Love In A Sinking Realm ⊰BTS⊱ Steampunk

CHAPTER 7 ✑ The Letter

She and Teahberius leaped to release him. Selenya untied him, Teahberius tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and cleaned the blood from his wounds. Meanwhile the others, after concluding the fight successfully, sweaty and panting, gathered around.

"Hosea...," Selenya called out while brushing his tarnished curles off his eyelids, "Can you hear me...?"

The brothers stared with forlorn hope.

Hosea blinked wearily, "S...Selenya...I-Is that..."

"Yes, Hosea, it's me...!" she sobbed and caressed his cheek, "You're safe now. We've got you."

He looked at his relieved brothers and a feeble smile cracked his bloody lips. But, a moment after, when his vision reached Jinghim, his smile turned into a grim frown.

"Th-They know...," he said hoarsely while Taehberius and Selenya lifted him, "They know about the letter..."

"What letter?" asked Jun after sheathing his sword.

"The letter I sent you...," he coughed.

"Try not to speak, Hosea," said Taehberius, "You'll explain later."

"He's right, we must move!" ordered Jihmm.

"What letter, Jihmm, what is he talking about?" asked the prince.

"I'll explain everything on the airship!"

Another rough cough escaped Hosea.

"They...they forced me to talk...They deciphered the coded message...I-I tried to resist but---."

"Hosea, please---," interrupted Taehberius.

"---This was all a trap...they left me here so they can delay us...," he continued ignoring his brother's warnings.

"...So they can have a head start for Namjuniel...," Jihmm completed his sentence perturbed and approached Hosea, "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" asked Jinghim confused.

"The letter we sent you was Namjuniel's letter to us, with important information, heavily coded in secret Royal Codex, so that only we can read it," Jihmm explained impatiently, "In the message there was the rendezvous location and Namjuniel's plan about the political refuge in the kingdom of Balus. The agents tortured Hosea, so he could decipher the letter. The chief agents weren't here, which means that they left a squad in Jajusek to delay us. Plus they left Hosea, so we move slowly, carrying our injured brother, so they can reach Namjuniel first and capture him. Intuitively, we were going to run to his aid, outnumbered and tired, so we could all walk into their trap."

Selenya recalled the letter she was supposed to retrieve in the capital. She was busy studying for her Alchemy exam and with the audition of Jun's visit before the coup, she had completely forgotten about it.

Idiot, she thought to herself repentantly.

"Great! Now what?" cried Jun, flapping his arms on his waist.

"Now we proceed with the plan," replied Yoon, preceding his brother Jihmm, "There's no way we're leaving Namjuniel to his fate. Just like Jinghim said, we are a family and families stick together."

He looked at Selenya intently, requesting her permission to include her in his statement. She nodded with determination. From under Hosea's armpit, Taehberius fondled her arm tenderly.

Before leaving the dark, dust-infested storeroom, Hosea warned them that the agents knew about their deal with the airship dealer. That they had set another ambush for them at the departing platform.