Page 20 of Cage of Destiny
She abruptly stood and left thecampsite, needing space. It was hard to breathe, hard to get enoughair. The leaves crunched behind her as Nathenek neared.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Ididn’t mean to pry.”
Gazing at the tall pines surroundingthem, she watched the needles flutter in the wind. “It’s an injury.It’s still healing.”
“Is it botheringyou?”
No. Yes. “It’s fine.”
“Are youcertain?”
She nodded. The skin was tender, butit didn’t hurt. “A healer in Fren stitched my skin together, and Itook medicine for it.” Thankfully, the healer managed to ward offthe infection and save her arm. However, Allyssa would always havea noticeable and hideous scar.
“If it becomes painful orchanges in appearance, let me know.”
“I will.” His concern wastouching.
“I need to get back to thehorses.” His sleeves were rolled up, and he held a horse brush inhis hand.
“I’ll be right there.” Assoon as he was out of sight, she pulled the collar of her shirtaway from her shoulder and examined her recently healed injury. Thearea that had been stitched was puffy and deformed. Lightlytouching it with her finger, she realized her nails were completelyhealed. No one would be able to tell they’d been ripped out.Curling her fingers in, she made a fist, trying to keep the painfulmemory at bay, not wanting to relive what happened in the dungeon.Her stomach rolled with nausea. She needed to stay busy to keep hermind focused on something else. Dwelling in the past would do herno good.
Back at camp, she questioned Nathenekabout the Russek attack that occurred several weeks ago. Since shehad been traveling to Fren at the time, fighting for her life, shedidn’t know a lot of the details. “I know Emperion sustainedseveral hundred deaths while Fren sat idly by doing nothing tohelp. What else do you know?”
“Not much,” he replied ashe checked each horse’s hooves.
“I was told Kerdan orderedthe retreat on Russek’s end.”
“I did not know that.Savenek wanted to enlist. To keep him from doing so, I took him ona hunting trip. As a result, my own knowledge of the attack isvague. However, it is my understanding that most of the fightingtook place in Fia and Landania.” He came over and leaned againstthe tree next to her. “I also know the Russek army is vicious. Theyshow no mercy.”
“They’remonsters.”
“And yet you speak sohighly of Prince Kerdan. Isn’t he a captain in the army?” He pulledout a dagger and began cleaning his nails with the tip ofit.
The company of the army Kerdancontrolled seemed different from the rest of the Russek army.However, she had no proof—it was just the impression she got fromwatching a handful of them sparring that one afternoon.
“I want to ask you aquestion, and I want you to fully consider it beforeanswering.”
“Okay.”
He kept his focus on his dagger, notlooking at her as he spoke. “Do you trust Kerdan?”
She was about to sayyeswhen she realized hewanted her to think on the matter first. Knowing Nathenek, hewouldn’t ask the question without having a specific reason. “Why doyou ask?” Did he know something she didn’t? Had somethinghappened?
He put the dagger away. “I’ve beenthinking over everything you’ve told me. Are you certain Kerdanhates Jana? That the two of them aren’t in league, working with oneanother? It seems rather convenient that his father is out of theway. The Russek line is entailed through Kerdan, not Jana, and yet,she still sits on the throne. War is expensive and timeconsuming.”
“I’m not following you.”What was he trying to say?
“If you marry Kerdan, hecould kill you in your sleep or slip poison into your food. Thenhe’d rule over Emperion and Russek. And isn’t that what Jana isafter? I can’t help but wonder if this is some elaborate plot togain control over Emperion.”
Her body felt numb. Instinctively, shewanted to tell Nathenek it wasn’t possible. Kerdan had never givenher a reason to doubt him.
“I’m going to do aperimeter run. Stay here and consider what I’ve said. I’ll be backin fifteen minutes.”
While she wanted to dismiss Nathenek’stheory, she couldn’t. It deserved careful consideration. One thingshe’d learned from her parents was that the opinion of othersmattered. She couldn’t let her own feelings and emotions blind her.Stretching out on her bedroll, Allyssa thought over her time inRussek with Kerdan. Could he be secretly working with Jana? Or didKerdan truly hate his stepmother as he claimed? After she found theletter from his deceased mother expressing her concern over Jana,Allyssa began trusting and understanding him. But she’d alsowitnessed the king chop off a boy’s arm, and Kerdan did nothing tostop the boy’s death.
Allyssa rubbed her tired eyes. Kerdanwas a brute in public. Feared, lethal, aggressive. In private, hewas quiet, kind, and thoughtful. He’d brought her a book to read,clothes to wear, and food to eat. He snuck her out of the castle,took her to the garrison, and came up with a way they could helpeach other. He made sure food was secretly taken to the localvillage, he was fair to the men under his command, and those aroundhim seemed to truly respect him. The one thing that stood out inhis favor more than all the others—the maps he’d hidden so Odar andAllyssa could find their way out of Russek. That simple gesture,going a step above what was necessary, proved Kerdan’sfriendship.
But could that have been one elaborateplot to entrap her? He didn’t have to save her from certain deathin the first place. He could have killed her when the kingcommanded it. Jana had been salivating at the mouth she’d wantedAllyssa dead so badly. Yet, Kerdan stepped in and challenged Jana.He’d managed to get his father to side with him, not the queen. Andwhen Kerdan proposed to Allyssa, his face had revealed a hint ofuncertainty along with sheer loneliness. There hadn’t been an ounceof greed there.
