"What if she escapes?"
There was a pause and someone, probably Simon, got to his feet. He walked close behind me, studying the knots around my wrists, I assumed. My breaths weren't calm enough or as even as they should have been. He should've realized I was awake, yet his attention went to something else.
"Her wrists are raw from the rope."
"Good." The answer had come so quickly that Trina either knew and didn't care, or else she hadn't bothered to notice. Before pretending to fall asleep, I'd tried to work my hands free of the knots, gently twisting them until they hurt too much to continue. This hunched-over position I was in had only made the sores worse.
"This isn't us, Trina. This isn't what we do."
"She deserves it. I also cut her wrist while we were in the carriage."
Simon crossed back to her, his voice still low. "Listen, I understand how you feel about Kestra, but we need her to succeed. This assignment requires you to put away your personal feelings."
"Have you?" A chair scooted across the floor. Trina standing up, perhaps? "I've seen the way you look at her. Maybe she's got a pretty face, but that's all. This girl is part of the Dominion! Don't let her get to you."
Get to Simon? The whole idea of that was a joke. He hated me, and I wasn't exactly planning parties for him. Not unless we were celebrating in my father's dungeons.
"She won't get to me. Anything beautiful about her faded as soon as she began defending Lord Endrick." Simon scowled. "I'm here to carry out the plan. Nothing more."
"I'm too tired to care." To prove her point, Trina yawned. "Can we discuss this tomorrow?"
Irritation filled Simon's sigh. If he preferred never to discuss me again, I had equal hopes of never having to hear it. He said, "You take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."
If I'd really been asleep, Trina's rough entry into the bed surely would've awoken me, but I only pretended to stir and let my head fall forward again. The last thing I needed was for them to figure out I'd been listening to their conversation.
I wasn't sure exactly where Simon decided to sleep, but it wasn't long before they had both gone quiet and their breathing became even. Only now did I dare relax, but I couldn't do it, certainly not while standing up.
I twisted my hands again, working at the knots. It wasn't about getting free--I wouldn't go anywhere--but I did want these two Coracks to know they'd have to do better than this to control me.
The problem was, they were in control of me. They had me physically bound to this room, had extracted my agreement to betray the Lord of the Dominion and my family. They even controlled my emotions with every foul word or icy expression cast my way.
And I couldn't escape the knots. The cut from Trina had opened again and blood ran down my palm. The flesh beneath the ropes was hot and swelling. Worst of all, Simon was right. At home, I would have to come up with an excuse for my wounds. Nothing else could've caused these sores other than my being tied up.
Could these injuries be my proof that the rebels were forcing me to find the Blade? Wouldn't it become obvious that I was acting against my will? I finally relaxed with that thought, smiling at how they had surely doomed themselves and saved my life.
If I fell asleep, then it wasn't for long, when the sound of horses outside awoke me. At any other time of day, that wouldn't have deserved my attention, but this late at night, and in my present situation, everything seemed important.
I strained my neck, hoping for a glance out the window, but I wasn't close enough to see anything beyond dark trees silhouetted against the moonlight. There were noises from several horses though, and their riders were dismounting in front of the inn rather than taking them around back to the stables for the night. These people had not come for lodging.
Both Simon and Trina were still soundly asleep and I debated whether it was a good idea to wake them up. I should at least have them check who had come.
"Simon!" I hissed.
"Hush, Princess, or we'll gag you," he mumbled.
"Simon!"
He sat up as the riders entered the inn, loudly demanding to see the innkeeper. He leapt from the floor, tossing the blanket he'd been sleeping with back onto the bed. That startled Trina awake.
"Get her out of those ropes." Simon pointed at me, then reached for his boots.
"Why?" Trina asked.
He rushed to the window, and when he turned back to Trina, eyes wide and alert, she immediately understood.
"Blue-and-brown hats." Simon's voice tightened. "Halderians."
"Here?" Trina checked the window too. "Wearing their colors in the open?"