Prisoner Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 5) Page 16

  “And why do you think that, lovely? It's not like your father would be any less concerned for your safety if you were a little bit mutilated, right? If anything, he'd be more concerned for your safety.” Jackal turned to Lettie and batted his eyelashes. “I assure you, lovely girl, I've been given free rein to do whatever I want.”

  When he turned back to Jared, the young man gave him the same answer he gave him all along. “I... wouldn't want you to hurt her.”

  “Good boy.” Jackal patted his cheek. “Now... should I sever it off slowly, or should I whack it off nice and clean? What do you think?”

  “Fast would be better.”

  “I think so too. Slow would be too cruel, and even I'm not that cruel.” Jackal crossed the room and selected a razor sharp sword from the wall. When he returned, Jared was shivering with fear. “Okay then! A few little chops should do it! Are you ready, boy?”

  After Jared gave him a nod, Jackal didn't hesitate. The first time he chopped Jared's hand, it didn't fall off right away. White hot agony flooded Jared's body, and a bellow like thunder flew from his lips.

  Jackal hacked again.

  And then it was done. Lettie couldn't stand to look. She closed her eyes and fought back the tears she so desperately wanted to shed.

  Jackal picked up Jared's fallen hand and pretended to shake it. “How do you do, sir? How do you do?” Then he pitched the blood-soaked hand across the room so hard, it bounced against the wall. “Let's hope you don't bleed to death before I get back to you, Jared... Foster.”

  As he watched the horrible scene, Julian's entire body was trembling. By cutting off Jared's hand, their torturer had proven what he was truly capable of—nothing he said was a bluff.

  “Now it's back to you, Lord of Stony Feathers. Are you excited? I know I'm excited.” Jackal sashayed back to Julian's side and flashed a devious grin. “I have to say, your rival is really taking it like a man. I think he might be winning the game. But I've got something truly special in store for you! It is truly life-changing. That is... assuming you don't pass the pain to Miss Jordan.”

  All his life, Julian avoided pain. He hid from fights. He was a coward, and everyone knew it. But as he studied Lettie's terrified expression, he knew he couldn't let her down. He knew he could never let her suffer to save himself.

  “Whatever you've got planned, just do it,” Julian's voice was hollow and cold. “I already know my answer. If you've got to hurt someone, I'd want it to be me.”

  “Aww... but you didn't even wait for me to tell you what it is!” Jackal exaggerated a pout. “I'm going to cut out your eye. Blind you, in other words. But don't worry. As long as you've got two good eyes, you'll still have one to spare.” As he brought his knife to Julian's eye, he said, “You know what, Lord Featherstone? I'm actually impressed. I didn't think you'd have it in you! If you let me do this, I think you'll be a real contender again. You'll be back in the game! You're every bit as chivalrous as that boy over there.”

  There was an awful squelching noise as Jackal pierced his eye. Lettie couldn't watch, but when she heard Julian's scream, she sobbed. Captain Featherstone was always so joyful, so full of zest for life. And he got captured because he tried to rescue her. If his cheerful nature was forever lost because of her, Lettie knew she would never forgive herself.

  When she dared to open her eyes, there was a trickle of blood on Julian's panicked face. The rivulet of crimson scurried over his cheekbone and dripped off his chin. His eye was gone. Gone. Lettie's stomach churned at the sight.

  “I believe I have one more question for Mr. Jared Foster!” Jackal exclaimed, shifting his focus to the younger man once again. “After the way this has been going, I think I might already know your answer, but I'll ask it anyway. I'm going to kill you now... unless you'd rather I kill the girl?”

  For the next few seconds, Jared stared into Lettie's eyes. There was so much he wanted to say to her. When she was on Julian's airship, his affection for her had grown beyond anything he ever felt, and now she would never know. He had lost so much blood. He felt weak. He was tired. He just wanted it to be over. And most importantly, he was in love with he girl who was sitting across from him.

  There was only one answer to Jackal's question.

  After a short pause, Jared finally whispered, “I would never want you to hurt her...”

  “Well, say bye-bye to your friends, then.” Jackal picked up Jared's severed hand and used it to wave goodbye. In a high-pitched voice, he said, “Goodbye, Captain Feathers! Goodbye, Girl Who Barely Knew I Existed. Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbyeeee!”

  Then he tossed the hand, got behind Jared, and quickly slit his throat. When Lettie saw it happen, she screamed. Julian rocked in his chair, but it was useless. They weren't going anywhere.

  “And now we turn our attention back to the brave Lord Featherstone...” Jackal had blood on his hand, so he smeared it across his face. “Brave brave braaave Lord Featherstone. What would you like, Lord Featherstone? Would you like to die, or would you like Miss Lettie to say goodbye today?”

  “Don't do it, Julian!” Lettie sobbed. “Please please don't do it! Tell him not to! Tell him to kill me instead, because he won't do it! He won't! They need me!”

  Jackal spoke louder than she did. “What'll it be, Julian? Huh? Give me an answer quickly, because I haven't got all day. I'm an impa--”

  A knock on the door granted them a short reprieve. A guard told Jackal he was needed elsewhere, so Jackal had to abandon his toys—for the moment.

  “Well, Julian...” Jackal patted the baron's cheek. “It seems you've got a bit more time to think it over. Why don't the two of you deliberate for a bit, and then I'll be right back.”

  Jackal whistled maniacally as his feet carried him out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Lettie sobbed louder.

  “Oh god... poor Jared!” Lettie shrieked. “I can't believe he was trying to save me. Me. I was the one who was stupid enough to get myself caught by Eversio in the first place! I tried to be a hero, and that's why we're here! I'm sorry, Julian! I'm so sorry!”

  “It's not your fault, Lettie...” Julian softly assured her. “It's no one's fault but our own. Jared and I made a decision. We got caught. End of story.”

  “Oh god... but... your eye!” Lettie sniffled loudly. “That's my fault too. How can you look at me, Julian? How can you not hate me when you know I've caused all this?”

  “Because you're not the cause. If I hadn't captured your airship, you wouldn't have been in the capital at all. If anyone should take responsibility, it's--”

  “Me,” Lettie groaned. “Besides, what you say isn't even true. I was heading to Durby when you captured my ship. Didn't you hear the news? Everyone in Durby was killed. Everyone. You probably saved me, Julian.”

  “Or you would've gotten there in time to prevent an attack.” Julian was desperate to convince her that he was the one at fault. If he was going to die in a few minutes, he wanted to save her from a lifetime of guilt.

  “No. I would've led my men into death, I'm sure of it! My mother was right. I wasn't ready for the responsibility of commanding my own airship. I can barely peel a potato properly, let alone, lead an army!”

  “As I recall, you were a remarkable potato peeler,” Julian said. “You were better than me, by far.”

  Lettie chuckled pitifully. Even after his eye was gouged, and even though he was facing death, Julian was still trying to crack a joke. For some reason, it only made her heart ache more. “I'm so sorry, Julian,” she repeated her apology. “All along, I treated you reprehensibly. I was a shrew. But to be quite honest... I was pretending. When you brought girls back to your airship, it made me jealous. When we bantered, I felt alive. You were always more exciting than George... who, let's face it, is dreadfully boring by comparison. I just didn't want to admit how I felt, and I refused to believe I actually enjoyed my time on your airship. Looking back, I now know those were some of the best days of my life. For once, my life was thrilling! And... I
really did care about you. When I left Doon's airship, I didn't want to leave you behind. I was afraid I'd never see you again. I...”

  Before she finished, the door suddenly burst open, and Wiggly Joe came rushing into the room with his sword brandished above his head.

  “Captaaaaaaaain!” Wiggly shouted. “I'm here! I came! Now where's the bastard who put ya here, because I'll--”

  “Wiggly Joe?” Julian gasped. “Am I dreaming right now? God, I've never been happier to see your face!”

  “I shoulda gone with you, Cap'n. I shoulda gone with you, cuz I reckon none of this would've happened!” When he saw Jared Foster's slumping corpse, he frowned. “What happened to the boy? What happened to your eye?”

  “I'll explain later, Wiggly. We just need to get out of here. Fast. Untie me!” Julian's chest pounded as Wiggly's sword cut the ropes that held him. As soon as he was free, Julian raced to Lettie's side and untied her too.

  “I had to kill three guards to get here,” their rescuer calmly told them. “And Old Wiggly needed to get here sooner, by the looks of it. Is the boy really dead?”

  Julian checked Jared for a pulse, just to be sure. “I'm afraid so.”

  “Damn,” Wiggly grunted. “I kinda feel like it's my fault.”

  “We can discuss whose fault it is or isn't when we get out of here. For now, I suggest we leave,” Julian exclaimed. There were weapons along the back wall, so Julian and Lettie both claimed one before they left. With swords in hand, they rushed to the door and followed Wiggly Joe into the hall. On the way out, they stepped over one of the guardsman corpses Wiggly mentioned earlier.

  “We gotta go quick,” Wiggly hissed as he sprinted down an empty corridor. “Try to keep up.”

  Wiggly was hardly a young man, but Julian and Lettie struggled to stay close to him. As he turned corner after corner, they nearly lost him once. They stepped over another corpse, and then another, confirming Wiggly's story about killing three guards. When they reached the door to the secret passageway, the first sigh of relief swirled from Julian's lips. And when they reached the ladder to St. Anthony's Church, he sighed again. He let Wiggly and Lettie go first, then he climbed up after them. As he reached the top rungs, Wiggly grabbed Julian's shirt and hoisted him to safety. Apparently, he didn't want to wait for his captain to finish the climb.

  “So... how bad is it, then?” Julian asked Wiggly as they dashed away from the church. “My eye. Is it truly awful?”

  “Well... I think it might leave a mark, sir.”

  Julian chuckled weakly. “Just a small one, right? You barely even notice it, yeah? If you squint, you can barely tell there's anything wrong?”

  As she listened, Lettie was holding back tears. Julian's eye was thoroughly gouged, and she couldn't believe he could make light of it. The sight of it broke her heart, and reflecting on Jared's fate broke her heart even harder.

  “Don't lie to me, Wiggly! Be brutal!” Julian exclaimed as he clapped his rescuer on the back. “On a scale from one to ten... how bad it is?”

  “Oh, prob'ly a twenty,” Wiggly answered with a shrug. “Sorry, Cap'n.”

  Twenty Five

  Six gold candles had been arranged around the table. After lighting the last one, Isabella called out, “Alright, Tom... you can come in!”

  When he entered the dining room, Thomas Harriot's eyes were lit with surprise. Princess Isabella not only cooked her first dinner, she had thoroughly succeeded. Roast chicken, rice and peas had been piled onto plates. “It smells delicious,” he complimented her.

  “I thought so too. Is it wrong to say it smells delicious if you're the one who made it?” Isabella cocked her head as she considered the question.

  “I don't think so.”

  “Good. Besides, I had help from Vee. I doubt I could have done it without her.” Isabella pulled a steaming loaf of bread from the oven and carefully transferred it to the table. “Vee's taught me a lot.”

  “Where is Vee?” Tom asked. “I thought she was joining us?”

  “Vee is on her way out!” his pink-haired friend called to him from the adjacent room. “I thought I'd provide you with a little music first. That should really set the mood for romance.” As soon as Vee finished speaking, Tom heard the crackle of a phonograph, followed by the sonorous sounds of a violin's strings. A few seconds later, the cottage door closed, letting them know they were officially alone.

  “This chicken is delicious,” Harriot said as he took his second bite. “For your first time cooking, this is a resounding success.”

  “Well... technically, it's my second time cooking. I made cookies the other day,” Isabella reminded him. “But this is my first time cooking an entire meal. Like I said, Vee helped a lot. I can't take all the credit.”

  “Whether you had help or not, you succeeded. I could eat this every day.” A hint of a smile passed over Tom's lips, but it didn't stay long.

  “So... I thought I'd ask you again...” Isabella's fork hovered over her plate as she struggled with her question. “Can I go out and search for my brother? It would really mean a lot to me. If he's actually nearby, I'd want to be with him.” Harriot was already shaking his head, but she refused to give up. “If you're concerned for my safety, you can come with me. I wouldn't object.”

  “But I object,” Tom insisted. “It's too dangerous, Isabella. Someone might hurt you. If that happened...”

  “No one could hurt me as long as you were with me, though.” Isabella started to reach for his hand, but as soon as her fingers brushed his, she withdrew. “You could protect me. I know you could.”

  “I'm not as invincible as you think I am,” Harriot said. “And my answer is still no.”

  “Will you please reconsider?”

  He shoved a forkful of chicken into his mouth and aggressively chewed. He chased down the bite with a swig of wine, slammed his glass on the table, and replied, “Is this why you cooked dinner for me? Huh? So you could try to sweeten me up, get me to change my mind?”

  Isabella timidly shook her head. “No.”

  “Are you sure? Because that's what this feels like.” The next time he picked up his wine glass, he took a smaller sip and made a conscious effort to soften his tone. Isabella looked a bit intimidated by his outburst. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her. “Isabella... as much as I'd like to reunite you with your brother, it'll have to wait. Eversio's men are always patrolling the streets. What if one of them saw you?”

  Her answer was placidly given. “You'd protect me.”

  “Against my own men? Against my father's own troops?”

  Isabella shrugged. “You've done it before.”

  “Well... you shouldn't make assumptions.” Harriot's jaw twitched as he stared at his pile of rice. “I care about you, it's true, but you can't ask me to put myself at risk for you. It isn't fair. And you can't risk yourself. Maybe one day, when things settle down, I can take you into the city. But for now, you really should lay low. I mean it, Isabella. The reason people are talking about Nico is because he's not hiding as well as you are. You need to learn from his mistake.”

  “Fine.” Isabella leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. A few seconds later, she shoved a huge bite of rice into her mouth, even though she didn't feel like eating. When Tom refused to listen to her request, her appetite was suddenly lost. “If you won't let me search for my brother, will you do something else for me?”

  “I suppose that depends on what you have in mind.” In the other room, the violin sonata continued to play. If Vee was really trying to set the mood for romance, Harriot considered it a failure. The melody was haunting, if anything.

  “I think you should remove your mask.”

  “Oh god,” Harriot groaned. “Not this again.”

  “But I want to see your face!” As she studied the silver mask, Isabella's lips were frowning. “There's really no need to wear a mask in front of me. I want to see you.”

  Harriot closed his eyes and heaved a sigh. Why did it mean s
o much to her? Why did she insist on making him do something that clearly made him uncomfortable? “If I take it off, will you abandon this notion that you want to go out and search for your brother, at least for now?” he asked. “And will you understand that I'm only keeping you here because I'm afraid of what might happen if you ventured out?”

  “Yes.” Isabella's answer came too quickly. If she would have taken a moment to consider his words, he would have preferred it. “I won't bother you about leaving. I'll stay.”

  “Very well.” Without another word, Thomas lifted the mask and set it aside. As soon as he saw her staring at him, he tried to turn his head and rotate his chair, but he knew she could see it. Without his mask, there was no way to hide the concave, mangled mess that was his face.

  “I'm glad...” Isabella began. “I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to do this with me.”

  Harriot chuckled at the thought. “Oh, believe me, I'm far from comfortable. But you're a very persistent girl, you know. I knew you wouldn't take no for an answer. It was really only a matter of time before all this grotesqueness was put on display.”

  Isabella tried to defend him from his own harsh opinion. “You're not grotesque.”

  “That's kind of you, Isabella, but I believe we both know the truth. If we've come this far, you might as well speak plainly.”

  “I am speaking plainly. I'm glad you removed it, and I'm glad you did it willingly.” Isabella unflinchingly studied his face. While she hated to stare, it would have been worse if he mistakenly believed she was repulsed by him. “Will you allow me to speak plainly again?”

  Tom answered with a nod. “Of course.”

  “Well, I... I've come to care for you a great deal, Tom Harriot,” Isabella told him. “I've felt an entire range of emotions for you. At first, I was frightened of you, then intrigued, then infatuated. When your people took the palace, I hated you. Truly hated you. And now... I've come to realize you're not so terrible.”