The Archshade

Forty-Eight

"Hey. Wake up."

An urgent whisper from the darkness.

Not trusting my senses, I open my eyes only a sliver. I make no effort to move anything else. Outside my cell door, a figure crouches on its knees and peers inside. Accustomed to the darkness, I clearly see the outline of a hooded cloak and layered skirts. Rose incense reaches my nose, even from a distance.

"Hey!" The voice whispers louder, growing impatient. "Light your candle and get over here!"

At the mention of the candle, my senses rouse themselves a bit closer to alert. Shedding the tattered blanket, I strike the flint with my shaking hands and raise the meager, flickering light.

A servant in a hood with a scarf covering her face kneels outside my cell. She slides a plate with stale roti, rice, an egg, and a tiny cup of tea through the small gap beneath the bars. When she looks up, I meet her eyes.

Deep golden eyes edged with kajal stare back at me.

I shamble as quickly as I can to the cell door. Weak from confinement and relief, I collapse to my knees in front of her. I reach through the bars for her hands, and she grasps them, holding them close to her chest. I can't be sure in the dim light of the trembling candle, but I think tears linger at the edges of her golden eyes.

"By the gods, you look horrible," she whispers.

"What are you doing, Tali? They'll throw you in the cell next to me if they find you here."

"Ha!" She voices a quiet laugh as she tosses her head back and rolls her eyes. "It would be a welcome reprieve from the chaos going on above you. I might actually get some peace and quiet down here."

I blink at her. Even in the depths of a dungeon, Tali's harsh sense of humor fears nothing.

"Alright, alright." She waves her hand to dismiss my blank response. "I can see you're in no mood for jokes which is just as well. There's little time anyways. Here, take this."

Thrusting her hand through the bars, Tali opens her palm and holds out a small metal object.

"A key?" I breathe, unable to believe it. "To my cell?"

"To any cell!" Tali beams. "It's a copy of the Guard Captain's master key. Don't ask," she says, silencing the question already on my lips. "I have my ways. Wait a while after I'm gone, and choose your moment carefully. I need to establish that I was elsewhere. But," she holds up a finger to emphasize her point as a shadow crosses over her fiery eyes, "don't wait too long. It took me longer than I expected to get that key, and they're coming for you at dawn."

My stomach turns into a cold brick. I knew I would be executed from the moment I sunk that knife into Darcron's corpse, but somehow, it felt distant. A part of me must've held the knowledge at bay to protect even the smallest trace of hope. But now it feels close. It feels inevitable.

"My execution is today..."

Tali shakes her head and gives my hand a hard squeeze. "I got you the key, but the rest is up to you. Find a way out and get as far away as you can. Get out of Jannah. Better still get out of Arcadia, and don't look back."

"Tali, I..." I struggle to find the words. "My thanks will never be enough. I'll owe you a debt forever."

"No, you won't," she whispers. "This is meant to pay my debt to you."

"What?"

Tali bites her lip, hesitating. She glances down the corridor and listens for a moment. Satisfied that we have a little more time, she unleashes a torrent of whispered words as if she has been barely able to contain them.