Page 62 of Brighter Than Gold

“I don’t know, Reyah. I don’t know what that was.”

“Reyah, Callan. You must come with me at once.” A beautiful women walked towards us from across the street. She had long silver hair and matching, mesmerizing silver eyes. All up her neck were strange tattoos.

I took a step, placing myself between the two women. “Who are you?”

“It’s all right, Callan,” Reyah said, putting a hand on my arm. “I recognize her.”

I turned back to Reyah who was still sputtering and coughing.

“It’s all right,” she whispered again. But it did little to settle my nerves, we’d just barely escaped the brothel with our lives.

“We don’t have much time, you need to follow menow,” the woman insisted.

I wasn’t sure about trusting this stranger that Reyah claimed to know, but I hesitantly followed her. We trailed her down a narrow alley, at the end of which waited a covered wagon, hitched to a single horse.

“Inside,” she rushed.

“Wait.” I held Reyah back as I stepped closer to the wagon, and moved aside the canvas covering to make sure we weren’t aiding in our own kidnapping. What I saw made my mouth dry.

“Fuck…”

“Get inside, Callan,” the woman insisted sternly. I’d have to go with her now.

“Come Reyah,” I said holding out my hand to help her up. Reyah took it and I hoisted her into the wagon. She stilled with horror when she saw inside.

Laying out on the floor of the wagon was Yates, bruised and broken. The woman was barely recognizable after what Lazio had done to her. Another woman with silver-tinged eyes was on her knees tending to Yates.

I climbed up into the wagon behind Reyah, and the mysterious woman came up after me. Not a moment later, the carriage lurched forward and sped along the cobblestone street.

“Who are you?” I demanded, as I helped Reyah onto the wagon’s narrow bench.

“My name is Idona. I am a friend of Yates’.”

“You caused that? The smoke?”

“Yes.”

“The palace sent you?” I asked.

“Not exactly.”

“Then what assurance do I have that we haven’t jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?”

“I’ve seen her, Callan. With Yates,” Reyah interrupted quietly. “You were in Arronbach with her, right? The night my friend and I followed her to the palace after he told her I was pregnant.”

“Yes, you remember,” Idona nodded.

“You and Yates argued… she told you not to follow her.”

My jaw clenched and I shifted uncomfortably as I stared Idona down.

“It’s complicated,” she said simply.

“Define complicated,” I interjected. “Because if Yates told you to stay away, then this changes from a rescue to an abduction.”

Idona softened slightly. “Yates was my lover. That night in Arronbach we had a fight. I was dishonest with her, and she was understandably angry with me.”

The wagon skidded through a turn, and we all held tightly to steady ourselves.

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