The morning came too quickly. My body became alert almost the instant I heard movement at the cellar door. My limbs felt cold and sluggish. It had been a long time since I’d felt the bite of nippy air. The tiger in me had always kept me warm. It was strange being just me again. Not only was I missing my furry half but I found I was longing for the connection I felt with the goddess as well.
Though the young version of her sat very close, our link had been severed. It was as if the goddess and all that she was had never existed. The world needed her. With a start, I realized I needed her too. There was a great comfort in feeling the steady presence of someone always at your side. Even when we were apart, she was like an anchor tethering me not only to her but to the world.
As I reflected, I found I missed her glower and her self-assurance. Her mocking laugh, the one that used to irritate me, had somehow changed into something self-deprecating instead of a thing she used to hurt me. Now that I knew her better, I could see it for what it was. She’d been testing me, pushing me, to find out if I’d stay or if I’d run. Too often I’d run. The irony was, it took the remembrances of my younger self to realize Ana’s worth.
On the outside, she was fearsome, beautiful, untouchable. But I’d seen her melt whenever she found a child who needed her. I’d watched as she fought tooth and nail to defend the weak. She took no thought for herself. There was not a vain bone in her body. She was loyal to a fault and expected the same from her men and, I realized, from me. I was the companion the universe had fashioned for her and yet my heart and mind had never been hers. Not fully.
A man with a torch came down the row of cages and pulled out the children, encasing their thin wrists in iron and hobbling their ankles so they couldn’t run. They were given a sip of water, a crust of bread, and then were assigned various tasks. One by one they headed upstairs, disappearing from view.
When they passed by me, their wide eyes glanced toward my cage, and I could see they recognized me as the storyteller. A few smiled tentatively. The most frightening thing about watching the procession was seeing the relief on their faces when they were told they’d be spending the day sweeping floors, beating rugs, or helping carry wood to the kitchens. If they were happy about that, something else was seriously wrong. Soon the cellar was nearly empty, leaving Anamika and me as the only remaining captives.
A few men stopped at her cage. “You’ll be serving the master personally again tonight, so I’d get some rest while you can,” one of them said, tossing a crust of bread at her and handing through a cup of water. The man laughed. His smarmy expression confirmed my deepest fears. “He’s taken quite a liking to you. Can’t say I blame him though. It’s those eyes of hers, isn’t it?” he asked his companion.
“Imagine what she’ll look like in a couple years,” his fellow said and whistled.
“True,” the first man said, then frowned. “Of course, he’ll wear her out long before she becomes a woman.”
Enraged, I sprang to my feet and wrapped my hands tightly around the bars of my cage. My temper boiled hot enough to melt the iron. “Don’t even speak to her,” I warned, my voice hushed and menacing. “If either of you come near her again, I will kill you. Your pain and suffering will be so slow and terrible you’ll beg for death. That I promise you.”
One of the men inched back as if sensing my sincerity. The other boldly stepped forward and insinuated that I, too, must have a thing for green eyes. That was the last mistake the man made. Quick as a snake, my hand shot out and I grabbed the front of his shirt. Yanking him toward me hard, I bashed his face against the cage. His nose broke and blood streamed down his face. Before he could reach for his sword, I pushed his hand away and took it myself.
Grabbing the scrambling man’s neck, I ran him through the belly, then yanked the sword back to stab his friend as well, but the man hurried toward the stairs, shouting for help. Lifting the sword, I slammed it down on the lock of my cage, shoved the dead man aside, and did the same to Ana’s lock. When it broke, I opened her cage and beckoned her forward. She shook her head, her green eyes wide and frightened.
“I won’t hurt you,” I said. “I promise. Your father sent me to rescue you.”
“My…my father?” she asked.
“Yes. It was all I could do to prevent Sunil from following me.” I tried to smile but feared it looked more like a grimace.
Her eyes filled with tears at the mention of her brother, and she reached up a trembling hand and placed it in mine. She got up hesitantly as I glanced at the open cellar door. It was only a matter of time until reinforcements showed up, and moving slowly to encourage her trust was eating up the minutes. I tried not to think about what had been done to her, especially when I saw her limp. When I felt sure she’d come with me, I said, “Now stay behind me. I’m going to have to fight. When we get upstairs, I want you to find a place to hide. I’ll come for you, I promise.”
She nodded and we started up to the cellar door. A mercenary met me at the top, but I dispatched him quickly enough and threw his body down the stairs. Reaching back behind me, I felt for Ana and brushed her shoulder with my fingertips. I tried to ignore the fact that she immediately pulled away. “Come on,” I said gently. “We’ve got to keep going.”
My eyes stung in the light after being trapped in the dark for so long. I was met only by the frightened faces of two children when we reached the main level of the house. I gestured that they should join us and get behind me. We made slow progress through the rooms. The clinking chains of the children made me wince. Soon I had Anamika and six of the others. I had no idea how I was going to get us out safely. With the number of men guarding the citadel, it was practically impossible, but I had to try.
I held my finger to my lips to keep the children quiet as I peeked in room after room. They were all empty. As silently as I could, I opened cupboards, looking for more weapons or for keys to the children’s chains, but found nothing except a kitchen knife. I slid it into the waistband of the sash wrapped around my waist. Creeping through the house, I came upon the front door and opened it just a crack. There were too many guards.
Pressing my head against the door, I whispered a silent plea for help though I didn’t really know who could help me. The children followed me to the back of the house, moving as soundlessly as they could. It was surprising just how good they were at being quiet. It wasn’t right. Children should be laughing and playing, not cowering in fear.
My eyes took in everything as we passed through the back of the house—the lack of adults, the hasty mess that been left in a recently vacated kitchen, the pile of dirt on a half-swept floor. This was a trap. I could feel it. When I peeked out the back door and saw no one, I breathed a little sigh of relief. Turning to the children, I warned them to stay behind me and follow my lead. From the angle of the sun, I could tell it was midmorning. We made it all the way to the corner of the house, but there were too many men for me to get past.