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“Do not fear, I will be hidden in the carriage with you too,” he says.
“No, it’s, uh, it’s fine,” I lie.
It’s not fine. It’s very much not fine. It’s awful. I can’t stand the idea of being in a tight space, but what choice do I have?
Someone opens the door and backed right up to it is a large carriage. The General walks over and presses on one side. A hidden door drops to reveal a hidden space below the garbage and refuse piled onto the cart. My stomach sinks and I take an involuntary step back.
No. I can’t. I can’t do this.
Rani tightens her grip on my arm and guides me towards the cart. She leans close and whispers.
“I will go first. We will be fine,” she says then climbs into the small space.
She fits, which is a surprise because it looks too small. I don’t want to, fear is trying to force me to run away, but there is too much riding on this. I close my eyes and climb into the space, scooting in close until I am pressed against Rani.
The General climbs in filling what little space is left and taking over a chunk of my space too.
I’m okay. I’m okay.
The hidden door snaps closed and I’m anything but fine.
38
DILACS
Maulavi push their way through the streets in force. The City Guard are also everywhere. They’re stopping anyone with their heads covered, making them pull back their hoods, and inspecting faces. I press deeper into the shadows of the alley, waiting for an opportunity to move unseen.
When they’ve moved out of sight, I slip down the alley. Soon they’ll be here too. There isn’t much time to get away. They must know who they’re looking for now, which means they’ll also be looking for Khiara. Which means…
No. I growl without letting the thought fully form. He will protect her.
Deeper into the alleys I break into a run. I need to get to the outer edges. Khiara is smart. He’ll take the Queen to the Resistance, find Janara, and then what? The only option is to get out of the city. None of us are safe here, not now. We know too much.
The Queen is alive. She was imprisoned. If the people find out what is happening, they will revolt. The Shaman will lose control.
It never seemed possible, but now, with the Queen, it is. And we’d never have found her if not for Gweneth being captured. What a twist of fate.
I’m coming close to the end of this alley. The street ahead is mostly empty. I slow my pace and move in closer to the shadows. A refuse cart is backed up to a hovel off to one side. Strange timing for it.
I creep up to the mouth of the alley and watch until I recognize one of the drivers who I know is with resistance. These are the people I need to find. I don’t run out to greet them, not yet. The Maulavi are looking for me and giving away my position would be folly. I watch as the drivers snap the cart into motion. The beasts mewl, resisting the whip, then slowly move until the harnesses pull tight and the cart creaks into motion.
I watch it pull away. Four males fall in behind it. They’re acting casual, as if they only happen to be traveling in the same direction, but it’s clear that they are alert and guarding. They expect trouble.
It makes me look closer at the cart then I see it. The cracks along the side, the height of the refuse, the cart has a false bottom. And I know who it hides. I have no legitimate way of knowing it, but I am certain of the truth of it. Gweneth is in there.
My heart sings and a smile spreads over my face. I climb the wall next to me and take the roofs, following the cart to the edge of the city.
I leap across the alley from one rooftop to the next and land hard. My ankle twists as my weight comes down on it. I grab my leg, pulling it tight and suppress the howl that tries to escape. I have entirely too many hurts to be doing this, but I can’t follow them on the street. I’ve seen eight Maulavi, four of them in disguise and unrecognizable if they hadn’t been questioning people.
The cart is heading to the refuse dump and almost to the outer edge. The pain in my ankle eases. I roll and twist my foot and it hurts, but nothing is broken. I climb back to my feet but putting my full weight on it hurts even worse. I grit my teeth and push through.
I creep my way to the edge of the building to get my bearings. The cart is almost a block ahead now. One more block and they’ll be past the outer edge but when I look there my stomach tightens.
A mix of Maulavi and guards block the tunnel, inspecting every cart coming through. The cart, my cart, slows. They see the problem too but they’re too late to turn away. If they do it will raise even more suspicion.
Even from here I watch the drivers debate how to handle it, then come to the same conclusion I have. Two of the guards are walking down the line of waiting carts, talking to the drivers. The front guards and Maulavi are inspecting every cart carefully.
I need to be in a better position to help if they need it. I make my way to the edge of this building. There are two more buildings between me and the tunnel. Two alleys, two jumps. One badly sprained ankle, innumerable bruises, and who knows how much other damage, but none of those matters. I cannot let anything stop me from being in a position to be able to save her.
