“Looks can be deceiving.”
“I guess, but it seems strange. Why is she so important that they sent four people to retrieve her? If she’s so dangerous and all, why not leave her there to die?” Erin brought up an important point, and I had no idea how to explain it.
The girl looked frail and harmless, but she saved Frid when she did not have to. Of course, that may also be because she was smart, and knew having more people fighting to get you free was the better strategy. Or she was trying to look all innocent, hoping that we would drop our suspicions and then she could escape.
“Hey, Ty, I didn’t want to bring it up in front of the others, but I saw Gabrielle in the palace.” Erin stilled watching me.
I turned away, concealing my emotions. An enormous weight pressed on my chest and all I wanted was to punch Erin right in his curious face.
“She seemed well,” he continued.
I approached the table and poured myself a glass of water. My wounds had not healed all the way. I could still feel all the pain that the mere mention of her name brought. She was the one who gave me up when the promise of a better life in the capital and an engagement to a wealthy man from another clan was offered to her. She tossed me aside as if I meant nothing. I was certainly nothing to her now. I believed myself a rational man, but every time someone brought up her name, the pain would always return no matter how much time passed.
Except, all I felt was a never ending sense of betrayal from the person I believed to be the love of my life. Against my will, my memories brought back those two years we were together and I clenched my jaw. I was too young and naive at the age of seventeen. I believed that there was a way for me to be happy, to have a family, to have someone who would wait for me after every mission. And she was so striking with her dark brown, smooth hair and the tiny dimples in her cheeks.
Frid, Sol, and Victor had seen everything that happened first hand. Not one of them brought her name up even onceafter she broke our engagement and left. The truth was, I could not even blame her. There was nothing I could offer her in return. I was the youngest son of a lord with two older brothers who would take control of the clan after his death. The days of glory for our house were long gone, and we had been reduced to near extinction. Every capable man and woman left the lands to serve other clans, refusing to wear our colors and trying hard to forget where they came from.
“Good for her,” I said, knowing that I had to say something.
“You have to move on, man,” Erin continued.
I stared at him, fighting a wave of anger.
“There are so many girls out there,” Erin added.
I was already by the door. When I was out in the corridor, I bumped into Frid. She was returning to her room with a towel on her shoulder. She had changed her clothes, and her hair was wet.
“Alfrida, you look magnificent,” Erin greeted the girl.
I scowled, hating that he was following me.
“Where’s the prisoner?” I asked.
“In the room. Why?” she responded with a question.
“Don’t leave her alone,” I ordered.
“Do you think she will try to escape?” Frid tilted her head.
“Yes,” I said.
“Ty, there’s no place to go,” she pointed out.
“Do you know what they’ll do to us if she escapes?” I glanced at Erin, who was surprisingly silent.
“But there’s no place to go. The city is surrounded by crawlers,” Frid protested.
I stared at her, not saying anything else, and I could sense her confidence had lessened.
“Alright, I will shadow her every moment of the day.” Frid patted her wet hair with the towel.
“What should I do for you to shadow me?” Erin smirked.
“Why are you still here? I thought you were heading back to the capital.” Frid glanced at the blond man.
“I’m leaving in the morning. They don’t know how long it takes to travel these days and I’d rather have a good sleep before I fly for two more days. It’s time for dinner, Alfrida. Get your prisoner and come down.”
Erin was still talking as I knocked on the door where Victor and Sol were staying.
