Rebellion

Chapter Eight: Luke

Chapter Eight: Luke

            I hadn’t realized how tired I was until I woke alone in an unfamiliar room. I rubbed at my eyes wearily, glancing automatically at the window.

            At least, I thought, it was still light outside. That meant I hadn’t lost a ton of time.

            I stood, stretching my aching muscles. I’d spent too much time wandering the streets after leaving Melaena in her room at the inn in a town more than twenty miles from Lunandra. Traveling had worn me out more than I’d been able to admit—all the new information had jolted me awake, making my blood pound harder in my veins. It was like one of the many drugs I could hazily remember trying at some point—it made all my fatigue drop away, making me feel more alive.

            I sighed. The aftereffect had been similar to that of the drug as well. I’d stumbled back to the room after dawn, snagging only a couple of hours of sleep in all.

            I paced, trying to settle my scattered thoughts into some semblance of order.

            Think, Luke, I ordered myself. For the goddess’s sake, think!

            Facts. I needed to start with the facts.

            The princess wasn’t dead, as everyone had assumed after she’d been missing for so long. She was exiled in an unknown place, but not dead. If Melaena’s information was reliable—which I still wasn’t entirely certain of. I had taken all that Mel had said with a grain of salt.

            I stopped my pacing, smacking myself in the forehead. Think!

            I needed to stop letting my mind wander, especially to topics where Melaena was concerned.

            But goddess damn it, she was attractive!

            I pulled in a deep breath, and resumed my pacing. Facts. Facts!

            Giovanni needed the princess. Mel had said that he intended to marry her when she came of age, and it made sense. Marrying the daughter of the former king would solidify his right to rule Restasia in the eyes of the people. Not that he didn’t already lead them about like sheep.

            I scowled. Facts.

            The princess had been kept in the City of Kings up until she was moved to a more permanent exile. Neither location had been made known to me, but surely by finding one, the other would also be found.

            I frowned, running a hand through my hair. Finding where the princess had been kept before being moved would be helpful, yes, but getting into the City of Kings would be a hell of a challenge. Giovanni wasn’t keen on outsiders in his capital—especially not with resistance groups like ours cropping up in various places of Restasia. No, the City of Kings was his stronghold, his fortress. Getting in would most definitely not be easy.

            But letting him get the princess would be unforgivable.

            I punched the wall angrily. There was no answer to this problem. It was a never-ending knot that begged to be untied. And my reasoning skills certainly left something to be desired. But if I could solve this mystery on my own, locate the princess and rescue her…

            My heart began to race as my mind followed this new way of thinking.

            Goddess, if I could do this, I’d be a hero. My father would look at me the way he looked at Edward. I’d be the son he’d always wanted.