Page 10 of Stolen Fates
The panic in his voice jolted her. She swirled towards him, wiping her wet hands on her riding leathers.
Alena and their father, no doubt alerted by the shout, emerged from their tent.
“Scylas, what’s wr—?”
“Come quickly!” The anguish etched across his face held a gravity she’d never witnessed before. “It’s Ley.”
A sense of foreboding swept through Katell, sending a chill down her spine. “What do you mean?”
In a single, rushed breath, Scylas said, “Her parents agreed to your suitor’s proposal and the elders married them yesterday. She’s at the main square now, saying her goodbyes.”
Katell stared at him, her mind struggling to grasp the weight of his words. Then, they hit her all at once, dropping into her stomach and filling her with a horrid, sinking sensation.
“If you want to see her, we need to go. Now!” Scylas grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.
Behind her, her father cursed under his breath. “Alena, stay in the tent.”
And suddenly, Katell was running. One moment, she was following Scylas through the maze of tents, and the next, she overtook him, her lungs and legs burning until she spotted the elders’ pavilion ahead. She stopped short at the crowd assembled before the tallest tent in the camp.
Soft cries resonated through the quiet morning air. The departure of newlyweds was usually a joyous occasion filled with singing and a final exchange of gifts such as honey or salted meat, but the gathered families remained solemn.
Katell’s suitor, the brute, was securing a chest to his cart with Leywani’s father’s help. Leywani stood apart with her mother and Elder Yorn, the kind woman who’d taught Katell everything she’d needed to know about the pre-marriage ceremony.
Katell elbowed her way through the crowd. “Ley!”
When she finally caught sight of her friend, a gasp escaped her lips.
“You shouldn’t be here, child,” Elder Yorn said in hushed tones, trying to usher Katell away. “It is disrespectful to our guest for you to show your face again.”
Elder Yorn’s worried expression faded to the background as Katell focused on the myriad of bruises tainting Leywani’s otherwise smooth brown skin.
“Kat,” Leywani whispered.
She donned a beaded dress that Katell had never seen before, paired with a cloak trimmed with thick rabbit fur that was undoubtedly a gift from her new husband. The intricate braiding of her beautiful dark hair hinted at her recent wedding, yet Katell’s gaze remained fixed on the single tear slipping down Leywani’s swollen cheek.
“Ley… By the Moon, what happened?”
Leywani cast a fearful glance at her husband. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have…” Her voice shook. “I shouldn’t have fought back.”
I always liked breaking pretty things.
Katell’s heart stopped, and the next thing she knew, her arms were around Leywani’s lithe frame, embracing her tight, as if to shield her from further harm. Leywani’s wince of pain didn’t escape her notice.
“Ley…” It was all Katell’s fault, yet she couldn’t find the words to even begin to say sorry.
“It’s for the best,” Leywani whispered against her ear. “The pile of furs and other gifts are enough to feed my parents formonths to come, and we both know you were always meant to be more than a wife.”
Katell shook her head. Tears burned the back of her throat. “No, you can’t leave with that man.”
“He’s my husband now.” Despite Leywani’s attempt to mask her emotions, her chin trembled.
Her mother stepped in, her face gaunt as she put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Leywani, it’s time. He is waiting for you.”
“No!” Katell reached for her friend, but a firm grip stopped her.
“Kat, it’s too late.” Damocles pulled her back. From the sweat on his brow, he must have hurried after her. “She’s married now.”
Behind him, most of those gathered stared back at her with anger and grief in their eyes.
