War (The True Reign Series) (6 page)

Rema

Rema
’s head smacked the corner of the footlocker, awakening her. She sat up, her back stiff and hip throbbing with pain from sleeping on the hard floor. She spent most of the night thinking about Darmik. Her heart ached. They had finally figured things out, and a relationship was forming between them. He even revealed that he loved her—and she loved him. Now, she’d never see him again, nor would she ever see Aunt Maya and Uncle Kar. Even if she managed to escape the assassin, how would she get back to Greenwood Island?

There had to be a way out of this mess.
Could she feasibly fake her own death? Make everyone think she jumped overboard, while secretly hiding on the ship somewhere?

“
I’ll tie you up,” Nathenek said, making Rema jump.

She g
lanced over at him lying in bed, and noticed his cold, blue eyes staring at her. A chill ran through her body.

Pushing back the covers, his legs slid to the ground. He sat there,
watching her. “If you give me any trouble at all, I’ll put you back in the storage room.”

“
I understand,” she said, trying to placate him.

“
I don’t think you do.” He stood, wearing only his cotton sleep pants and undershirt. “I’m very good at reading people and understanding their intentions. If I see you plotting or thinking about escaping, that’s it. There won’t be a second chance.”

Rema nodded, mentally kicking herself for being so transparent.

He pulled on his tunic, making himself presentable.

“
Excuse me,” he said, coming to stand before her. She slid out of the way, and Nathenek opened the footlocker, removing some clothes. “Here.” He handed them to her. “They’ll be big on you, but better than that thin nightdress you’re wearing.”

After spending time in the frigid Middle Mountains, Rema was actually warm.
Still, she took the items, grateful for the more practical clothing.

“
I’ll be back in a few moments.” He left, closing and locking the door behind him.

Rema hurried and
yanked on the rough, wool pants. She slipped off her nightdress, putting on the undershirt and tunic. The clothes were huge, so she rolled up the sleeves and pants. She suddenly realized she no longer felt nauseous or queasy.

S
tretching, she wondered what she would do all day. Hopefully, Nathenek would return with food because her stomach kept growling from hunger. He claimed he needed her alive and well for the execution, so he should feed her. However, if she was indeed stuck in this small berth all day, then she needed to find a way to maintain her strength. When the opportunity presented itself, and Rema was certain it would, she wanted to be fully prepared and able to escape.

Standing in the center of the tiny room, Rema started
doing jumping jacks. After one hundred, she stretched her legs and arms. It felt great to move her body around.

The door latch rattled
, and Nathenek entered. Rema quickly sat on the ground, hoping he wouldn’t question what she’d been doing while he was gone.

Nathenek squatted,
handing Rema a loaf of bread and a small water pouch. “That’s all you get until tonight,” he said, his eyes roving over her body, assessing her.

Rema to
re the bread in two, saving half for later in the day. “Thank you.”

Nathenek stood.
“I’ll be back.”

“
Where are you going?” Rema shoved a piece of bread in her mouth, wondering how long it had been since the last time she ate.

“
Out on the top deck.” He smiled, mocking her. “I don’t want to be cooped up in this room all day.”

“
Good,” Rema said, feigning pleasure. “I’d rather be alone. I’m much more interesting and make a far better conversationalist than you do.”

Shaking his head ever so slightly, he t
urned and left, locking her inside.

Sighing, Rema finished eating and then
took a few small sips of water, saving the rest for later. She stood, ready to get back to work. Closing her eyes, she envisioned Savenek and everything he taught her. She started running through the various drills she knew.

After several hours, e
xhausted and out of breath, Rema sat and devoured the last of the bread. She took a gulp of water and lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Thoughts of Darmik invaded her mind again, and tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision. After her almost execution, she thought she had been handed a second chance at life. When Darmik arrived in the Middle Mountains,
for her
, she was elated. It was as if all her dreams had come true. He gave up everything for her—his father, brother, crown, and army. Even the hideous “L” Lennek had carved on Darmik’s chest was proof of everything he suffered for her.

When she kissed him, she felt truly loved
and complete.

Now
, here she was, stuck on a ship headed to Emperion. She reached for her key necklace and noticed it was gone. Panicking, she sat up and shoved the collar of her shirt aside, frantically searching for it. Either Nathenek had taken it, or the necklace had fallen off when he carried her down the mountain.

Glancing
at the footlocker, Rema wondered if her necklace was hidden inside. Standing before it, she tried lifting the lid, but it was locked and wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, she kicked it.

Placing her hands on her hips, she paced around the room, searching for something she could use to break open the lock. She didn
’t see anything of use.

What would Darmik do if he were in her position? He certainly wouldn
’t give up. Closing her eyes, she pictured him before her.
Stay focused. You can do this. Maintain your strength, and when the opportunity to escape presents itself, take it.
Rema opened her eyes, a fierce determination taking over. She would not sit around wallowing in her situation. Squaring her shoulders, she prepared to run through her form again.

She vowed to get away from Nathenek.

She would not be executed.

And s
he most definitely would find her way back to Darmik.

****

Voices came from the other side of the door. Rema hurried and sat on the ground, trying to calm her heavy breathing. She wiped her forehead, removing the dripping sweat. The door opened and Nathenek stepped inside, his eyes sweeping the room and settling on her. Without saying a word, he handed a loaf of bread and a cup of water to her. After removing his tunic, he climbed into bed, facing the wall.

She was
starving from exercising all day and quickly inhaled the food. “Is bread the only thing I’m going to eat for the duration of our voyage?”

“
I haven’t decided,” Nathenek mumbled.

“
Do you plan to keep me in this tiny room the entire time?”

Nathenek grunted.
“It’s the safest place. Now be quiet and go to sleep.”

“
You’re an assassin. Wouldn’t I be safe with you?” He didn’t respond. “All I’m saying is that it’s cruel to keep me holed up in here.” Rema glanced around the room, not really wanting to sleep on the hard, wooden floor.

Nathenek rolled onto his back,
looking up at the ceiling. “Why?”

Rem
a sighed. She needed to convince him to let her out of this room. “You’re taking me to my death. Don’t you think I want to feel the sun on my face and smell the ocean air before I die?”

“
What difference does it make? You’re going to die, regardless of being stuck in here or not. Wouldn’t it be easier to not experience those things?”

The room
turned dark as night descended. Rema could only see an outline of Nathenek’s body.

“
All my life I’ve been sheltered, people claiming it was for my own good. In some sick twist of fate, it seems I’m destined to go to my death that way.” Rema lay down on the hard floor. “Can I at least have a blanket? Or would it be better for me to be miserable and cold, since I’m going to die anyway?”

“
Has anyone ever told you how infuriating you are?” Nathenek snatched his top blanket, throwing it at her.

Rema gra
bbed it, wrapping the blanket around her body and shoving part of it under her head as a pillow. “Thank you.”

“
I didn’t do it to be nice. I just want you to shut up and go to sleep.” Nathenek rolled over, facing the wall again.

Rem
a smiled.

****

When she woke the next morning, Nathenek was gone. She folded the blanket, placing it on his bed. Rema stretched her arms and legs, preparing to exercise.

The door slammed shut
, causing Rema to jump at the sound. She spun around and came face to face with Nathenek.

“
What are you doing?” he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

“
Does it matter?”

Nathenek s
at on the edge of the bed. He pulled out a loaf of bread from the pocket in his tunic, handing it to Rema. “I suppose it doesn’t,” he finally answered.

She
tore into the bread, devouring it all.

“
Do you plan to exercise during our entire journey?” He folded his hands on his lap.

“
As opposed to sitting here, crying?” she asked around a mouthful of bread.

“
Yes, actually.”

“
I’m sorry to disappoint you,” Rema said, swallowing her food. “I have no intention of sitting here, wasting away. It’s not in my nature.”

Nathenek glanced up the ceiling,
appearing lost in thought.

“
Let me ask you a question,” Rema said. “Would you sit here all day if you were in my position?”

“
I suppose not.” He stood and went to the window, gazing outside while she finished eating her food.

“
Fine,” Nathenek said after several minutes. “I’ll take you to the top deck.”

Rema
’s eyes widened in shock. Was he serious? Or simply playing with her?

“
There is one condition, though.” He faced Rema, waiting for her response.

“
What is it?” she asked, dread replacing the excitement she felt a moment before.

“
You have to dress like a boy.”

She jumped to her feet.
“That’s it?” He nodded. “Deal.”

Nathenek went over to the footlocker
and opened it up. He handed her a cap. “Pull your hair up, so no one sees it.”

Rema did as he asked, shoving her hair under the
hat. He also gave her a belt, which she used to cinch her pants up higher, so she wasn’t tripping on the material. “What about shoes?”

“
I have an extra pair of boots.”

They were huge on her
, but after being barefoot for so long, it felt like a soft blanket surrounded her feet.

“
How do I look?”

Nathenek stood before her.
“Good.” He adjusted the cap lower on Rema’s forehead. “You remind me of my sister. She’s stubborn like you.” He patted the top of her head. “Let’s go.”

Nathenek
led her through the dark, dank hallway to a ladder bathed in sunlight. “Stay by my side,” he ordered as he ascended. Rema climbed right on his heels, eager to see the ocean again.

Nathenek
stood on the deck and turned around, reaching down to help Rema up. He led her to the side of the ship, near the railing. She couldn’t get over the sight of the ocean and just how much water there was in every direction. The sails billowed against the wind. One man hung on the tall center mast, while several others on the deck tended to the sails, mopped the floor, or assisted the captain with various tasks.

“
What are your duties while on board?” she asked Nathenek.

“
You,” he said bluntly. “The emperor assigned me the task of hunting you down and bringing you before him to be executed. He gave me endless resources to do so.”

A thought occurred to
her—did Nathenek know why Emperor Hamen wanted her dead? Perhaps he was unaware of who she really was—the one person Emperor Hamen feared—the legitimate heir to the Emperion throne.

She needed to tread carefully.
“You mentioned I’m the first prisoner you’ve ever dealt with?” Rema casually asked while leaning against the railing and gazing out at the ocean.

“
Yes. Usually I assassinate the target immediately. You’re the first one that I’ve had to bring to the emperor for termination.”

Even though the warm sun beat down on her,
she shivered from hearing Nathenek’s cold words. “Can I ask you a question?”

“
You can ask,” he said, leaning on the railing next to her. “It doesn’t mean I’ll answer.”