Page 10 of Cage of Darkness
“It won’t be your kingdommuch longer,” he said snidely. “Bring them inside.”
Someone roughly yanked her arms backand confiscated the knife in her sleeve. A solider punched Odar inthe stomach. He hunched forward, gasping in pain. The soldiersshoved them into the cavern, many making rude remarks about havinga prince and princess on their hands. She ignored their brusquecomments and observed the area, looking for weapons and possibleescape routes. One section had hundreds of swords, bows, arrows,and spears. Cartons of food were piled high in another area. Alongthe right side were at least twenty wooden boats. There were nosigns of her soldiers anywhere.
In the middle of the cavern, theRussek men formed a loose circle around her and Odar. Most of themen were twice as wide and at least two heads taller than her. “Asquad of my best men are on their way,” she said, trying to soundcommanding instead of like a frightened child. “Unhand me. If youlet us go, my men won’t kill you.”
The man who appeared to bein charge crooned, “By a squad of yourbestmen, do you mean the sixsoldiers who showed up here a couple of days ago?”
Dread coursed through her. Russeksoldiers were brutal, vicious men. She recalled three of Neco’sbest spies returning to court bloodied and bruised. They told howtheir squad had been ambushed, twenty-one of the twenty-fourcaptured, mutilated, and eventually killed. Bile rose in the backof her throat. “Where are my men?”
Odar’s eyes darkened with barelysuppressed fury. He wanted to fight back. However, he knew as wellas she did that their best chance of surviving was to rely on theirnames and positions. They were worth more to Russekalive.
“Put them in the back withher men,” the leader instructed.
Allyssa almost sagged to the groundwith relief. Her men were here! With the eight of them workingtogether, they could take on these Russek soldiers. They justneeded a solid plan—and those she had in abundance.
One man took hold of her and anothergrabbed Odar, dragging them to the back where a dark tunnel juttedoff the cavern.
“This one’s mighty pretty,”the soldier holding her said. “Maybe we can play with her a bit.I’ve never tasted a princess before.”
Odar growled and threw his head back,smashing the face of the man who held him. Allyssa didn’t hesitate.She stomped on her guard’s foot. His grip loosened, and she kneedhim in the groin. When she turned to run, he wrapped a strong armaround her waist. Kicking and punching, she tried to break hishold; however, his arm was solid muscle and he squeezed her sotightly she could barely breathe.
“Feisty little thing,aren’t ya?” He took her farther into the tunnel, away from Odar.She screamed as a new terror sank in.
“What’s going on?” a Russeksoldier asked, coming into the tunnel with two additional menbehind him. When he saw Odar grappling with one of his men, heordered the two soldiers to assist in the fight. He approachedAllyssa and her guard. “Is she too much for you to handle?” heasked in amusement.
“No, I’ve got her.” Hegrunted.
“Hurry up and put her inthe back cave, untouched, and rejoin me. There’s been a newdevelopment.” The guard holding her hauled her away. They came to asmall cave lit only by a few torches. He roughly shoved her insideand left.
The eerie lighting illuminated ahorrific scene. Dark red blood was splattered through the cave. Itcoated the floor, walls, and ceiling. In the center of the room,bodies lay piled on top of one another. Allyssa took a step forwardand kicked a severed arm. Tattooed on the wrist was the mark manyof the older Emperion soldiers bore—the mark of Emperion. Thesedead men were her soldiers.
She fell to her knees and gagged, herbody shaking with horror. If she hadn’t sent her men here, theywouldn’t have met this gruesome fate. One’s eyes had been gougedout, another’s hands chopped off, and one had been beheaded. Howcould anyone do this? It was inhumane—even during a time ofwar.
Three men shoved Odar into the room,blood on his lips and a welt forming on his left cheek. “If youstep one foot out of this cave, the princess pays the price foryour mistake.”
Odar cursed at the men as they left.He dropped to his knees beside her. “Are you hurt?”
She knew he meant physically, notemotionally. “I’m fine.”
He scanned the room, his face turningwhite. “I’m so sorry. These are your men?” She nodded, and hewrapped his arms around her, holding her securely against hischest.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried toblock out the rancid smell of the room, the oppressive heat, andthe incessant buzzing in her ears. Russek would pay for this. Herfingers clasped Odar’s tunic, holding on for strength, support, andto prevent herself from tearing out of this cave and confrontingthe Russek monsters. If her most-skilled men were no match forthese barbaric beasts, then Odar and Allyssa didn’t stand achance.
“We’ll figure somethingout,” he whispered in her ear. “I promise.”
Chapter Five
Huddled near the exit to the cave,Allyssa breathed in the fresh air from the tunnel. She tried not toglance at her butchered soldiers. Every time she did, she retched,feeling like she was coated with their blood.
Her focus had to be on escaping.Surely she could outsmart these Russek low-life thugs. Odar pacedbehind her. He kept running his hands through his hair. It nowstood up in every direction, making him look mad. He paused, peereddown at her, and then resumed his pacing. They hadn’t spoken to oneanother. Instead, they remained lost in their ownthoughts.
“Someone’s coming,” shemurmured, clamoring to her feet. Soldiers’ voices echoed in thetunnel as they neared.
“Don’t show any fear,” hewhispered. “They will feed off it.” She didn’t know if it waspossible to be afraid when she was so furious.
Three Russek men entered. “Come withus,” one of them said. They all withdrew their swords.
Allyssa glided into the tunnel, Odarand the soldiers close behind. In the main cavern, the rest of themen were clustered together in the center as they listened tosomeone speak.
