The Prince of Ilios

Sixty-Nine

Ava blinked, her hope a dwindling flame on a candle, "Well, you two don't have to worry. Ellora will be going home to her family after all of this is over. And, River, you have Kiran."

"I don't know about that."River looked away blushing.

"I do." Ava nudged her, "I've seen the way you two talk. You practically spend every moment you can have together."

"We are just good friends." She smiled sheepishly.

"I think you like him, Riv." Ellora smiled.

River thought for a moment and looked down at her hands, "I think I do too."

"Aaah." Ava shrieked beside them as they hurried to cover their ears. She jumped up and down on the bed in excitement, pulling River and Ellora up with her, "I knew it!"

River laughed. Ellora smiled peacefully beside her as the bed rocked with Ava's jumping. She slowly got down, "Mrs. Brooks will hit us with her cane if she finds you jumping on the bed."

Ellora followed, "Besides, Ava, you don't have to worry either. Alyn is so enamored I am not sure he will ever be the same."

"What do you mean?" Ava stopped jumping.

Ellora cocked her head in wonder, "I mean that he is head over heels for you. How did you not know?"

"I mean he flirts and talks with all the girls."

"Not the same way he flirts and talks with you." River crossed her arms.

Ava sat on the bed stupefied.

River looked over at Ellora, "I think she is going to be like that for a while. What did you need, Ellora, we usually come to your room these days, not the other way around?"

Ellora nodded, "Yes, I've had three cups of tea and it seems like nothing is helping the pain. The brand hurts like it just happened." She turned and lifted her hair.

River took the bandage off, looking over the branded curse. She gasped as the black bands began to move and shift beneath Ellora's skin, "That's because it is getting worse." Ellora's veins were getting darker around the brand, looking like they were about to burst with poisonous blood.

"What can we do? How do we stop it? Why now?" The questions flew out of her too quickly as her desperation set in.

"You won't like it." River replaced the bandage.

Ellora turned back, looking at a sheepish and nervous River, "No."

"But he's already here."

"No."

"He's the one who put it there, maybe he could take it away."

"No." Ellora held onto the back of the chair for support. There was no way that she was going to beg Cyrus to help her.

"Look, even if you have to trick him in order to get it removed, wouldn't it be better than living like this?" Ava came over to her, taking her other hand.

"I don't know..." She was interrupted by a loud banging on the door.

It only took one more and the door was shoved open. Four guards in red and black burst into the room, swords and spears drawn, "You all are coming with us."

Ellora looked to Ava and River, "I guess you guys are right." She would have to talk to Cyrus sooner or later. These were clearly his men.

The guards grabbed their arms roughly before they could do anything and shoved them into the hall.