Chapter Forty-Five
One of Župan Teodore’s guards pulled Suzana from a horse and lowered her to the bailey of the unfamiliar grody. Her hands were bound so tightly that she could no longer feel her fingertips.
Dama Emilija walked onto the paved court. She glanced at Suzana with the same contempt she had shown in the days before the wedding. “Where are the others?”
“Disappeared. Escaped. But having her will be enough.”
Dama Emilija sneered. “She’s barely better than a meroph. Hardly worth holding hostage. She can’t be all that important to her husband now that he has her dowry.”
“We’ve been told otherwise,” the guard said. “Where should we put her?”
Dama Emilija circled Suzana, eyeing her much like a cook eyed an inferior cut of meat. “She’s not an honored hostage, so she won’t be given one of the rooms in the keep. She’s not dangerous enough to lock in the tower. And her husband withdrew hospitality—that’s something I’ll not forgive. Tie her up in the stables.”
Not the stables. Fear tightened Suzana’s chest, but a quick glance at Dama Emilija told Suzana clearly enough that a protest would earn her no mercy.
Konstantin pulled Veles to a stop and listened intently while the other horses and riders did the same. “Someone is following us.”
Miladin thrust his dagger next to Grigorii’s neck. “More accomplices?”
Grigorii leaned away from the blade. “You already finished off the two I smuggled into the grody, and I already told you about the ones in the lower grad.”
Grigorii had given the names and locations of three of Župan Teodore’s men. Two had been seized and imprisoned. The third had either escaped or been a lie. Konstantin hated his current position: he couldn’t trust Grigorii, but he had to rely on him if he wanted to save his family.
The sound of hooves stopped.
Bojan turned to look behind them. “Shall I ride back and see what I find?”
Konstantin nodded. “Be careful. Enemies are out in force tonight.”
The others continued onward, as it seemed whoever was following them had stopped as soon as he or she realized their quarry had paused. But they went at a slightly slower pace because if Bojan was ambushed, Konstantin wanted to be nearby to help him.
When the sounds behind them grew louder, Konstantin pulled Veles to a stop again. Bojan appeared with Decimir.
“I thought you were going to stay in the grody.” Konstantin admired the boy’s determination, but he owed it to Župan Dragomir to keep Decimir safe.
Decimir glanced about. Grigorii was tied, riding on a docile horse that Miladin led. Zoran was also part of their party, as was Ulrich and four of the German mercenaries. And Decimir’s bodyguards, who looked displeased to discover that their charge had left the safety of the grad. Decimir lifted his chin. “Before I left, my grandfather said I was to stay with Josif and Ilija.”
They were nearing the edge of Rivak’s boundaries. Sending Decimir back on his own would be dangerous, but sending him back with a proper escort would weaken their group significantly, and too much was at stake to risk that.
Konstantin sighed. “Stick close to them in case there’s trouble.”
Grigorii pointed to a trail barely visible in the dark. “It’s through there.”
Zoran led the way. None of them could be completely sure Grigorii wouldn’t lead them into an ambush, so they approached slowly. The rundown villa looked deserted. The dying embers of a campfire showed that someone had been there recently, but no guards remained outside. Konstantin dismounted. If the guards were gone, that meant the hostages were gone, too, but he would at least look inside. He grabbed a nearby stick and coaxed a flame out of the embers to light his way.
Miladin stayed with Grigorii, Bojan and Zoran checked some of the smaller rooms, the Germans patrolled the perimeter, and Konstantin led Decimir and his men into the main chamber. The air barely stirred. It looked like it had been used as a prison, with windows boarded up most of the way and an old mattress in one corner.
A few boards lay on the ground, with bent nails sticking from them at irregular angles. Konstantin looked for any clue that his family had been held here, but nothing appeared in the dim light to prove or disprove Grigorii’s words.
Josif lifted the mattress, revealing only dirt. “He may have lied.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Konstantin held a hand toward the fire chamber, but no fire had burned there recently. It was as cold as the rest of the room.
Someone sneezed. Konstantin didn’t know Župan Dragomir’s men well enough to recognize their sneezes, but it sounded too childish for even Decimir, and it had echoed strangely.
Konstantin took a closer look at the hearth. When he held the burning branch next to the stones on the outer hearth, footprints appeared in the scattered ash. Footprints made by small shoes. When he looked inside the inner chamber, he saw only shadows, but an instant later, a bit of ash fell on him, something scuffled in the chimney, and Danilo dropped down.
“Kostya!” He gripped Konstantin about the waist in a fierce embrace. Konstantin caught one small arm so it wouldn’t aggravate his wound. “I knew Grigorii wouldn’t be able to kill you! But did you catch him? And Ivan saw Župan Teodore’s army coming. Will there be a battle?”
“Yes, we caught Grigorii, and we’ve seen the army.”
More sounds echoed from the chimney. “Kostya, will you help me down?” Lidija’s voice.
Konstantin ruffled Danilo’s hair—a mistake that resulted in a puff of ash and another sneeze. Konstantin chuckled and stepped inside the chamber to help his sister down from where she’d wedged herself on a ledge in the chimney.
“What on earth were you doing in the chimney?” He set her down outside the hearth and pulled her close for a sooty embrace.
“Hiding. We heard horses and thought it might be Župan Teodore’s men again.” Lidija stiffened. Konstantin relaxed his embrace and followed her gaze. She’d noticed Decimir and was now smoothing her hair.
“I am most pleased that you’re safe, Dama Lidija.” Decimir stepped forward and gallantly offered her his water bladder and a handkerchief.
Konstantin looked back at the shaft. It wasn’t large enough for four people, even when two of them were small boys. “Where are Ivan and Suzana?”
“Ivan escaped through the chimney,” Danilo said. “I was too big and couldn’t fit, or I would have gone with him. He took all the guards’ horses and rode to Župan Nikola. We wanted him to warn you, but Suzana didn’t think he could outride Grigorii, and we didn’t want him riding near Župan Teodore’s army.”
“And Suzana?”
“Župan Teodore’s men took her.” Lidija’s voice shook with worry. “She told us to hide so we could escape later. That’s what we were trying to do when we heard you—we were prying the boards from the windows because they locked us in. She saved us, and Ivan saved himself. We couldn’t save her, but you will, won’t you?”
Konstantin nodded, even knowing he couldn’t guarantee his wife’s rescue. “Where did they take her?”
“To his grody,” Lidija said.
“Then I have my work cut out for me.” Konstantin glanced over the group. He didn’t want Danilo or Lidija to pass anywhere near Župan Teodore’s encampment, and he certainly didn’t plan on taking them into the enemy stronghold. Going back to Rivakgrad might be possible, but the road to Župan Nikola’s lands was the safer route. Župan Teodore wouldn’t attack Župan Nikola—he was too strong. And should Rivak fall, Konstantin trusted that Župan Nikola would see that his family made it to safety in Sivi Gora.
He placed his hand on Decimir’s shoulder. “Can I trust you and your men to take them both to safety?”
“You can.”
“Thank you. Follow Ivan’s route to Župan Nikola.” That would keep part of Konstantin’s family safe and part of Župan Dragomir’s family safe too. Decimir had disobeyed Konstantin when he’d followed him from Rivakgrad, but Konstantin didn’t think Decimir would disobey him again, not when his assignment included taking Lidija to safety.
The group left the chamber, and Lidija gasped when she recognized Grigorii. Danilo picked up a rock large enough to use as a weapon and scowled.
“Don’t worry,” Konstantin said. “He’s tied up.”
“What is he doing here?” Lidija asked.
“We needed him to find you.”
Lidija put her hand on his arm. “But you can’t trust him.”
“I know, but we’ve come to an understanding. I don’t trust him, but I need his knowledge.”
Lidija nodded slowly. “Be careful, Kostya.”
Konstantin gave her another hug, hoping it wouldn’t be their last. Then he whispered into her ear. “If things go wrong, take Ivan and Danilo to Sivi Gora. You’ll have my blessing if you wish to marry Decimir, but not until you’re older.”
Her grip on him tightened. She sniffed and inhaled deeply before pulling away.
Konstantin lifted Danilo onto Josif’s horse, in front of the rider. He had a feeling the boy would fall asleep before they reached safety, and he didn’t want him tumbling off. Then he took Danilo’s hand. “You’ve been brave today. You keep being brave, Danilo, and know that I’m proud of you.”
“Will I see you again soon?”
“God willing.”
The three horses rode away. Lidija rode behind Decimir, her arms around his waist and her head against his shoulder. No doubt she would have been mortified to know she had a smear of soot across her forehead and along her left temple.
Konstantin turned back to the remainder of his men. It was time to save his wife.