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Eyeing the distance to the edge of the roof I give myself a little extra room to run, allowing for my injured ankle.
Every step hurts worse, but I keep going. I leap and fly for the next building. I land better this time, though it was close. I let myself collapse and lie on the roof waiting for the pain recede while also listening to see if I was spotted.
No alarms are raised so I climb to my feet and move forward in a crouch. I reach the edge of this building and check on the cart. They’re three carts back now. The guards and Maulavi are focused on the task in front of them and no one is looking up.
I move back to get a running start and then go. Right as I jump my ankle gives out. My jump is going to come up short. I know it the moment I take air. The next roof comes closer. Closer. Then the wall is looming. I reach, stretching, and my fingertips hook just on the top of it.
I drop, slamming against the wall with a whoof as the air is forced out of my lungs. As my full weight drops my shoulders and neck are painfully jarred, almost to the point of dislocating.
I scrabble my feet against the smooth stone of the wall, searching for purchase. I pull, weary muscles trembling with the effort, I slowly drag myself up. My chin crests the top of the wall.
Gweneth. I’m coming.
I find the strength as I think of her and manage to climb over the edge. I hook one arm then swing my leg up and then I’m able to roll the rest of the way over. I stare up at the blackness that hides the ceiling of the cavern panting. Heart hammering, muscles trembling, and every part of my body screaming with pain.
“Late to be dumping refuse,” a voice says. “Where do you get so much?”
“It’s our job,” another voice answers.
That’s her cart. They are suspicious. Gada.
No more time for pain or delay. I roll to my stomach and crawl across the roof on my belly. When I reach the edge of the roof I peer over and down on the cart. Four guards and two Maulavi surround the cart. One of them is questioning the driver, the others are going over the cart with careful eyes.
Gada.
I drop below the edge of the room. I only have a moment to act. I know, deep in my heart, she is hiding somewhere in that cart. Odds are great that the Queen is in there too and while the Queen is the main target of this search, there is one thing that will create enough of a stir to let them get away.
Me. I sigh. I’m sorry Gweneth. Perhaps it wasn’t meant to be for us in this world, but I will find you in the next. I promise.
39
GWENETH
My breath is rapid yet still barely keeping time with the thundering of my heart. I hear them talking outside the dark, dank, too tight confines but it’s in Urr’ki so I have no idea what is being said. Panic is rising and it’s all I can do to keep it contained to a slight trembling.
I want to scream. To break out of here and run like hell is on my heels and let’s be honest, hell is here. All around me and closing in tighter with every passing second. Right as I reach the point I don’t think I can take it anymore Rani runs a hand down my side and leans in close.
“We are fine,” she whispers. “They inspect all the carts.”
I bite my lip and nod, too afraid to speak. I don’t want to be the cause of us getting caught. Someone or something slaps the side of the cart and I can’t help but jump but there’s no room to move. All I do is bounce off the General and into Rani.
It sounds like someone is scraping along the side of the cart with something sharp. I can’t see and don’t know what’s happening but then Rani gasps. It’s a soft sound but arch with pain. I can’t even turn to offer her any comfort. I’m trapped in the position in which I entered the space, on my side and smashed between them.
“Down with the Shaman!”
Dilacs? How? What? No…
I know his voice the instant I hear it though. There is no mistaking it or the way my heart speeds up hearing it for an entirely different reason. He’s here. He’s alive and he’s rescuing me. Us.
There is a lot of commotion, shouts, screams, scraping of steel, then before I can say or do anything the cart lurches forward so hard and fast that the three of us slam painfully against the wall at our feet. Cracking whips echo back as the beasts that pull screech in protest. We’re tossed up, down, and side-to-side relentlessly.
I bang my head hard and stars dance in the darkness. The General says something in his language that sounds like a string of cursing. It probably is, I wish I knew more curse words. This hurts and is terrifying.
Dilacs… don’t you die. If you die I’ll find you and kill you again. Damn it.
The cart leans hard. The General falls into me and I fall into Rani. All three of us cry out in surprise and us girls in pain as his much bigger frame crushes us. Poor Rani must be totally crushed with both of our weights on her.
“Gada,” the General curses. He’s scrambling, swinging his legs which means he’s kicking the shit out of me.
