Rise or Burn

Chapter Fourteen

Arlin and Andy were handcuffed and blindfolded. They sat in the back of a carriage as it moved too fast down a dirt path. They were still in the Huneto forest. Arlin knew because he could smell the forest, the damp moss, the wet tree trunks, and the sharp, sweet citrusy scent of the pine trees. He could hear the distant chirping of birds and the rustling of tree leaves. They'd been travelling for nearly two hours now—he'd counted—they should be nearing the forest's edge. Bebet was just outside the forest. They needed to escape before that.

"I have a plan," Arlin whispered to where he thought Andy was.

"A plan for what?" Andy whispered back. He was to Arlin's left.

"Escaping," Arlin said it like it wasn't already obvious.

"They're taking us to Bebet," Andy said pointedly.

"I know."

"We were heading to Bebet. Why would we escape?"

Arlin rolled his eyes even though Andy couldn't see it. "I don't know Andy," he said sarcastically, "maybe it might have something to do with the handcuffs or the blindfolds. Or maybe the fact that they threatened to shoot us."

"They won't hurt us," Andy insisted.

Arlin huffed. "And you're sure how?"

"You'll see." Arlin could hear the smile in his voice. It didn't reassure him.

"I counted four guards when they were cuffing us," Arlin went on. "If you distract the first two I can—"

"Arlin."

"—then we can take care of—"

"Arlin."

"—we'll get the key from—"

"Arlin!" Andy said his name louder this time.

"What?"

"I need you to trust me," he said. "They won't hurt us."

Arlin did trust Andy, he was surprised to realize it but he did. He'd already trusted him with his biggest secret. He'd told him about his magic. He hadn't even told Toli, who he'd known for years. Who he'd trusted with almost everything else. He'd trusted Andy. He trusted Andy. But what he didn't trust were four armed human guards working for the kings of Bebet. King Laos and his husband King Devyn had a complicated relationship with the Wythynian court. Complicated in that they hated the Wythynians and were quite vocal about it.

Bebet had been the only kingdom on Omora to successfully push back the Wythynians. Battles had been fought, lives lost on both sides and victories few and pointless. To end the bloodshed they'd signed a peace treaty. One that stated that Wythynians were forbidden from entering the kingdom of Bebet so long as the kings sent over any discovered magic users in the kingdom.

Arlin wasn't supposed to be in Bebet. He hated to think of what the Kings would do to him. But he trusted Andy.

"Fine."

The carriage stopped a few hours later. Two guards came to pull Arlin and Andy out of the carriage. Arlin didn't like being manhandled but knew better than to fight it. He let the guards drag him up a flight of stairs, down a long hallway and then up another flight of stairs before someone finally removed the blindfold.

Arlin squinted before his eyes adjusted to the bright light. As soon as they did he noted he was in a lofty room with arching high ceilings made of carved stone. The floor was black marble, the walls where granite. The light flooded in from the long winds that lined the wall behind the two marble thrones.

A man sat in one of the marble thrones. He had peppered hair and a peppered beard. His eyes were honey brown, flecked with molten gold. His skin was tanned and wrinkled. He stared down at them with a bored expression before he said, with an equally uninterested tone, "You brought me an elf." He was addressing one of his guards.