The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Four

Creaking filled the cell as the heavy door swung open, barely disturbing Finred from his thoughts; his eyes fluttered open as two rough hands seized his arms and his head lolled backwards, feet kicking out as he was carried between the two guards and dragged through the corridors. “Is-Is Safita…?” he murmured, words quietened by the dryness of his throat.

There was no reply from the guards; Finred had broken the unspoken rule between them and, in attempting to talk to them, had alienated them.

It took two more corridors for one of them to clear his throat and say, “You’ll have to find out from Lord Lassirus.”

Finred stumbled as he recognised the voice, only just stopped from collapsing to the floor by the strong hands clamped around him. “Jonace?” he asked.

The guard said nothing but Finred, looking up to one side, could just see the muscle of his jaw twitch under his helmet; he was just sure enough of himself to feel a painful sinking in his stomach as he realised that he had been betrayed again but unsure enough of his friend that he was unable to tell whether he would help him; it was not, considering the fact that he was being borne once again towards the man who had usurped his family’s position and threatened to kill them, looking promising.

The ornate doors to the ballroom opened in front of Finred once again and, although he was half distracted by his new discovery, a small voice in the back of his mind observed dispassionately that it was strange to use a place dedicated to amusement for violence. He had lost count of how many times he had been unceremoniously thrown onto the floor of the ballroom since he had been captured and Finred was beginning to wonder whether leaving with Arthan wouldn’t have been a better choice to make. At least then he would have felt like he was doing something instead of languishing away in a cell, waiting to hear news of another death; at least then he would be able to do something to avoid his own death. He would rather die than endure the soul-destroying waiting which he had been subjected to.

A sigh rippled around him and he kept his gaze fixed firmly to the floor, refusing to look up and meet Lassirus’ eyes.

“Well,” that devilish voice said, sending shivers down Finred’s spine, “look what we have here. I just can’t get rid of you.”

“You could kill me,” he replied, “I’m sure that would solve a lot of your problems.”

“I agree. Unfortunately, if word were to get out, it might incite a rebellion and, since not many people in the outlying country realise what has happened, I’d rather not have that to deal with too.”

“You can’t rule like this forever. You’ll have to solidify your power sometime,” he pointed out. “Otherwise nothing you’ve done will last for long.”

“Yes I know that!” he shouted. “I don’t work alone you idiot. At the moment, however, I have other, more pressing matters, for example your fool of a brother.”

“You swore you’d leave him alone.”

“Did I? Oh,” he replied as he tapped his foot incessantly against the floor, “well I suppose we’ll have to see what happens. Maybe I’ll keep that agreement if you don’t cause any trouble.”

“You swore!” Finred repeated again, desperation cracking his voice.

“I thought we had established that you can’t trust anyone here or anything they say?”

“I prefer hope to cynicism.”

Lassirus laughed coldly before saying, “A naive sentiment, to be sure. People aren’t angels. Still, I promised you two would be reunited and I would hate to renege on my word. If you can’t trust your ruler then who can you trust?”