Glades of Mire by Sara Shanning

Author:Sara Shanning [Shanning, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

The Mercy of Truth

Savaya pulled away from Ebshon. They had waited, at his suggestion. And her sister had paid the price for it.

“Savaya…”

“I’m coming down,” she announced, bending to reach out to Brand for a hold.

Brand shook his head. “They’re bringing her up.”

Harp pulled her back.

“She’s kind of broken!” Vick called out.

“You hear that?” Brand asked, turning on the stairs to aid his friends.

“Broken how?” Savaya couldn’t stop the tears. She didn’t care if they saw. She didn’t care if Glade girls didn’t cry.

“I don’t know. I’m sure Ordon had his way with her,” Brand said with irritation. “You know.”

“No, I don’t know,” Savaya snapped. “Saleese! I’m here,” she called down.

Tynell pulled her back further as Brand came up the rest of the stairs backwards. Vick was carrying Saleese, Bron making sure he stayed steady on the stairs behind him.

Savaya tried to get closer. “Give them some room.” Tynell held her arms. “Just for a minute. Let them get all the way up.”

“Saleese…”

Ebshon had moved back and was watching somberly. She hoped guilt was eating away at him.

Free of the small space, Vick laid Saleese on the dirty floor. Savaya knelt next to her sister, taking her hand, and rubbing it, dismayed to see that she was badly bruised, had lost weight, and her clothing was torn in several places. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, letting the tears falling quickly. She made no attempt to wipe them away. “I’m so sorry.”

Tears slid from the corners of Saleese’s eyes, tracing fresh patterns on her dirty cheeks. Her eyes opened. Their gazes held. Sorrow, fear, and regret, heavy and deep. So much pain. Savaya could see the depths of it. Her carefree Saleese was changed forever.

“We should go,” Tynell said. “He knew we would come.”

“How do you know?” Savaya choked out, without looking away from her sister.

“I just do. Let’s go.”

“She can’t go like this.” Savaya touched a torn part of the dress her sister wore. It was thin and revealing. Her sister’s feet were bare. There were trails of blood down an ankle, to her heel. Her wrist bled. Savaya looked away from the bite marks puncturing the skin.

Bron tossed a blanket down. “There you go. Don’t argue. We don’t want to hang around and wait for Ordon to come back.”

“Where’d Vick and Brand go?” Tynell questioned.

“They want the dragon,” Harp answered.

Ebshon crouched at Saleese’s other side and spread the blanket over her. “Don’t,” he said when Savaya opened her mouth to tell him to get away. He carefully slid his arms beneath Saleese and lifted her gently.

“No dragon!” Tynell yelled down the stairs. “Let’s go!”

“Maybe there was no guard because he knew he was going to do this,” Bron suggested. “He’s mocking you. You can take her, but she’s ruined. Your family won’t want her back.”

“Yes, they will,” Savaya snapped, following Ebshon out the door and back into the alley. She kept her dagger out and handy, in case Ordon had a surprise attack planned. She was itching for a fight.

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