He squeezed her hand again. “I promise that, no matter what, you will make it out alive.”
She noticed that he said you and not we. Before she could question him, he stood and retreated to his own cot, leaving her cold and alone.
Allyssa promised herself right then and there that she would never lose sight of the fact that her people came first.
Chapter Seven
“Wake up,” Soma barked.
Allyssa peeled her eyelids open. A soldier hovered above her. She flew upright, and he grabbed her arm, dragging her off the cot. Another soldier did the same to Odar.
“What’s going on?” she demanded, her voice still gravely from sleep.
Soma stood near the tent’s exit. “No talking.” He wore a thick wool cape, which concealed his tunic bearing the royal family’s crest. His eyes were pulled tight, and his good hand rested on the hilt of his sword. “If either of you so much as blinks from here to the horses, you’ll wish you were dead.” He reached up and pulled his hood on, hiding his face in shadow. “Let’s go.” He exited the tent.
The soldier shoved Allyssa forward, and she moved to the exit, glancing over her shoulder at Odar. He followed close behind, his face not giving anything away. She stepped outside. Cold air whipped around her body. The sun had not yet risen, and a thick fog blanketed the tents in the dull gray of dawn.
Allyssa followed Soma through the silent camp, her boots softly crunching on the dirt. She almost asked when the men rose to do practice drills, but remembered Soma’s threat and refrained from speaking.
A man stepped around the corner of a tent, blocking their path. Soma continued, as if the man wasn’t there. Just before they collided, the man stepped aside. He towered over the assassin and weighed twice as much. “What are you doing, Prince?” the man asked, his voice deep and throaty. He said the word prince with a hint of disgust. Tattoos covered the side of his face—black swirls ending in knife points. They reminded her of Darmik’s tattoos on his lower neck and chest.
“None of your business, Brookfel,” Soma replied.
Brookfel smiled, scanning Allyssa and Odar before returning his focus to Soma. “It may not be my business, but it certainly is Prince Kerdan’s. As a captain of this army, he outranks you. Now, tell me what you’re doing here.” He folded his arms across his beefy chest and took a step closer to the assassin.
Soma shifted his weight, a small blade clutched in his hand. “I’m returning home. Since I was in the vicinity, I decided to sleep here for the night. That is all.” He resumed walking.
Odar headed after Soma, his guard close behind. Allyssa hesitated. Would this man, Brookfel, help her? She glanced up and found him watching her. She went to take a step toward him, but Odar cleared his throat, gaining her attention. He waved her over, and she hurried to catch up with him.
“Brookfel is a member of Prince Kerdan’s elite squad,” Odar whispered. “If he knew your identity, you’d be gutted and sent back to your parents in pieces.”
She shuddered. “And here I thought Soma was the bad one.”
“The assassin is deadly like a poisonous snake. On the other hand, Prince Kerdan and his men are vicious like a pack of hungry wolves that will tear you apart.”
At the edge of the military base, a man stood holding three horses. Behind him, half a dozen soldiers were mounted and ready to ride. The assassin climbed on one of the horses. “Hurry,” he barked. She glanced back, not seeing any soldiers roaming about the camp.
The man escorting Allyssa grabbed her around the waist, lifting her onto a horse. He secured her hands together with rope, then handed the reins to one of the mounted soldiers. She fought the urge to scream. Being on a horse was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Odar was similarly situated, a different soldier holding the reins of his horse. Prince Soma raised his arm, and everyone began to move out.
“Why the additional men?” Allyssa asked. Maybe the assassin wouldn’t paralyze them since there were so many soldiers.
Soma shot her a dark look. “Now that we are in Russek, stealth is no longer necessary.”
She snorted. If stealth was no longer necessary, then why did they just sneak out of the camp?
“The king is due to arrive here tomorrow,” one of the soldiers stated. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for your stepfather?”
Allyssa noted the lack of title. If one of her own soldiers spoke to her in such a way, she’d reprimand him immediately. Soma slowed his horse, coming alongside the soldier. “What’s your name?”
“Vladek.”
In one swift motion, Soma grabbed Vladek’s hand, slicing off his ring finger. Vladek screamed, and Soma pulled him so they were face to face. “Let this be a reminder. Do not question me. Ever.” He released Vladek and nudged his horse faster. The soldiers did the same, trying to keep up with the assassin. Allyssa glanced behind her. The tents were already small dots on the horizon. Perhaps she should have taken her chances with Brookfel.
***
The deeper into Russek they traveled, the harsher the weather and landscape became. The air turned bitter and cold. The green valley gave way to rocky mountains.
They rode all day until they came to a village. Small, single-story shacks lined the only road. Some of the doors hung loose on their hinges, giving the village an abandoned feel. Maybe it was due to the upcoming war, or maybe this village only existed to house those passing by. Soma led them to a crude, two-story building with the word Lodging painted above the front door. He ordered four of the soldiers to take the horses to the stables around back. The remaining two accompanied them inside. A dozen or so round tables were situated throughout a square room, a single torch lighting the space. The hearth was empty.
“Anyone here?” Soma called out.
A woman in her thirties wearing a worn apron appeared. Soma secured three rooms for the night and ordered food. When the woman left, they sat at one of the tables, no one speaking. A few minutes later, the woman returned with bowls of stew. Allyssa raised her bound wrists toward Soma, but he shook his head.
“How am I supposed to eat?”
“I’m sure you can figure something out.”
Odar had already grabbed his spoon and was shoveling stew into his mouth despite having his wrists tied together. Allyssa sighed and attempted to do the same. The food was barely warm and had an odd taste to it. She couldn’t quite identify the meat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the woman huddled in the doorway to the kitchen, watching her.