Page 60 of Prize for the King
And maybe the old me would have, but ever since Magnar helped me grieve for my past, I can’t turn away from the ugly truths I discovered. There is no loving prince waiting for me, only a man bitter because he lost his kingdom, and eager to use me for revenge.
Far less attractive than Magnar, who is strong, a good strategist, and a winner.
It doesn’t matter that I’m equal parts terrified and ashamed at the prospect of my Agnidari wedding night. Magnar and his knights are kind to me, they treat me well and comfort me in ways I never knew before. They are closer to me than humans ever were.
This man should have tried to steal me away days ago. It’s too late now.
“What’s taking him so long?” he mutters under his breath, pacing from window to window.
I spot a knife buried among rotting apple peelings on a side table and slowly move over there, hoping I don’t look suspicious. My heart is in my throat. If I survive this, I’ll have to ask Arvi to show me how to use a blade. I saw him once, throwing knives for practice at one of our stops. He never missed, always hitting the targets he carved into the bark of a tree. If I could do the same thing, the Unmentionable would now be bleeding out from a wound in his throat, and I would be free to leave.
There’s a series of knocks on the boards, and the man huffs in satisfaction, knocking back. I snatch the knife from the peelings and hide it in my skirts, shaking all over. The knife is light in my hand, barely bigger than a toothpick and probably less sharp.
“Come on,” the man says, roughly grabbing my arm. “We don’t have much time.”
XVIII Fish
He knocks on a part of the wall that’s indistinguishable from the rest of the room. The sound is hollow. A moment later, a panel slides away, revealing a narrow passage. A short human man waits on the other side, his hair red, face uneven with pustules.
“Quickly,” he wheezes, sounding nasal like he has a bad cold. “They’ve gone to look for her in the building. No guards on the back road!”
The man scuttles ahead, his movements fast and nervous. I grit my teeth, my chances now quite dismal. I can’t defeat one grown man, let alone two! But the redhead dashes farther, the distance between us growing. I pretend to shake from nerves, fumbling my steps on purpose.
“Faster,” the Unmentionable hisses, tugging me sharply. “Do you want to get caught? They’ll kill you for running, those beasts.”
“N-no,” I breathe, letting myself stumble on a protruding cobble.
It’s for nothing. The man heaves me up before I can fall and pulls me faster, his hand on my arm like a vise. The sun has set, but it’s still light out. We’re in a narrow alley, the back of the town hall looming on one side with windowless buildings lining the other. The man drags me toward a wooden fence where the redhead waits, a few planks pulled away to make a passage.
I glance back. The other end of the street is lighter, cleaner. That’s where the people are, where I have to go.
“You’re hurting me!” I cry, playing for time.
But the man only scoffs. “It’s nothing compared to what they’ll do to you if you don’t hurry. Come on, girl. Move those useless legs.”
He pulls me harder, and I have enough. We’re maybe a dozen steps away from the redhead. It’s my only chance.
I swing the knife as fast as I can, almost without aiming. It ends up stuck in the man’s thigh. His hold on me loosens, and he makes a curious sound of confusion.
I break free and run. My steps echo against the buildings, the cobbles uneven and slippery under my feet, and I fight for balance and speed with every step.
“Magnar!” I yell. “Help!”
“Get the fucking cunt!” the Unmentionable spits, his voice too close for comfort. The wheezing breath of the redhead follows, and I scream again, terror giving me strength.
“Khay! Raduna! I’m here, please, I’m here!”
That’s the last of it. A filthy, sweaty hand covers my mouth while a male arm forces itself around my waist, pressing in so tightly, I lose my breath. I fight like a cat, trying to scratch and bite, but my strength is flagging. They drag me back, and I watch the bright end of the alley grow smaller, my hope slipping away with their every step.
It’s like it always was. I’m trapped, and no one’s coming to save me.
“Get the stupid bitch through here,” the Unmentionable spits, the planks of the fence clattering. “Come on! I hold it, you pull her. It’s straightforward.”
I fight, grabbing onto the fence, but all I get for my troubles is a kick to the stomach that makes me fold up in pain. As the planks swing back to cover our passage, it’s like a curtain falling on my life.
It’s over. There’s no more hope.
I see why they picked this way. We are among tall grasses in some kind of neglected, unused lot. Night is falling, and soon it will be so dark, no one will see us.
