~Did Altan.... Surely he didn't kill that man, right?... But he did harm him at least...~
More footsteps ran outside our hiding place and I couldn't tell who they belonged to.
A breath shuddered through me and Cai's arm around me tightened. I wasn't sure why he did that, maybe to tell me it wasn't time to get up yet. Although he didn't need to tell me that, with a murderous Altan just outside the tunnel who was on a man-hunt for me... For the first time, I felt safer in the tunnel.
~This isn't right.~
I pinched my eyes shut... That man outside the tunnel, his voice sounded like Altan's but that was it. The way he talked, the way he acted... My stomach flipped. He wasn't the Altan I remembered at all. Suddenly the words that Naomi said to me the day before rang in my ears: "Men are two-faced creatures, aren't they?"
I had agreed with her when she said those words to me, but I didn't understand what that meant fully. Altan was the man who saved me from the desert, and he was always kind to me, he always listened to what I had to say, and his touch was always gentle. But suddenly, it was like another side of him was becoming increasingly clear. He was a powerful Duke who wasn't afraid to hurt people; he had burned that man in Kiziljer, and the Air Mage with seemingly no mercy. Heck! he had found a random women in the desert and just took her home and decided her fate for her... What had Naomi said about him? He was a Duke who was known for getting what he wants... And right now what he wanted... was me... He wanted to force me into a political marriage.
My stomach turned as suddenly it felt like all the nice things he had done for me were fake.
~Was he really just being that way to trick me into marrying him? Is this his true nature? Is he a violent man who will go to any lengths to get what he wants?~
Cai and I stayed in the tunnel for what seemed like hours. We sat in silence with his arms wrapped around my shoulders and my back leaning into his chest. We didn't say anything and the only sound was my thoughts flying around in my head. I began to question every memory I had of Altan...
~Were any of my memories of him real? Was it all a fake Altan?~
"I think we can go now." Cai spoke and brought me from my thoughts.
I nodded my head and adjusted myself back onto my hands and knees and numbly crawled from the small space. When we came out of the tunnel, there was no one else left in the alley. I took a small sigh of relief but stopped when my eyes found the smearing of blood that was on the ground... There was so much of it...
My eyes widened at the sight of it and I turned to Cai whose eyes were darting around the alley like a nervous animal "Do you think that men will survive?" I asked him.
He looked at the blood then away from it, "I hope not." He spat, and I realized that Cai showed no pity for that Air Mage. It was him that told Altan about our whereabouts.
~I'm surrounded by heartless murderers. I mean I get that the Air Mage was a jerk but... that doesn't mean he deserves to die...~
"C'mon," Cai grabbed at my elbow and pulled me down the alleyway, "We don't have time to linger around."
He was right, I knew staying in one place too long was dangerous. But still my feet followed reluctantly, some part of me had no desire to follow him.
Cai was stealthy, and agile just like a freaking cat. He lead me through secret areas of the village and helped me hide in the shadows from everyone that passed. No one could be trusted, because anyone and everyone knew the Duke was in town in search of his lost fiancé.
I watched him in front of me as we snuck between alleyways and hid behind walls. And I realized, Cai would do the exact thing that Altan had done to that Air Mage; killing mercilessly. No, he would probably be even worse considering all the rumors about him. What if Cai was the kind of person who killed just for fun? Some part of me was certain that if the roles were reversed there wouldn't just have been blood in that alleyway, there would have been a whole body.
We rounded a corner and Cai put out a hand to stop me from moving forward. "You'll have to stay here." He whispered to me and began to squat, I followed his position and he gestured for me to crouch next to what was probably a dumpster based off of the smell. I frowned but followed his orders.
~Heck, at this point, I'd probably get IN the dumpster to get away from Altan.~
"Don't move." Cai met my eyes and held my gaze for a brief second. He must have seen the fear in them, because for a short moment his face softened and he patted the top of my head before turning and leaving me alone.
~I don't trust him.~
I watched him casually walk down the alleyway in front of me as if he didn't have anything to hide. then he came to a stop and knocked on a door.
~I don't trust him one bit. He's a bad Prince with an even worse reputation. What exactly does he have planned for me if he's going to such great lengths to keep me out of Altan's hands? I need to get away from him as soon as possible.~
I swallowed at my thoughts then looked to my left and my right.
~Maybe I could escape now while he's preoccupied?~
Nearly as soon as I thought this I heard footsteps running nearby and I scooted closer to the dumpster I was hiding beside, the pungent smell filled my nose and pinched up my face, but I still fought to hide myself more.
~No, now is not the time to escape. I'll use Cai for now, I'll use him to get as far away from Altan as I can, then I'll escape.~
I looked back to where Cai was, he was walking back toward me now. As he continued my way he looked over his shoulder and whistled. I knew that sound; he was calling his horse. Behind him, a man and a women, both wearing cloaks, came out of the doorway he had knocked on. They both looked my way briefly before turning away from me, their faces caught my eye. They looked frightened.
~Why do they look like they're about to give up their own lives?~
"Azul." Cai stood in front of me. "We have to go now, those two are going to cause a diversion for us."
I looked at him and then back at the couple who were now attempting to calm down the appaloosa horse that I knew belonged to Cai. I blinked with understanding.
~they're pretending to be us. They're a diversion to lead Altan in a different direction... but what will happen to them when they get caught?~
"Azul." Cai beckoned for my attention, "We need to go, now."