“What makes you think you can get away with this?” Hayden remained polite.
“It was an accident resulting in no serious harm to a male,” Leona smiled. “I’ll write Katrina an apology letter.”
“You defied me – personally,” Hayden coolly pointed out. Something filtered through my mind. Katrina wasn’t coming to my defense like she’d done Tuesday.
There was one reason for that and Katrina had exhibited that to me time and time again.
“There are three penalties for this crime,” Hayden droned on. “You are safe in the belief that I will not take your life. You are too valuable. I can still take your right arm, or both your eyes, as you are clearly too careless with your weapons.”
“Never,” Leona spat angrily. “I have not threatened to reveal our secrets, plotted against you, or slain a sister. Those are the only crimes that require that.” Hayden contemplated her retort.
“Bitch [technically I called her the mating of a dog and a pig], your defense is that you are ignorant, or an idiot being used by ignorant people?” I said in Old Kingdom Hittite. “That’s kind of lame.”
A flea farted – at the other end of the field. We all heard it. Hayden grabbed the hair at the top of my head then tilted my face upwards.
“You speak our language?” she asked. I did my best to nod. “Is this a new development?” I shook my head. “Who taught you?”
“Oh,” I grunted. “You may want to start by twisting the arrow in my leg, not that I can give any of you much advice on torture. I give you my pledge that my instructor was not one you and I have told that person nothing about your group. I don’t expect you to take my word about it as you are all boxes of Cracker Jacks without the prize inside.”
There was a snort from behind me. My bet was on Desiree.
“Do not defy me, or insult my people again,” Hayden’s eyes narrowed.
“I apologize, High Priestess. I elect to face my end as a human being,” I replied. Hayden drew one of those small blades all these crazy bitches seemed to carry and put it to my throat. I closed my eyes.
“Open your eyes and meet my gaze as I end your life, Cael,” Hayden ordered.
“Do I have to?” I mumbled. “I’m sort of terrified.” That brought some chuckles.
“It is my command,” she reiterated. My eyes looked into hers. “Tell me this much; is the person you are defending a woman?”
I gave the only nod I could that didn’t have me slitting my own throat.
“Did you lie to us about this relationship?” A tiny shake. “I am ashamed,” she said softly.
“He’s lying,” Leona snarled.
“Why?” Hayden regarded her fellow Amazon.
“He’s about to die. Is he so loyal to an outsider cause that this is how he chooses to go? Wouldn’t pointing us at another be more profitable to him? By our ancestors, if he is this loyal to one of our sisters, he is the Golden Apple of our quest,” Hayden proclaimed.
“Compel the name,” several voices called out.
“Cael, if you knew all of this, why have you kept coming back to work?” Beyonce inquired of me. Hayden moved the knife two centimeters away so I could move my throat.
“Two reason; I didn’t think I could get away and I owed Katrina. Leaving her in the lurch because I was afraid was unduly cruel to her,” I related.
“Didn’t you know we would find out? Did you think we were that stupid?” a different woman addressed me.
“Name please,” I said.
“Answer my question,” she snapped.
“Okay. Yes, Wicked Whore, I knew some of you would figure it out…” I began. She drew her blade and took several steps my way.
“What did you expect?” Katrina laughed. “Lacking a formal name, he created one based on his perception of your personality.”
“This insanity shows in your blood,” the stranger spat at Katrina. “You cloak your house in weakness, flaws and disgrace.” I surged up as best I could. Hayden forced me back down.
“Cael, what are you doing?” Hayden spoke loudly.
“She’s insulting Katrina. I’m going to get her,” I replied.
“You are a male, unarmed and wounded,” she pointed out.
“Oh… not enough? Should I tie one arm behind my back, or are you admonishing me from spanking the mentally deficient?” I calmly inquired. Hayden smirked.
“Let him stand, Hayden,” the woman growled. Hayden released me. She’d already made her point – men had value. My individual life no longer mattered. I had a different opinion. I will never recommend what I did next. As I finished standing, I reached back and in one savage motion, pulled the arrow through the back of my thigh.
I was really bleeding now and God-damn, the pain – the pain. For the past five minutes, my life had stumbled from one certain death experience to the next. I was finally out of rope. The hand on my shoulder caught my mind in turmoil and I nearly stabbed the person behind the touch with my bloody arrow.
“I’ve got this,” Desiree told me. “She insulted my house and my nieces. Now the Wicked Whore is going to get it.”
“Stand aside, Half-Blood,” the unknown woman seethed. “I’ll deal with you next.”
“Feel free to not defend yourself,” Desiree stated serenely. “I wasn’t planning on recording your death upon my list of accomplishments anyway.”
By the reactions of the other Amazons, not recording an opponent’s death was the equivalent of calling them a ‘mewling infant’, or worse, a man.
“This is the problem with unrestrained men,” a new voice joined the conversation. A quick glance suggested she was Fabiola’s Mom. “They cause us to quarrel amongst ourselves.”
“Messina, did anyone raise a feather to save Cael?” Katrina countered.
“Desiree shot at Leona,” Messina pointed out.
“In the past ten years has Desiree missed ANYTHING she’s aimed at?” Katrina reposed. “Perhaps, if Leona had not been standing in the lanes, this might not have happened.”
“The man was in the lanes as well,” Messina persisted.
“That’s right. I agree – he was… holding a grapefruit for a child to aim at and showing far more courage and devotion than I’ve ever shown to my own flesh and blood,” Katrina smiled.
“He is irreverent, knows our language and our secret,” Messina argued.
“He’s been like this all week,” Katrina kept grinning. “He has been home multiple times yet he keeps coming back to work.”
“You didn’t know,” the unknown woman said.
“Who said I didn’t know?” Katrina smirked. “I knew. I’ve talked to the person who taught him and they are of no threat to us.”
“How dare you? You should have told the Council and taken immediate steps to remove him,” Messina gasped. Things began making sense. Messina/Fabiola’s house was allied to Katrina’s. It was most likely a generational thing. Today though, Messina did not support this ‘New Directive’ of Katrina and Tessa.
Tradition dictated that Katrina mentor Fabiola yet politics meant that Katrina couldn’t trust the young woman.
“I dare because this is my job – the security of our people,” Katrina lectured. “I determined that Cael would not betray us. I trusted him with my own family.”
“This is fascinating. It will also wait until our next meeting,” Hayden laid down the law. “Cael, to my side,” and a-limping I went. “Kneel.” This time I nearly keeled over. “What bond can you give me to make any of us believe you will not flee if I let you leave?” I gave that some thought.
“I swear on my daughter’s prestige,” I offered. Hayden’s eyes narrowed.
“You don’t have a daughter,” she pressed.
“Don’t tell her that,” I whispered. “She’s got her heart set on me being her Daddy.”
“This is not the time for jests, Cael,” Hayden cautioned me. I kept eye contact.