One Night

Chapter Fourteen

Zayen

The skin of the child is as dry as leather, like he has not had enough water. It tugs at my heart.

He tries to pull out of my grasp, begging for forgiveness. "Please, don't hurt me." I won't hurt him. I can't.

I've put enough children in danger. When this child speaks, he sounds scared and alone. It is the same fear that was in Saad's voice when I wouldn't—couldn't—look at him inside the palace.

At this point, people turn to see what is going on. There are hushed whispers about the prince being here. We tried to dress down, to avoid notice, but with a child crying there are many people turning to us.

"We need to go. We'll decide what to do to him later." Akilah grabs the boy, lifts him over her shoulder and turns off into a quieter street.

I glance at Alara. She is already watching me. The way she looks irritates me. I wish she was a man, so I could shove my shoulder into hers. Instead I walk off, down the dark passage where Akilah took the boy.

I follow his whimpering cries until I find him. His body is shaking, his hand pinned against the wall as Akilah threatens to cut off his fingers. "Do you understand the danger of stealing? Never take what does not belong to you. If your mother needs food or treatment, you work until you can afford to buy it for her. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand." He shakes his head rapidly, his eyes darting to me and then behind me.

"I don't think you do. I think—"

"What are you doing with my brother?" An angry voice comes from behind me.

I turn to the direction of the voice. A man, about my height, glares at Akilah. There are four other men behind him, two of them hold onto figures.

The thief and the prince. The two people I was supposed to protect, but didn't. They have black bags placed over their heads. If they're harmed at all, Saad and Aya will be in serious danger.

But they outnumber us, and they have the advantage of two hostages. This is not a good situation for fighting or negotiation.

There is still a fire lighting Akilah's gaze, almost as if she is looking forward to being able to beat the life out of someone.

I assume she is going to let the boy go, but she doesn't. She pulls him closer and twists his neck to the side slowly. "You're going to let them go, or I am going to keep twisting his neck until it pops right off."

At that statement, the boy starts squirming and crying, which makes me regret ever grabbing his hand. I should have let him go and told him to run. The way I did with Alara on the day we met.

"Why would I let them go, when I can kill them just as easily?" He clicks his fingers and the two men holding onto the thief and the prince bring sharp, pointed daggers to their necks. "Draw blood."

The men listen to the command and press the daggers deeper, until blood is dripping from their necks.

"Unfortunately, I believe you care about this child more than I care about those people you have in your hold." Akilah pulls the child's arm back and tugs it so that it dislocates from the socket. He cries out for his brother, legs beginning to wobble. "So let them go, and I will release your brother."

I lower my gaze to the ground. My training as a guard has prepared me for this. We were taught to not be merciful; taught to behave exactly as Akilah is behaving right now, but how can she not care for that child?

His arm is visibly handing out of its socket. Tears and snot run down his face. Fear is clouding his vision as he sobs and calls for his brother, who he calls Rayan.