Page 119 of The Ballad of a Bard

West stepped forward. “Where are you taking her?”

He clicked his tongue. “Come Westley, I thought you were smarter than this. Use that immortal brain of yours and connect the pieces. Put it all together and then if you still need to ask, ask away.”

The other guards left the chamber, strolling out the door and leaving it open for the male to follow when he was done. Two remained at either side of the exit, as they always did other than to switch out which left a ten minute pause between watches. Damien and Thalias hadn’t been back yet, and he assumed that they wouldn’t be now that Altivar knew Cobalt was with him.

But the Prince didn’t make any move to remove the boy, which gave him hope.

Even if it might have been a foolish thing.

“Why are you dredging Red Lyric back up?” West crossed his arms over his chest, widening his stance. He didn’t pick up his captain jacket with the three stars on each shoulder part, nor did he put on the cloak that went alongside it either. He didn’t even want to look at the decorative piece of clothing that Muse had teasingly designed, then made him wear with the silver-bell laugh of hers.

Sometimes he swore he still heard it.

“Would you like the chance to say goodbye to her?” Altivar switched up the topics of conversation and threw him off his well-cultivated guard. “It’s now or never, Captain.”

West considered whatever game this was. He tried to find the loophole, the plot that the man was trying to spin. “Why?”

“Why, what?” He scoffed in disdain. “Why am I sending her to her grave? Or why am I letting you see her?”

“Both.” The Saint shrugged. “Either.”

“Consider it an act of my delightful kindness for one of the last Saints. I don’t care. I’m offering you a chance before thereare none left. Take it or don’t, it doesn’t change anything for me.”

“Then we both go.” He pointed to Cobalt behind him. “Let him see his sister as well.”

Altivar bent down, his long braid swishing over his shoulder and draping down his svelte chest. “ I need a bargaining chip if I’m to get you back into this room without any problems and he seems to be the perfect thing to do that with.”

“I’m not going to see her again?” Cobalt’s voice broke at the end of his sentence as he stepped out from behind West. “I won’t get to see Red?” He swung to face West, lip trembling. “Gold?”

A tender name that the small child had given him in their short span together, one blossomed from the colour of his skin and undoubtedly his Saint title. One that touched the very edges of his heart and one he wore like a badge of honour.

West gritted his teeth. “Let him see her instead of me.” His own requirements could be sacrificed.

He couldn’t let himself love her. Couldn’t allow that weakness, especially now when Altivar was sending her to her death. Within her own, he would shortly follow if he gave in to the temptation. And then no one would be left to look after her brother. Cobalt would be utterly alone in a harsh world that would eat him alive.

To not see her again, it would hurt worse than any pain imaginable but he’d do it for Cobalt’s sake.

“Fine.” Altivar said, bored. “Bring the boy.”

“No!” Cobalt screamed.

It pierced a delicate part of him and he stepped back protectively to cover him once more.

“I won’t go without West!” He gripped his legs, and yelled at the Prince, blue eyes bright with determination and a twinge of fear. But he didn’t let that overcome him and West was proud of the boy. “You can’t take me anywhere!”

Fighting, just like his sister.

Altivar pinched either side of his nose, sighing deeply. “Very well. Bring the guard dog too. But you’re both returning to this room otherwise I’ll kill her there on the spot.”

Rook and Satori entered on either side of Altivar, firm in their faces and unrecognisable in stature. He didn’t acknowledge either of them as he turned and knelt before Cobalt, offering his arms out.

“Come on, Blue. I’ll take you down and we can see your sister, alright? I need you to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.” West urged him on, and Cobalt slowly allowed himself to be picked up. He wasn’t light for a child, but he wasn’t the heaviest thing that he’d ever carried before.

His small legs wrapped about his waist as he lowered his black head of hair into the crook of West’s neck, arms coming around his neck to hang on. West gripped him around his waist, lacing them at his back as he stood and faced the three people at the front of the apartment.

“Well?” He lifted both eyebrows. “What are we waiting for?”

Altivar left first, followed by Satori on his sandal heels with a fat-headed spear in her arm. He locked his sight on the shaved side of her head, following the intricate swirls she’d carved into the short strands of red. He could make out the owl tattoo that flew over her neck, wings spread wide as the creature of wisdom graced her tanned skin. Rook fell into place beside him, a solemn expression to be found as West looked over his shoulder, past Cobalt.

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