Allies and Secrets
1465 Words
Selena returned to the infirmary a few days after the talk with Aira. As she pushed open the creaking door, her eyes immediately sought out the figure lying on the makeshift bed in the corner of the room. Mika – that was the name he had given her – lay there, his breathing shallow and laboured, his face contorted in pain.
His injuries showed no sign of healing despite the healer’s best efforts. But then again, that whip had been threaded with silver. It was a miracle he survived the actual whipping. She had spent enough time to know when he was awake and when he was asleep.
“Hi, Mika. How are you doing?” she asked, sitting beside him.
Mika’s eyes opened at Selena’s voice, and a weak smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Not much better, I’m afraid,” he replied hoarsely, his voice strained with effort. “But I... I need to talk to you.”
“Oh? I also wanted to talk to you,” she said, wiping sweat off his forehead.
He blinked at her with glassy, pain-filled eyes. “What made you do it?” she asked.
Mika’s lips curved into a faint smile, and the pain in his eyes was briefly replaced with a dim fire. “I... I have family waiting for me,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t... I can’t give up.”
Selena squeezed his hand gently, her heart breaking at the thought of the pain and suffering he had endured. “You should rest. We can talk later,” she suggested.
Mika shook his head weakly, his breath hitching in his chest. “Can’t...rest,” he gasped. “Need...to tell you...something.”
Selena could tell he wouldn’t take no for an answer and leaned in closer, her ears straining to catch his faint words. “I’m listening,” she whispered.
Mika’s gaze flickered as he struggled to speak. “The...the magician,” he gasped, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts. “In the woods...by the river."
Selena’s eyes widened with interest at the mention of the magician. He had been on her radar for a while now, but she had not been able to find the right approach to get close to him. “What about the magician, Mika? What did you see?”
Mika’s chest heaved with the effort of speaking, and his words cut with ragged gasps. “He... he’s powerful. Controls...the chains. Must...find a way...to break...his hold...if you want...” He broke into a coughing fit, causing Selena to rush over and give him water.
“Find him...” Mika gasped, pushing the cup away. “If you...want to escape... it’s in...his cabin...”
Selena’s mind raced with possibilities as she absorbed Mika’s words. If what he said was true, the magician held the key to their freedom. But how could they hope to defeat someone powerful enough to bind their wolves?
“How were you able to get in?” She looked down and saw he was already unconscious, ‘Damn it! I need more information!’ she cursed in her mind.
She walked out of the infirmary, ensuring he was sleeping comfortably. She had heard of the magician but had never had the chance to enter the cabin. It seemed her suspicions about the mysterious shadows in the woods were right.
“Now, all I need to do is get in there...” she mumbled, looking towards the woods.
*-*-*-*-*
“Mika?” Selena’s voice was soft and hesitant as she gently tapped his shoulder. “Are you awake?”
She had been restless and returned the next day.
Mika stirred, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal eyes clouded with pain and exhaustion.
His breath came in ragged gasps, each movement seeming to sap the little strength he had left. “S-Selena...” He whispered, voice hoarse and strained from the effort of speaking.
“I brought you some water,” Selena said, offering him a small cup from the bedside table. “Here, drink slowly.”
Mika nodded weakly, accepting the cup with trembling hands. As he took a few small sips, Selena couldn’t help but notice how his fingers shook, the muscles in his arms tense and strained with the effort. Clearly, he was in no condition to talk, but Selena knew that time was running out – for both of them.
“Mika, I need to know more about how you escaped,” Selena urged, her voice tinged with urgency. “You mentioned something about the magician in the woods and the vines by the gate. Can you tell me more?”
Mika’s brow furrowed in concentration, his breath hitching with each word as he struggled to form proper sentences. “Th-the magician... he’s powerful. I stumbled upon his cabin by chance... thought it was empty. I tried to find something; there were some papers...”
He went into another coughing fit, and Selena urged him to drink again.
“Tried to read them, but he caught me... let me go for some reason... I don’t know...”
Selena frowned; that was strange. Why would the magician let him go?
“And the vines by the gate?” Selena pressed.
“The vines—they have the key—lead to the outside, but you have to be careful. They’re guarded.”
Selena nodded, committing Mika’s words to memory. She knew she would have to tread carefully, but the prospect of freedom – reuniting with her pack and confronting her betrayers – was too tempting to ignore.
As she left the infirmary that day, Selena couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of her stomach.
*-*-*-*-*
Day in and day out, Selena returned to the infirmary, tending to Mika’s wounds and listening to his whispered confessions. She watched helplessly as his condition worsened, strength waning, and his spirit fading.
And then, one cloudy evening, as Selena entered the infirmary, she was met with a heavy silence.
The cot where Mika had lain was empty, the sheets neatly folded and untouched, as if there had never been anyone there.
“He’s gone,” Aira’s voice broke the silence, her eyes filled with pity. “I’m sorry, Selena. There was nothing more we could do.”
Tears pricked at Selena’s eyes as she bowed her head. She had been naive enough to hope against hope that he would pull through, that they would find a way to escape together.
Her fists clenched at her sides.
That was a man desperate to return to his mate.
This was yet another reason why she had to escape; his legacy and fight could not end there.
*-*-*-*-*
His body had been dumped in the back mountains, and someone had already taken his spot in the mines once he got injured. That was how easily one could be discarded and forgotten in this evil place.
Driven by anxiety and a growing need for an escape, Selena decided to investigate the vine-covered wall that the guards and the man mentioned first. Under the guise of carrying out her routine task of bringing food to the guards, she discreetly made her way towards the wall.
The vines were thick and intertwined, creating a natural camouflage for the wall. The corner was surprisingly deeper, too.
Selena discovered a stash of supplies—ropes, makeshift weapons, and some stolen dried food. The man appeared to have been planning an escape for some time. Selena carefully examined the foliage, searching for any irregularities.
As she ran her fingers over the rough surface of the wall, she felt a slight indentation—a concealed groove.
Her heart raced as she pressed against the groove in one of the stones, almost like a hidden compartment. The stone slid away to reveal a concealed alcove. Inside, Selena found a crudely made map detailing the camp's layout, the surrounding terrain, and potential escape routes.
Selena carefully secured the map. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope as she left the hidden alcove, carefully covering her tracks to avoid suspicion.
She returned to camp, her mind racing with thoughts of the supplies arriving the next time. She knew she had to seize the opportunity.
‘Securing another chance wouldn’t be easy if I mess this up,’ she said to herself as she stashed the map under her bedroll.
She would have to bide her time till the carts came in. Aira’s words came to mind as she turned in her bed.
'Is it worth escaping and being caught? Seeing the free plains and getting dragged back?'
She scoffed, closing her eyes.
‘I will get back home, even if I have to die to do so.’
- Writer
