Broken, but Not Defeated

Chapter 34 (Caldina)

 The horses wearily walk into the courtyard. Ingrid waits on the steps of the palace.

"I'm guessing by the looks on your faces you didn't find anything?" she notes, walking down the steps. I dismount and meet her. She falls into line behind Esta, Sienna, and me. We all walk to my office.

"To answer your earlier question," Esta says, shutting the door, "the forest was empty."

"Empty?" Ingrid asks, confused.

"Did the new maids come yet?" I ask, throwing myself into one of the chairs most ungracefully. Sienna gives me a disapproving look. I just raise my eyebrows, which makes her shake her head.

"They came a few hours after you left. Three sisters for your sister. Then two sisters and a cousin." Ingrid says, leaning against the door. "Should I tell Juliana you're back? She was looking for you."

"I will see her in the morning."

"To answer your question," Sienna tells Ingrid, shooting me a look of disapproval, "we don't know if it was empty, but it was quiet and the tracks were more than a few days old."

"Where would they go?" I muse.

"We don't know," Esta says, shrugging.

"Why not use the shapeshifter then?" Ingrid wonders.

"Thank you! I said that earlier!" Sienna says angrily, staring Esta down.

"You can't—" Esta starts, but I cut her off.

"We aren't going to start this again. Bring the letter to the girls, but we are not taking them out of here." I declare. They all nod their heads. They all fall silent, everyone in their own mind.

"Let's hear it," I say.

"You don't want to," Esta states, locking eyes with me.

"Tell me," I command, sitting straighter in my chair.

"We are protecting you," Sienna says.

"Really? Last time I checked I could protect myself." I snap. "Ingrid, do you have any excuses? Or will you tell me?" I ask, looking her in the eyes, letting some fire show in them. She quickly looks away. "Do not make me force it out of you," I say. Standing up, the fire roars to life. Sienna quickly leaps away from it.

"I don't know what they are talking about." Ingrid says, keeping a wary eye on the fire.

"Sorry, commander," Esta says, "but I don't think I have the stomach to tell you." She glances over at Ingrid.

I step in front of her vision and grab her chin forcing her to look at me. "If something has happened to one of my people and you know, I demand you tell me at once!" I snap, dropping her chin and turning to Sienna. "Out! NOW!" I shout, never taking my eyes off Sienna. I hear Esta about to protest, but Ingrid must have stopped her.

"Cal..."

"Don't!" I snap as they silently leave the room. "What happened to Nora?" I whisper, falling back into the chair.

"How did you know?" Sienna asks, sitting down in a chair across from me.

"Esta gave it away. And don't change the subject."

"Nothing so far, but our spy said that her husband is in jail."

I put my head in my hands. "What about her?"

"Kitchen duty still."

"That's good?" I ask.

"Since the guards haven't locked her in a prison, I would say so," Sienna says. The room goes quiet. We both look into the flames. "What do you want to do about it?"

"I guess we stick to the plan," I respond.

"What plan?" Sienna asks, looking back up at me. I stand up and walk to the door.

"I will tell you once I get it finished." I open the door, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Fine, I will give you two days but that is it," Sienna says, getting up to follow me.

Sienna leaves, but then she stops and turns around. "Still want me to train them?"

I nod my head. I walk to the door. Since when did I deserve their loyalty? I killed people, I would have to kill them if they found out the truth. I couldn't let that happen. I eye an old closet. Bingo. It had to be in there.