reach. My heart longs to return to the only land that felt like home, but I fear it’ll no longer be recognizable.
Their plan is starting to piece together. Once the soldiers in Nepolis allow me inside, I am to use my connection to put them to sleep and free the king.
“Why would they invite me inside for being a sorceress?” I ask.
Giddius’s brow twists up. “You must be acting the fool?”
“You are a Mephian sorceress and you do not know?” Marcellus says.
“No, I don’t. What am I supposed to know?” They could stop gawking and just tell me. Nearly everything I know of Mephia was from overheard conversations. I didn’t have the privilege of an education in politics like them.
“Mephia is a word of the old tongue,” Trevus says. “’Tis derived from
meph anna
, translating as mage follower. The persons of Mephia have their title because they are a nation ruled by six autocratic sorcerers. You shall pose as Grand Sorceress Ametha, the Fifth of their ruling Council of Six. The guardsmen possess rahlite, a stone which illuminates at a sorcerer’s presence. You alone can assume her identity.”
I sit in silence. The Mephian follow sorcerers – witches – like me. Is my destiny to be a ruler of a great land? My whole life I’ve had nothing, and there was little reason to believe my future would be different. I envied men with power. Was my mother a sorcerer? Did the people of my village know that I was akin to their nobles?
While I may pass a test from the guardsmen’s rahlite stone, my face is still my own. “What happens when they’re up close and realize I’m not who I claimed to be?”
“You shall have put them into a deep sleep before that,” Trevus says.
Using my connection on people is a misdeed I won’t make the mistake of repeating. “And if that fails?” I ask. How does he know the soldiers won’t kill me once they realize I’m an imposter?
“Every operation has risks, Jade. Those guardsmen are tasked with protecting a cardinal prisoner. For the sake of keeping breath in your lungs, I suggest that you do all in your capability to ensure they are unconscious before discovering your identity.”
I won’t be a part of his plan.
The sleeping pouch snuggles up to my neck. I’ve had my fill of Trevus’s pumpkin soup, and we’ve settled down for the night. Trevus is on watch, and once the watch log burns through, it’ll be Marcellus’s turn. Marcellus drifted in and out of sleep on our first night in the wilderness, and I bet that
Alia
kept him awake last night at Cidon.
The four horses are huddled at the nearest tree, just a few steps away from the fire and the sleeping soldiers. They’re all hitched with a cord around their shoulders, but their reins and bridles are hung over a nearby branch.
Trevus’s boots crunch the dirt behind me. I let out a slow breath, careful not to flinch or react. Since lying down a few hours ago, I’ve remained the most still I’ve ever been in my life. My eyes are closed, but not so tight that it would arouse suspicion. This will be easier if Trevus doesn’t warn Marcellus that I’m awake.
There’s whispering, followed by more footsteps. Another branch is thrown on the fire. I resist the urge to peek. With Trevus’s plan to throw me into a hostile castle soon, there’s no room for mistakes.
While Trevus tends to watch me like I’m about to lay a golden egg, Marcellus is far less observant. There’ll be no better time to work on my sleeves. I can’t hope to rein Becky with these on, and her undirected galloping won’t be enough to escape.
Drawn out over minutes, I move my knees up to my chest. The sleeping pouch conceals everything but my head. After examining the knot on my right sleeve during the day, I know exactly which loop to pull on. I pinch the knot with my knees. It’s tedious, but after each tug, the knot comes a little more undone.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve pulled at the knot. It has taken all my patience not to try force my arm out of the sleeve, as trying too soon would only make the knot tighter. When it finally appears loose enough, I bite the end of the sleeve and pull. The linen is stripped from my arm.
Cool air circles my fingers, making my heart race. With my free hand, I quickly loosen the other knot but resist the urge to pull the sleeve all the way off. As long as these sleeves are on, I’ll appear to be harmless and cooperating. I work the right sleeve back on to my arm. The difference now is that without the knots, I can free my hands with my teeth in seconds.
It has been some time since Marcellus took the watch. Besides the crack of the fire and the buzzing of insects, there has been utter silence. Slowly, I turn my head. Marcellus is sitting beside the rock, his head resting on his arms and knees.
This is my moment. Holding my breath, I sit up. My body freezes, waiting for Marcellus’s reaction. He doesn’t move. My stomach is twisting. I spot the other two sleeping bags around the fire, and Trevus’s dark hair catches my gaze. The words he said on the day we left Antiock haven’t left me – if I venture out on my own, I’ll be considered unruly, and he’ll carry out my death sentence.
What Trevus doesn’t know is that sending me into the Mephian castle in a deceitful disguise will lead to the same fate. The last time I used my connection on a person, she died. The only way I could come to terms with Mehlia’s death was by making a vow to myself – that I’d never risk a mistake like that again. I’ll surrender my own life before endangering others with my connection. It would be foolish to blindly serve Trevus until I’m backed into a corner. Succeeding at escape is my best chance at survival.
I rise to my feet, not making a sound. None of the men budge, and Marcellus’s head is still resting on his arm. My eyes lock on to Becky. She’s twenty steps away. I go.
The sleeves slide free from my arms. In my mind, I imagine shouts behind me, followed by Marcellus charging with an axe. If that happens, I won’t be able to get on Becky in time. I’ll raise my hands in surrender with the excuse I was fetching water from the saddle. It may not be enough to avoid consequences, but it may sow enough doubt that they wouldn’t kill me.
I run my fingers through Becky’s fur to wake her up. She grunts, and my body goes rigid. Marcellus hasn’t moved. I can’t hang around any longer with the chance that he eventually wakes himself up.
I take a set of reins off the branch and put them on Becky. Nerves keep me from looking back at the sleeping men. It’ll make me freeze up. This is the moment where I take my life back into my own hands.
We’re camping on the edge of a forest, just a few minutes’ walk away from the dense trees. The open grass field is perfect for Becky to gain speed.
I take the remaining three sets of reins and hang them over Becky’s saddle before climbing up. Even if they notice my departure, they’ll be forced to pursue on foot.
Not allowing myself to look back, I take the reins. I won’t be seeing Trevus, Marcellus or Giddius ever again. My ankle lands a gentle tap on Becky’s side.
A deafening neighing erupts from the huge animal, and my heart jumps into my throat. Salts. She stomps forward, her steps like loud drums. I tap her side again. We take off.
“She has run!” Marcellus shouts. Salts. Salts. Salts. I tap Becky to speed up, and I don’t look back.
“Jade!” Trevus shouts. They’re awake. They’re all awake. Becky gallops faster than I’ve ever gone before. The wind rushes over me with the ferocity of a thunderstorm. No one could catch me on foot. I grab the three sets of reins before they fly off the saddle.
Becky veers to the side, almost throwing me off. My legs snap tight around her. I take control of her reins again and steer her in the opposite direction of the camp. Salts. A fall at this speed would leave me lying helpless in the grass, too injured to walk. That was close.
My eyes squint against the freezing wind. I can’t hear the men’s voices anymore. Vast grass fields lie out ahead of me. Keeping Becky moving in the right direction has my full attention. It’s been years since I’ve ridden a horse, but the skill lay dormant within.
The extra reins fall into the long grass. It doesn’t matter now. By the time they find them, I’ll be well out of sight.
“Halt!” The voice makes me jump. How could it be so loud? The men should be well out of earshot. I twist my head around, and my eyes widen. The dark figure tailing me is on a gray horse, one that I immediately recognize as Gramps. Trevus is riding him without any reins! It’s impossible.
I yank hard on Becky’s reins and lean in as she makes a sharp turn left. We rush straight for the dense forest, and I glance back again. Trevus follows my sudden turn with ease. It’s like he’s directing Gramps with his mind.
I thread Becky between the oak trees. They grow thicker and closer together, forcing me to slow down as I weave between their trunks. He can’t follow me through the forest without reins.
“Jade, halt!” he calls again, even closer this time. I can’t look back. My heart is thumping like it’s trying to break free from my chest.
The canopy overhead blocks the moonlight, and the underbrush crunches under Becky’s feet. It’s getting harder to see where we’re going.
Becky bucks up with a loud neigh. I latch onto her neck to avoid falling off. Branches scrape my arms and back, drawing blood. I ran us right into an impassable clump of trees.
I pull back on the reins, but Becky just neighs and grunts. Her feet are stuck in the brush. I’m sorry, Becky.
“Surrender!” Trevus calls. He’s just seconds behind me. Surrender so he can kill me? I hop off Becky and run deeper into the forest. I move as fast as my legs can carry me. The thorny branches bite at my bare arms, but the trees are too thick for him to follow further on Gramps.
He chases on foot. I shield my face from the leaves and branches. He’s moving so fast. There are only yards between us. I won’t get away.
I dig my feet into the ground and skid to a sudden stop. I whip my whole body around to face him. He’s charging towards me. I stretch out my hand, commanding him to stop – my
bare
hand.
He does not yield. His body slams into my middle, sending me through the air. My back hits the dirt, and I cry out from the sharp pain. Trevus lands on top of me, all his weight bearing down upon my small frame.
I cough and gasp for the air he knocked out of my lungs. He shakes his head, dazed by the fall. His face is just inches away from mine. I feel his warm skin on my hands. He’s touching me.
My gaze jumps between his eyes and his wrists – right where my hands touch his skin. How long has it been since I’ve felt another person’s warmth? Soldiers always considered me an animal – untouchable because of my curse.
His eyes widen at the realization, and he looks down at his arms.
He scrambles backwards. I groan as his hand presses into my middle in his rushed retreat. Standing over me, he draws his long silver sword and touches the point against my chest.
I stay still, flat on my back. I’m not fighting. I’m not hostile. I surrender. Mercy is all I can hope for.
My body is tense, but so is his. His sword has a slight tremble to it. Is that from his heart racing after the chase, or fear from the brush against my uncovered hands? Once our moment of hot pursuit was over, he came back to his right mind, and his instinct for self-preservation returned.
I’ve been caught. All he has to do is press his sword three inches further, and my heart will stop beating. I open my mouth, but no words leave my throat. What am I supposed to say? My lips close again. I will not beg for my life.
My gaze stays locked with his. His crimson shoulder stripe rolls with each heavy breath he takes.
He rubs his wrist on the spot where my fingers touched. “I am conscious,” he says.
I’m not a killer. I’m just trying to survive.
His attention returns to me, and his brows crease up. “Why?”
He can’t know the truth. I’d be useless to him. I stay silent, and my eyes never leave his.
“I thought to have witnessed your sorcery on a dog, yet here you were subdued as if you had nothing at all.” He presses the sword further, poking a hole in my shirt and touching my vulnerable skin. “You are not a sorceress. You are no more than a criminal.” He’s going to kill me.
“I am a sorceress,” I say. “I
chose
not to connect to you, yet the reward is steel through my heart?”
“Why would you make such a choice?”
“I told you back in the dungeon – I will not use my connection so needlessly.”
“Your hands made contact with my own. Rendering my form unconscious would have allowed you to free yourself from our party. You had more need than ever before.”
“My connection was not on my mind for those few seconds,” I say.
“Salt,” he spits. “You raised your hand before the fall. The feigned threat of sorcery never left your mind.” His eyes are burning. “Your next lie shall be your last.”
My breath catches in my throat. I can’t tell him that I won’t use my connection.
His eyes narrow. “I shall not speak again.” There’s a sting on my chest.
“Because the last time I did that a woman died!” I spit out the poisonous words as fast as I can.
His blade hovers over me, but he doesn’t move. Now he knows the awful truth about what I’ve done.
“My escape was not worth risking your death.” My voice softens to a whisper. “I will not use my connection so needlessly.”
“When you made that choice, you were expecting I would spare your life?”
I nod, but it’s a lie. I don’t expect anything good from soldiers. In truth, I wouldn’t want to live with the guilt of using my connection on a person again. “If it was for my life, I would do it,” I lie.
His shoulders relax. It’s what he wants to hear – that I’d still use my connection to incapacitate Nepolis’s guards. “Jade of Mephia, I offer you another choice. You shall choose to rejoin our rescue party and cease further attempts to evade us. You shall choose to pose as Ametha, the Fifth of Six, and set the Mephian guardsmen unconscious. You shall choose to answer all questions about the person your sorcery slayed truthfully. If you do not choose these things, then I shall end you here at your botched attempt to flee, and I shall seek the help of another sorcerer.”
“I choose those.” I say the words to save my life.
Branches crack and leaves crunch as the others catch up. I’m still on my back, pinned by Trevus’s sword hovering over me. Marcellus appears with his axe ready, and Giddius steps forward with his bow drawn and an arrow pointed at me.
They appear like giants over my body. I don’t move. They have no reason to attack.
“She submits,” Trevus says. Giddius relaxes his bow string, and Marcellus lowers his axe.
My arms sting as I slowly move to sit up. The cuts and scrapes I caught while rushing through the forest make themselves known. Trevus moves his sword back a little, but still keeps it close enough to my face that I don’t miss his message to stay down.
Giddius kicks a pile of dry leaves over me. “You stupid mit. You approached the destruction of everything we have worked towards.”
I don’t look up at him. My passion to put Trevus’s lackeys in their place is not with me tonight. I nearly lost my life, and I will likely still lose it when we reach Nepolis.
“The girly’s more deceptive than she appears,” Marcellus says. “One moment she is in deep sleep, and the next she has taken off.”
“Jade has no stake in our cause,” Trevus says. “We must hold her to stringent bounds.”
Author’s Note:
Trevus will have questions about the woman who died at Jade’s hands all those years ago, and Jade has agreed to answer whether she wants to or not. The next chapter picks up right where this one left off in the forest.
😂
Mine too… it’s making me so nervous!
😂
“He tests the limits of how far my eyes can roll.” Love it 😂
yupppp!
he’s playing psychological games with her… 😂
he’s plays psychological games with her 😂
Bro this is making me so anxious 😭😭
😂😂😂😂😂😂
what if that woman is his mother
i love herrr
girl atp just kys😭😭bc he boutta slaughter u
OH SHITTTT😭😧
I wonder if the lady she killed is significant to the story.
She just wants to be free. I hope they let her go.
Is it possible that the woman Jade killed is Trevus’ mother?
I don’t know, I think he’ll feel at least a little bad for her. A little pitty, and possibly spare her
It’s actually pretty easy to ride without reins. Just wrap your hands lightly around their neck, or gently hold onto the main
HAHAHAHA she’s dead
I’m going to shit myself bro
My heart is RACING
YOU LOVE US
That’s a really interesting convo… I’m looking forward to reading it
She doesn’t care about what you’re working on. Why should she? She’s trying to live in peace.
Then shut your mouth you arrogant dog.
Good!
Watch him have magic abilities too
Nice knowing you. I’ll bring roses to your funeral
she put getting her ass beat on speed run
I want to beat Marcellus with all my heart
*not ever
Wouldn’t say having someone go unconscious would be the same as killing, but the reasoning for not wanting to use her powers is understandable
Probably best to change direction and not keep going in the same direction everyone saw you go
She has no very heard of bareback or bridleless horse riding lol
Be real awkward if she needed to go toilet like that, and someone just catches her struggling to try to do the simplest and most innocent act