AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"The what? There's a—"
"I suggest you be silent," he snapped.
I closed my mouth and tried to catch Knox's eyes.
He wouldn't look at me directly.
Did he think I had done what the other soldiers assumed?
I wanted to tell him I hadn't. I didn't. If he was so determined to hold onto his pretence, then I would wait. At least for now. I'd wait until I had time to explain. Hades willing, there would be time.
And Hades.
How long would it take for Comus to be ready to go after him and Hecate? Where did gods and goddesses hide, anyway? They might be in dragon form, for all I knew. Or tadpoles. Hecate might be a speck of dust on the wind, or the petal of a veil flower.
The soldiers marched me down the stairs and toward the front of the citadel. If they took me outside, I could run. I could run now, if I wanted to, but that would make me look guilty. Besides, with the blindfold covering my eyes on the way up, I didn't know the way out. At least, not without blasting a path through the forest, or risking getting wildly lost. Neither option held much appeal.
I blinked as they led me outside into the sunshine. After days in the gloom, I had forgotten how bright the world was, even in the hours after dawn.
Knox released my arm and stepped aside, sword still in hand. "I think she can walk by herself."
"You know what power—" one of the soldiers started.
"She can use it any time she chooses," Knox said. "Whether or not we touch, or even tie her up. This way, she is more likely to cooperate."
"Yes," I said quickly. "I am. I have nothing to hide, I won't be—"
I let out a squeak as Knox lunged toward me. I started to use my power to fend him off, but he stepped past me at the last moment.
The other soldier was caught by surprise, but he managed to bring up his sword and parry before Knox relieved him of his arm. He pushed Knox back and forced him to go on the defensive.
I hesitated, reluctant to use my power in case I hurt Knox, or gave the other soldiers more reason to think of me as a threat.
The soldier pushed Knox back toward an outcrop. Beyond that was a sheer drop.
Before I could react to stop him from plunging over, a knife appeared in the soldier's back and blood blossomed, slick on his black uniform.
"What the fuck?"
"Viva!" Kerina stepped out of the trees several metres from the entrance to the citadel. "There you are."
I blinked. For the second time in as many seconds, I said, "What the fuck? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you." Kerina was followed by Bain and a woman I didn't know.
"That was your knife?"
The soldier lay where he had fallen and Knox stood close, an eye on him while he still twitched.
"Who else?" Kerina shrugged.
"You dare?" the lead soldier roared. It wasn't clear who he was talking to. Maybe all of us.
"We dare," Bain agreed. "You might be outnumbered, depending on what you say next." He sounded quite reasonable.
"This—woman is a murderer." The man waved toward me with one hand. The other rested on his sword hilt. "She murdered two people in cold blood. Possibly a third."
"I see." Bain nodded. "Would you say she's a threat to the Vault?"
