The Claimed: A Clash of Copper and Gold

Chapter 17: Redemption

He was drunk.

The smell hit me first, an eye-watering blast of spice and spirit. As he staggered toward me, I spotted stains on his skewed clothing and frizz haloing his usually perfect hair. And when he plopped down on the bed beside me, the mattress bounced.

I fought back a hot wave of frustration. Death still leeched the warmth from his father's body. The vile brother who hated him would soon be crowned king. And his long-standing guard sailed toward distant lands. Niako is not in a good place right now. 

And yet, he had chosen to further sabotage himself — just like my father used to do.

Niako turned toward me, his right knee sliding up to brush my left thigh. "I have a secret for you."

I studied the pattern of stones on the wall ahead. "I'm not interested in listening to any drunken confessions."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Fortunately, I'm not drunk."

I turned to blink at him, reevaluating his appearance. I noticed now that his eyes were perfectly lucid, and the set of his jaw was serious.

"Finny is with Trebalda."

"She's with —" I caught his eye and dropped my voice to match his hushed tone. "How?"

"When Finny met me at the lagoon during the Day of Truth Ceremony, I gagged and bound her — I had to, Toom, because she kicks like a Paksha She Monster — and then Ruck took her on his sailboat up the Barzatuk River."

I forced my hands to relax on my knees. "And you are sure Trebalda took her in?"

"Trebalda may no longer have any love for me, but she would not turn away a ten-year-old in need of protection. But don't take my word for it. Go find out for yourself."

My gaze dropped to the place where my wrist was still chained. "Don't tease me."

"I'm not teasing." Niako reached over and picked up my left hand, pulling it into his lap. I watched, too bewildered to react, as he rotated my hand palm-up and peeled back the fingers. "Here is Rakim." He pointed to the place where my thumb met my palm. "If you travel north along the coast until you reach the Barzatuk River and follow the river upstream to the northern hills of Busk" — he traced up a half-inch and then inward, stopping below my middle finger — "You'll find Trebalda's tribe."

Shivers raced up my arm both from the light touch and the sudden thrill of anticipation. "But how will I get out of here?"

He pressed a copper key into my palm. "For the cuff." And a gold key. "For the door." He folded my fingers over the keys, hiding them from view. "Tonight, blowing horns will announce the start of the Coronation. All of Rakim is required to attend, even the guards, so the streets will empty. After ten minutes, unlock your cuff and slip out the door. Then cut between buildings until you reach the training field, and —"

A cough echoed down the hallway outside the cell, and Niako cut off, eyes darting toward the door. When he resumed speaking, I could barely hear him just inches from my ear. "And run toward the sound of the waves."

I glanced at the door, dragging my lower lip through my teeth with a ffft. "You don't trust Tibo."

"I don't."

"Why?"

"Because he is still here."

The hair on the back of my neck bristled. He has powerful enemies and few allies. And I would be leaving him to fend for himself in a den of treacherous wolves.

Then I realized the absurdity of my own thinking. It was not as though my presence was any comfort to Niako — I had almost killed him that very morning. Besides, Niako was one of those wolves. And yet...