Beasts and Blades [ON HIATUS]

Chapter 12 - A Taste of Madness

She imagines the squelch of blood, the thud of her detached head on the stone. The world finally being rid of her. She waits. It doesn't come.

She waits a few more suffocating seconds until she slowly opens her eyes. Lifting her gaze to the quivering sword inches from the side of her neck, she throws her executioner a half-hearted glare.

"Get on with it," she bites out through clenched teeth.

Still, she hasn't been decapitated.

Kellian is watching. The priestess is praying. 

"I said: get on with it," she almost shouts. She's trembling now.

She slides her eyes up until they meet his. His eyes are so dark she can practically see her reflection in them.

Kellian, who has yet to say anything, speaks. Maja nearly jumps. "Ulka," he says firmly. He's speaking to the officer. "Go on."

He - Ulka - still doesn't move. "No."

No.

What?

"I'm not doing this, Kellian." He retracts his sword, and Maja releases the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

She half expects Kellian to snatch the sword from his hand and end her himself. And again, no one does anything. She nearly shakes her head, exasperated. For once, for bloody once, no one and nothing is trying to hurt or kill her. Either everyone is highly confused, or she's unnaturally lucky. Or as lucky as she can get. She's still in chains, and the threat of having her head chopped off is still in the air.

"Why?" Kellian asks. Oddly, he doesn't sound angry.

"She could be of use to us."

Her brows jump, and she tilts her head at Ulka, nerves almost forgotten. "How so?" No one reprimands her for speaking, so she keeps going. "What could I possibly do?"

Ulka looks to Kellian, who prods him with his eyes. Convince me to allow her this chance, they seem to say. "We can make her a guard?"

Kellian glances at her. She meets his gaze without turning her head.

"I wouldn't suggest this turn of action, Ulka." Kellian looks older with his brows set low, his jaw tight. Over the past two weeks, Maja has had trouble deciphering if Kellian wants her dead, to save her, or is simply following orders. Right now she can't decide between any of the three.

Ulka still tries to convince him. "She has skill, Kellian. Skill that exceeds that of any of our officers. Of your officers and soldiers."

This chance, this impossible, improbable stroke of luck or opportunity or blessing or whatever this is, has her heart racing. 

"He's right," she blurts, words coming faster than thoughts. She barely knew what was spilling from her mouth. She was desperate. "I am worth twenty of your soldiers. Fifty even."

Kellian narrows his eyes. "Then explain to me how you were captured by me, who is only worth one soldier?"

She reins in the urge to sneer. "I was having a bad day. And if I didn't know any better I'd say you cast a spell on me; made me weak." That part probably wasn't true, but when Kellian and Ulka share a significant look, a twinge of suspicion rises in her stomach.

They look back at her. "Regardless, we don't usually negotiate with criminals, Wolf," the general says. 

She stared at him. Glared, threatened to pierce his very heart with her gaze when she said, "I don't care. I'll be a guard. A soldier. I don't care." 

Just let me live, she thinks. Though the gods know I don't deserve it. Let me live.

She still didn't know what she was thinking.

"We'll find a use for her," Ulka persists. He's stopped trembling, but now he's leaning against the wall, like he needs it for support. She hardly blames him: he almost just had to kill her.

"It is Solaria's will," the priestess suddenly chimes in. All eyes shoot to her, as if they'd all forgotten she was there. 

'Solaria's will' was hardly a reason to let her live, but Maja was willing to take just about anything she could get - deity's will or no.

"I will put it into consideration," Kellian says slowly, clearly reluctant to disobey orders. It's a chance, a sliver of fortune, she hopes.

As Kellian unties her from the posts, her heart is light with the relief that she just might live another day. He begins to lead her out of the blood room when she glances back at Ulka, no longer leaning against the wall and the priestess standing slightly behind him.

And just when Maja thinks the madness is over, the priestess lifts her veil with an earth-coloured hand. Light yellow tulle is pulled back, and behind it, a wide, pretty face and wisps of wild twirls of hair. Lips twitched up in a small, perfect smile.

Maja sends her teeth down on her tongue to keep from gawking. 

Sigrid. The slave liberator. The very same.

A step before Maja leaves the room, Sigrid allows the veil to fall back over her face, leaving Maja to wonder whether it was a trick of the light and the hours without food. But it wasn't. No, of course it wasn't. Chaos seemed to cling to her, sticky as tar.

The madness is far from over, she realizes. It barely has yet to start.

A/N - holla I'm back. Exams are over, bless. I won't have a proper update schedule, and chapters will be released pretty sporadically over the summer.

Remember last chapter? When Maja was doing a self-portrait? Well the lovely user @wellhithereimnobody gave me the idea to draw that portrait.

It's obviously a work in progress, but you guys get the idea. :)

Please remember to vote and comment! Until next time.

-cam