(Note: This is an excerpt from the second novel of my series. The book one wasn't written in English, and nor was the beginning of the book two - that is why I need to make this note now. This story is told by a girl named Eira. She's currently around 9, and it's happening sometime in the medieval time, in a country and a town that haven't been named.. There's a reason why she thinks and acts older, so try not to stay on that for too long... She's something like a foster child to a "traitor" named Dareon, who was caught and brought to the Castle, along with his children and the whole group of others - Eira refers to them as family. Her true mother and father were accused for doing magic and being heretics. Her mother died in the dungeons, giving birth to her, and her father was hanged afterwards. She was saved by Dareon and took to the Labyrinth, his hideout, where she lived until the soldiers came for them. She pretends to be a boy, and she currently pretends to be unable to speak. There's a boy, friend of hers, named Erik, who knows she does speak (but doesn't know she's a girl), he's taken to train and eventually join the army. Captain Santos is the Castle's captain of the Guard.. Eira also made a deal with a man named Sebastian - he is to help her save Dareon, and she will later do what he asks of her, and their alliance will last for 11 years. She thinks he's a demon, for now (nothing to do with Black Butler, actually, I wrote this before I saw that, haha).. I think I now covered everything that happened so far, very much in short. This continues directly on the first part I submitted here. Do note, as always, that English is not my first language.)
*
I wanted to run to the dungeons the moment I heard him say Dareon was alive, but taking a step back I felt a hand on my shoulder, and captain Santos frowned at me.
"You were not given permission to leave," he whispered, and I slowly nodded, hoping no one can see my feelings. I wasn't even quite sure, following the Captain and our lord back to the Palace, how it should be called – I was scared, scared beyond my imagination, but at the same time I felt a touch of something I could have almost called gratitude, though I couldn't have made it clear to whom.
Dareon is alive, I told myself a hundred times later that day, and as the Prince finally retired to his chambers, I rushed to my own. My plan, as elaborated as it could be, was to collect some food and water I still had left in my room, take along a candle and a dagger and not leave Dareon's prison, once I find it, until I'm sure he will run away with me. I ran into the room, followed by the breath of fresh air I brought from the cold corridors, and murmured a prayer to an invented god to keep him alive and help me save him, as I collected the candle and the food. Trying to find a dagger or anything resembling it, I found out too late that it wasn't the wind what closed the door.
Captain Adrian Santos, equipped as if he was just at his way to a duel and with his arms crossed on his chest, regarded me with one eyebrow raised. The short sword he gave me now stood next to his leg, resting leaned to the door, and we looked at it at the same time.
"Were you looking for it?," he asked, and I slowly nodded, not ever daring to reach out. He sneered. "Why don't you just answer me?"
I didn't answer him. Maybe because I didn't want to admit to myself he really heard me talking, maybe because some part of me truly believed that he just said it to tease, but mostly because I couldn't find the words.
"You can't deny it anymore, Fish or whatever your name was." I've never heard him talking in such a brusque tone before, and I took a step back as he moved closer. "I won't hurt you," he said, now with a tiny hint of confusion in his voice. "Not if you just tell me what all that is about. Why are you here?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and closed my eyes for a moment, hoping I'm about to do the right thing.
"I have nowhere else to be," I whispered.
"So you do talk," he said, also in low voice. It was the first time since I got to the Castle, that I felt like I was all alone. Always before, even when I was far from Erik, I somehow felt comfort when thinking about captain Santos – and if now he's my foe as well… "Well then. Why do you pretend not to speak?"
I shrugged, guessing it may not be the best idea to tell the truth.
"One can see a lot when they don't know he's watching," I muttered, and he grinned.
"As a man, I can get over your lies," he said. "As captain of the Prince's Guard, I have to get over your lies, if I don't want to get myself hanged. But you do need to explain what is your plan considering the man who calls himself Dareon Drai. And I don't want to hear my own saying again."
I put the candle and the food down and sat on the bed, wondering if I should let Sebastian's magic interfere. Perhaps there wasn't a way for me to get out of it anymore; perhaps Captain Santos wasn't at my side after all, and I had no choice to save Dareon but to let my demon destroy everyone else. But if I ask that from him, and if he does it for me, what will happen next? If I really traded my soul for the fulfillment of that wish… to whatever fate it may led, I couldn't make myself finish it all so soon.
"I owe him," I said silently, still hoping I may not get killed. I looked up, meeting his eyes, and did my best to look calmer than I felt. "Couldn't you just please forget this ever happened? Couldn't you just let me go and say you know nothing about it when they find out we've disappeared?" Or were killed, I added to myself, and shivered at the thought. Would Sebastian even let me die? Haven't I ordered him to protect my life?
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Santos said, and I shook my head.
"But why? He's been here long enough, hasn't he? If they want him dead so much, why didn't they just do it by now?"
He frowned, as if he found it hard to believe someone doesn't know the answer to that question, resembling a storyteller confused by the fact his tale is not well-known despite all the times he's told it.
"Years ago, he stole an important object of our masters' desires," he replied then, carefully choosing his words, and I wasn't quite sure I even understood what he said.
"He stole… What was that thing?," I asked. It was his turn to head shaking.
"Not a thing,", he said. "A person."
"A person?" How does one steal a person? For some reason, though he seemed friendly and though I've always loved stories like that one, I felt that same strange, sinster feeling that overwhelmed me at the Sebastian's island, warning me to stay away. You don't want to hear it, I told to myself. There are things you just shouldn't know. I opened my mouth again. "I would like to hear that story, sir."
"Storytelling takes time," he said after a moment of silence. "Sometimes, too much time. Right now, I have a very important matter to discuss with the members of the Court you needn't know anything about. The main warden of the King's dungeons will also attend that meeting," he added after another moment, with a strange look on his face. "I shall come here again to inform you of what are the Prince's plans for tomorrow. If I find you in bed, I shall not wake you up – if I find the room empty, I shall have another talk with that warden I just mentioned."
He gave me a look similar to the one Dareon used to give me whenever he'd tell me to go and observe what the people in town are doing – and by observe, he usually meant steal important documents.
Captain Santos turned his back to me, but stalled for a heartbeat before opening the door.
"You know," he said, "when one is observing, he should be sure that he's not observed at the same time."
*
The Palace's corridors were cold, especially on the lower levels. The flame of my candle flickered, as if the darkness and the coldness itself is threatening to put it away, but nevertheless it led me through the narrow hallways of that part of the castle. After just a while, as I have successfully avoided being stopped by guards drinking next to a torch in the wall, I started regretting I haven't thought of bringing my coat along with me. In my head, trying to orientate in the labyrinth of passages in the womb of the Palace, I was already trapped in a deadly prison filled with snares and demons just waiting to take my soul. Silently, I smiled to myself.
"I must disappoint you, my soul is taken," I whispered. "Go find Sebastian if you wish to steal it away."
Well, it for sure cheers me up that you are now so reconciled with it.
I stopped, turning around, wondering if I'd imagined my demon's sarcastic remark, but under the light of my candle, I could see nothing but empty passages and walls of thick stone.
I'm not there, he said again, and I frowned. I'm in your mind, and I must say, little mistress, you have quite a mess in here.
"Get out," I growled, still frowning.
But if I get out, how will I point you at the right direction?
"If you aren't here, how do you know it's safe?"
I know, he replied after short contemplation. Do you need my help or not?
"Where are you? Haven't you said you'll always be around?" And no, I will not let you know that I need your help, you won't hear me say that.
I haven't said so in quite those words, he answered, and I could imagine him grinning.Also, I can hear your thoughts, and I believe we've already established that you certainly do need my help, so you're really just acting childish.
"I am a child," I said, squeezing the candle. "Now tell me the way or get out of my head."
So bossy she is, he said in an almost singing voice. Does it suggest I don't have to get out if I tell you the way?
To tell the truth, I didn't really want to stay alone, and if he was the only person who could have been there with me, I figured it was better than no one – but I didn't want him to know that, and I sincerely hoped he can't hear my thoughts if I don't form them as proper sentences.
You take the next left turn, little mistress, he said after a while. And remember to come back to your chambers in time, or I will have to have a word with your captain Santos… and I got the impression you grew rather fond of him, so it may be a pity.
I followed his instructions, as I really had nothing else to cling on to. I went the path he told me to go, wondering if he really did leave from my head. There was no voice anymore – no sarcastic remarks, no advices, no threats – just silence, and though it was what I was used to and what I wished for, it made me feel insecure. What was I doing there anyway? Alone like that, in the dark, what was I thinking?
I'm just a child. How will I – how could I – get Dareon out and return to my chambers in time? Even if I somehow manage to open the dungeon's doors, what if he turns out to be too weak even to walk? What if he has lost hope, or is unconscious, what if they did something to him so he doesn't even know who I am anymore?
What if he's mad at me? What if he sent me away so he wouldn't have to see me anymore… if it wasn't for my protection, but the King's man accidently happened to come just as he'd sent me on my journey to never return?
A hand covered my mouth so fast I didn't even get the time to think of screaming. Automatically, I pulled up my dagger, but the other hand grabbed my wrist and, ignoring my attempts to free myself, took the blade from my clasp. Frowning, I lifted up the candle I held in my other hand, holding it close to the fingers on my face.
"Stop it," he whispered, and I listened to him immediately. He let me go, and I turned, wishing I could see better in the dark and that there were no bars separating us.
He sat on the floor, leaning against the wall of his dungeon, playing with my dagger in one hand, and his eyes so obviously were avoiding mine that I almost yelled at him because of it.
"Dareon," I muttered, not sure what to say or do now I was actually there. "How-"
"Why did you come?", he cut through my words, meeting my eyes this time. Being imprisoned in such a small space, surrounded by nothing but thick, cold walls of stone, never seeing the sunlight, didn't suit him well. He was skinnier than I've ever seen him be, he had black beard and his hair was falling on his chest – and in his eyes I could see no more of that witty, free personality I used to love so much. Wondering when was the last time he smiled, I shrugged.
"That's not quite a greeting I hoped for," I murmured, and he sneered.
"I figured you'll be smart enough to get the message when I sent you as further away I could," he said, his voice not leaving that cold tone, and I pressed my lips in one thin line.
"Well you should have figured I'll come look for you," I said. "It's what you would do for me," I added in a quiet voice, looking down at my candle's little flame.
"Eira…" he sighed, reaching through the bars to take my hand. I held his cold fingers as tight as I could, never wanting to let him go again, and noticed thinc iron rings around his wrists. How could I not think of that? How am I supposed to break those? I looked up to meet his eyes again, and he shook his head. "No matter how talented, shadows cannot survive in the darkness of this dungeons. Run away, my little whisper, and don't ever let yourself be caught. Go somewhere where they'll never find you, live your life and forget about me. It's not like anyone is left to miss me anyway, so why should you be the one who gets hurt while trying to save me?"
I always knew he took care of me, but that way of expressing it caught me by surprise, as he was never before so serious and cynical, and for a moment I didn't know what to say. What he said was so selfish. He did make an effort, putting it all in those kinds of words, to make it look the other way, but still it was selfish, and I wished to yell at him again; to make him understand I'm still alive and I don't want him to die, and just how wrong is it that he wishes for it himself. What happened to him? His voice, everything about him, was so much different than I remembered – could it really have passed so long? – that I wasn't even sure I still know who the man I've been talking to really was. Dareon Drai I knew would never be so at peace with the faith we both knew was waiting for him. Never…unless he really believed he had nothing else to lose.
"Where are they?" I enquired, again wondering why I have the need to ask questions I don't even think I'm able to handle the answer to. "What did they do to your children?"
He turned his head away from me, facing the darkness deeper in the cell, the other corners to which my light couldn't reach.
"I don't know," he said, in a tone of a man who just decided to give up fighting. I shook my head, remembering the smiles on the Royal Twins, wondering how could their parents slept at night when they knew of the condition some other children were in.
"They are here," Dareon said. "That I'm sure of… but I can't even tell if they're alive. I don’t know for how long we've been here…perhaps I don't care."
I wanted him to stop talking like that. I wanted him to cry or to scream or to curse, or anything but that calm surrender to everything around him. What do they have to do to make a man change so much?
"They are all gone, you know," he said, as if answering my thoughts. "My friends, from the Labyrinth… I guess I owe them as much to come after them."
"Our friends," I replied, frowning again. His eyes, shaded by strands of hair, seemed to me like two dark holes, and the way he looked at my dagger in his hand made me worried. I reached out and touched his fingers with mine, mimicking the way he took the same blade from me before.
"Give it back to me," I said, and he obeyed, letting his hand fall to the ground.
"You seem so much older than your age," he muttered. "Has it been so long?"
"I'm still nine and something," I shrugged. "I have to go… Dareon, I will get you out of here. I promise."
"Eira… for the love of God…"
For a moment, I imagined Sebastian having that conversation with Dareon instead of me, and I wondered which one would lose his patience first. I grinned, though I felt nothing like even smiling.
"I'm a child of a witch, did you forget? Love of what God, then?"
He shook his head again, pointing a warning finger at me.
"Don't you joke with it. One word can kill you here." He put down his hand, looking at me as if he suddenly he saw something that wasn't there before. "What happened to you, Eira? There's some… darkness… in your eyes."
"There's darkness everywhere around," I said, staring at the candle again so he wouldn't see the fear in my eyes. Could he know? Could he see? My inner self shook her head. It was impossible to tell – my demon did nothing to me. He left no marks and he wasn't there with me, he didn't make me different in any way.. so why did Dareon look at me like that all of the sudden? As if I've changed, as if I'm not who I was… almost as if he's afraid of me…
"Your mother was a talented woman, but she wasn't a witch." I looked up to meet his eyes again when he said it. He never before talked to me about my parents before, and until then I wasn't even really sure that he knew them. "Still, there are things in this world you shouldn't mess with. No matter what they promise you."
"I… I do have to go." I let his hand go, leaving the pack of food I brought along on the floor next to him. "I will find a way. I will. Don't you dare to give up."
*
I do have a couple of issues.
I will see what I can do about it, though.
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