Page 95 of Forbidden Letters


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Being locked up in a small cell with the others gave me too much time to worry.

We were hungry and on edge.

Six protectors unable to protect our women were like an explosive bomb of violence waiting to happen, and twice a fight broke out between Lucas and Emmerson. It took Frederick, Henry, my dad and I to separate them.

When the captain finally turned up, he only spoke to us through a square hole in the door.

“Where are our wives?” Frederick asked.

The captain looked amused by our misery. “Your wives are here in the palace. The king is entertaining them.”

“Can we see them?”

“Yes. On New Year’s Eve you’ll see them.”

“That’s in eleven days. Is he going to keep us here for eleven days?” Henry’s voice was full of disbelief. “I didn’t do anything.”

“That’s the king’s order.”

“Will we at least get something to eat and drink? It’s been two days and we’ve had nothing.”

Snickering low, the captain joked, “The king said that since you’re so fond of piss, you can drink your own.”

“There was no piss in that beer.”

“No, we know that.”

I held my breath. “Then why are we still here?”

“You know why you’re here. You tried to poison the king.”

My head was exploding with panic and my eyes went to Frederick and my dad. They knew. This was bad!

“As I said, you’ll see your women one last time on New Year’s Eve since they will be there at your public execution.”

With an aggressive growl, Emmerson ran against the door and slammed his shoulder against it.

The captain stepped back and closed the latch in the door.

“I should have fucking broken Jeremiah’s neck when I had my chance.” I groaned out loud and let my thoughts go to Devina.

My plan of being at her house when she came back was nothing but an impossible dream now. I’d been so sure that we would succeed. Now I wished that I’d at least left a message for her to find when she came back. The thought that Devina would leave for good thinking that I was too mad at her to write her back made me sick with sorrow.

My only consolation was that she wasn’t here in the palace to see me being executed and that I’d left a small mark in this world by creating a book with Devina that people in the Motherlands would read.

I might be dead soon, but at least the story of Mark and Deidra would live on.

CHAPTER 31

Best Seller

Devina

Sitting on the windowsill of my apartment, I leaned my head against the window frame and looked out at the people walking the streets below me.

Those people had places to be, jobs to do, and friends and family to visit. A pair of women were walking close with their arms linked by the elbow. They were laughing and talking like they had no care in the world. I felt a pang of envy.

I used to be like them but now I felt detached and lost.