Chapter 90: Chapter 90

Avril's eyes opened again, and she groaned and clenched her jaw. Why did she have to wake up? She would have just died, so they would have to burn only a dead body.

She turned around and found out she was not in her much hated white room anymore. This room was dark, smelled like dirt and urine. Something ran across her leg and she yelped in fright. She sat up and placed a hand on that leg. Her hands were tied independently to the wall, so she could move them about.

There was a small light flooding into the cell from a tiny opening near the ceiling. She got on her feet and tried to see if anything else could serve as a way of escape. Then she stood still and laughed.

“Escape to where?” she questioned herself and sat down again. She knew very well there was no escaping this. The cell, she knew she was in, was created for the worst of criminals in order for them not to escape. Whether she liked it or not, she was going to be burned alive publicly for all to see.

Suddenly, she heard movements, voices, then thuds on the ground. Her primal instincts jerked her upright and her ears listened. She heard grunts of men, then thuds on the ground. More thuds as if heavy things were falling to the ground. Her heart raced. Were they executing them in their cells now instead of publicly?

She began to hear footsteps, and they got louder until they stopped in front of her cell. She could not see a thing, so she didn't know what part of her cell the person stood. There was a turning of keys and locks noisily, then a push...and her metallic cell door was flung open. She gasped at the bright light from the fire torch the person was holding, and covered her eyes.

The person stood still, not moving but staring at her. Avril slowly removed her hand from her face and the mysterious person lowered the torch.

“Hello, Fiorella,” the lady drawled with a sideways smile on heavily reddened lips.

“Ñiraka,” Avril called her name. Ñiraka smiled at her. She was wearing black trousers and a turtleneck sweater of the same colour. That was the very first time Avril saw her wearing modern clothes.

“Good, you remember me,” Ñiraka said.

“Hard to forget the face that almost cost me my life.”

Ñiraka's smile died.

“What do you want?” Avril asked as she glared at Ñiraka.

“To make up for that statement you made,” she answered and unsheathed a sword from her waist. Avril's eyes landed on the clear, beautiful metal that glistened against the light of the torch in Ñiraka's other hand.

“What do you mean by—” Avril couldn't complete her statement as Ñiraka moved forward and in one swift motion, lifted the sword in Avril's face then swung it down. A frightful scream escaped her mouth as she felt the impact of the sword against her... Avril's eyes opened and she panted heavily as her eyes met the severed rope that tied her right hand to the wall. That same instant, Ñiraka struck the second rope and it severed, freeing her. Her jaw dropped and she looked up to see that Ñiraka had returned the sword to the scabbard, and was offering her that same hand.

“I've got approximately twenty minutes to get you away from here and to the border before the effects of my hemlock poisoning wears off and you're found missing. Otherwise, you're getting burned alive first thing tomorrow morning.”

Avril stared at the hand like it was a snake poking its head at her. Ñiraka just watched as Avril contemplated taking her hand or not.

“Eighteen more minutes,” she warned. Avril's gaze left her hand and to her face. She gulped, then slowly took the hand. Ñirala pulled her up immediately and untied what was left of the rope from her hand. She then brought a satchel from outside the door and pulled out clothes.

“Discard this filthy dress of yours and wear these. I don't want the smell trailing behind us, and it's even freezing outside.”

Avril hurriedly changed into the black jean trousers and overcoat before Ñiraka shoved another clothing into her hands.

“What's—”

“A cloak. Wear it let's get out of her.”

Avril donned the cloak and wore the hood that covered her head completely. The cloak almost swept the floor, and she tied the rope that held it together in front of her. Ñirala hissed in fright and moved back a little as she saw Avril that way.

“What is it?”

“I...you look like someone I usually see in my nightmares,” Ñiraka stated. Avril scoffed, thinking she was just mocking her.

Ñiraka also wore a clock then led her out afterwards, before shutting the metallic cell door like it was never opened. They walked gently past a large passageway with guards lying unconscious at different points. They then climbed up the stairs to the first lower level where Ñirala had been placed after trying to murder Avril.

They kept walking until they reached the first level of the dungeon. There, two guards were standing in front, oblivious of the fact that a inmate was escaping.

“Remdangit!” Ñiraka cussed under her breath as she pulled Avril to hide behind a pillar.

“Can you defend yourself?” she whispered and Avril nodded. She then skillfully gave Avril the scabbard and unsheathed a small dagger from behind her. They slowly walked towards the guards, who turned around and saw them both. Their cloaks were covering their faces so they could not be identified. Before the guards could raise any alarm or make a move towards them, Ñiraka swung her dagger and it went through the palm of one of them. Ñiraka sped to him, the same time Avril lunged towards the other, unsheathing the sword in the process and slicing it across his side in one swift swing. He groaned and staggered to the front. Ñiraka kicked his back, making him fall then she instantly sprayed something in his eyes. He groaned again, then became motionless on the floor. Just like the first guard was now equally motionless.

“Careful not to get their blood on you,” Ñiraka warned as they immediately began to move out. They left the burning torch behind, and crept through the shadows through the dungeon grounds. Guards had not resumed from their elongated break yet, but anything could happen. They had less than ten minutes more to make it outside the Palace grounds, and to the border.

They hid behind a huge tree as two maidens were making their way towards the prince's quarters. The sight of them twisted Avril's heart. Her own maiden testified against her. But...she knew somewhere dip inside that Aria would never lie against her like that.

Ñiraka signalled for them to hurry out towards the unofficial gate. They took gentle but hurried steps behind trees, and stopped for signs of guards returning from their break. The two maidens were returning back from the prince's quarters in very hurried steps.

“I can't believe it, he's awake,” one exclaimed excitedly as they hurried along.

“He is so lucky. He keeps cheating death. The Alpha would be so happy,” the other one attested and they both giggled before even quickening their pace faster towards the main Palace.

Avril halted in her tracks and whirled around to look towards the prince's quarters.

“He's alive,” she muttered. Ñiraka gritted her teeth.

“Enough time for you to be thankful later. Right now, I have to get you to Camper in five minutes, because you still have a death sentence on your head,” she hissed at her. But Avril wasn't listening anymore. She took a sprint and was halfway to the prince's gate before Ñiraka could even notice she had left her side.

“God I hate humans!” she groaned before sprinting after her.