Page 30 of Sanctuary of the Shadow
That survivor was Harrow.
What if Salizar was right? What if Raith really was a wraith?
Harrow was positive he wasn’t. He’d seen the certainty in her eyes and heard it in her voice when she swore it to Salizar. But how did she know? He certainly couldn’t confirm or deny it either way. He had no memory of anything, which in itself was suspicious.
He couldn’t allow Harrow to help him if there was even the slightest chance he was one of the monsters that killed her family. She was planning to free him, sacrificing her safety and security to do so. He didn’t think he deserved it and didn’t want her to throw her life away anyway.
But what could he do?
He briefly entertained the notion of finding a way to escape without her, but he reluctantly dismissed it. If he escaped now, Salizar would blame Harrow. He’d promised her no leniency if she failed in her efforts to discipline him. No, if Raith was escaping at all, it had to be with her at his side.
But he couldn’t take her from her life here unless he could guarantee another safe way for her to live, which he couldn’t. He hadn’t even been able to save himself from capture, and he doubted his ability to protect himself and another from ending up in the same situation…or worse.
That left only one option.
He could play along with Salizar’s circus act, becoming nothing but a trained animal for humans to gawk at. He’d change his appearance on command, flash his wings and claws, do whatever that bloody bastard wanted him to do. He would rather die than do that, but now Harrow was involved, and it wasn’t that simple anymore.
Would he sacrifice his pride to protect her? The answer was yes.
His heart sank as he realized that was what he would have to do. Harrow had unintentionally betrayed him, though he could never hold it against her.
But because of her, Salizar had won.
Raith would stay in Salizar’s circus. He would behave. He would perform for the masses like a dog. He would become the soulless monster Salizar believed he was.
For all he knew, that was exactly what he was anyway.
Chapter Seven
The next morning, Harrow knocked on Malaikah’s caravan door, casting wary glances over her shoulder as if afraid of being seen. Which was silly because knocking on Malaikah’s door was something she did every day, and if there was anythingunsuspicious she could be doing, that was it. Still, her thoughts were churning with so many plans and schemes that she felt like everyone could see them.
The door opened, revealing Malaikah in a silk robe. Her hair was unbraided today, the coiled curls free to spring around her head. She smiled brightly and then froze. “Where’s your scarf? I can see your ears plain as day!”
Harrow grinned despite herself. “I’m done hiding, Mal. The secret’s out. Only time will tell if it gets me killed or not.”
Malaikah gaped at her. “Why? What happened?”
“Way too much.”
“Then come in and tell me everything. I just made coffee.”
Harrow followed Mal into her caravan. A little pot steamed on the stove. Pillows were piled atop her unmade bed, and as usual, sequined bodysuits and costume accessories spilled out of the wardrobe.
“You want a cup?” Mal asked as Harrow slid into one of the bench seats at the table built into the wall. She shook her head. She was too nervous for coffee.
Malaikah bustled about at the stove, pouring her own cup. “Why’d you give up your disguise?” Her long tail swished behind her. “I don’t like it, Harrow. Your anonymity kept you safe. You don’t know what’s going to happen if word gets out.”
“I just got sick of hiding. I’ve been sick of it for years, to be honest, but it wasn’t planned. Loren was yelling at me about how dangerous Raith was, and he said, ‘He’s not human, Harrow!’” She imitated his voice with a petulant tone. “And I just snapped. Who does he think he is? Declaring someone untrustworthy because they’re not human? Look where he works, for the Goddess’s sake. I couldn’t stand it for another second.”
Malaikah was staring at her, coffeepot still in hand. “What are you on about? Who’s Raith?”
Harrow fidgeted. “I did something bad, Mal. I’m leaving the circus. In a week.”
Mal slowly set the coffeepot back on the stove without looking at it. “Harrow, you’re scaring me.” She lowered herself into the other bench seat, cradling her mug to her chest.
“I made a promise to Salizar I don’t intend to keep. At the end of the week, he’s going to know it, and by then I have to be long gone. But it’s not just me I have to worry about. I’m taking Raith with me.”
“Who is Raith? What in the Goddess’s name are you talking about?”
