Page 124 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually Coltar came back with Adrian in his arms, tied up and unconscious.

“This is more like it,” he said. “I always preferred when you were quiet.” He shoved Adrian to the other side of the ship so we were parallel, his limp body sagged to the side. The moonlight showed the gash on the side of his face.

“What did you do to him?” I asked.

“Just gave him a little nap,” he said. “But I figured you could keep each other good company until we get closer.”

I sat there, motionless, waiting for Coltar to leave. Adrian wasn’t… dead was he? I felt like I could see his body move as he breathed, but maybe it was all in my head.

Though seeing him like that made me feel helpless, I knew I couldn’t stop. I kept working at the rope behind me, sure if it came just a little loose, I could make it really loose.

I wasn’t sure how long we were like that before Adrian made a grumbling noise, beginning to rouse.

“Adrian,” I said, trying to keep my voice down. I didn’t want to alert our captor. “Adrian.”

He blinked his eyes open, obviously trying to get his bearings. “Sage,” he said.

“We’re okay,” I tried to assure. “Well, mostly.”

He sat up, using the back wall to hold himself up. “You’re not hurt?”

“No I’m fine.”

He nodded, resting back fully. “That’s good.”

‘Are you okay, I think you’re bleeding.”

“Heads always bleed a lot,” he said. “I’m fine.”

I swallowed. The sound of the waves lapping the ship were the only ones cutting through the night. “What do we do?” I asked.

“We’ll figure it out,” he promised. “How long has it been?”

“I’m not sure, maybe an hour?” It was hard to tell, it felt like a lifetime.

“So we’re not that far,” he said. “This thing probably goes about ten knots an hour. The ship might be able to catch up.”

“Do you think they’ll make it?”

He was quiet for a moment. “I hope so.”

I was still wiggling my hands behind me. It’d been so long it was hard to tell if I’d actually loosened it at all, but it felt like it might have. I was about to tell Adrian when the below deck hatch opened and Coltar came spilling out.

“I need to check we’re going the right way,” he said, coming towards me. And I knew what that meant.

“Leave her alone!” Adrian yelled.

“Good, you’re awake,” Coltar drawled, annoyed in that fact obviously. “Just relax friend, we’ll be there soon.”

Though he was still tied, his tail was long. Adrian whipped it out, wrapping the very tip around Coltar’s ankle before he could reach me and yanked, pulling him to the ground.

I heard a crunch, which had to be his nose. He screamed moments later, and I curled into myself further.

“Bastard!” he yelled.

His dagger was out, stabbing into the end of Adrian’s tail, sinking deep before pulling out. Adrian yelled, his pain lodging itself deep into my soul.

“No!” I wailed.