Cara's Twelve (5 page)

Cara forced herself to attend the banquets and festivities during the days following the dedication. She would have preferred to remain secluded in her chambers, but it was part of her role as heir to establish relationships with the Elbian nobility. It had also given her the opportunity to familiarize herself with the twelve men she would be travelling the country with. Maeve's reports on the men had been invaluable, but Cara was now able to see for herself the alliances and frictions that had emerged between them during their short time together.

Cara glanced around the large room. There was an air of excited anticipation as people greedily took advantage of their last chance to drink, eat and dance before the tour departed the following day. It was barely sundown and many of those in attendance were already inebriated.

Helfrich came to stand beside her, and leaned in close so those around them wouldn't hear him. “Reyn and Finn are going over the final preparations,” he said under his breath. “Everything seems to be in order.”

Helfrich and Finn had been outraged when they heard what the Queen had planned, and had sworn to help them get Maeve safely out of the palace. Cara knew she put all three men at risk by asking them to get involved, but it was a chance she had to take.

Cara tried to keep her emotions controlled as she watched the King Balsam accompany Birkita into the room. It was becoming more difficult by the day to keep her expression neutral in her presence.

“Stop glaring,” Helfrich whispered in her ear.

She pushed back the animosity eating at her, but stiffened further as Edmund approached the Queen and King and was greeted warmly by both. As expected, Theo and Arwel hovered behind him. The two men were never far from Edmund's side and attended to him with a reverence that Cara found disturbing. She wasn't the only one who was suspicious of Edmund and his henchmen. She had witnessed the uneasy conversations and skeptical looks from the other men. Edmund was dangerous enough alone, and Cara shivered inwardly at the thought of their combined ambitions.

He had kept his distance since the assault, but she had caught him on numerous occasions watching her from the shadows, always with the same dark look and arrogant smile that made her flesh crawl.

She had kept silent about her confrontation with Edmund. Other than Maeve, Reyn was the only one she trusted enough to tell, and at the moment, he had more important matters to worry about. Once they had secured Maeve's safety, she would figure out what to do about him.

“Looks like our lone wolf is in one of his finer moods tonight,” Helfrich chuckled, nodding towards the back of the room.

Cara scanned the crowd, and saw Tahdaon sitting, his back to the wall, arms crossed as he sneered at a servant that offered to fill his cup. Tahdaon scowled and said something that Cara assumed held a hint of threat, since the young man blanched and scurried away.

Cara let out an exasperated breath.

There were times when she had caught him watching her, but unlike Edmund's predatorial gaze, Tahdaon looked more like a wounded animal plotting his escape. Even now, he sat alone, blue eyes sober and watchful. She had tried to approach him, talk to him, but each time he had answered her questions with silence.

Tahdaon's eyes darted suspiciously around the room until his gaze locked on hers. She swallowed hard at the pain and anger she saw etched on his face. Smiling, she nodded in acknowledgment, hoping to see something other than hostility in return. For a split second, his eyes softened, but he quickly looked away and his face was once again a mask of stoicism.

She shook her head and sighed.
When will you see I am not your enemy?
She was probably fooling herself thinking she could crack through his icy exterior. The walls he had built around himself were impenetrable, and he was unwavering in his hostility.

“The northerners have their reasons for being resentful,” Helfrich remarked. “But this one seems to have a personal grudge towards all of us.”

Cara nodded in agreement. He had purposely ostracized himself from the other men, and his surly demeanor had done little to help his popularity.

He was as imposing and lethal as any man she had ever met, and yet she didn't fear him.

“Be patient with him Helfrich. He's angry, not dangerous.”

Helfrich didn't look convinced.

Cara gasped in surprise as Cush grabbed her by the waist and swung her around. “Dance with me Cara.”

He was drunk. She could smell it on his breath. Efnisien, or Efy as the men had started calling him, had done his best over the past five days to corrupt the young Cuch with copious amounts of wine and spirits.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the Queen watching with a disapproving frown.

Cara took Cuch's hand and conceded with a laugh, “One dance.”

He gave her a lopsided grin that never failed to charm her, and she allowed him to lead her around the room in a high energy jig that left her breathless. His brow was moist with perspiration and his eyes were glazed from drink, but Cara admitted that even despite his intoxicated state, he was still a good dancer.

She allowed herself to enjoy the moment.

As the music ended Cush led her back to Helfrich.

“You're an imp, Cush,” Cara said still laughing.

“Just don't tell my father,” he slurred, stumbling into her. Helfrich caught him before he could knock her over. Cush didn't seem to notice that Helfrich had placed himself as a shield between them as he continued his intoxicated rant. “I can't wait for you to meet my family. My mother's going to love you…You're so beautiful, and she's going to say 'Cush, that Princess Cara is beautiful.' You're so pretty. Have I told you how pretty you are?”

Cara nodded and laughed.

Efy called from across the room for Cush to join him and the new decanter of wine he had acquired.

Helfrich snorted as Cuch stumbled across the room towards Efy. “Nothing equals the joy of the drinker, except the joy of the wine being drunk.”

She looked at Helfrich curiously. He was always saying the most unusual things. Cara knew he was only a couple of years older than she was, but he possessed a wisdom that surpassed his years.

Helfrich's grin quickly turned to a frown, and Cara followed his eyes to see Finn stalking towards them.

“We have a problem,” he growled as he approached. He looked at Helfrich and ordered, “Stay here. Keep an eye on the Queen.”

Helfrich nodded once.

She opened her mouth to speak, but Finn cut her off with a fierce shake of his head.

Before she had time to register what was happening, he had grabbed her by the elbow and was guiding her out of the banquet hall. She sensed Birkita watching her as she crossed the room.

So much for not stirring up suspicion.

Without breaking stride, he pulled her through the long corridors of the palace, down stairs, and eventually through a long tunnel, that Cara knew led to the palace dungeons. She had to take two steps for every one of his, and she was practically jogging to keep up with him.

“Finn, wait,” she wheezed, trying to catch her breath.

He stopped and frowned down at her.

“What's going on?” she whispered harshly.

He placed his finger to his mouth to silence her.

Cara heard it the same moment he did. Footsteps. Two men were approaching in the same direction they were heading.

Finn stiffened and she saw doubt flicker across his face before he commanded, “kiss me.”

She didn't have time to respond before he had pushed her against the wall and his lips were on hers.

She stiffened. It was only the second time she had been kissed by a man, and the first time she had been less than willing. She suppressed a shudder as she remembered Edmund's mouth crushing hers in a similar dark hallway.

Finn's kiss was different though; slower, softer, and her body relaxed into his as his tongue gently teased her lips.

He took her hands and placed them around his neck, and wrapped his large, well-muscled arms around her waist, lifting her against his hard body. His mouth was gentle and coaxing, as he parted her lips with his tongue. To her horror, a small moan formed at the base of her throat, and she felt him smile against her mouth.

Her heart thundered in her ears, as the footsteps drew near.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw two heavily armed guards walking towards them.

They were caught.

“Now that's the kind of fun I'm talking about,” one of the guards jeered as he approached.

Cara grimaced at the vulgar comments that followed. Their mocking laughs echoed in her ears, and her mouth dropped open in indignation at the obscene suggestions they made.

Finn nipped at her bottom lip, warning her to stay silent.

Turning his body slightly, Finn kept her cloaked in his shadow as he addressed the guards. He laughed good-humoredly, and retorted with his own lewd comments that had Cara's cheeks burning in embarrassment.

Holding her tight with one arm, he placed his free hand on the hilt of his sword. He was ready to fight if he had to.

“I want you gone when we return from our rounds.”

“Shouldn't be more than a couple minutes,” Finn muttered, causing another onslaught of crude banter.

The men were still snickering as they walked away.

Finn let out a fierce breath as he slowly released her.

His eyes searched hers in the shadows, and he nodded in satisfaction at what he found.

“Let's go.”

He grabbed her hand and led her through the maze of tunnels.

Cara went rigid when they turned the corner and found Hauk and Batch waiting for them.

They weren't part of the plan.

She held her breath and tried to understand what was happening.

“Any movement?” Finn asked.

Hauk shook his head in response.

Batch's face was ashen and Cara could hear the wheezing in his chest as his eyes wavered in fear between her and Finn. She thought he looked as if he would pass out at any moment.

“Can someone please tell me what's going on,” she hissed through clenched teeth.

Hauk motioned for Batch to explain.

Batch fidgeted nervously, wringing his shaky hands, and his eyes darted over Cara's shoulder as if expecting guards to seize him at any moment.

“Batch,” Cara demanded. Her voice was harsh and she saw him flinch. “Tell me what happened.”

“I went to the infirmary two days ago. Lung infection,” he explained, tapping his fingers on his chest.

The news slammed into her as she realized the significance of what he said.

“Maeve.” Her voice quavered as she asked, “Did you see her? Was she all right? Did you talk to her?”

He shook his head and Cara's stomach twisted in dread. “I saw her once, but only for a moment.” He paused. “It was right before they transferred her here.”

Cara looked around not understanding. Her eyes locked on the large steel door in front of her. She froze as she realized where they were. Her knees gave out beneath her and she stumbled backwards. Finn was immediately behind her and held her steady against his chest.

She could barely get the words out, but she had to know. “Is she alive?”

“Barely,” Hauk answered. “Reyn is with her. She hasn't regained consciousness since we found her, and her pulse is dangerously slow, but she's alive.”

“I have to see her.” In desperation, she pushed away from Finn and charged towards the door that led to a thousand horrors.

Hauk grabbed her arm, and made her look at him.

“It's bad,” Hauk said in an even voice, but Cara saw the warning in his eyes. “You need to prepare yourself.”

Cara expelled a deep uneven breath and forced her tears back. “It's my fault she's here. I need to be with her.”

Hauk nodded solemnly and pushed open the iron door that led to the palace torture chambers.

Cara barely registered the sight of the four dead guards that lay in pools of their own blood. All she could see was her cousin's frail, naked body, and her skin covered in a revolting mass of burns, bruises, and open wounds. Her hair was matted in blood and dirt. Only her face had been left unmarked, but her cheeks were hollow, and her skin almost translucent.

Cara cried out in agony at the sight.

Reyn cradled Maeve's broken body against his chest, and a moan escaped his lips as he met Cara's accusing eyes.

They had left her to long. She had listened to Reyn and believed in him, and now they were too late. Cara sobbed, “What have we done Reyn?”

They had failed her.

His eyes were rimmed with red, which mirrored her own grief and guilt.

She reached to hold Maeve's hand and drew back in horror. There were bloody scabs where her fingernails should have been, and at least two of her fingers had been broken.

Cara's head was spinning. She couldn't imagine anyone living through such torture. There was no way Maeve would survive this. Even if they could get her somewhere safe, Cara could see the evidence of infection already forming on many of the burns and wounds. She would be burning with fever within a day.

Cara didn't know what to do. She wanted to cry. To scream. To kill.

The room reeked of blood, death and feces. Her stomach twisted at the stench, and she knew she was going to be sick.

She placed her hands on her knees as she began to gag. Someone held her as she retched repeatedly, her body convulsing in waves of guilt and revulsion.

As she shuddered one last time, Finn lifted her and crushed her against his chest. “This isn't on you or on Reyn. You can't blame yourself.”

In her heart she knew he was right. She wouldn't hold Reyn accountable for what the Queen had done.

Cara straightened in Finn's arms and he released her.

She knew what she had to do.

The Queen would answer for her actions, and Cara would make sure that the entire kingdom knew what she had done.

Staring hard at Reyn, she asked, “Can you carry her?”

He hesitated, and she knew he suspected what she had planned.

Reyn glanced down at Maeve and a flood of emotions crossed his face. When he looked back at Cara, she saw he had come to the same resolution, and he nodded in affirmation.