PANACEA-Book One-By Hell or High Water

31. Adan

Mel and I exchanged a look, and got up. Once I had ducked under the doorframe, the door shut once again. While Jacqueline cuffed us once again, the dark haired girl hefted the bar back up to the door. I was about to ask, but she gave her name on command.

"Orlean. Member of the royal guard." That was all she said.

They began to lead us down the halls. It wasn't too much different than the exterior, aside from the fact that there were plants and tapestries hung on the walls. There were even a few decorative fountains strewn about. It took a lot of willpower not to sigh loudly.

As we walked, I began to wonder if I should ask. Mel was obviously too polite to. I wasn't.

"So," I began. "You said your name was Jacqueline? Storm?"

She looked back at me, still gripping my chains tightly. I probably could have dragged her with me down the hall if I had wanted to leave, but I was still under the silent agreement with Mel to behave. Her dark brown, almost black eyes were framed by dark lashes.

"That's what I said, yes."

Mel gave me a bit of a warning look. I pretended I didn't see. "This might be a stupid question, sorry, but do you maybe know a Tristan?" I heard Mel sigh.

Jacqueline looked me up and down, and I heard Orlean snort. Her eyes rested on mine again, and they held somewhat of a knowing air.

"What did he steal from you?" she asked me, a slanted and gap toothed grin tugging at her lips.

That was a relieving response. "Just some of my...companions belongings. He took some of my things too, and burned the rest while we were tied down. Then he left, and we haven't seen him for days."

"That sounds like something my brother would do, yes," she said with a nod.

"He's your brother?" I asked with a slightly raised brow. "I feel bad."

Orlean cocked her head to one side. "It's not that bad. He visits her often."

Mel looked a little more interested. I was, as well. This was good news. "Really?"

Jacqueline sighed, and her smile shrunk by a few molars. "I hate to break it to you, but you just missed him."

"We did?" Mel asked her.

Jacqueline nodded. "He stopped by just a few hours ago, and robbed the treasury. He does it every few weeks to piss people off. Anyways, he was caught and thrown in the dungeons. Everything he had on him was confiscated."

"So he's in the castle dungeons, and our belongings are here too?"

Another nod. "Don't get your hopes up, though. He's probably already escaped."

That was discouraging, but it was still something. At least our things were there. "Could we possibly get those back?"

Orlean gave me a little smile. It lacked any sort of sympathy. "If you aren't headless in the next few minutes, sure."

Even more discouraging. I managed a laugh, though. Mel elbowed me once the two had turned back around.

"We'll figure it out," she said. I didn't reply.

I wasn't sure what to say to something like that. I didn't think I was hard to read, but I wondered how she knew I had already been worrying about it. Maybe it was just because she was. Not only that, she had made an attempt to reassure me. Sweet as it was, I had no idea how she thought she was getting us out of this if we weren't taking immediate action.