War (The True Reign Series) (10 page)

The two soldiers
seized Darmik’s arms, dragging him forward.

“
I am the emperor’s nephew,” Darmik said sternly. “I am also a prince. I demand to be treated accordingly. Take me to speak with Emperor Hamen. Now.”

A putrid smell wafted through the dark,
stone corridor. Darmik knew what awaited him, and he feared Vesha and Ellie would not survive. “If any harm comes to my companions,” Darmik said, seething with rage, “you will answer for it.”

He
was furious he hadn’t foreseen this outcome. He figured they might be taken into custody, but not interrogated. What purpose would this serve? They knew who he was. He did not intend to die in the dungeon without his uncle even knowing he was there. It was time to change the plan.

The warden stopped before
an iron door. “Put him in there,” he ordered. “Prepare him for a standard interrogation. I’ll be back after I’ve seen to his companions.”

The soldiers shoved
Darmik into the room, and he fell on his side. A single table stood in the middle of the room, chains attached to both ends. The two soldiers came in, closing the door behind them. One pulled Darmik to his feet.

The
soldier turned Darmik around, about to push him onto the table, when Darmik shifted his weight and slammed his elbow into his face, knocking him onto his back. The remaining soldier rushed at him. It was difficult to fight with his wrists bound together, but he’d done it several times before. The man threw a punch, and Darmik ducked. They circled one another, sizing each other up. The soldier on the ground started to stand.

He didn
’t have much time if he wanted to win this fight. He faked a swing toward the man’s head. When the soldier lifted his arms to block the strike, Darmik side-kicked the man, hitting him in his stomach. The soldier hunched over and Darmik smashed his bound fists on his back, sending the soldier to the ground. Darmik knew the other guard was behind him, about to strike. He spun around and kicked the soldier’s face, knocking him over. Darmik quickly grabbed one of the soldier’s swords and hit each man on the head with the hilt, rendering them unconscious.

With both men incapacitated,
Darmik stood next to the door, placing his body flat against the wall, awaiting the warden’s return. He knew, all-too well, the games Emperion interrogators played. A high-pitched female scream laced with pain echoed through the dungeon. He couldn’t let it affect him. If the interrogator discovered Darmik’s weak spot, he’d be sure to hurt Ellie and Vesha in an attempt to get him to cooperate.

After several minutes,
the door swung open and the warden ducked inside. Darmik grabbed the man’s tunic, pulled his body forward, and slammed the warden’s head against the stone wall. The man fell to the ground, unconscious.

In case other
soldiers were near, Darmik pulled the warden up and used his body as a human shield. Stepping into the hallway, all was quiet. Darmik knew from his time in Emperion that they typically kept people arrested together near one another for interrogation purposes. His friends should be nearby. Going to the next door, he listened for noises inside. He couldn’t tell who was behind the door, but he heard voices. Darmik lowered the unconscious warden to the ground. Searching the man’s pockets, he found a set of keys. He fumbled with them until he found the one for his manacles. Once his wrists were free from the metal, he stood, pulling the warden up with him. Reaching for the handle, he flung the door open and rushed inside, using the warden as a shield.

One soldier held Savenek by the arm
, while the other opened the manacles on the table, preparing them for use. Darmik shoved the warden’s body at the guard near Savenek. Then Darmik jumped over the table, landing next to a startled soldier. A jab, reverse, and a roundhouse kick sent the man to the ground. Darmik grabbed one of the chains attached to the table and swung it at the man’s head, knocking him out.

Darmik turned to help Savenek, who stood over the body of the other soldier, smiling.

“Is he unconscious or dead?” Darmik asked.

“Probably unconscious,” Savenek mused. “And I
thought you told us to do whatever they said.”

“
Well,” Darmik answered, “there’s been a slight change.” He peered into the hallway.

“
What’s the new plan?” Savenek whispered, coming to stand next to him.

“
Not sure. But things are too quiet. Something’s not right.”

The guards started to stir.
“Want to lock these guys in here?” Savenek asked.

Darmik nodded.
“Grab the keys in the warden’s right pocket. There should be one in there that unlocks your bindings.” Savenek did as Darmik said, and they stepped into the hallway, locking the door behind them. Darmik pointed to the next door, and Savenek nodded. As before, Darmik grabbed the handle, throwing open the door. They rushed inside. Savenek took one soldier down, while Darmik incapacitated the other one.

Audek lay on the table. Savenek quick
ly shuffled through the keys until he found one that unlocked the metal encasing his arms and legs.

“
I take it things aren’t going as planned,” Audek said as he sat up.

“
No,” Darmik snapped, pacing the room.

“
Well, what are we waiting for?” Audek asked. “Let’s go rescue everyone else.”

Darmik shook his head
“We’ll never make it out of the dungeon.”

“
So far it’s been fairly easy,” Savenek said.

“
We have two options. We can stick together and try to rescue the rest of our group. If we do so, we run the risk of being recaptured. If they catch us, we could all be killed.” He glanced into the hallway—no one was about. “Or,” he continued, “we can assume capture is imminent and split up, hoping one of us makes it out alive.”

“Which plan has a higher likelihood of success
?” Savenek asked, coming to stand next to him.

Darmik calculated the risks of each option.
Their chance of escape was slim. However, he believed one person could evade capture easier than all six could.

“
I suggest we skiddattle,” Audek said.

“
What do you want to do, Darmik?” Savenek asked.

“
I hate to ask this of you,” he said, “but I think we need to split up—just the two of us. Leave everyone else here as a distraction.”

“
All righty.” Audek laid back down on the table. “Lock me in.”

Savenek rushed over and reattached the manacles.
“For Rema.”

“
Yes,” Audek said. “For our queen.”

Darmik heard voices.
“Hurry!” He and Savenek ran from the room.

When they reached the
bottom of a flight of stairs, they heard noises coming from the top and from behind them. They were boxed in.

“
I’m sorry,” Darmik said.

“
For what?”

“
This.” Darmik punched Savenek in the stomach, and he doubled over in pain. Emperion guards rushed into the corridor, surrounding them with their swords drawn.

“
It’s about time you arrive,” Darmik said. “Detain him, and take me to see my uncle.”

Rema

Rema held on for dear life, sweat dripping down her face and back. She couldn’t believe how humid it was. The closer they got to Emperion, the hotter it became.

“
Excellent!” Nathenek yelled up to her. “Now slide down, careful not to burn your hands.”

It was beautiful up here. Nathenek had made her climb one of the ropes attached to
the mizzenmast. It reminded her of being on top of her cliff back home. The wind whipped around her body, making her feel as if she were flying. For the past two weeks, Nathenek had been pushing her harder and harder each day. The result—her muscles were tone and far stronger than before.

Keeping her legs hooked around the rope like
he showed her, she began lowering herself. Four feet from the bottom, she let go, jumping onto the deck.

“
Are your hands hurt?” he asked.

“
Nope.” She held them up to show him. Her hands were red and calloused, but stronger than they had ever been before.

“
Good, let’s practice the sword work I taught you yesterday.”

For the next two hours, they ran through
the drill, side by side, mimicking one another, moving in perfect unison. Rema thoroughly enjoyed working with Nathenek. He was an excellent instructor, patient, and she learned a great deal from him. When they practiced together, his cold exterior melted away and he was actually pleasant to be around.

When
they stopped for a water break, the captain of the ship came over.

“
Land has been spotted,” he informed them. “We should arrive at sunset.”

Fear coursed through Rema. This was it. She
’d managed to forget about her execution by focusing on training. Everything was about to change.

“
Thank you,” Nathenek said to the ship’s captain. “We’ll be in my room preparing. Let me know when we’re about to dock.”

The captain nodded and left. Rema
kept her mouth shut as she followed Nathenek to his berth. The second she stepped foot on land, she would escape. She would need to be fully aware of her surroundings and ready to run or hide when the opportunity presented itself. Her stomach twisted in pain just thinking of what she was about to face.

Nathenek closed and locked his door.
“We need to talk.” He went over to the footlocker and opened it. “When I first kidnapped you, this was around your neck.” He dug around inside and pulled out her key necklace.

“
That’s mine!” She went to grab the chain, but Nathenek stood, raising it out of her reach.

“
Where did you get it?” he asked.

“
It’s a family heirloom,” she said. “Give it back.”

“Do you have any idea what this means?” he asked.

“Yes, I do.” Rema folded her arms across her chest. “I know exactly what it means. Do you?”

He lowered the necklace, placing the key on his palm. “Tell me,” he demanded.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but that necklace has been handed down through the generations of my family. It symbolizes the true heir.”

Nathenek
’s eyes narrowed. “For Greenwood Island?”

“Yes, now give it to me.” If Nathenek showed it to the emperor, he would know she was the rightful heir of Greenwood Island, thus making her the true heir to Emperion. He would kill her at once. Although, if he knew about the secret tattoo on her shoulder, all he had to do was look at that and she
’d be condemned to death.

“The emperor wants to see me beheaded so he can verify my identity,” Rema said.

Nathenek nodded, his fingers curling around the key.

“Your loyalty lies with the Emperion line? Or with the emperor?” Rema asked.

Nathenek’s head jerked up. He took a step toward her, coming too close for comfort. “They are one in the same,” he snapped.

“Are you sure about that?

Nathenek cursed under his breath.

“
What?” Rema asked. Was he finally starting to understand her true heritage?

He shook his head.

“I want my necklace.”

“
I’m sorry,” he said, putting it in his pocket. “I can’t give this to you right now.” He took a step back, rubbing his face with his hands.

“Why not?” she demanded. “It
’s mine.”

Quick as a blink of an eye, Nathenek came at her, grabbing her upper arms. “Listen to me,” he said
, in a voice that was cold and hard, sending chills through her body. “Keep your mouth shut about the key, or I’ll kill you.”

She felt something pierce her side. Glancing down, Nathenek had let go of her arm, unsheathed his dagger, and dug it into her side just under her ribs. She never even saw him move. Rema nodded, afraid to say anything at all.