Destiny's Blood

Chapter 12

“Then by the Three Fates,” Layela snapped, “do the right thing, turn this ship around and let us go! You’re already kidnappers, do you also want to be murderers?”

Ardin’s eyes widened, and he stepped back as though she had physically struck him. She felt flushed and guilt rose at the pain she saw in his eyes. But she held her ground. He might have saved her life twice, but Josmere’s life remained in the balance.

“What about old, dead earth?” Avienne asked, pushing herself off the wall, acting as though nothing had been said and the tension in the room wasn’t smothering.

Layela didn’t break eye contact with Ardin as she spoke. “It might look dead to you, but it might not be for a Berganda.”

Ardin kept his gaze deep into Layela’s eyes as he asked his sister, “Think Cailan will go for it?” Layela noticed that the siblings didn’t seem to form much of a united front. Avienne hadn’t even defended her brother when she had accused him of murder. If the siblings were at odds, an escape plan might be easier to pull off.

I sound like Yoma and Josmere, she thought as her stomach turned, and she wondered briefly if she had managed to take the high road more often simply because they had been below, supporting her from lower ground. That thought did nothing to make her feel better. She took a deep breath and stared at the siblings.

Avienne shrugged. “We should be reaching an Easy Exit soon. Cailan might be willing to exit the tunnel there.” She pushed herself off the wall and walked out of the room, calling behind her, “I’ll talk to Cailan, you take them there.”

Ardin didn’t call out after his sister, but picked up Josmere in his arms instead, the Berganda whispering a remark Layela was certain had been intended to make Ardin blush, had she had the strength to form all the syllables.

“This way,” he said, casting a stormy look at Layela as he easily carried the light weight and started down the hall.

Layela hesitated for just one moment before quickly trailing after them.

***

“Where are we going?” she asked when she caught up to him.

“Just down here.” Then, with a tentative grin, “Don’t worry, no ladders to climb.”

Seeing him search out her eyes made her feel even guiltier for her comments. This is ridiculous. They’re the ones who kidnapped us! But as she thought of the coldness of the ship and its meagre supplies, she understood them far better than she wished she did. The Destiny was in dire need of supplies, and any contract, especially one that paid so much and didn’t involve too much illegal activity, would suffice.

She wondered again who would pay so much to have her brought to them, and felt a chill at the thought. Could it have been that colonel? That he had wanted anything to do with her didn’t make sense, either.

Within seconds they had reached the large doors that marked the end of the corridor, and Ardin gently put Josmere down to punch the code in the keypad. The room inside was completely dark, the slight light from the corridor too weak to even cast shadows.

“The power was shut inside. Hang on a sec.” He stepped into the darkness. She heard a bang and swearing, and couldn’t help but smile.

She felt the ship jolt, the strong sound of the engine, always a low, constant hum in the back, fading until she no longer heard it.

“You got lucky! Avienne convinced the captain to leave the tunnel for a bit!”

He re-emerged from the dark room.