Torn (8 page)

“Of course I’m talking to myself,” she snapped. “Why shouldn’t I? No one else in this damn place listens to me.”

Timus shook his head and walked closer to the next cell.

When Honey Wine looked back, Torn was deeply asleep, lips slightly parted.

She impulsively traced his mouth with her fingertip. Tomorrow, she would slip into the courtyard and see if the old woman’s story about a passage beneath the well was the truth or a fable created by an aging mind.

She wrapped her cloak around her shoulders as she sat on the floor of the cell, her back braced against the stone wall, and closed her eyes.

When she awoke, the torches outside the cells had burned low. Other than a guard posted at the door and Timus who stood watch several cells down, there was no security. The cages were of solid steel bars and locked. Only Timus and Bron held keys. If a passage truly existed through the well, escape from the dungeon itself would be easier than she’d hoped.

Torn was still asleep. She placed her palm to his cool forehead and sighed with relief. So few survived fevers under the dirty prison conditions, but Torn was strong and healthy, and if he survived the night, she had few doubts he would completely recover. She knew he wouldn’t be expected to return to the arena until he was healed, and by then, their escape plans would be set.

Glancing over her shoulder, Honey Wine made certain Timus wasn’t watching before she bent and placed a brief kiss on Torn’s mouth. His eyes flickered open, and he smiled slightly. His knuckles brushed across the back of her hand, and their fingers entwined, squeezing gently. They didn’t speak, but their eyes communicated everything they felt.

She sat on the floor close to his bench, facing outward so she would know if Timus approached.

“Tell me about your home,” she whispered.

He took so long to answer that she didn’t think he’d heard her. Finally he said, “It’s a fortress in Rubyshire. Tall. Gray. But inside, it resembles the cathedrals in the countries South of here.”

“It’s said your Order is rooted in religion but you don’t worship the Goddesses. Is that true?”

“Most of us believe in a Spirit who has no gender.”

“What does your family think of this?”

“The Order is my family. My parents died when I was an infant. I was raised by Knights. Mahir, he’s our leader, is like a father to me.”

Honey Wine smiled slightly, sadly when she thought of how much Torn must be missed. In cells all around them were men who were missed. Men who had been forced to become beasts. For the first time, she wished she could free them all, but she knew that was impossible.

“It doesn’t matter what deity you worship,” she told him. “Your Order does good. That’s all that matters. They don’t take women, though, or else I might have joined once we get out of here.”

“The Opal Order is exclusively female. Some of the Knights have wives, sisters, and daughters who serve that Order. They could introduce you.”

Honey Wine smiled and shook her head. “No. I don’t think I could be like you. My temper is too bad. I hate too much.”

“Funny you can say that after what I did tonight. How am I going to explain about Redly?”

“He tried to kill you!”

“That wasn’t him.”

“Then you didn’t kill him. He was already dead.”

“Honey Wine,” he drew a deep breath, and she saw him struggle not to wince against the pain in his chest, “there’s so much you don’t understand about the Order, things I don’t agree with…”

“Not nearly as much as I don’t agree with about the rules here. Nothing’s perfect, Torn.”

“But –”

“Shh! Timus is making his rounds.” She slipped away from Torn as Timus walked past the cells and stopped in front of theirs.

“Is he still breathing?” Timus asked.

“He’s doing as well as can be expected.”

“Fever?”

“No fever.”

“Good. Bron told me to ask how long you think it will be before he can participate in Entertainment again.”

“Not for a couple of months at least.”

“A couple of months?” Timus shook his head. “The Mistress won’t like that.”

“The Mistress should be glad that he’s salvageable.”

“That’s true,” Timus said. “He’s the strongest one we’ve had down here in a long time. Truth be told, he’s not all that bad as beasts go. I wish they were all as simple to handle.”

“It would make our jobs so much easier, wouldn’t it?” Honey Wine wondered if Timus caught the underlying disgust in her voice.

“Sure would. You really want to stay there until morning?”

She nodded. “At dawn, you can let me out so I can wash, then I’ll come back and get my morning rounds done. I’ll catch some sleep after that.”

Timus smiled at her and nodded before continuing down the room.

“You should have told him to let you out,” Torn said as Honey Wine sat beside him. “Maybe you should forget about what we planned. I don’t want to cause you any harm. I know I agreed to plan our escape. I wasn’t thinking about what’s best for you.”

His words made her tingle with anger. “I’m not a child, Torn. I don’t need you to look out for me.”

“Then why are you looking out for me?”

Her anger dissipated. “The truth is, if I hadn’t met you, I never would have found the courage to even try escaping. This is just as much a chance at freedom for me as it is for you.”

“I don’t want you to be hurt –”

“Then think about how I must feel watching you suffer. Not only you, but also everyone down here. For years, I’ve shielded myself against how I really feel because I thought there was nothing I could do. I might not be able to rescue everyone, but we can escape together. You can go back to your old life, and I can find a new one.”

“Even if we escape the palace, we’re sure to be chased. We’ll need weapons of some sort.”

“I don’t have any access to weapons. Alva had Bron make sure of that.”

“Can you get a blowpipe?”

“I suppose I could find something like that. Why?”

His blue eyes darted to the stone ledge above the bars of his cell. “I’ve been saving the bones from meals and making darts. The guards never actually come into the cells, so I’ve been storing them on that ledge. I’ve seen the herbs in your supply box. Some of them are poisonous. We can treat the darts with poison, and if you can get us pipes to shoot the darts, we’ll have weapons.”

She glanced at him as if seeing him for the first time. Her gentle Knight could be crafty when the situation required it. She nodded. “You’ve been doing quite a bit of planning for this escape, and I want you to know I’ve been doing my part. Today, if everything goes as I hope, I’ll have useful information for you.”

“What sort of information?”

“I’ll tell you later.” She leaned close and kissed him again quickly.

“Just be careful,” he told her. “And if at any time you want to abort this plan, I’ll never hold it against you.”

“I’ve never wanted anything this badly in my life,” she said.
Except,
perhaps, you…

After leaving the prison that morning, Honey Wine went directly to the courtyard under the pretense of bathing in the pond. As she’d assumed, it was empty. Only Alva or her guests ever ventured into the courtyard, and knowing her sister, Honey Wine guessed it would be hours before she rose from the comfort of her bed and the arms of whichever lover she’d taken the night before.

Honey Wine slipped from her dress and into the chilly water. Drawing a deep breath, she swam out to the pool’s center and dove. She swam deeper than she’d ever tried before, past green vines and goldfish until she neared a cave at the rocky bottom. A glance behind her revealed the sunlight melting through the water’s surface.

She could certainly swim, but was not a diver by any means and knew that soon she would need air. Still, the cave was the only possible tunnel, if the old healer had been speaking the truth. She swam through the stony opening, and the water grew murky. A faint, eerie glow shone above. Rocks were hard and slippery beneath her feet as she pushed off from the bottom toward the strange light. As she broke the surface, she tried not to gasp loudly as her every breath echoed in the slimy stone tunnel where she found herself. Just above her, she heard voices. She recognized Timus, Bron, and several other guards. So it was true! She was at the bottom of the well.

The bucket dropped into the water beside Honey Wine, nearly striking her face. Honey Wine bit her lip to keep from crying out in surprise. She’d better swim away before she was knocked unconscious and drowned. The thought made laugher stick in her throat, as she felt giddy with the hope of escape and the challenge it provided. For too long she’d lived in the drudgery of the prison.

Slowly, her own warrior’s soul woke from its slumber. For the first time in years, she felt willing to fight for her freedom.

She drew a deep breath and swam back down the well. As she emerged, her heart pounded, and she became momentarily disoriented. If she didn’t remember which way to swim, she could drown since the pool was the only surface point she remembered passing.

Finally, she broke the surface and climbed out of the pool, wiping water from her eyes. Her hands trembled with excitement. She could scarcely wait to tell Torn what she’d learned, but that would have to wait. Both must be careful not to give away their plan.

After dressing hastily, she returned to the prison. Though tired from spending the night on the floor of Torn’s cell, excitement coursed through her.

She knew that even when she retired to her chamber, sleep would elude her.

In the dungeon, she checked several sick and injured beasts. When she reached Torn’s cell, he lay so quietly on his bench she thought he was asleep.

She no sooner stooped beside him when his eyes met hers.

She leaned close as she changed his bandage and whispered, “I’ve found a way out of here. Down the well, there’s a passage –” She stopped speaking as Bron approached and watched her work.

“So we finally made a killer out of him,” Bron said.

“And you sound so happy about it,” she said.

He shrugged. “Truth be told, I’m glad he’s alive. Wagering on him is an easy way to earn some coins.”

She wound the bandage across Torn’s chest, then touched a hand to his shoulder, guiding him back onto the bench. The urge to brush a wavy lock of hair from his eyes was overpowering, yet she resisted.

“You understand you have no soul left, Bron,” Honey Wine stated. “None of us down here have any souls. We’re complacent, and that’s as much a sin as Alva supporting the Entertainment. This…beast…was the only creature down here who had a soul.”

“Had, that’s the important word, Honey Wine.” Bron winked. “Now he’s one of us, eh? When he recovers, I can hardly wait to watch him tear apart bait in the training cell.”

“Just because he killed to protect himself doesn’t mean he’ll kill defenseless people.”

“Don’t fool yourself, Honey Wine.” Bron nodded in Torn’s direction. “He has the taste of blood. Besides, if you’re supposed to have such sympathy for these creatures, you should be happy he’s finally learned to play the game. Or did you get some sort of perverse pleasure from seeing him suffer? Maybe you want to watch another session of him with The Lady.”

Honey Wine stood, fists clenched at her sides, and took a furious step toward Bron. Behind her, out of Bron’s sight, she felt Torn’s hand on her dress.

He tugged gently, and Honey Wine stopped, willing herself to remain calm.

Torn was right, of course. If she kept control of herself, once he was recovered, both would be free. Or die fighting for their freedom…

* * * * *

During the next two weeks, while Torn recovered, Honey Wine stashed supplies for their escape. She prepared small amounts of the poison he’d requested for the darts and hoarded healing supplies beneath her mattress. She had a second cloak made, and saved what little coin her sister allowed as her wages.

“When’s the next full moon?” Torn whispered one evening as Honey Wine changed his bandage before retiring to bed.

“Tomorrow night,” she replied. Their escape would have to be on clear night of a full moon, or else they’d never find their way through the murky water.

“But we’ll wait for the next. The wound is healing quickly, but you’re not recovered enough to travel.”

“I can,” he said. “If I wait until the next moon, I’ll be sent to Entertainment.

I won’t go there. Not again.”

Honey Wine finished applying the bandage and let her fingers stray to his neck. She traced the strong shape of it and touched the hollow of his throat. He was right. If they waited too long, he’d be forced to fight again, and she knew he would sooner destroy himself than kill unjustly. However if they attempted escape before he was strong enough to make the journey, they could both be destroyed.

He took her hand and met her eyes. “I’d never endanger you. Believe me when I say I’m ready.”

Honey Wine nodded. He had healed with remarkable swiftness, and she well knew his strength. It was time for them to move on.

“Then we’ll do it tomorrow at midnight, just as we planned.”

She stooped to retrieve her supply box, and he grasped her arm. When she turned, he was so close that their lips almost touched, and her heartbeat quickened.

“You’re the most courageous person I’ve ever known,” he said. “I wanted you to know that and thank you for what you’ve done for me.”

She nodded, her fingertips brushing his before she left his cell.

The following morning, Honey Wine could scarcely concentrate on any of her duties. She both dreaded and desired the coming night. It might be a wonderful beginning for her and Torn, or it could be an agonizing end.

“Honey Wine!” Bron grasped her arm as she stepped into the prison. “You and the Knight are to start breeding again.”