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I see his shoulders tense, and I hide a vicious grin.
‘Oh,’ I feign concern. ‘Did you think where you came from was a secret? That the others didn’t talk about it and you all the time when your back was turned?’
He says nothing as we leave the inn, and he leads me through the alley back towards the Gate. I should stop there, but I can’t. After how he made me feel in the bathhouse, I want him to know how easily I can do the same back to him. Maybe he’ll even lose control and kill me here and now, and then none of this will matter anymore.
‘Did you think I didn’t hear their whispers in lessons?’ I say low.
I’m pushed hard against the wall, his arm pressing my throat.
‘You don’t know anything!’ he snarls, his eyes flashing and changing for a split second so quickly that I don’t know if I imagined it.
‘I might be worthless,’ I choke out, pressing on as he crushes my windpipe, ‘but at least I didn’t let my mother die while I trembled in fear behind her like a fucking coward.’
He lets out a snarl and thrusts his arm harder into my neck, murder on his face. I relax under the weight of it, closing my eyes and hoping I drift away soon.
‘Grey? What are you … Fuck!’
The arm is ripped away, and I fall to my knees in the mud, gasping for air. I lean back against the wall to find Dane keeping Grey away. Grey looks furious but almost horrified by his actions.
I give Dane a narrow-eyed look, annoyed that he stopped us from finishing this quickly, though I see now that it was a bit of an impulsive decision on my part. One borne of fear. Perhaps it’s been so long since I did anything but clean floors and serve academy scholars that I’m more afraid of being out here than I thought I would be.
It’s for the best, I suppose. I might get another chance to escape. We’ll be traveling for weeks after all.
I can’t help but plaster a grin on my face as I look at Grey’s though, and he scowls at me when he sees.
‘Crazy bitch,’ he mutters as he staggers away.
‘You take her,’ he says to Dane over his shoulder. ‘I don’t trust myself not to squeeze the life out of her, and it’s clearly what she wants.’ He hesitates and turns back, giving me a once-over, and lets out a reluctant, brittle laugh.
‘You’ll do what we want, Harbinger,’ he tells me, ‘and that little trick won’t work again.’
‘We’ll see,’ I wheeze.
Dane looms over me, looking as angry as Grey, and I smile at him, too.
He bends down, putting his face close to mine. ‘We aren’t going to kill you,’ he whispers. ‘That would be a mercy you don’t deserve.’
I wonder if he knows that I fundamentally agree, but I don’t say a word as I pick myself up from the muck and follow him down the squelchy alley.
Kallum is waiting at the Gate, looking curious at what’s been going on, but he doesn’t have time to ask as the red-haired pixie in the guard house rings a loud bell. The ground shakes a little as the Breach opens a second later with an initial roar that makes everyone take a step back before they start filing through.
I go willingly for now, but when I get the chance, I need to be ready. No more half-cocked runaway attempts. The one from the bathhouse cost me. Dane wasn’t gentle when he caught me and slammed me to the ground.
When we get through, the next town is slightly larger, and there are mercenaries meandering around in groups, mostly large, muscled orcs, black-scaled demons like Head Scholar Sharpe, and even some trolls with their pointed bejeweled ears and wide, brutish bodies. I eye the nearest ones discreetly, wondering if they belong to a private army or if they’re the remains of the Horde that was disbanded a few years ago. A few of them look past The Cunty Trio to see me, but their eyes remain disinterested as if traveling with three males is enough to render me invisible. I relax a bit. I didn’t have any problems with unwanted attention when I came through the Realms last time, but I was a large she-troll then, not a tiny human.
At least Grey, Kal, and Dane are good for warding me against annoying advances if nothing else.
I feel a bit dizzy, and I hope it’s from Grey choking me or the lack of food since Alcana rather than the two trips through the Breach so close together. The last time I traveled the portals, I got sick from it. I don’t want that to happen again this time. Not only will it make me even more vulnerable, but it’ll put my plans of escape in jeopardy.
I try to ignore the blurring edges of my eyes and notice the sun is lower in this world. It looks like late afternoon. I don’t bother to listen to the males talking in low voices to each other. We’re all tired, so I assume a room at an inn will be the first port of call.
We go straight up the main street with its wooden structures and picture signs hanging outside that denote the services provided within. I note the typical ones like blacksmiths and bakers, the inns, and then there are the brothels, of course. There are several along the row, which makes me think the mercenaries walking around are a constant source of business. Perhaps this is an outpost where they await their orders.
Kal goes into each inn we pass, but they’re all full until the last building.
The row ends abruptly, and over the hill, I catch a glimpse of black tents where the mercenaries must camp. I make a note to not go that way if I am able to get away tonight.
The inn has rooms available, and before I know it, I’m bundled upstairs and into one.
