Prophet of the Gods

Chapter 18: The Map

Cora was biting her lip, "I have to keep looking. You need to get me more time." 

"What?"

But Cora was already dashing back into the room. Gen peeked her head around the doorframe and frowned, "Cora!"

She had disappeared from view and Gen couldn't go any farther without triggering the barrier. Her heart was still pounding and she could feel the time ticking down. But then Cora was rushing back, "Distract the guard!" And then she was gone again and Gen was confused and nervous. Distract the guard, okay, she could do that. Probably. 

Not. 

Lusiav, she reminded herself and then before she could overthink it or panic, she bolted down the hall. She saw the marching guard in the distance and almost tripped over her feet. What could she do? 

He was approaching much too quickly for her to plan something elaborate so she winged it and went with her instinct. "Stop, stop! Help!" She skidded to a halt in front of him. The guard didn't show any signs of hearing her, just continued marching. They were taught and disciplined into obedience and they couldn't break routine for anything except an emergency. "Prince Liam is hurt!"

Nothing. 

"I'm serious! He ate an apple and now he's choking, you have to come quick!"

A flicker of something showed on his face. "Did you hear me!?" she yelled. "The prince of Olumia is choking and there's no one else here, now for gods sake, follow me!" 

The guard furrowed his brows and opened his mouth but Gen didn't wait for him to speak. She took off down a hallway, "Come on!"

She knew Liam would be in his room, going over final details of the plan, and she hoped he wasn't doing anything incriminating or important. She ran faster than she ever thought she could to his door and pounded on the door. Liam opened it immediately, "What-"

"I'm really sorry but you need to play along," she hissed quickly. His eyes widened but before he could say a word, Gen clenched her fist and punched him straight in the solar plexus. He stumbled back and let out a choked sound, wheezing. His eyes were wide and appalled. "Pretend you're choking!" 

He responded by coughing aggressively and just in time too because then the guard was there. "Prince Liam!" he exclaimed, his voice deep and shocked. 

"He's choking," said Gen, painting her words with a worried tone but it wasn't too hard to imitate. Liam's face was turning an unattractive shade of red and Gen winced. She hoped he was pretending now and that her punch didn't hurt him that bad. The guard was now wrapping his arms around the prince's stomach and attempting a maneuver to dislodge whatever he was choking on. 

"Oh gods," exclaimed Gen, faking immense worry. "I can't watch- I'll go tell Princess Cora about what happened." Then she ran away, heart racing. She was halfway back before she allowed herself to pause to take a breath. She remembered the look on Liam's face and she couldn't help it, she was doubling over in laughter in seconds. She felt guilty, she did, but also really, really morbidly satisfied. It took her a minute to calm herself down enough to reclaim her dignity and find Cora but Cora ended up finding her. She was waving a white wand type object which Gen assumed could only be the scanner. 

"I got it!" she said, grinning. 

"Great," said Gen, smiling. The smile immediately morphed into a guilty wince. "Now come on, we have to rescue your brother." 

-

Five minutes later and they crawling in a dank, dark secret tunnel. Gen was following Cora who who even after five minutes could not stop laughing about what happened. Liam was leading the way and she could picture his furious face. She winced, feeling her stomach turn.