She would not meet my eyes. I brought her back into the shelter of the cave until the worst of the rain had passed. I felt her eyes upon me as I searched Bandar's satchel for dry clothes. Each time I turned in her direction she shifted her gaze—afraid of me.
I too had cold fear chilling in my veins, not at what I had done but at what I had discovered in Bandar's belongings. The leather satchel held bindings, knives and instruments that I could not name but I knew to fear. Sharp, ugly—made for pain. There was food and several changes of clothes. He had planned to stay for some time. To torture us perhaps for days.
Sadistic and insane—and yet she feared me.
I dressed quickly in Bandar's clothes, using the binding from his satchel to fashion a belt. I tied it off with shaking hands. "As soon as the worst of the rain has passed we'll leave."
She nodded. Her face turned from me. I bundled up Bandar's belongings, binding the satchel flap twice, just to keep my hands busy. "Leia, you need not fear me."
Tears swam in the fear filled eyes that finally met mine. "I know sister that you would never seek to hurt me, but the lightening...it came from your hands...it burnt, it..." She shook her head, unable to finish her sentence.
I swallowed hard and pulled the satchel up onto my shoulder. "I'll check outside, we'll leave soon."
"To Askel? Should we go..."
"No!" She jumped at my shout.
She feared me but not Askel?
That thought stung like a slap. The one responsible for bringing me to Bandar. I cleared my throat. "Askel cannot save us sister. He is part of the problem."
"He would not hurt me."
"No I do not think he would hurt you, but he would use you to get to me. I can't risk it Leia."
"All right." She nodded and squared her slight shoulders. "We'll go then. Wherever you say."
She did not sound so certain, but her words gave me some comfort. "Thank you."
"Where shall we go?"
It wasn't until she asked that my decision was made. "The Night Palace."
"To the Dark Masters? But..."
"To the Dark Prince and his son. We shall seek refuge there."
"Will you willingly tether to him?"
"I'll tether to no one sister. We shall not mention it again. There is no need for the Master's to learn of the tethering."
"Askel said if you..."
I raised a hand and cut her off. She flinched again, cowering like a dog hit once too often. I lowered my hand to my side and clenched it in a tight fist. "Askel said many things. What I say goes now. We'll not mention the tethering again. I can no longer hear the rain. Come let's go."
* * * *
I kept a brutal pace. Leia struggled, but kept it with me. Her breathing labored at times, I slowed but she shook her head and pushed on. Before the evening started to fall we paused to rest. It was the third such night we had done so. The cold dropped quickly like an icy shroud, I made a shelter but did not risk a fire.
Leia huddled beneath the rounded hut I had fashioned out of tree branches. Autumn stripped, the low lying branches were fairly easy to break from the trees. I bent them into an arch, weaving them together for strength. As soon as I had the basic structure I shepherded Leia inside. I continued to cover the frame with branches and vines for insulation. The night was bound to be cold.
"How do you know the way sister?" Leia spoke slowly, wheezing in breath between each word. The sound made me cringe.
"To the Night Palace?"
She nodded.
"When we fled from the Palace Hatha taught me how to navigate."
"Your handmaiden?"
I started to nod and then shook my head. "No, my friend. My guide."
She coughed, it shook her whole slight body.
I crouched down. I had avoided this for days but it seemed I could do it no longer. "Leia." She looked up at me with big deep blue eyes. "You are sheltered well here. I need to leave you now. You need wortroot. I'll go now before it is too dark and find some. I'll brew it for you. Your cough will ease."
She grabbed my arm as I tried to stand. "Be safe sister."
I stroked a hand across her spun gold hair smoothing it down. "I will sister."
Before I left I camouflaged the shelter with leaves. If she could tamp down her cough she would be well hidden.
We had passed a stream not a mile back. If I searched I would find the wortroot there, hidden between the damp rocks. I cursed myself that I had not thought to stopand collect some when we passed.
It was not as easy as I thought to find the root and by the time I had made my way back to camp with the meager offerings I had collected darkness had fallen. The copse I had secreted my sister in was silent. I called out softly as not to scare her with my approach. I heard nothing in return. I called out once more, louder this time. Nothing again.
I broke into a run. I tore apart the shelter, scratching my arms on the twigs and branches as I cleared away the cuttings.
She was gone.
Gone.
"Talia." The voice deep and warm blanketed me in heat as it filled me with fear.
Roth.
I had expected to see him—I was on my way to beg his protection for my sister—but on my terms, not deep in the forest with him holding my sister. I spun around meeting his black eyes with shoulders squared for battle.
He smiled. The corner of his beautiful mouth hooked up in bemusement.
"Where is the girl who sheltered here?" I did not name her sister in the hope that perhaps he had not made the connection.
"Your sister?"
I cursed, slumping my shoulders. "Yes. My sister."
"She is safe."
"I am to trust you?"
He took a step towards me. A wave of heat came with his movement. My knees gave slightly. "Have I lied to you my Chosen?"
I planted my legs, standing stiff and swallowed hard. "By omission Master, yes, you have."
He laughed. A rich sound that rolled over my skin. "By omission. What exactly have I omitted my Chosen?"
It was now or never. I had no more artifice, no strength for subterfuge. So I spoke the truth. "That I am The Vessel. That you wished to use me to bolster your forces against the Queen."
He inclined his head, his hip cocking slightly forward as he did. "You speak treason my Chosen. Tread carefully."
My heart pounded, thumping up to my throat. "Where is my sister?"
"Safe."
"With who? She needs medicine." I held up the wortroot still clutched in my fist. "She is frail."
"She is safe little warrior. She is safe."
The tether mark began to make time with my heartbeat, throbbing under the bandage. I raised at hand to press against the hurt and quickly thought better of it, dropping it down to my side.
"How did you find me?"
"How did you come to be here?"
Neither of us answered. We stood staring, daring each other to break. The tether mark hammered as if freshly beaten into my skin. It could sense him. Feel his power and yearned to harness to it.
"Talia. My Chosen." He stepped forward, gliding with his Master's grace. "I can help you."
I shook my head. On my terms. I wanted to come to him on my terms, not be rescued like some hapless maiden.
"Stubborn," he murmured taking my chin in his fingers. "So stubborn."
He brought his lips to mine. A blast of heat. A surge of power sparked like that of the lightening strike. White hot. The smell of burning light filled the air. I could smell it, taste it on his lips.
He felt it too. "What have you done?" he asked, drawing back to look into my eyes.
"What I had to," I whispered.
He asked no more, simply nodded and drew back from me. "Come. I will take you to your sister."
I followed him without question. Tired. Too tired to fight.
Four tents stood in a small clearing ten minutes walk from where Roth had found me. He had not come alone, three Vandarran Guard were waiting a respectful distance from our reunion. They circled behind me, acting as a walking prison cell.
Leia was seated at a fire. Clean and dressed in new clothes, she drank from a metal cup, carefully sipping the steaming contents. As soon as she saw me she threw the cup with complete disregard and ran to me. My heart swelled to bursting at the sight. There was not fear in her eyes, only relief that I was all right.
"Talia." She threw her slight arms around my waist and nestled her head against my chest.
"Shhhh, Leia. It's all right. It's all right." I pushed her away so I could check her over. "You've been treated well?" I asked as I looked from head to foot checking for evidence of maltreatment.
"I'm good. Better than good. A handmaiden gave me a tonic. Listen, I'm breathing better than I have had for days. Weeks even."
She breathed in deep and I was surprised to hear no wheeze. "That's wonderful, who helped...."
Behind Leia came Hatha. I moved to embrace her and then noticed her face. It was bruised from forehead to chin. A swollen streak of purple black skin. I turned on Roth, stalking forward to point my finger in the center of his chest.
"Who did this? Who harmed Hatha? Was it you? Did you dare? Dare touch her!" My voice lowered, resonating in a powerful bass. Anger coursed, hot and heavy. Roth looked surprised; he stepped back, looking at me with a mix of horror and fascination. "Did you? Did YOU?"
It was Hatha who stopped me. The calm press of her hand to my cheek and the soothing croon of her murmured hum in my ears.