I decided to test the waters. “I’m thirsty.”
If I could get him to come closer, I could lash out with mecca through the bars and hopefully knock him out close enough to reach his keys.
“You’ll live,” he replied curtly and kept whittling. Argh! I decided the best thing I could do would be to fake sleep. Curling up on the straw mat, I faced the wall and stared out of the little drain grate there. Inside of it, I could see a few frozen blades of grass, so I focused on them for over an hour, all the while pinching my inner thigh to keep myself from dozing off. I could not fall asleep first. Eventually, he would move, drift off, or pee. Right?
As my patience waned, I decided I would give it only a little longer, and then I would just lash out with mecca anyway. I’d have to use more if he was alert, hit him really hard. Hopefully the power wouldn’t get out of control and kill me.
A shadow moved in front of the drain grate then and I froze, blinking a few times as I waited to see what was entering the hole. What in the…? A large tan hand passed in front of the rectangular grate and I had to force myself not to move. If the guard was watching me, I still wanted him to think I was asleep. The hand passed a small paper note through the grate bars and held it there in midair, one tip of the finger poking it through the bars. My heart nearly stopped beating as I reached out slowly, keeping my back stiff to the guard, and took the note. I let my fingers graze against the other hand, so the person knew I was alive. Clearly this drain led to the outside world, and had thankfully been just large enough for the male to shove his note through. In a flash the hand was gone, and the frozen blades of grass became my only view again.
It was dark in the cell but not pitch black. The lights in the hallway outside my cell still shone. Slowly I unrolled the note and glanced down at it. I was relieved to see it was written in English, a rough masculine scrawl.
I’m Kade’s brother. I saw where they took him and I’m going to free him. My wife is waiting by the eastern gate where her brother is a guard. She has a horse for you and Kade. Break out and get there and you can be free. She can only wait until first light, then the changing of the guard happens.
Be well.
Kian
My heart was pounding in my throat as I gingerly folded the parchment and tucked it into my bra for safe keeping. Holy … holy crap! I had been right, Kade’s brother had been living in the Otherworld this entire time. He had a wife and child. My mind was reeling.
I wasn’t sure if fae could sense heartbeats, so I closed my eyes for a few moments and just breathed to settle myself. Meditation always calmed me, so I drew on that training, and let my essence flow free, just enough to have my heart steady again and my mind relaxed. Well, some of it. The other part was mentally rereading that note.
Kade’s brother was on his way to rescue him, and I had an escape plan. This changed everything. I said a silent prayer then: Dear Universe, when I roll over, please let this man be asleep. Double please.
Ever so slowly, I craned my neck.
Mutha—
He was still cutting that stupid piece of wood. He seemed really into it though, because he didn’t notice I had moved. I slowly rolled my head back and stared at the wall. Okay, time for a new plan. I was proficient enough with mecca now that I was pretty sure I could manipulate the door lock – well, enough that I would be able to get out of this cell. Of course, then I would have to use more mecca to take out the whittler, and that might be too much channeling of energy in one day. Without Kade here to filter the mecca if it began to drown me, I could end up passed out or dead. I needed to conserve it and play this smart. Just when I had resolved myself to try using too much mecca, the man spoke.
“Girlie! You awake?”
I kept my breathing calm and even, feigning a deep sleep. Another few moments passed and then I heard rustling and the sound of retreating footsteps. The universe had just answered my call. I assumed he went to the bathroom, which meant there wasn’t a moment to waste. Flipping over I scanned the hall outside my cell and saw that he was indeed gone. As I popped up to my feet I was already calling the mecca to me. My hands warmed, and that intense new power inside of me flared to life.
Crossing the cell in a few swift steps, I held my hands over the lock, blasting it with power, purple sparks shooting out like a firework show. The metal immediately grew hot, changing from rusty brown to a deep glowing red. After a few moments, I cut off the mecca power and stepped back. With one hard kick the door burst open. Thank mecca. I was even more relieved that so far I didn’t have a headache from the use of my power.
First order of business, I needed a weapon and a disguise. Stepping out of the room I took a left, the same way the wood whittler had gone, the way out. I passed half a dozen cells, trying my best not to look into them. I wanted to save everyone here, but in doing so I would probably not escape myself. And then the other little girl would die. It was a hard choice, one I hated to make. Hopefully I’d figure out a way to help the prisoners of the winter queen.
I paused as I passed a small alcove. Maybe my luck was looking up, because nestled above the small outcropping of stone there was a sickle. The curved blade was large, the handle ornately carved from what looked like bone. It was a macabre display though, dried blood remained across the blade, but that was okay. It was a weapon.
Pulling it from the wall, I was surprised to see a glint of sharp steel shining under the grime. I wasn’t an expert or anything, but I was thinking this might be elven made. Perfect! Turning, I padded down the hall, before the sound of footsteps had me freezing and shrinking back into a small curved section of wall.
As the footsteps got louder, I raised the sickle and prepared to fight. I would not go back into that cage, I would not risk the life of a little girl. The whittler went by my alcove. He was stumbling a little, barely paying attention. He was almost passed, and I was just congratulating myself on the third piece of luck for the night, when he must have caught sight of me in his peripherals.