Page 18 of Beholden
When he stopped in front of me, his brow narrowed. “Alice?”
“She’s worse.” The words emerged on the edge of a sob, one I rapidly stuffed away. I couldn’t afford to lose control now.
Without averting his gaze from mine, he lowered himself to one knee before me.
My breath snagged. What was he doing?
He stretched out a fisted hand. “This is for you, my lady.” As he unfurled his fingers to reveal a red stone, I gasped along with the others who’d followed Vilmar and now clustered around us.
“A ruby?” I whispered, hardly daring to say the word for fear it might disappear.
He nodded.
“How?”
“Ty found a promising old vein. We traced it to an area that hadn’t been excavated, and then we dug all night.” The crinkling at the corners of his eyes showed his exhaustion, and yet he held his hand out to me, unwavering.
At the silence—almost reverence—of the people around us, I reached out and touched the gem. While it was still encased in rough granite, the deep red gleamed in the sunlight. The coveted jewel could buy so many necessities from the overseers, things Vilmar and Ty could use, especially more food.
“’Tis yours.” I retracted my hand. “I cannot take it.”
“I found it for you. For Alice.”
“For Alice?”
He nodded.
My throat constricted, and hot tears burned the backs of my eyes. How could I turn down this gift? The medicine I could purchase with it might very well save Alice’s life. I touched the stone again, and this time he pressed it into my palm, giving me no choice but to take it.
As I held and marveled over it, he rose. Before he could step away, I threw my arms around him. “Thank you.”
I would have released him, except his arms wrapped around me in return, drawing me close.
Though I knew I should resist further contact, I surrendered to the sweet comfort of his embrace. As I pressed my face into his tunic, I breathed deeply, feeling both his strength and tenderness encompassing me. Somehow I felt safe and cherished in a way I hadn’t experienced since I’d learned of my father’s death.
I didn’t want to leave his hold, could have allowed myself to stay here all day. But at the murmuring of voices around us, I peeled my arms away and stepped back.
Within seconds, the men were slapping Vilmar’s back, congratulating him, and praising him all at once. As more people surrounded and separated us, his beautiful eyes held mine a moment longer, beseeching me.
For what, I knew not. When I offered him a smile of gratitude, his eyes lit and his lips turned up in a return smile. And somehow I understood that my smile—my happiness—was what he’d wanted in payment, that it was all he would ask for.
I let my smile widen. I could give him nothing less.
Vilmar
I was tired beyond endurance, but I slept fitfully the rest of the day, my dreams filled with Gabriella at each turn. In every instance, I found myself first captured by her stunning gaze, unable to break free. And then in the next moment, she was in my arms, and I couldn’t let her go.
When I awoke with a start, dusk was beginning to settle. Ty was still sleeping, but I knew at my slightest movement, he’d awaken and be alert to my every move. Though I’d been irritated with his constant hovering these past weeks, I was grateful nonetheless for his help in finding the viable vein that led us to the ruby. Without his aid, I would have dug all night for naught.
Be slave of all.The command and foundation of my Testing was never far from my mind. Surely I’d been sent to be a slave in the Gemstone Mountains so I could learn to serve others. And descending into the mine pits to find a rare jewel that could be traded for medicine counted toward that lesson, didn’t it?
Despite trying to convince myself that my motives in searching for the jewel were noble, deep down I knew I’d done it for Gabriella, because I didn’t want to see her suffer the loss of the maidservant she loved.
“I realize I’ve moved outside the bounds of the Testing,” I’d said to Ty as we chipped away the stone, our hands blistered and our backs aching. “But I thank you for your willingness to aid me nevertheless.”
He gave a weary nod, too tired for words.
“Next time we descend, I shall work for your rations.”
