Mia's POV
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So, my plan is less of a 'nicely thought out escape plan,' more of a calculated risk. Vyn was able to confirm that in meetings, tea is usually served around. And not like fancy British-tea-time tea, more like natural tea, made from the needles of pines and mint leaves, sipped from wooden cups. Elmer is in charge of the guards and military, so without him barking commands, we can get out easier- he's who I'll go for. My guess is when I tell Elmer that I want to bargain for my freedom, he'll give out tea, try to seem as fair and serious as possible. Vyn also found out that there is no actual poison in the kitchens- figures- but his mother was a skilled herb mixer and he knows how to make a deadly poison from ingredients in the kitchen. Vyn clearly wants to leave the Cin's city, Dae taur, as soon as I do, so I trust him. I trust that he will poison the cup he will serve to Elmer.
I have to. If it doesn't work, I don't know what will.
Back in my cell, I await the guards who will bring me to the meeting. The blond elf across from me, who talked to me once, is sitting by the bars. When I glance up, he's looking at me.
"Yes?" I ask, not really knowing what else to say. The man blinks, as if he didn't realize he was staring.
"Sorry," he says quickly, sitting up taller. The way he sits reminds me of how Knox and his mother sit on their thrones. Tall, regal.
"Where did you say you came from?" He asks.
"I didn't," I reply. Who is this guy? "But, Bhailewood."
The elf's eyes light up like a spark.
"I lived there."
He pauses, as if expecting something. I stare at him- at his amber eyes, blond hair, straight nose. After a solid minute, the pieces seem to slam together in a rush. My mouth parts and my face freezes.
Knox told me that his dad was taken during the last war, about ten years ago. Taken by the Cin. This elf looks suspiciously like Knox.
"Are you..." I almost have trouble saying it, I can barely believe it. "Are you Knox's dad? Rothilion?"
The elf grabs the bars of his cell, and his face looks more joyful than I've seen my whole time being here. He actually smiles, and then I really see there resemblance. I smile back- a surprised, awed smile.
"Yes! Do you know him? How is he? How's Rose?"
My face heats, and I settle for telling his father that Knox and I are friends. I explain how he saved me, how Rose is doing, everything he wants to hear. For the next hour we talk, and he tells me everything about the upcoming war that he's overheard plus other valuable information. I suggest that he escapes with us, but he tells me that if him escaping complicates the plan, then we should leave him. I hate the thought of it- knowing that I'm talking to Knox's father, and not helping him get out. But he insists, saying he has stuff to do here. I argue for a while, but he's stubborn, so I finally drop it.
We compromise, and when the meeting comes, Knox's very much alive father says goodbye to me with a guard uniform under his blankets and the keys to his cell hidden in his pocket.
I pray he gets out.
Four guards flank me as I head to a room to meet with Elmer. I don't see the use in guards, let alone four. My hands are currently tied in front of me, and I'm limping slowly- half for show. I used the ointment Vyn gave me soon after I took a shower, and although it's only been a day, the cuts on my arm are both almost gone, and the one on my leg, along with the burn, have scabbed over quicker than they should normally. Although it's still visible and still hurts, it is way less painful. Since those are covered with my dress and pants, I'm happy to heal them. But I keep the cut and bruises on my face so Elmer won't get suspicious.
"Welcome, Mia," Elmer says when we enter, two of the guards staying outside to guard the door. I level him with my most withering glare and settle myself into a chair on opposite him at a small circular table. The room is annoyingly bare of anything useful to me, which is no doubt the point. It's just a small room with some candles on the wall, a table and chairs, and a window that looks out over some shabby houses and shadowed trees.
"You are here to bargain. I'm not sure any bargain will make sense, but go ahead," Elmer says, settling back into his chair, an amused look on his face. "It'll be be interesting to see what you can come up with."
"Yes," I say, my voice confident, "let's see. But I'd like my hands untied. I don't think I'll be going anywhere."
Almost begrudgingly, Elmer nods, and a guard comes and cuts the ropes away with one sharp slice of a knife. I don't miss that he almost nicks my wrist with it.
Then Elmer signals to the other of the two guards in the room. I keep my face slack, but inside I'm whooping and jumping up and down as Vyn comes in with a tray. He places one cup of dark green tea in front of me, one in front of Elmer. I don't make the mistake of looking Vyn in the eye, and he never tries to catch my gaze.
I pick up the tea and glance down at it, sniffing lightly. Smells normal. When I look up, Elmer is looking at me, eyes narrowed.
"What," he says, noticing my look at the tea, "do you think I poisoned it?" His smile is antagonizing.
"Maybe I poisoned yours," I say, scoffing and taking a sip of the tea. A strong bitter, minty flavor fills my mouth. I try not to laugh at the fact that I just told Elmer exactly what I did. But, of course, Elmer thinks I've been sitting in my cell in pain for days. There's no way I would have had the time or resources to poison him. And there's no way I would be so careless as to blatantly tell him.
Well, I hope Elmer enjoys surprises.
"I would like to leave, and in return I can get the Bhailewood elves to give you whatever riches you want. Whatever jewels."
I know it's a stupid deal, but Elmer does think I'm just a stupid halfblood. I'm just buying time.
Elmer laughs outright, taking a big sip of his tea. I watch him with a satisfied gleam in my eyes.
"You cannot be serious." He regards me again and shakes his head like he's a teacher scolding a child. "Nothing you can give will equal the Heartstone. It's really simple, Mia. You don't have to suffer anymore. You can just tell me where the stone is, get it for me, and you'll be on your merry way home."
"Oh, yeah, and then you'll destroy the world," I say, shaking my head the same way he just did to me. Times up. I meet his sharp gaze, mine never wavering.
"No, Elmer. I think I'll just walk out of here myself."
With that, I take the two small daggers Vyn gave me from under my dress, one in each hand, and flick them backwards. I don't need to see the guards to know that the blades land in each of their necks- I can hear the gasps, the gurgling noises of them sputtering their last breaths, the thump behind me as their bodies hit the floor. Killing still stings, but the bite isn't as bad when I can see the look on Elmer's face.
Elmer goes to stand, but tips sideways and falls on the floor, his elf agility dulled by the poison. He's barely able to hold himself up as he hits the ground. I hear the guards outside fall at the same time that Elmer's chair tips and bangs against the hardwood floor.
"You..." Elmer's breathing is hard and ragged, his eyes glassed over. He looks livid, and it only takes him a minute to figure out what I did.
"Poison," he snarls. I smile at him and crouch to his level.
"Should've listened to me the first time," I say quietly, my tone venomous.
When I leave, I do not look at the bodies of the men I killed.
The only trace of what I've done is the lump in the back of my throat and the knives stuck in theirs.
I take the uniform of a knocked out guard and slide it on over the dress- It's huge on me, but whatever. I strap one of the knives from the guards uniform to my thigh and another on my arm, then walk as fast as I can with Vyn.
"I know the place, the door to outside is right around this corner," Vyn says, suddenly stopping. "I found a transport stone, but we'll have to be quick. It won't take long for the guards to realize you aren't one of them, and Elmer won't be asleep for long."
I blink at him in surprise.
"I thought the poison killed him!" I whisper-yell, a bright hot ember of anger coming back to life inside me. I want him dead.
"I know, I wish I could, that was the best I could do with what I had- Come on, we have to go."
I press my lips together tight to keep myself from saying something I don't mean and follow Vyn down the last hallway. It takes everything in me not to run as we get closer and closer to the huge double doors, closer to an escape from stale air and foggy darkness.
Guards outside open the doors for us, and we walk right past. My boots slap into a puddle as I carelessly walk across the melting snow. I just want to be as far from here as possible.
"Okay, here we go," Vyn says. His voice is breathless, like he can't believe this is happening.
"Let's get the hell out of here," I say. We both smile at each other.
I say a silent prayer for Knox's dad.
I grab his arm, and we disappear.
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Sunlight- unobstructed, beautiful sunlight, hits my face. A cold late-winter breeze ruffles my undone hair, and my nose is filled with the smell of melting snow and crisp air. When I look up, I see the towering walls of Bhailewood.
"We did it," I say, nearly collapsing in joy. I allow myself to feel all the relief I had been holding inside me, and as I exhale, I imagine myself letting go of the hopelessness, of all the bad memories.
"Yeah," Vyn says from behind me. When I turn to him, he has tears in his eyes. I think I do, too. The guard uniform comes off easily, then I bring Vyn into a grateful hug.
"Thank you. I wouldn't have been able to get out without you."
"I wouldn't either, so thank you," Vyn replies, pulling away. He smiles a hopeful smile.
"I'm going to my home now. Find some family or friends..."
I smile and nod, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear and looking back at the wall, and the guards who are watching me. I can hear their conversation, a hundred or so feet up, loud and clear- they recognize me, and are about to open the gate.
"Goodbye, Mia." Vyn grips the transport stone in his hand harder.
"Bye Vyn. Feel free to visit!" I call as he vanishes. I have a feeling he's smiling.
It feels odd to be able to breathe sighs of relief now, to be able to let my guard down, but I smile and try to as the huge gates in the wall open.
You'll see everyone again.
Four Bhailewood guards come through the door of the gate, bombarding me with questions.
"Mia?"
"Where were you?"
"The Queen has been looking-"
"-thought you were dead-"
"Okay, okay, hi, I'm here now," I say, laughing. "I'd like to see the Queen."
"Of course," One of them says. The guard who just spoke, a tall man with brown hair, goes to put a hand on my shoulder- probably just to guide me, considering I'm a bit weak with lack of food and sleep- and I flinch. Panic surges through me like a tidal wave, one I can't control. The guard notices and backs off as we start walking.
What was that? I think, pressing a hand to my chest and trying to calm down. I can feel my heart beating fast. I swallow the lump in my throat and breathe deeply. Stop it. You're safe. It's okay. But for a second, I felt like I was being herded to my cell again. To that hopeless pit. But you're not, an annoyed voice in me grumbles, and I try to listen to it as I'm led the short distance to the castle- the beautiful castle of a tree, the one I missed so much. This place feels like home now.
"I'm good from here," I say to the guards, "thank you."
Luckily, they nod and disperse, leaving me to stare up at the huge tree by myself.
I look around, and when I don't see anyone looking at me, I allow myself a moment to jump around and squeal in complete joy, barely containing a scream. It's like that feeling when something you want to happen in a show finally happens, and you scream with all of your friends. I do that- by myself- for a solid thirty seconds before composing myself.
"Ouch," I mutter as a flare of pain hits me in the leg. That cream Vyn gave me worked wonders, but it's still vulnerable to splitting back open. Oops.
"Okay... Okay," I breathe as I make my way across the small bridge and to the door.
Inside, I'm greeted with the familiar scent of raw wood and pine candles. My heart is about to beat out of my chest with anticipation as I go hurriedly to the throne room.
The minute I step inside of the vast hall I hear echoing voices.
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YAYYYY MORE REUNIONS!
Officially ten chapters left... :(