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“This way,” he says, cheerfully.
“How do you know?” I ask, whispering.
“You always go left,” he says with a certainty and confidence that I don’t understand or feel.
“Why?” Khiara growls.
Muda looks at him as if he’s grown a second head. His face goes from confusion, to dismay, then to something I can’t read. His brows furrowing together, his lips turning down into a deep frown, then he shakes his head.
“Because,” he says, shrugging as if that is the answer to everything. An answer only a child could give, or an exasperated parent, which is what the tone of his voice sounds like. “You do. Everyone knows that.”
He rolls his eyes at the last bit as if he made the most obvious statement in the universe, such as the sky is red. Khiara growls and takes a step forward, but I put my hand on his chest and stop him.
“Fine, left,” I say, before the situation escalates. We, no Gweneth, doesn’t have time for this nonsense.
Muda nods with self-important satisfaction and takes the lead. Khiara gives me a questioning look and I shake my head. He grunts and we follow Muda.
30
GWENETH
The door to my cell is thrown open. I can’t see it, but I feel the change in air pressure and hear the scraping of stone on stone. Shadows move in shadows and I back away from the now open door until I’m pressed against the rear wall.
My heart is pounding. Cold sweat drenches me. I can’t keep a small whimper from slipping out of my mouth. This isn’t fear. It’s terror. I wish I was brave. I want to be defiant and cool in the face of my looming fate, but that’s not me.
I’m only a girl. A girl who is in way, way over my head. Lost and scared. Tears push against the backs of my eyes, but I do manage to hold them back. As if it makes a difference. I can’t imagine that whoever is filling the doorway can see any more than I can. Or maybe they can. They must be able to see something.
“Come,” a deep voice orders. “No resistance.”
“Let her be,” Rani says. “She is innocent in all of this. Take me if you must.”
The deep voice grunts then there is a shuffling sound. I’m not sure if it’s feet on stone or what. A moment later a spark illuminates the darkness. I barely manage to shield my eyes before the torch catches the spark and splutters to life.
“Gah,” I protest, temporarily blinded by the sudden light.
I rub my eyes and blink trying to clear the halos that dance in my vision, making it impossible to make out details of what’s happening. At last, I can see. An Urr’ki guard stands in the doorway holding the torch and looking at me.
“You know I cannot,” he says, then points at me. “Come.”
I’m frozen in place, unable to force myself to take even one step forward. I try. In my head, for an instant, I can see myself being the hero. This being my opportunity to break free. I rush forward and strike this guard, knocking him out of my way. Then I bolt down the hallway to freedom.
It’s an all to brief instant of mental gymnastics before reality settles in. I can’t escape and even if I did, what then? I can’t get back to the Zmaj and even if I could, how could I leave Dilacs behind? How would I find him and Khiara? The guard grunts, waves the torch, then takes a step closer.
“Tirska, must you? Can you not take me instead? Let me deal with the Shaman,” Rani says.
“I’m sorry, I can’t,” Tirska says. “You… you know how it is.”
Watching his face, I can honestly say I’m surprised. He seems to be listening to Rani. Who is she? Rani sighs heavily and the sadness in that sound is clear and weighted.
“You are a good Urr’ki Tirska,” Rani says. “Please, try to protect her.”
“I will do my best my Q—” he cuts himself off, drops his head, and clears his throat. “It will be as the Shaman wills.”
He clearly changes what he was going to say. He doesn’t look up, staring at the floor, and it looks like he might be blushing. It’s really hard to tell when an Urr’ki is blushing because of their green skin and more so because of the poor lighting.
“Thank you,” Rani says and the way she says it sounds as if he has agreed to everything she wanted.
He nods, grunts, then looks up to me at last. Something in his demeanor has changed. It’s softer, almost kinder, and when he motions for me to come it seems less harsh. I’m still terrified, but the change in him, Rani’s words, and time have given me strength. I walk forward feigning a confidence I do not feel.
