Life or Death

Chapter Six

           Back in my room, with the door tightly shut and the curtains closed, Andra sat on my bed, clearly anxious about what I was about to tell her.

I take a deep breath before speaking. "I need you to promise me you won't freak out about what I am about to say."

Andra stared. "Should I be scared?"

I shrug. "Maybe."

"Alright, now spit it out."

Another deep breath. "I'm going to rescue Matthias."

Her face changes then, her mouth gaping and eyes bulging. "Please tell me you're not serious."

"I've never been more serious about something in my life."

"Nessa, are you serious? You can't just get up and leave the castle. For one, you could get killed. Two, there are too many guards patrolling the place, especially now. Two guards are patrolling the hall right now."

"And you think I haven't thought about all those things? Andra, I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like it's my responsibility to go save him. And the only reason I'm telling you is in case you want to come."

"And why on earth would I want to go with you?"

I sit down on the bed next to her. "Do you have any idea what saving the king would do for you? You could finally prove yourself to your dad and Matthias, and I guarantee you they'll give you a spot in the court. You could make political changes and finally make the world a better place, not just talk about it. Think about the power you could have."

She seemed to consider this. Andra has always been hungry for power, but not in the way most rulers and political figures are. For years, she had always found ways that we could change Tarnow for the better, and we tell me about them late into the night.

"Ok, but we still have no idea where he could be."

I thought for a moment, realizing now that she was right. No one knew where Matthias had gone, and Raiden still wasn't back from the village. We knew Matthias no longer was in Tarnow, but we also knew he couldn't have gone very far.

Andra rises from my bed and stalks to the door. "Look, Ness. I know you want him to be okay, but even if we knew where he was, you leaving could cause so many more problems. We already lost one Whitethorne. We don't need to lose you, too."

"We didn't lose him. He's alive somewhere, and I'm going to save him, whether you come with me or not."

She purses her lips. I can tell she feels sorry for me, and that only makes me madder. She nods and goes to her room.

Sighing in frustration and defeat, I fall on my bed and turn on my side. Too tired to change out of my dress, I tuck my hands under my pillow when I feel something.

Sitting up, I pull out a small sheet of paper. It's a note, written in what could be red ink. Or blood.

Friend or foe. Loss or victory. Life or death.

~

Storming into Andra's room, I find her almost already asleep, despite the rising sun shining on her face.

"What the hell? You think this is funny?"

Rubbing her eyes, she looks up at me with confusion. "What are you talking about, Nessa?"

"Oh, don't play dumb. I know it was you. Did you tell a servant to put it there while we were in the safe room? Trying to scare me?"

"You're crazy. Go to bed, Ness."

Fuming, I stomped out of her room and back to mine, slamming the door behind me. Plopping down on my bed, I try to collect myself. Now that I think about it, Andra would never do that, especially so soon. I don't know anyone else who would've pranked me like that, aside from Matthias. But he was gone. And he was already pretty drunk the last time I saw him. I'm surprised he even made it to his room.

Raiden was in the village and is still gone now.

The only logical explanation is that the person, or persons, who took Matthias left this. For me.

The realization hit me. Life or death.

I know who took him.