Sitting on the edge of the bed, Kate pondered the old woman’s comment about the price on Corvan's head. According to Tyreth, Corvan was now travelling with a woman soldier of some sort, so she hopefully she could offer some protection from the bounty hunters. All Kate knew for certain was that there was no point wasting any more time waiting for Corvan or anyone else to rescue her. She would need to find a way out of the rebel caves on her own.
A key rattled about in the keyhole, as if someone couldn’t figure out how to get it open. Kate slipped from the bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around her. The door burst open, and the old woman staggered into the room, clutching at Kate and tearing the blanket from her body. Kate yanked it back and the woman collapsed at her feet, rolling on her back, her eyes wild with fear. "Shut the door," she whispered hoarsely. "Don't let him inside."
Kate glanced at the doorway. No-one was there, not even the guard.
"Shut the door. Shut it!" the old woman croaked as she tried to drag herself further into the room.
Kate jumped past her and checked the empty hallway. "There's no one there. You're safe now."
"Never safe. No one is safe anymore.” The woman managed to push herself up against the end of the bed. “The door is broken. He can come through it!"
Kate closed the door and crouched down beside her. "It's all right. I closed the door."
The woman clutched at Kate's shoulder and Kate winced. "Keep it locked! Don't let him in." She raised the other hand as if to ward off someone approaching. “Those terrible eyes!”
"Who?"
"In the chamber." Her face contorted. "He wants it back."
"What are you . . ."
The old woman reached under her tunic and held up Kate's medallion. Her wrinkled face took on a deathly pall in the green light. "The key. He wants your key." Yanking it over her head, the woman thrust the disk into Kate's hand, squeezing her own around Kate’s until the points dug painfully in. The old woman stared into Kate’s face and her voice lowered to an unearthly growl. "He wants you!”
The door thrust open and a cold breeze swept across the floor. The old woman screamed as a shadow appeared in the opening. Giving on last, loud screech she fell to the floor.
Kate jumped to her feet as an older rebel soldier appeared in the doorway. "What's going on in here?" he demanded.
Kate gestured to the old woman lying on the floor. "She was afraid, so she came in my room."
The soldier strode past Kate, bent down, then straightened, shaking his head. "Whatever frightened her was more than her old heart could take." He straightened up, then pointed out the door. "You'd best wait across the hall in her room while I get help to remove the body. We don't need any of those young idiots ogling you the whole time instead of helping me.” He sighed heavily as stepped aside to let Kate past. “I'll let you know when the job's done."
As quickly as the thick blanket would allow, Kate moved into the hall. To her right and open door beckoned and slipped inside. Closing the door firmly behind her, she leaned her back against it.
The room was as cold as Corvan's back porch in the dead of winter, and completely dark. Opening her hand, Kate allowed the glow of the medallion to spread its green light into the room. The woman was the one who had taken the medallion from her and she was wearing it the whole time to keep it secret. During the night, the medallion had transporter the woman to the chamber, and someone had come through the broken door. Whoever it was, they had scared her to death.
There was no time to think about the chamber, this was an opportunity to find some clothes and escape. Kate searched the room, but it was as almost as bare as her own. No extra clothing and nothing to eat.
A soft rapping came from the door, then it opened to reveal the older soldier. "They are done. You can come back to your own room now."
Kate hesitated and he stepped away from the door to let her pass. "You don't need to worry about the younger soldiers. I have decided that I will be personally guarding your room from now on." He smiled but his eyes were full of sorrow. "You should know I once had a daughter your age but she was taken away." He pointed down the hallway to where it opened into a wider cavern. "Our Cor-Van accuses the palace in Kadir, but I believe it is the Rakash. They come on the night of deepest dark,” His voice caught. "I believe they are looking for counterparts to have Rakash children so that they can take over the entire Cor but everyone says I am talking nonsense." He wiped a hand across a wrinkled brow.
Kate’s heart sank at his words. The Cor was a horrible place if people were kidnapping girls to have children for them. Rakash. She shivered at the word. Even if she found a way to escape from the rebel caves, it appeared there were even greater dangers outside. It was obvious that whatever had happened to Corvan, the lizard had meant he was in trouble down here and not in the Red Creek mine.
Retreating to her own cell, Kate moved across to the open window. The soldier stood framed in the doorway. He tried to smile. "I am sorry for causing you even more distress with my speaking of the Rakash. Do not worry. No one will get past me." He eased the door shut behind her.
Kate looked at the blue globes on the ceiling of the outer cavern. Jorad said it was almost the night of deepest dark and now her guard said it was the time when the Rakash would be out looking for girls to kidnap. Could the Rakash climb up the cliff to this window? Her guard's own daughter had been taken away so how could he protect her? If she talked with him he might be willing to help her escape if he understood she did not want to marry their leader.
Kate jumped at the knock on her door and whirled about. There was a short pause, then the older guard stepped inside.
"I am sorry for disturbing you again.” He glanced over his shoulder at movement in the hall. “Our Cor-Van was informed of the death of your servant. He is concerned about you and offers you a replacement so to help you be ready in time for the upcoming ceremony."
The door opened wider and a young girl in a long blue tunic was escorted into the room by two younger guards. One of them spoke. "This one is too young for our leader, but our Cor-Van says if she gives you any trouble, just let him know and he will have her assigned to clean the barracks. It would be nice to have a younger ‘Sister’ to help us brothers." He laughed, then shoved the girl toward the bed.
The two guards sauntered out of the room and turned down the hall. The older guard shook his head, moved back into the hall, and pulled the door shut with a solid click. His key turned in the lock.
The younger girl jumped to the door, yanking furiously on the handle, then turned to face Kate with both hands on her hips. "Don't you dare think of treating me like some kind of servant. I'm not serving anyone, least of all you! I'll never help the leader from Rozan."
Kate smiled wryly. "I think I’m the one who's going to end up serving their leader if I can't get out of here."
The girl dropped her hands to her sides and frowned. "You don't want to become his counterpart?"
"Would they keep me wrapped only in a blanket with a guard outside the door if I wanted to stay?" Wearily Kate sat on the edge of the bed.
The younger girl leaned against the side of the bed. "I was told you wanted to marry him."
Kate threw up one hand. "I don't even know who 'him' is."
"The latest and greatest leader of the remnant from Rozan. They say he's tall, dark and handsome." She grinned. "Not a bad combination if you don't mind a whole lot of crazy thrown into the deal. He actually believes he is destined to rule the Cor and rebuild Rozan to its former glory, after he invades Kadir of course."
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Kate shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Everyone here assumes I know what's going on."
The younger girl pulled herself up on the bed and crossed her legs. "This new leader from Rozan has been looking to snag himself a counterpart for some time now. He thinks that will prove he is the true ruler of the Cor. Most of the younger girls went into hiding so he wasn’t able to find the woman of his dreams."
She leaned forward. “Then we got news that the rebels had captured a girl. My mother sent Garek and his grey men to the City of the Dead to help her escape, but just as they arrive, this boy shows up and single-handedly rescues the girl right in the middle of the ceremony. They said he threw fire through the air, scared away all the rebel soldiers and then disappeared into the crypts with both the rebel leader's bride and his precious tiara." The girl paused, frowned deeply and jumped off the bed, looking out the window. "So that's where he got those jewels. No wonder he was thinking of her."
Kate closed her eyes. Adding this to the information provided by the old woman, the pieces were slowly coming together. She could recall that wedding ceremony. Jorad helped her get away but then someone else had arrived as she lay in a stone box.
Corvan? Yes, it had been Corvan who came back to find her, yet Jorad claimed Corvan had left her to save Tyreth, Was Jorad trying to turn her against both Corvan and Tyreth? She opened her eyes to find her new lady-in-waiting still talking.
"So that night, I snuck out of the library to visit this guy I knew who was on guard duty. Just a friend of mine, you know, but my mother doesn’t like him. We were chatting when a report came in that a company of palace soldiers was in the streets being led by one of the Rakash who was carrying a long white scarf."
Kate stiffened. It had to be the same white scarf that Jorad claimed was given to Corvan by Tyreth.
The girl jumped off the bed. "I know. I thought it was weird too, so I ran to tell my mother.” She leaned towards Kate; her arms wide. “That's when I find everyone inside the library, Jorad, the new guy, and the girl from the tombs was lying there on the table. The boy tells them his name is Corvan, not like the rebel leader Cor-Van, but like it's really his name. Then he says the scarf is Tyreth's." She paused for a quick breath. "I didn't like that part. Tyreth is spoiled and she always gets what she wants.” She glanced over her shoulder at the door, then back at Kate with a big smile on her face. "But not this time, this time I found him first. He was hiding above me in a tree while I took a bath before I spotted him and he was so cute and embarrassed, but he said he didn't spy on me.” She paused for a breath. “Then we left together and escaped but the bounty hunters found us anyway and . . ."
Kate put up a hand to stop the chatter. Who was this girl and what was Corvan doing hiding in a tree, watching her take a bath? "Are you the fighter, the sister person they said was with Corvan in the city?"
The girl's eyes sparkled as she straightened up. "My name is Atiya. I am one of the Sisters and the rebels never would have caught me if I hadn't been so worried about Corvan." Her face grew serious, then she sat back on the bed. "Corvan ate a lumien seed and it's the death penalty if you get caught." Her shoulders sagged. "I was upset and I didn’t know how to help him, so I left him sleeping by the river to find my mother to ask her advice.” She tried to smile but now her eyes were sad. " It's so hard to get the younger boys to stop once they get used to the pleasure of the seeds. They get so confused. I’m sure it must have been because of eating that seed that he was thinking of Tyreth when he was kissing me."
Kate turned to the window to hide the surprise and anger on her face. Corvan was in love with Tyreth, but he was kissing this girl? What were the seeds she kept talking about, and how was that an excuse for his behavior.
Atiya touched Kate's arm. "Are you okay? You don't look great. Have they been feeding you?"
Kate shook her head and turned back to her. "Not since before the old woman died."
Atiya jumped off the bed. "You rest here, and I'll see what I can find." She grinned. "They can't expect you to marry their insane leader on an empty stomach. I can also check out the place and see if I can get you out of here before they find that tiara and it’s too late.”
Atiya rapped on the door until the guard unlocked it. It took her only a minute to sweet-talk the older man into letting her go down to the dining area to find something to eat. She turned back to Kate, gave her a quick nod and closed the door.
Kate gazed out the window. Corvan was somewhere out there but this time, even if he knew she was captured again by the rebels, he wouldn't be coming for her because he was out searching for Tyreth. She really couldn't blame Tyreth for Corvan's actions. Tyreth was much prettier and also a princess. She sighed deeply. It was time to face reality and let Corvan go—not that he ever belonged to her in the first place.
Climbing onto the bed, she lay back and stared at the ceiling. This new girl, Atiya, was upset with Corvan for eating the seeds. The rebels were after him to get the tiara back, but he was also in trouble with the law in this gloomy world. Atiya said he would get the death penalty for eating a seed and as much as Kate was afraid of going to the chamber possibly meeting whoever had scared the old woman, she needed to find out if Tyreth had located Corvan.
Kate closed her eyes but there wasn't much chance of sleeping; she was hungry, and her mind was whirling, both with new information and snippets of old memories. Unravelling the blanket, she got under it, then ducked under the edge to get a better view of the medallion’s glow. She traced a finger around its seven points. "Why can't I just say, 'Take me to the chamber'? It sure would be a lot easier." She touched the words in the center of the star and immediately she was standing in the small round anteroom.
Tapping the center of the medallion again, she returned to being under the covers in the rebel cave. Pulling the cover down and exposing her head, she tested it again but nothing happened. Retreating back under the blanket, she said nothing but only touched the center of the star. Immediately was back in the round anteroom outside the chamber. “That’s much easier than waiting to fall asleep,” Kate said to herself as she touched the narrow door open, then stepped tentatively into the council chamber.
The anteroom beyond the shattered door was a bit brighter this time and she could see along its curved walls although the floor as black as a bottomless pit. Kate gave the broken door a wide berth and headed for Tyreth’s anteroom door.
The star shaped portal on Tyreth’s door was dark but across the way, a new star glowed on a door she hadn't opened yet. Crossing the floor, she opened the star but there was no one inside. Stepping in closer she peered inside. A young man lay on the floor, curled up in a fetal position. He wore only a dirty loincloth, and his skin was streaked with grime. Every rib showed along his bruised sides. He looked like the dead lamb she had seen after it had been stillborn, but a groan assured her this person was still alive.
The body twisted, its head rolling to one side, and Kate gasped. It was Corvan! She quickly opened the door into the anteroom, and he looked up at her with fear in his eyes. She raised her hand to him but as she went to speak, the light above him went out and he vanished. Kate called repeatedly into the darkened room but Corvan did not return.
Blinking back tears, she closed his anteroom door. Corvan must be in terrible trouble if he looked so awful in the chamber and she had his medallion, Corvan must be a prisoner of someone else who had one. That would explain the bruises all over his body. They must have caught him eating those seeds and were punishing him.
Running back into her own entry room she touched her medallion to return to the rebel bedroom. She needed to ask Atiya what those seeds did to people and why it was against the law to eat them. With Atiya’s help, she could escape and find some way to rescue Corvan.
Her face was still under the blanket when a soft thump came from by the window, followed by the shuffle of someone wearing heavy boots. Kate froze and held her breath as the person drew near to the bed. Through a fold in the blankets, she caught a glimpse of a threadbare dirty robe.
"Kate," a man's voice whispered. "Are you awake?"
It wasn't the voice of the old guard. It sounded more like the grey-eyed man with curly hair from the chamber. The one who promised he would be coming to rescue her.
The man touched her shoulder through the blanket. "Kate. You need to wake up. We need to get you out of here." He drew the cover off her face. Kate clutched at the edge of the blanket as it cleared her chin. His face was right over hers and her first thought was that the grey-eyed young man was even more handsome in person, despite not being dressed in his purple robe.
Dropping to one knee, he smiled at her across the blanket. "I am so glad to see you are safe. It’s taken me a long while to find a way inside these rebel caves. I only had few chances to sleep and each time I waited for you in my chamber entry room. At one point, I heard someone scream inside. Was that you?" He paused until Kate shook her head. "Do you still have the medallion?" he whispered.
Kate nodded and pulled the glowing star out from under the blanket.
He smiled and nodded. "If the rebel leader got his hands on it, our world would completely fall apart. That is why I tried to take it from you in the cave. I'm sorry if I frightened you."
Kate pulled the medallion back under the covers and felt its warmth against her skin. She didn’t like him being so close when she didn’t have her clothes on, but she didn't want him to leave either. For the first time since coming into the Cor, she felt safe. Would it be okay to say that to him? He smiled at her again, and Kate realized she hadn't yet said a single word to him.
She was about tell him she was glad to see him when voices sounded in the hall and a key rattled in the lock. The man touched her cheek. "Don't let anyone know I am here." He dropped to the floor and slid under her bed.
The cell door banged open and Atiya bounded into the room, before kicking it shut. She tossed a bundle onto the bed and grabbed the bottom of Kate’s blanket. "We've got to leave right away."
Kate held on tight and lowered her voice. "I don't have any clothes."
Atiya rummaged through the bundle and held up a dirty tunic. "You do now. I've been stealing things from around the caves. I’ve even got official cloaks with the Rozan crest on them. We can braid our hair like them and dress like the soldiers and walk out the front gate, but we don't have much time. Hurry up and get dressed."
"It won't work. The front gate is too well guarded." The voice of the grey-eyed man seemed to come from everywhere in the room and Atiya jumped to the center of the room, a short sword drawn and ready.