Stolen Princess

22. A Sacrifice

Knights, squires, and servants are gathered just on the far side of the arena as my legs pump me forwards over the drawbridge and into the field once more. I haven't thought about what I'm going to do... I haven't thought about much at all except I know exactly what will happen if Alek isn't stopped.

"Get him down!" Alek is shouting, but the crowd is pressed full of men who are taller than I am, so I'm forced to shoulder my way through them like running underwater.

"What about the others?" someone asks, and my stomach sinks.

"They have no authority here!" another in the crowd asserts, and a smattering of angry voices joins him in agreement. I give one final elbow to the fellow in front of me, and then I burst into the clearing where Alek's men have gathered. I take in Alek's look of pleasure, the six full-grown squires he's brought with him, and the one lone Orc child whose hands are being held down on a flat-surfaced stone.

"No!"

The scream rips through me, bloodcurdling and angry. They all fall quiet, except Naatan, who's sobbing, even as his eyes follow the sound like everyone else's. But I know there's only one person here who has the power... or at least that's how it used to be.

"Princess..." Alek says the greeting me with a sweeping bow, coming towards me with hands outstretched like a lover. "Unfortunately, this little mite was stealing from me... and we must abide by the king's rulings, mustn't we?" he asks the crowd. He's answered with varying degrees of agreement, and I feel my bones begin to vibrate in aggravation.

"Let him go... now."

More silence, but only for a moment this time as Alek works that winning smile once more.

"My dove - this is the way of things," he says in a tone that makes my skin crawl but I refuse to look away from those blue eyes this time. I know he won't touch me, standing here amongst all these people. And I'm different now. I have power now.

"I said, release him," I command through gritted teeth, taking two steps closer to my enemy until I can see the whites of his eyes. A flash of that ugly beast he keeps so well chained moves across his gaze then is hidden away just as quickly.

"Release one, and who knows what bravery they'll attempt next," he says carefully, still sounding to all the world like a concerned and loyal knight as he jerks his chin just to the left. I look to find my Orcs each forced face down into the grass, three men on each of their backs to hold them. Except for Sosha... for Sosha it's taken four. My eyes connect with Talon's, and there's murder and anger and pain there I can only guess at. But I have a pretty good guess just the same. I've been Alek's victim before a time or two.

"You will do as I say!" I lash out at Alek, my voice an angry screech, all my sweetness slipping away. He falters ever so slightly, I'm embarrassing him, and he means to make me pay for it. But not this time. I reach for my magic, wait to feel that humming energy fill my bones, spill out through my fingertips. I close my eyes tight, trying to feel the space between heartbeats like I did with the spiders. But...

There's nothing.

"Alright there, my sweet?" Alek's sticky-sweet voice pulls me out of my concentration, and my stomach sinks to my toes in realization. 

The magic isn't coming. 

I'm just as powerless as before. I blink back at him stupidly, like an owl in daylight for several seconds, before he grins like a satisfied cat.

"Do not harm this boy," I order, my voice shaking, but I say it anyway. Alek will do what he wants to me... but maybe I can save Naatan first.

Alek's gaze tightens, and I know I've surprised him at last. He doesn't know what to do with me, especially not with all of these people watching our little display. Finally, he bows his chin to his chest and makes a sweeping motion with one arm.