I’ve turned to Hozier as my support for this journey. Not the man just the music.

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Chapter 15

Darkness filled my vision a soft fabric covering my face. I fell endlessly hurtling into a dark void the walls spinning around me. My body was numb other than the feeling of soft cushion below me the scent of rosemary and iron filling my nose. An eerily loud ringing filled my ears and I tried to cover them my hands hitting against something soft and rough.

My throat burned and I heard a groan as my ears finally stopped ringing. Hurriedly I looked around the dim room my eyes landing on the face above me. Tear-streaked and bloody, Alexis stared down at me. Without hesitation I reached up to touch her cheek relaxing when I knew she was real.

Her hair hung loosely tangled into bloody knots, eyes watery and swollen from crying. Blood stained most of her skin despite there not being any apparent injuries on her. Most of all she just looked tired and scared, her entire body tense.

The soft pillows below me shifted as I stared up at her a faint blush appearing on her neck. Immediately I looked away getting up onto my knees ignoring the room spinning around me. Nausea hit me like a truck when I tried to stand my legs going weak and falling back to the ground. Soft hands quickly held me wrapped around my waist as I dry heaved my vision blurring.

Warm air hit the back of my neck before the hands pulled me up to a sitting position. Alexis silently rubbed my back blood dripping from the lip she bit between her teeth. I leaned into her touch steadying myself my chest heaving.

“Are you okay?” She asked quietly once I had finally calmed down.

I nodded quickly turning to smile at her the room no longer spinning, “I should be asking you that, I’m sorry.”

Her mouth hung open for a moment staring at me silently, “Why are you sorry?” She asked a bit louder than she was originally.

My mind raced with all the possible answers I could give. Sighing I looked up at her my vision blurry, “Everything, the argument we had, making you worry. I should be asking if you’re alright but you’re taking care of me again.”

She sighed pulling me into a hug that I didn’t have the energy to fight tears spilling from my eyes, “Don’t you dare apologise for being hurt.” Her voice was firm and made it clear this was a command I shouldn’t argue.

Strong arms kept me upright while I sobbed into her chest trembling. She held me until I was out of tears and my head hurt. Then held me until I pulled away to look at her tear-soaked face. We exchanged small smiles then silently she moved to check the back of my head where I had started to rub.

A sharp pain erupted throughout my head and behind my eyes when she touched me the room going fuzzy and dark. I yelled out in pain, involuntarily pushing her away from me without thinking. It felt like hitting a wall my arms too weak to move her. Despite that she quickly moved from me herself giving me space to breath through the pain.

The grotesque sound of footsteps approaching filled the cell we were in snapping me out of my daze. We both sat staring into the hall tense, Alexis moving in front of me a hand on my chest to keep me there. Even if she hadn’t stopped me, I wouldn’t have been able to move on my own in this state.

Shadows passed us silently nothing but the sound of their steps and our breathing filling the cell. One of the people I had been gambling with, stood at the door of the cell with a smirk. He threw a small bread bun through the bars then walked off without a word, dragging his dagger along the bars.

Alexis took the bread and tried to pass it to me. I shook my head silently pushing it back to her. She sighed but ate what she could of the bread occasionally trying to feed me some despite my protests.

###

A few hours later we sat in silence. While my symptoms had mostly relieved and I could move on my own, Alexis had become pale. She seemed to become sicklier as the minutes passed and I realised we couldn’t just sit tight hoping to be saved.

It was possible Kat and Raine wouldn’t be able to get help, or they might take too long. I needed to get her out of here now. Checking all my pockets I remembered I had strapped Alexis’ dagger to my thigh. Feeling around my thigh I realised I still had it on me. I turned to Alexis excitedly and pulled her into a hug. She tensed in my hold but then wrapped her arms around me gently.

“I’m going to get you out of here.” I said softly before pulling away to look her in the eye.

She stared at me in shock then nodded leaning back into my hold, “What’s the plan?”

In reality, there was no plan, but I needed to get her out no matter what, “Just follow my lead? I’ll keep you safe.” I said questioningly listening to her laugh when she realised there wasn’t one.

###

Her hair pins worked well as makeshift lock picks, and we quickly got out of the cell. Alexis rested her weight on my arm as she stumbled down the labyrinth like hallways. The sticky ground made it hard to stay quiet so we just hoped no one would hear us.

We had spent the past hour planning our escape but since neither of us knew the way out we kind of had a hard time. On top of that I had no idea where any of my belongings were and knew I would need them to survive this. So, we searched every hallway we could for something.

Turning down one hallway we watched as dozens of rats scattered across the ground in every direction. Alexis screamed when ran full tilt at us using me as a shield.

“Don’t like rats?” I asked laughing once they had all disappeared. She just groaned and walked off ahead using the wall as a support. My shoes felt like they were being torn from my feet as we walked. The horrible sound making it hard to listen for approaching attackers.

My mind wandered as we walked slowly paying less attention to where Alexis was. I stared up at the ceiling thinking about home and the trouble I was in. If the queens didn’t kill me Lauren would. I broke so many rules… I broke the law. Stopping I turned to Alexis who had stopped to watch me concerned.

How would I even explain this to her. She didn’t know about what was happening in the kingdom. I didn’t even tell her I came here for her.

Hands clenched at my side I looked at her nervously watching her concern grow more evident. Then I just continued to walk. I could explain once we got out of here safe. We didn’t have time for me to panic.

She quickly followed me hooking her arm with mine until we reached a door.  People spoke loudly on the other side yelling about the money they would get for ‘those dumb kids’. This seemed to have annoyed Alexis who immediately pulled away from me and slammed the door open her fists clenched.

The resounding bang made the men inside jump every single one of them turning to stare at us. A few pulled out swords while the others just looked dumbfounded. Quickly I drew my own dagger and pulled her behind me.

Unfortunately, this made the few lefts also draw their weapons and I quickly realised I wouldn’t beat them all. So, I did the only smart thing in that situation. I slammed the door closed, grabbed Alexis, and ran.

Their footsteps echoed through the halls as I sprinted away half dragging Alexis with me. Her hand clutched tight in mine being pulled along by pure adrenaline through the vast expanse of hallways. Breath laboured I ducked into another room luckily finding this one to be empty. Silently we waited for the men to pass hoping none of them would check for us.

The cold room did little to calm us each footstep echoing loudly in the stone walls. Alexis slumped against one wall struggling to breath and knees buckling under her.

When I was sure the coast was clear I walked to her removing her cloak and helping her sit on a ledge. Her hands shook terrifyingly fast, and her skin was overly pale. Blood stained the light blue dress she wore, and a few shallow gashes had started healing on her arms and abdomen.

One of the cuts on her arm was deeper than the rest and was quite red and puffy. The skin hadn’t closed and was showing the starting signs of infection. I looked up at her pale face and sighed knowing this would mean a mistake would cost us a lot more than time. If only Kat was here, she knows how to fix these things.

Searching the room, I started to regret not taking Kat’s lectures about medicine more seriously. There was a small crate of fabric and sewing supplies under a desk in the corner. Behind the crate I found an almost empty bottle of whisky. It was going to be enough to at least buy us some time. It had to be.

Without warning I was back at Alexis’ side with a cloth I soaked in the whisky rubbing the wound with it. She yelled out in pain and pushed me away looking at me with a frown, “What was that for!” She angrily whisper yelled.

“I’m sorry. Please I’m trying to help.” I say quietly my hands up in surrender.

 Her eyebrows furrowed before she looked down at the wound on her arm. Silence filled the room for a while before she held her injured arm out to me. I made quick work of cleaning the injury trying to cause her the least pain possible. Once I was done, I got a longer piece of cloth from the crate and tied it around her arm tight covering the wound fully.

With that we were ready to move again Alexis barely able to walk but we pushed on. Leaving the desolately cold room we started searching every room we came across hoping to find anything. Most of the rooms were completely empty or held what we could only assume were personal belongings.

One room we stumbled upon was full of weaponry a makeshift banner hung on the far wall. Searching this room, I found most of my stuff grabbing my sword from the supplies. Alexis took a simple one-handed longsword hanging it from her hip.

 Another was filled with food and drink we stopped there for a short time to rest. Alexis hadn’t eaten anything but bread in days and I was growing increasingly concerned about her condition.

While we were in that room there was a loud bang and then screaming. The walls shook and dust dropped from the roof covering us in dirt. Alexis grabbed me and pulled me under a nearby desk when another bang echoed through the halls making the entire room shake.

Shakily she took my hand telling me we needed to get out. I nodded and started to get up. We barely got to the door when the room shook again, and she collapsed to the ground. Trying to push herself up onto her arms she looked at me with wide eyes, one hand reaching for me.

I quickly helped her up and made our way out of the room seeing people running. Realising we needed to follow them I crouched getting Alexis on my back and took off running after them. My chest heaved with exertion and my muscles ached, but I finally had a way out.