Mystic

Chapter 14

Taryn was wide awake by the time Andre and Zeph had gotten up. She was sitting in her bed, glancing towards the two as they woke up.

"I need to talk to you," She said to Andre.

He raised an eyebrow. "If this is about us leaving, I don't want to hear it."

Zeph looked down at his feet because of that. He wanted to stay, Taryn realized, but Andre was no longer as friendly to her as Zeph was.

Taryn turned her gaze towards Zeph. "Go, your brother and I need to talk."

Andre rolled his eyes.

Zeph looked up at his brother for approval and Andre tilted his head towards the door. Zeph nodded and headed outside, closing the door behind him.

"I don't want you to leave."

"Taryn, my mind is made up."

"I opened the letter Neve and I found in the Northern Heir's room."

Andre tried to hide his curiosity. He stayed silent but Taryn could see the look in his eyes.

She continued. "The heir says she knows a way to defeat the Southern Queen. She said she's left those secrets somewhere along the Orin mountain range."

Andre's eyes shot wide open. "Are you insane? How do you expect to get up into the mountains, we'd be slaughtered on sight!"

"We?" Taryn prodded.

Andre folded his arms. "You. You'd be slaughtered on sight." He muttered, correcting himself.

"I want you to come with me."

"Taryn--"

"Why not?"

"I'm not traveling anywhere with the Southern Heir!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, I am not like her!"

"The fact that you carry the title says enough."

Taryn gritted her teeth. "If I wanted to kill you, betray you, do anything, I would've done it by now. The fact that I'm trying to stop this war should tell you everything. Heir or not, I gave up my right to the throne when I switched sides."

Andre folded his arms. He didn't say anything, but his silence carried the weight of a thousand words.

Taryn sighed. "You've crossed the Southern border before. If I have any chance of making it across, whether for Neve or for the information, I'm going to need your help. Once I'm across, you can leave. But I want you there until then."

"I said--"

Taryn drew her knife. "I'm not arguing about this any longer."

Andre took a step back in shock, staring at the blade pointed directly at his throat.

"If you fear me for my heritage, then I might as well act like the royal brat that I am. I've had guard training since I could walk. Even injured, I could slit your throat right now if I wanted to. I want you to come with me willingly, but if this is how it's going to be, so be it."

"So you're taking me hostage?" Andre asked. His voice was calm, but he was still eyeing Taryn's knife.

"If that's what it takes."

"You really are like your mother."

Taryn narrowed her eyes. "No. She would've already killed you."

Despite the added tension, Taryn and Andre attempted to carry on as normally as they could. Taryn stayed in bed most days, waiting for her wound to heal as quickly as possible so they could leave. Andre treated her wound but kept his distance, not even daring to look at her. What relationship she had managed to salvage with Andre had been murdered when she had pulled out that knife.