Kiri paced in the cell this time. I grasped the iron bars and leaned against them, getting the best view I could of the other side. While Kiri was losing hope, I still held a smidgen of hope that Lauri would spring in with a miraculous rescue. I even considered she somehow faked the death of our two companions but couldn’t figure out how she would get the guards to lie.

  To complicate matters, when we were being dragged to the dungeon, Bendri volunteered to escort our bodies back to Palla Cahua. The captain agreed. Bendri didn’t seem like the type to bend to the will of anyone, not even a wealthy trader like Lauri.

  Would Lauri be willing to cross a Rasmun like Bendri?

  My train of thought was broken by the racket of two yaksha shuffling into the small space outside the cell. The first one lugged a gigantic sword to the corner of the room and began sharpening the blade, as the other joined the guards.

  “Death by beheading.” I shuttered. “At least it will be quick.”

  “Slow or fast,” Kiri said. “I’m not ready to die.”

  Nor was I. “We have little choice.” I paused. “But I see no need for us to make it easy for them.”

  Kiri stopped pacing. “What are you suggesting?”

  I whispered, “What happens if you drink yaksha blood?”

  She shrugged. “I never have before.” She raised her eyebrows. “My father told me not to, but I’m not sure why.”

  I gave her my arm. “Let us find out.”

  She drew in a deep breath. “I guess, at this point, we have nothing to lose.” Grabbing my arm, she let her mouth hover over my bare forearm. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Don’t drink his blood.” Lauri said from outside the cell. “We haven’t time to carry you out of here.”

  My heart stopped as I glanced at her. She must have slipped in when I was talking to Kiri.

  “Will his blood kill me?” Kiri asked.

  “Wait.” I waved my hand in the air. “Are you saying we’re getting out of here?”

  “Unless you’d prefer to stay.” Yauri said.

  “The two members of our party...” Kiri’s eyes plead with her. “Did they really slay them?”

  Commotion clambered behind Yauri, which sounded like multiple commands being shouted. Were they here to disrupt her plan. I pushed my head against the bars, trying to see more of the room. Four guards escorted two yaksha, who had bags over their heads. “Who are they?”

  Yori nodded at a guard. “Bring the male first.”

  Two guards dragged one of the prisoners to the cell, each holding one of his arms. They struggled to hold him still.

  Yori pulled the bag from his head and studied it for a moment, shifting her gaze from him to me, and back. “Close, but not enough that Bandri would be fooled.”

  “Close enough for what?” I asked.

  “He’d believe we roughed the prisoners up before executing them,” a guard said.

  Yori blew out a slow breath, then nodded. After telling me to step back, she focused on Kiri. “Move closer to the bars.”

  Kiri took a step forward. “What is going on?”

  Yori nodded to the guard. He pulled the man back and brought the other prisoner forward, ripping off her hood.

  My eyes widened as I stared at the prisoner. If at a passing glance, I would have sworn it was Kiri. My empty stomach turned as I realized what was happening. Bandri wanted to bring back two bodies, and for reasons I didn’t understand, Yori was willing to execute two innocent yaksha in our stead.

  “Same the guard said. Work her face a bit, and she’ll pass.”

  “No!” I shouted. “Let us escape. Give us some time before reporting it to the watch captain. Don’t take their lives to save ours.”

  Kiri gasped. “They’re doing what?”

  Ignoring us. The guards started punching both prisoners in the face, beating them until their skin was split in several spots and swollen.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Yauri’s face displayed her dismay at what was happening. She muttered, “It’s the only way.” Then she shook her head. “I wish there was another.”

  I reached through the bars, trying to grab the guards as they pushed the first prisoner onto the wood block, but they were far from my reach. “Don’t,” I plead. “This isn’t what we want.”

  “This is bigger than the both of you now,” Yauri said.

  Kiri's sobs behind me were loud at first, then they muffled. Without looking back, I realized she had turned around, not wanting to watch what was happening.

  Despite knowing I was powerless to stop the executions, I continued to reach through the bars, not wanting to give up. While I’ve seen my share of death, I’ve never had someone lose their life to spare mine. The part I hated the most was that lurking feeling of relief, knowing I would live another day. Somehow, I just knew that would be a feeling I’d keep for the rest of my life.

  ****

  Kiri and I remained silent as Yauri led us through the tunnels. Instead of guards, two of her men walked with us. They too kept their mouths shut. Yauri, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to stop talking. I wasn’t sure if she spoke to convince us, or herself.

  “As I said, this is bigger than any two yaksha.” Yauri kept her gaze from meeting ours as she walked. “Their sacrifice will do more good than they realize.” She led us, holding a torch in front of her to light the dank tunnel. “I knew the Void Wigon’s had gained power in Mallma since the war, but only recently found out that the watch captain himself was among their ranks.”

  Part of me wanted to yell back at her, tell her we wanted nothing to do with her or any of her murderous crew. But deep down, relief filled me. I had thought we would parish, our heads sliced from our bodies. How upset should I be at Yauri? She saved us.

  “Mamak made sure you were found guilty quickly. That way we could convince Bendri to leave. But the old Rasmun went ahead and insisted on bringing back your bodies.”

  I already knew the rest of the story. Earlier, when in the hall, a guard had mentioned confusing us with a couple who built a cabin near Cusi. They found that couple and will turn their heads over to Bendri. The woman’s face will forever be burned into my mind. Even worse, every time I looked at Kiri, I would see the yaksha that died to take her place.

  Yauri opened a large wooden door, filling the tunnel with Patra’s yellow rays. Before stepping out, I shielded my eyes from the bright light.

  As my vision adjusted, I saw four figures standing in front of us. Avian, Haro, Sani, and the apprentice were all waiting for us. My heart tingled. They were all alive after all. Since the watch captain worked with Yauri, they were able to trick Bedri into believing that not only were Kiri and I to be executed, but two other members of our party were also dead. Likely, he thought Avian was the only to survive, as he wouldn’t want to be responsible for killing a fidi that was likely related to his Rasmun friend Layla.

  Kiri sprinted to Haro, jumped, and threw her arms around him. He lifted her off her feet as he hugged back. For a moment, I feared he would squeeze so hard that her head would pop off. But he set her back down, still in one piece.

  Yauri pulled me to the side. “I convinced Mamak that you were both Void Wigons, like he was. Once Bandri reports your deaths, Palla Cahua will no longer search for you.”

  I nodded, avoiding making eye contact with her.

  “The Void Wigons have amassed more power than I realized. I fear one of them is among the royals and has plans to assume leadership of Mallma. If this happens, we might see the end of the True Blood ways.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to live in a Mallma that is ruled under the Void Wigon ways.”

  My eyes widened as I peered at her. “That sounds horrible, but how does freeing me help stop this from happening?”

  “Your father had friends in the capital. People you know he trusted.” She crossed her arms. “I have relied on the wrong people too many times, and I don’t want to give this to anyone whom I can’t fully trust.” She paused, then handed me a locked box. “This contains proof and explanations of what we believe is happening. Get it into the right hands.”

  “Those innocent yaksha, they died in my stead.” I stared at my shoes.

  She nodded. “That is something I’ll have to live with, not you.” She clenched her jaw. “They weren’t the first, and won’t be the last to die in the service of saving Mallma.” She shuttered. “In the end, countless more will parish if the Void Wigons gain control.”

  I glanced back at the tower, realizing we were no longer on the Mallma side of the wall. “But we are heading out of Mallma, not toward the capital.”

  “Disappear into Borra for a while. Let them think you’re dead and eventually forget that you ever existed. Then return to Mallma.” She glanced at the still-open door. “We must get back before Bedri questions our disappearance.” Without waiting for my reply, she turned and led her men back into the tunnel. The door shut behind them.

  Part of me wanted to run after her and refuse the mission. By her own words, others will die. I didn’t want any more blood on my hands. But that wasn’t what bothered me the worst. I glanced down at the chest I held, its weight seeming to increase as I considered the task at hand. Being a guard was a good life. An easy life. Responsibility started and stopped at each watch shift. But this... I never wanted to be responsible for something so important. The fate of Mallma was locked in a box in the hands of a yaksha who enjoyed gliding through life.

  Realizing that Avian had been staring at me while I pondered our situation, I turned to face her. As much as I wanted to tell her everything and share the burden placed in my hands, I didn’t feel it was fair to dump it on her. She just wanted to escape through the portal. Whatever happened to Mallma once she left wouldn’t be her problem. Instead, I said the only thing that came to my mind. “We weren’t able to acquire the climbing supplies.”

  She held up a bag and shook it. “Yauri gave us what we needed.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why do I get the feeling we are working for two masters?”

  I raised my eyebrows, realizing she was speaking of Yauri. For a moment, I drew a blank as to who our other master was, then I realized she referred to Layla. “What Yauri asks can be accomplished at the same time as completing my contract with Layla.”

  “But with additional enemies,” Avian said. “What happens when the Void Wigons realize you have used them to escape?”

  “They will kill me.” I shrugged.

  “But look at the bright side,” Kiri said as she walked over to join us. “If they catch on, then Lauri will be just as dead as us. She orchestrated the deceit.”

  Avian shook her head. “We shouldn’t underestimate the Void Wigons. Their reach is further than your friend Lauri can imagine.” She pulled the climbing gear from the bag and started making knots. “For now, we should concentrate on surviving the climb, but we must return to this discussion later.”