Something akin to lightning strikes me and I stumble to the door of my cell, trying to get a glimpse of the person who just spoke. The cell they put me in is right at the bottom of the row, giving me a sense of privacy, but it also means I cannot see who is standing in the corridor. Iknowthat voice. Caleb has come for me.
“We have been told not to let anyone in to see her, my lord.” The guard sounds so weak in comparison to the authority present in Caleb’s voice and I can almost imagine the look on his face.
“As one of the gods chosen, I have the right to bless someone before their death.” Caleb pauses and I feel the shift in the air despite not being able to see the conversation. “Or do you want to go against the will of the gods?”
“No! No, of course not, my lord.”
Those who wear the white bands are afforded many privileges that others are not, and if anyone else had tried to speak to a guard that way, they would be treated harshly. I don’t know how Caleb got into the castle, but I’m so relieved and eager to see a friendly face that I don’t care.
Footsteps approach and I scurry back to the far side of the cell, hardly able to contain myself. Metal keys clink together and I see flashes of one of the guards through the small window in the door. After what feels like a lifetime, it swings open and a familiar figure fills the entrance. He steps over the threshold and I hold my breath, afraid that if I move too suddenly I might wake from this dream. It has to be a dream, right? How else would he be here, looking at me with such an intensity my gut clenches tightly.
Standing like statues, the both of us wait for the door to shut and the sound of the guards retreating before we dare to move. In his sleeveless tunic and gleaming white cloak, he could very well be a statue carved in marble.
“Caleb.” My voice is barely a whisper but it seems to break the spell over us.
Taking a huge inhale of air, he steps forward, but I beat him to it and race forward. Leaping, I throw myself at him, knowing he’ll catch me. I’ve not had physical contact with him in years and certainly not since I became sullied. Still, the feel of his body is familiar beneath my touch, his robes soft and covering the hard muscle beneath. A thrill flares through me, old, buried feeling resurfacing at his touch.
He holds me tight, whispering something quietly under his breath. I can’t hear what he says, but it doesn’t matter. He’s here, that is all that counts right now. I inhale his scent deeply, committing it to memory. After all, this might be the last time that I ever see him.
His hands grip my shoulders and he pushes me back enough so he can look into my eyes. Scanning me from top to bottom, he seems to be searching for something, his expression set in a worried frown. “Are you okay? Have they hurt you?”
“No, I’m fine.” I know he’s asking about my injuries but none of them are really bothering me. At least, physically. Mentally I bare scars that will stay with me for life, however long that may be. Shaking my head I change the subject. “Caleb, how are you here?”
Glancing over his shoulder, he moves over to the door to make sure the guards have retreated far enough not to be able to hear us talking. “I traded duties with one of the other chosen,” he explains, returning to me and placing his hand on my cheek. “I’m not here to bless you though, I’m going to get you out of here.”
How is it that a gesture so simple as touching my cheek makes me loose all sense? Warmth spreads through my body and some something lights up inside me, a spark of hope pushing back my worries. Caleb is here to rescue me. There is a part of me that rebels from this idea. I’ve already made a deal with Kit that should see me free, if the king keeps his side of the deal. I didn’t need Caleb to rescue me. I am not some helpless damsel who isn’t able to take care of herself, not when I’ve survived six years as sullied when most don’t last a full year.
He didn’t do anything to help you when you were made sullied, a dark thought whispers in my mind.Nor did he try to help you after that, so why now?
That isn’t totally true, he did look out for me over the years. He would have been punished if he was caught helping the sullied.
“Caleb…” I’m dumbstruck by his show of action. Caleb follows the rules, he always has, so seeing him like this has taken me aback. For a brief moment I get lost in the spontaneity of his words. Should I go with him? He’s my friend, I trust him and he would keep me safe.
That strange new feeling of hope is quickly squashed though, his words finally registering in my mind. Doubt starts to worm its way into my thoughts. If he gets caught he would be stripped of his rank and probably hung for his crimes. They would want to make an example of him, to show that no one is above the law, not even the Chosen. Even if we did manage to get away, he would lose his position of one of the gods chosen and I know how proud he was to be chosen. We would have to leave the city, and that would mean leaving Ella behind.
No, I can’t do it. Not to mention there is no way we would make it out of the maze of a palace and city without being caught. There are guards everywhere. Where would we go? According to the king, there is no life outside the walls of Rune,save for the cities on other continents. Could we really survive without the protection of the city and make it to another land?
“I have a plan.” He grips my shoulders again, his expression manic as he smiles down at me. “I will come back for you in an hour, you need to be ready to leave.”
He’s serious about this. My chest is tight as I waver between hope and dread. I know the reality of my situation and that any plan he concocts won’t work. Not to mention I don’t even know what the time is, and I have no way of knowing when the hour is up. Without windows it’s impossible to know. There are too many variables at play here.
“Caleb, it won’t work.” Reaching up, I place my hand on his arm. “We will be seen. What about the guards outside? They won’t just let us walk out.”
His gaze is locked on where I’m touching him, and although it was meant as a gesture to help him focus and see the potholes in his plan, if anything, he seems more determined than before.
“When I come back for you, I’m going to take you to the temple,” he begins, brushing over my concerns. “You need to tell the guards that you want to confess your sins before the gods. They cannot deny you that, it is written into law. Then when we get to the temple, I’ll insist that just myself and you will go into the prayer room.” He smiles breathlessly, gripping my hands. “We can slip away then.”
I have to admit that it’s not a bad plan all things considering. However, it’s still too risky, I won’t put him on the line. He is my oldest friend and I could never do that to him. His work for the gods is his whole life, he would have to give all of that up.
“Why are you doing this?” I don’t understand where any of this is coming from.
Clearly this isn’t what he expected me to say, his brows pulling down into a confused frown, as though the answer is obvious. “You’re my friend and this isn’t right.” There is a longpause and I simply continue to watch him. His eyes have always been so expressive and I know there is something more that he’s not saying. I don’t know how much time we have together, but this feels important.
He glances down at my hand again and sighs deeply. He lifts his head and I’m surprised by the sadness I sees. “Look, Kiara. When you were re-designated to sullied, I did nothing to stop it.”
I still, his words hitting me heavily. He’s right, but he wasn’t the only one. The law is very clear when it comes to the sullied, there is to benocontact with that person ever again. My father immediately disowned me and all of my friends disappeared. It was as though I had died.
“You couldn’t have done anything to stop it; it only would have caused you more trouble.” I try to explain this to him but I can see that it isn’t helping, if anything, it seems to only intensify his feelings.
