William?”
His blue green eyes saddened. “He’s
getting supper to the others.”
“Don’t you have better things to do
than to keep pestering me?”
“You would think so.”
“Then go do them.” I swallowed and
wiped my cheek on my shoulder.
“No. Not until I say what I have to
say.”
“Get out.”
“No. Hayden, I am sorry I stole you
away from Jasper. I’ll make that right as soon I can. Help Braw
tonight, do what he wants, and he’ll let you go. I’ll get you back
home after that. But if you don’t help him willingly, he’ll hurt
you. By the moons, Hayden! Can’t you stop being stubborn for one
minute and just go along with this!”
“What?” I got up and stomped closer to
him. “Do you even realize what you’re asking me to do? You’re
asking me to kill people! And not just these people in here. You’re
asking me to wipe out two entire populations!” I took a few more
steps and closed the distance between us. “If I do this, Jasper
dies! Luke and Mel, they die! Tyler and Trent! Zane and Dawn!” I
was right up to him and yelling. “If I do this, I don’t have a home
to go back to because my entire family will be dead!”
The truth of my words struck me and I
found it impossible to breathe. I felt my legs go weak and
buckle.
Brice dropped the plate he was holding
and caught me before I fell to the floor. He pulled me to his chest
and held me. Great sobs shook my body.
“Hayden, are you ok?”
Brice turned at the sound of William’s
voice. “She’s fine.”
“She doesn’t look fine,
sir.”
Brice growled low in his throat. “What
is your interest in her, William?”
“I don’t have an interest in her at
all, Captain.” William’s voice dripped with sarcasm at the last
word. “It seems to me you might be the one with an interest in
her.” I heard him step farther into the room.
“I certainly do not! Hayden is like a
sister to me.”
William gave a hard laugh. “Is this how
you guys treat family around here? You kidnap her from her husband,
lock her up in a cell then expect her to wipe out everyone she
loves because some quack job who isn’t even from here thinks he can
play god?”
I looked up at Brice and wanted to
laugh at the shocked look on his face.
“I don’t know about you,” continued
William, “but that doesn’t seem very brotherly to me.” He gently
took my arm and pulled me away from Brice. “Now. I think I heard
the lady ask you to leave.”
Brice looked down at me, his eyes wide.
“I…” He frowned, as if confused, gave William a quick glance, and
left.
William held me by the arms and looked
me over. “Are you ok?”
I nodded and he wiped the tears from my
face.
“Why did you do that? They’ll kill
you.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. If he cools off
before I see him again, I might just get a lashing.” He let go of
me and started to pick up the eggs and fruit off of the floor. “Do
you want me to get you a bowl of stew?”
“No. I’m not hungry.”
“Alright. Just let me know if you
change your mind.”
I nodded. “William?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He smiled. “Sure thing.”
Once he had closed the door, I sat on
the bed. The tears were starting up again with the thought that in
a few hours, I was going to try and find a way to save six
beings.
*****
When a guard I didn’t recognize came to
get me from my cell, I knew the time had come. He marched me up the
stairs, out of the castle, to a courtyard. The night was dark and
the moons were hidden by the clouds.
There were four men and two women tied
to posts on a stage. This was surrounded by a huge crowd.
Everybody, tied or not, stared at me. Michael flashed me a smile
and I tried to smile back. I noticed Brice and Sonia standing to my
left. William stood toward the back of the crowd, a frown on his
face. The guard took me to stand in front of the prisoners. My
heart was pounding in my chest and my mouth was dry. Surely Braw
was wrong. How in the world could he
His blue green eyes saddened. “He’s
getting supper to the others.”
“Don’t you have better things to do
than to keep pestering me?”
“You would think so.”
“Then go do them.” I swallowed and
wiped my cheek on my shoulder.
“No. Not until I say what I have to
say.”
“Get out.”
“No. Hayden, I am sorry I stole you
away from Jasper. I’ll make that right as soon I can. Help Braw
tonight, do what he wants, and he’ll let you go. I’ll get you back
home after that. But if you don’t help him willingly, he’ll hurt
you. By the moons, Hayden! Can’t you stop being stubborn for one
minute and just go along with this!”
“What?” I got up and stomped closer to
him. “Do you even realize what you’re asking me to do? You’re
asking me to kill people! And not just these people in here. You’re
asking me to wipe out two entire populations!” I took a few more
steps and closed the distance between us. “If I do this, Jasper
dies! Luke and Mel, they die! Tyler and Trent! Zane and Dawn!” I
was right up to him and yelling. “If I do this, I don’t have a home
to go back to because my entire family will be dead!”
The truth of my words struck me and I
found it impossible to breathe. I felt my legs go weak and
buckle.
Brice dropped the plate he was holding
and caught me before I fell to the floor. He pulled me to his chest
and held me. Great sobs shook my body.
“Hayden, are you ok?”
Brice turned at the sound of William’s
voice. “She’s fine.”
“She doesn’t look fine,
sir.”
Brice growled low in his throat. “What
is your interest in her, William?”
“I don’t have an interest in her at
all, Captain.” William’s voice dripped with sarcasm at the last
word. “It seems to me you might be the one with an interest in
her.” I heard him step farther into the room.
“I certainly do not! Hayden is like a
sister to me.”
William gave a hard laugh. “Is this how
you guys treat family around here? You kidnap her from her husband,
lock her up in a cell then expect her to wipe out everyone she
loves because some quack job who isn’t even from here thinks he can
play god?”
I looked up at Brice and wanted to
laugh at the shocked look on his face.
“I don’t know about you,” continued
William, “but that doesn’t seem very brotherly to me.” He gently
took my arm and pulled me away from Brice. “Now. I think I heard
the lady ask you to leave.”
Brice looked down at me, his eyes wide.
“I…” He frowned, as if confused, gave William a quick glance, and
left.
William held me by the arms and looked
me over. “Are you ok?”
I nodded and he wiped the tears from my
face.
“Why did you do that? They’ll kill
you.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. If he cools off
before I see him again, I might just get a lashing.” He let go of
me and started to pick up the eggs and fruit off of the floor. “Do
you want me to get you a bowl of stew?”
“No. I’m not hungry.”
“Alright. Just let me know if you
change your mind.”
I nodded. “William?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
He smiled. “Sure thing.”
Once he had closed the door, I sat on
the bed. The tears were starting up again with the thought that in
a few hours, I was going to try and find a way to save six
beings.
*****
When a guard I didn’t recognize came to
get me from my cell, I knew the time had come. He marched me up the
stairs, out of the castle, to a courtyard. The night was dark and
the moons were hidden by the clouds.
There were four men and two women tied
to posts on a stage. This was surrounded by a huge crowd.
Everybody, tied or not, stared at me. Michael flashed me a smile
and I tried to smile back. I noticed Brice and Sonia standing to my
left. William stood toward the back of the crowd, a frown on his
face. The guard took me to stand in front of the prisoners. My
heart was pounding in my chest and my mouth was dry. Surely Braw
was wrong. How in the world could he
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