The Forest Keeper

Chapter Eight: IN WHICH Abaddon Makes His Move

Saturday, October 20th

Leonas groaned in the corner of his cell. He lay sprawled on the stone floor, wiping the fresh blood off his arms and chest. Deep cuts lined his wrists and his tail. His ears twitched in pain.

"Leonas. Are you awake?"

He opened his eyes and sat up, the effort making him breathless. "Who..." He looked through the bars of his cell. Outside the cell knelt Milaya Sangrishaad, her braid frayed and messy. "What are you doing here?" he hissed, one hand against his side. "I thought you –"

She raised a finger to her lips. "Dameon can't know I'm here," she whispered. "If he did, he would kill you and me. So I need you to keep calm and take this." She slid something through the bars. A canteen of water.

He grabbed it and dumped the water over his gill flaps. He breathed well for the first time in days, feeling a new surge of energy flow through him. He closed his eyes and started whispering magic to heal the worst of his wounds.

She hissed. "Stop that! If he knew I gave you water, he would kill me. And I can't afford to die, and you can't afford that either. So stop healing, and make it look like you're still in pain."

"You think I'm pretending?" he growled, leaning against the wall. "Milaya, he's been trying to get the Keeper's plans from me for four days. He's used every tool in his arsenal, save the ones he uses for fairies."

She pursed her lips. "I know you are in pain."

"That's an understatement. You were always good at those."

She rolled her eyes. "Leonas... I'm trying to help you. I'm going to get you out of here somehow. But you need to keep holding on."

He growled again. "Do I have a choice?" A sharp pain stabbed through his stomach, and he gasped. He slumped and fell over, the wound in his side opening back up and spilling dark blue blood onto his hand. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "Have you seen the Keeper recently?"

She nodded. "She is worried about you. I told her that Avanelle was slaughtered, and that you are here, and she –"

"She's going to want to come after me," he breathed, groaning.

She shook her head. "I told her the only way to get here is via portal. She's not going to come. She'll be worried to death until you come back, but she won't come looking for you." She reached through the bars and put her hand on top of his. "Hold on. Just keep holding on for a little while longer. I'm going to get you out of here."

He looked at her, thinking of his darkling years. "You've changed since we worked for Harendeth. You've gone soft, I think."

She shrugged, pulling away. "I've had to change, for the good of my people, as well as for myself. If I stayed the same, I wouldn't be the queen my people deserve." She bit her lip. "I'm still not, I think."

"You're a better queen than I am a prince," he said. "You didn't kill your family for a demon."

She sighed and met his eyes. "You didn't kill them in cold blood. You were under Harendeth's influence." She stood up. "I'm going to go find Abaddon. Maybe he would have a way to get you out."

Leonas pursed his lips. "If I see him again, I'm going to kick him. Or kill him." An evil smile spread like wildfire across his face. "Maybe both."

"Whatever you decide to do, wait until you get out of here. He says he didn't want to put you in here." She turned away, braid flicking like a tail. "I'll be back if I can. Hang in there."