The Blade and The Bird

Chapter 15

Baron was shaking Sidra awake when she opened her eyes. She was no longer bound by chains and she looked down at her arms to see the long slits in them where the woman had sliced her open. She nearly gagged at the sight of them. Was this another dream?

"Sidra, wake up. You can't fall asleep," Baron said as he shook her.

"Baron?" she asked confused, "I thought they had killed you." She wondered for a second if this was the afterlife rather than a dream, but the pain emanating from her body made her realize she was definitely still alive.

"Listen, we don't have time for that. You need to drink this or you will actually die." He handed her a small glass bottle, she wondered for a minute where he had gotten it.

"What is it?" she asked, she realized her words sounded slurred.

"Just drink it," he said as he forced the lip of the bottle into her mouth. Whatever it was, it was thick and tasted of iron. Sidra nearly gagged again as she tried to swallow this vicious liquid. She nearly spat the drink back into the bottle it had tasted so bad.

"My blood," he answered shortly.

"What? Why?" Sidra said as she wiped droplets away from her lips. She pulled her fingers back and saw that it was the color of blood. "That is disgusting."

"I don't have much time to explain," Baron said as he looked over at the Queen. Sidra followed his gaze and saw that the Queen was stirring slightly. She could also hear the footfalls of several more guards approaching. Baron tried to help her onto her feet but she still had so many questions.

"Look, it's part of what Mystic I am. When I'm close to death, I can drink blood and I won't die. If I give you some of mine it does the same thing. It's similar to Moroi, except I'm alive and always have been. That's why I've been friends with many of them, I could understand their need to survive. I just hate that they kill so many people, that they need so much, that they're walking corpses. Look, we really don't have much time. The effects won't last forever."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sidra said, but the darkness around the corner of her eyes was fading and she could get a better look around the room. She could hear the guards beating on the door and saw that Baron had shoved one of the guards batons into the handles.

"Look, I'm just trying to help," he said. She could see how worn out he looks for the first time. One of his eyes was turning purple and thick bruises were appearing on his arms, his lip was split and he had a crazed expression on his face. She'd never seen him look this bad. She must look even worse, she thought to herself. She knew he was just trying to help, she'd grown to trust him, and she told him just this.

"I know," she said. "Look, I trust you." Baron's face took on an expression of surprise when he heard her say that.

"That's the first time you've ever said that. Thank you," he said as he helped Sidra stand. She could feel the energy coming back to her in waves as she stood, her strength was returning far more quickly than it naturally should. She would ask him more about it later when they weren't in a life or death situation.

Sidra turned toward Baron but just as she did the sword in the door broke and six more of the hooded guards rushed into the room. Sidra reached for her knife but found that the sheath was no longer attached to her belt loop. The queen must have taken it. She ran forward and grabbed the ancient knife the Queen had used on her. It didn't feel comfortable in her hands, it was bulky compared to the slim form of her knife, and the jewels along the hilt poked out at odd angles making it hard to keep her hand around it. Still, it was a knife, so she gripped it tightly and ran toward the first guard.

He lunged at her. She ducked out of the way. She heard the clamor as he fell forward, thrown off by her speed, but she was already upright and spinning around to dig the knife into the guards' back. She could tell the knife wasn't meant to be used this way, the jewels cut up her hand as she forced the knife through skin and muscle. The guard cried out in pain but didn't fall forward. He reached a hand behind him to try and grab the knife out of his back but Sidra pulled it out and took several steps back. As the guard began to turn around Sidra lifted her foot and kicked in the back of his knee. The guard fell forward and put out his hands to catch himself before he hit the ground. As he was distracted Sidra stepped forward and grabbed him by the hair, she reached around to his temple and pressed the knife into the soft tissue before the guard had time to register what happened. He fell forward. Dead.