Page 89 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Through the darkness, vibrant red tendrils of anger swatted around her. But there was something else there, something beneath the violent slashes of hate. It coated her tongue and was as sour as an unripe lemon.
"Look," the second voice said, "she was the first one who came out and the easiest to grab. There was no time to question things. They’ll come for her. I promise."
Beneath the blindfold, Myra’s eyes widened. Fear wrapped around her neck, strangling her. Panic vibrated through her body, but she didn’t dare move. Instead, she thought of Kallie. When the Pontians had ransacked their carriage on the way to Frenzia the first time, Kallie had not panicked. She had remained calm. She had discovered what their captors’ intentions were before she had made her move.
Myra let the scent of late autumn calm her nerves—the warmth of the leaves, the notes of pine hanging in the air. She could do this. She could be like Kallie. She could?—
"And if they don’t?" the other demanded before Myra could finish building up her courage.
"They will," the first said. Although the man spoke with confidence, Myra caught a whiff of doubt, and her stomach twisted with nausea.
Perspiration coated her palms despite the cold air that brushed her skin.
Would Laurince and Rian come after her? While she considered them to be her friends, what if they believed she had abandoned them? What if they didn’t know she had been taken until it was too late? How would they even know how to find her? Myra didn’t know how long she had been knocked out or how far they had traveled. Once again, she was totally and completely useless.
"The woman promised they would," the man who had grabbed her added after a moment.
"Yeah, like you can trust a woman who sells drinks and beds for a living."
Myra went rigid. Did they mean the innkeeper? If so, why would she tell the men that Laurince and Rian would come find Myra if they took her? Why did they want?—
They knew.
It was the only plausible answer. They knew Rian was the king. They were afterhim. And they were using her to get to him. She wanted to laugh, to cry. Her life was not worth the life of a king.
"If they don’t, we’ll just find out where they are going from her."
Even though she couldn’t see the men, she could sense their eyes turning to her. Their attention was sticky and latched onto every pore.
"And if she doesn’t tell us?"
"We’ll get it out of her."
The man’s promise sent a line of goosebumps crawling down Myra’s spine.
Who was she kidding? She wasn’t Kallie. She could barely even wield a sword despite Laurince’s efforts.
"I don’t hurt women," the other man whispered, vitriol staining his words.
"For this amount of money?" He huffed a laugh. "You’ll do whatever needs to be done."
Leaves crunched. Footsteps approached. A boot lodged into her side, the man’s toes smashing into her ribcage. Agony surged through her, and Myra released a sharp cry. One man grabbed her by the back of her tender head. White splotches filled her vision as she tried to hold back a sob as his palm pressed against the fresh wound.
"For your sake, girl," he hissed, his hot breath searing her skin, "you better hope your friends come."
The tears that had been gathering on her lash-line fell, soaking the blindfold. The damp fabric stuck to the tops of her pale cheeks.
Myra stayed silent, though, not daring to speak a word. She refused to betray Laurince and Rian. No matter what the men did to her, she would not break. Not this time. Not again.
Neveragain.
So as her ribcage throbbed and her wrists burned, Myra was stuck between hoping Laurince and Rian would save her and praying they wouldn’t come at all.
She really regretted not taking that knife that morning.
Chapter 36
MYRA
