Page 43 of Cold Hearted
Moira: yes.
One by one, the women nodded. Some looked excited, others fearful, but every single one of them looked determined. Even Nysa gave a nod in agreement.
Tonight. We were getting out of this wretched place.
* * *
After over six hours of digging in dry dirt, to say I was covered in dust was an understatement. My mother would keel over of heart failure if she saw the state of her princess and heir to the throne. But I’d found a giant golden nugget which had all of the guards excited. I had gathered that the big boss, who was coming in with the auctioneers, allowed them to take a cut of whatever we dug up, so I’d just made them all very happy. Hopefully it distracted them from what was about to happen.
We walked one by one out to the water where we were to bathe. We always did it clothed, taking the chance to wash our clothes too and only changing into a dry wrap of cloth for sleeping when we got back to the cave.
Which wasn’t going to happen tonight because we were about to be free.
Moira shook like a leaf in front of me as we approached the water, and I pulled on every ounce of courage and strength I had in me for what was about to be done.
The women knew that at my signal we would dive into the water and swim like mad into the deep river. I just had to find the right moment. But before that, there was something I needed to retrieve.
“So I made you a pretty rich man today I assume?” The girls were being a little too quiet and stiff in their movements, so I chatted up the guard so that he wouldn’t be suspicious.
The guard glared at me. “You did.”
I nodded, making a point not to let my gaze drop to my dagger hanging off his waist. “So a chocolate cake delivered to the cave for breakfast tomorrow wouldn’t be too much of an ask?”
The guard looked at one of his buddies, and then all six of them burst into laughter. While he was distracted I mock tripped over my feet and fell onto him, quickly palming my weapon.
“Sorry,” I muttered and then slipped it into the sleeve of my shirt to hide it as I stepped away from him. I felt a rush of relief and adrenaline having the blade back. I couldn’t have left without it.
“Sure thing, buttercup. I’ll have a chocolate cake waiting for you tomorrow for doing your job.” The corners of his eyes leaked as he continued to laugh.
Then we hit the water line and Moira froze.
We were only ankle deep, so I casually grasped her palm and tugged her deeper in with me as the guards pulled their bows and began to chat casually behind us.
“They think we bake cakes now?” one of the guards said, and they all laughed again.
The water hit our knees and Moira tried to stop, but I kept pulling her. I glanced at Sabine to see that she was having to coax Claudette as well.
Come on…
My heart had never beat so fast in my entire life. One by one we went deeper into the water until it was up to our waists. Moira shook like a wet kitten beside me.
“That’s far enough,” the guards said, the water lapping at their knees as they stood watch.
Alexandria, waist deep in the river, pulled out the shared bar of soap and began to wash. We all started to wet ourselves down and prepared for our turn.
The women would sneak glances at me, but it didn’t feel like the right time. The guards’ arrows were nocked in their bows, and they were staring at us. I needed a distraction or something.
The idea came to me as if it had ridden on the wind. “Gold!” I screamed and pointed to the guards’ feet. The one I knew was carrying the nugget and had a special greed for the shiny stuff.
“Where?” he snapped, looking at his feet as the other guards rushed closer to him.
I quickly snuck the dagger out of my shirt and slid it into my boot to hide it and free my hands up to swim.
“Now!” I whispered-screamed to the others. I didn’t think twice as I yanked Moira onto my back and took a deep breath, diving into the water. I heard Moira’s sharp intake of breath too, then we submerged into the cool water. One by one the women crashed under the current next to me and we swam farther out into the middle of the deep river and then downstream, as was the plan.
A few arrows snapped around us, but I kept kicking my legs, coming up only when necessary for breath. Moira would gasp behind me, taking in a deep breath, and then I would dive back down.Some of us were stronger swimmers than the rest so the chain at our ankles was constantly being tugged left and right, front and back. I was pretty sure we were going to make it until I felt something really heavy pull at my ankle—heavy, like the weight of a body no longer moving.
No.
