In the Palace of Lazar (10 page)

Briar let out a shuddering breath as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Gaunt would be an understatement. She hadn't realized how filthy she was. Grateful for the basin of water she found in the bathroom, she smiled knowing Nico had found it somewhere for her. It wasn't the cleanest, and certainly not drinkable, but it would make do to clean herself with.

Nico was asleep in the other room, so Briar was careful not to wake him, even though she wanted to thank him profusely. The man confused her. One moment he was closed and short, and the next he was devoted and kind.

Her silk wrap was almost black with grime. Blood stains covered the rest of the fabric. Suddenly, she was desperate to remove every inch of the item, attempting to erase the horrible memory. She shed her clothes and let them fall to a disgusting heap on the floor. Wrapping herself in a towel, she decided to figure out her clothing situation later. For now, she just wanted to feel clean.

She stared in the mirror once again. Her once bouncy curls hung heavy and were caked with dried blood, a mixture of hers and the man she killed. She let out a sigh and picked up a wash cloth as she proceeded to give herself a sponge bath. Once she was through with her body and hair, she went about trying to wash her clothes. The process took longer than expected; using up what little energy she had left. She hung her clothes over a hook to dry, walked over to the sofa and sat down, exhausted. She leaned back against her seat and closed her eyes for a brief moment, before taking in a deep breath and allowing herself to relax. Feeling an odd sensation, she opened her eyes to find Nico staring at her with annoyance washed all over his face.

"You shouldn't be out of bed," he said as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"What? I…uh…" Briar couldn't get a clear sentence out. "I needed to clean the blood off. I'm fine."

His eyebrow shot up. "Really? You don't look fine to me. You should be resting and instead you overdid it and pushed too far." He reached for a blanket and placed it over her nude shoulders.

Briar suddenly realized that she was sitting in nothing but a dingy terry cloth towel, and barely one at that. She blushed. "I was dirty. I couldn't stand it anymore."

Nico leaned in and examined the wound on her head. "You should have let me help you." His eyes swept over her towel, resting where the fabric barely covered the top of her thighs. "Why don't you get dressed?" he suggested. "I found some clothes last night while you were sleeping. They're in the closet. I'm pretty sure they'll fit."

Briar gaped at him as he brushed past her and sat down. He flopped down on the sofa and shot her an expectant look. "Go on," he prompted.

She blinked, surprised that once again, Nico had thought of everything. She got up and headed for the bathroom. Except for Donte, she had never experienced someone this "take charge." There was something about Nico that made her feel comfortable. She had just met him, and yet, she didn't want to leave his side.

When she stepped back into the main room a few minutes later, she wore a pair of black pants, a loose white blouse and a careful expression. It had been awhile since she had worn anything beside silk or satin. Something about it felt like a betrayal to Donte.

Nico nodded his approval. "You look really nice. I'm glad the clothes fit."

"Yes, thank you. I guess you've really mastered the scavenger thing, huh?"

He smiled. "You have no idea." Nico stood up and reached for her hand, pulling her to sit back down on the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I guess I needed the food and rest more than I knew." She looked down at her hands, avoiding his eyes. "I suppose I can leave you alone now." Her heart heavy with sadness, she could barely say the words.

"Are you heading to the farming commune?"

"Um…well…I don't know. I'll figure it out." She wanted to tell him about Donte, but decided it would be revealing too much. "Don't worry about me."

"I figured you'd say that," he said dryly. "Which is why I've decided to escort you out of this commune myself. I'm going to make sure you're safe and sound and far from this forsaken place."

Briar was about to nod in agreement, then glanced at him sharply, clear defiance in her eyes. She studied him for a moment, figuring out how to go into battle with him. She had no desire to fight with the man... she had a feeling he would win. But she had to convince him of her idea.

Finally, she said, "No."

Nico didn't bother hiding his displeasure. "It wasn't a suggestion. You're going if it means me throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you the whole way kicking and screaming. You
will
be safe, whether you like it or not."

She crossed her arms over her chest, an action she knew would poke at his temper even more. If it were Donte, she would be over his knee in an instant for such behavior. He glared, causing her to avert her eyes.

"No to leaving
yet
," she elaborated. "I'll go wherever you want to go, but I need to find the rest of the women first. They're my friends." She knew she had a better chance at staying alive and finding them if she stuck with Nico. "Please help me."

A sigh escaped his lips. "Briar. Have you lost your mind? It's dangerous here. Didn't last night just prove that to you? Hopefully the women ran right out of the commune and back to the dessert. If they had any common sense they would have. It's too dangerous for you to even stay another day."

"Then protect me."

"Briar—" he started.

"You," she cut in. "I want you to protect me, Nico, and I want you to help me find my friends. I won't settle for anything else."

Nico began pacing the room. He stopped in front of her with his hands on his hips. "You aren't calling the shots here. I am." His voice boomed even though he never yelled.

Evidently, she was a huge masochist. Maybe pathetic, too, because she was willing to beg if that's what it came down to. This man showed no signs of wanting her in his life. Hell, he was trying to get rid of her, and yet… yet, she would do anything to have him stay and help her. She owed it to the women to see that they were safe.

"Okay, call the shots. I'll do whatever you want. Just don't ask me to leave without knowing for sure the women aren't here." And so, the begging began.

"You can't be everyone's savior. You need to look out for yourself. We are alone in this ruthless world," Nico said, his voice coming out gruff.

Briar raised one eyebrow. A part of her that knew he didn't mean what he said, otherwise he wouldn't have helped her. She thought it best not to contradict him. "I'm not alone. There are people I need to find. I have friends. Surely you can understand that."

"Having friends will get you killed. Look what just happened to you. You stayed behind to fight off that man so your friends could get away. If you ran and worried about your own ass, you wouldn't have been nearly raped and beaten to death. You need to leave before it happens again," he said bluntly.

"Nico, I won't leave this place unless I'm positive they aren't here any longer. I'm scared! I'm terrified! I feel like a scared little girl afraid of the dark. I can't take it anymore! But I would rather risk my life, than walk away feeling I abandoned them. I'd rather my body die than my soul."

Something in his brown eyes softened. "Staying here will be harder than you think." To her shock, his voice suddenly cracked as he added, "But I won't make you leave your friends."

Her breath caught in her throat. For the first time since they met, there was genuine emotion in his voice. A hint of sorrow. A note of compassion. And she couldn't be certain, but a flicker of understanding in his eyes.

Swallowing, she murmured, "Please, Nico. I won't be a burden. I'll help. I'll contribute."

"I'm not an easy man," he said flatly. "I'll have expectations."

Briar nodded eagerly. "Whatever they are… I swear I'll do."

A heavy silence fell between them. Nico glanced around the room for a moment, as if the furniture would help him make up his mind. And then his gaze landed directly in her eyes.

Finally, he said, "All right."

A ray of hope exploded from her chest. "You mean it? Yes?"

He let out a breath. "On a couple of conditions."

"Yes, yes! I told you, anything." Briar wanted to jump up and down and clap her hands together in glee.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you. You may not like the conditions."

Her heart skipped. Was he going to demand sex? She would never betray Donte. Her body belonged to him. "What are they?"

"I'm in charge. I will lead us to the best of my ability, but you need to allow me to lead at all times."

She nodded in agreement.

"I expect your constant respect. But I will make damn sure I earn it."

She nodded again.

"I need you to trust in me. Trust that from this point on you are mine to protect. I don't take that lightly."

Briar paused and studied Nico's face. "I can do that. I'm trained in submission as a member of the harem."

Nico grinned. "We'll see about that."

"And if I don't? Will you leave?" Briar hated knowing that the threat of that would always loom over them.

He shook his head. "No. I stand by my word and commitments. But this is not a democracy. Just know that I lead, you follow."

Briar sat in silence, taking it all in.

"Those are my conditions. Take them or leave them."

His conditions didn't seem awful. And frankly, she didn't care what he demanded. She would do anything to stay with Nico and figure a way to find Donte and everyone else.

"Deal," she announced.

He offered his hand to make it official. "Deal."

Slowly she lifted her hand to his, letting him grip it. Solid. Strong. His touch reminded her of Donte.

They both fell silent, listening to the sounds around them. Briar feared their silence, feared the hushed stillness more than anything else. She hated it.

"Why are you so quiet?" Nico asked. His breath whispered against her neck, the heat tore her in half. She was afraid of the commune, afraid of the darkness that loomed around them, unsure of the man she leaned against for warmth, and yet here was the only place she wanted to be.

She shrugged her shoulders.

Nico left the subject alone. The wind howled through the alleyways in the distance, a fear-provoking sound that made her heart skip and her body quiver. She disliked the night. Even in the calm, darkness held evil which crept down her neck and gave Briar the chills.

"I don't want you to be afraid. I'll keep you safe."

"Do you think the girls are out there?" Briar asked. "What about the men you speak of? Are they out there watching… waiting?"

"They're far enough away, and they won't come near us unless provoked."

"What if they feel provoked?"

"We have nothing to offer them right now." He repositioned his arm to have a stronger hold on her. "We'll search for the girls at dawn."

His strong arms engulfed her in a brief, reassuring hug, before releasing so he could tend to the fire. His hands gripped the iron stoke, their power and strength mesmerized her, and as much as she wanted to fight the fact, Briar enjoyed being with him. She should be searching for the girls, but right now she relished in the warmth and safety of Nico.

"I really like this room. It makes me feel safe."

Nico nodded as he repositioned the smoldering wood." I remember reading about a place like this once when I was a young boy."

Nico grabbed a few pieces of fresh wood, and added them to the fire. When he caught Briar's smile, his face blushed in a bright shade of red. "Sorry, stupid memory I guess," he mumbled.

"Why say sorry? Memories are all we have left now."

Nico stood and walked to the window, gazing down to the empty street below.

"So, why did you join the harem?" he asked, never taking his gaze away from the window.

"I wanted a better life. Like you, I was tired of the nomadic way of life." Briar looked down into her hands. "Being part of the harem is a vibrant, colorful existence. Much better than the dull drabness of desert sand."

"Why? Why give your body to someone?" he asked.

"I wanted the power to be able to do so. I wanted the freedom to decide my fate."

"Are the stories true? The sexual tales every man fantasizes about? Were you a part of it all?"

Briar nodded. Not feeling shame in the slightest. "All the tales are true. Lust, debauchery, taboo, dominance and submission."

"Do you miss it?"

Briar smiled. "No. I crave it. It was everything I ever pictured."

"Sitting here, beaten, lost, scared. Is that what you pictured?"

"I thought I'd be safe." Briar swallowed the sorrow threatening to consume her. "What about you?"

Nico turned to stare at her. "What about me?"

"Why didn't you leave in search of a better commune? How long have you been here?"

"It doesn't matter."

Briar huffed. "So I have to answer your questions, but you don't have to answer mine?"

"Not a democracy, remember?" He turned back to the window and stared off into the blackness, lost in thought, and not the reaction to her comments that she had hoped for.

"Nico, I didn't mean to be nosey. It's just—" Briar bit her tongue as soon as she saw his expression. The conversation needed to end, now. "Will you tell me about the people that are still here?"

He sat down next to her. "They are out for blood. Our only hope is to go where these people wouldn't want to follow."

"People? How many people are we talking?" Maybe Donte was with them, searching for her.

"More like monsters. These
people
that remained, we want nothing to do with."

"But they can't be all bad? We aren't. How do you know?"

"I'm not willing to risk finding out." He leaned in and nudged his shoulder into hers. His playful act made Briar's stomach flip. "Trust me, okay?"

"I…I… do," she stuttered, trying to steady her voice.

"Good." Nico stroked her arm with his soft fingers, and chills ran down her spine. The touch made her feel wrong. Her heart belonged to Donte, yet the comforting touch of Nico was welcomed.

Briar reached for her glass of wine, but froze when she heard dogs barking in the distance.

"Nico–"

"Shh." Nico placed his finger to his lip. The dogs sounded closer now. "I'll be right back. You stay here."

"What? Where are you going?"

Nico extinguished the fire as fast as he could and blew out the candles. He quickly pulled the curtains shut. "Stay here and don't open the door for anyone. Do you understand?"

"I'm coming with you."

"No," he snapped in a whisper. "You'll stay here like I said!"

"I'm going with you," she insisted. "You aren't leaving me here."

His expression and tone told Briar he was furious, but he didn't have time to argue. He reached for her hand harshly and led her through the door, down the stairs, and out to the street. Running closer and closer to the bellowing howls, they slowed their pace and kept their attention on their surroundings, searching for any sign of movement. They changed direction a few times before Nico stopped and knelt beside a rusted dumpster. Briar knelt beside him and squinted in the darkness. Suddenly, a woman ran past them several feet from where they hid. It was Maysa!

Maysa screamed at the vicious canines nipping at her legs. The fear in her voice made the hair on Briar's neck stand up and impending doom run down her spine. Within seconds, Maysa screamed again as the dogs grabbed a hold of her ripped silks and drove her into the ground. Briar lunged forward to help her, but Nico grabbed her and pinned her to the ground next to the metal garbage.

"Don't move," he whispered.

"Let me–"

"You'll get yourself killed. Don't fucking move," he commanded.

Briar struggled with him as he covered her mouth with his hand. Footsteps ran past them and a man called out, evoking horrifying, unimaginable fear. Briar trembled under Nico's weight. He lay on top of her, his arms wrapped around her, his face closer than ever before.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered. "Remain silent, or we are all dead."

"Help her. Help her," Briar pleaded.

"It's too late."

She closed her eyes and squeezed him tight. She prayed for this nightmare to end.

"Please leave me alone," Maysa begged in terror.

"We gave you a chance to put your harem charms to good use," the man shouted, and pulled out a knife. "You foolishly refused."

Briar couldn't close her eyes. Even though she knew. She knew what she would see. She tensed and dug her nails into Nico's skin. He pressed his body into hers, shoving them closer to the hidden shadows of the dumpster.

With one quick motion, the man slit her throat. "Die, bitch."

Briar heard Maysa gasping. He hadn't killed her. Just feet from where they hid, lay her friend writhing in pain and facing death.

"Don't move an inch," Nico whispered. Suddenly a cold, wet dog nose pressed against Briar's arm. She froze, holding her breath and closing her eyes, fighting the urge to yank her arm away from the dog. The dog sniffed around Nico and her, and the more she tried to hold her breath, the more Briar's lungs struggled for air. Slowly, she buried her face into Nico's neck, waiting to die.

Having no real interest in them, the dog finally left. Briar shivered as she lay on the cold ground. Nico reached up and clutched the back of her head. How he maintained a steady breath, she didn't know. Her heart raced, and she couldn't stop shaking no matter how hard she tried to make herself. Nico placed a soft, reassuring kiss on her cheek, and moments later, heavy boot steps ran past them, disappearing in the distance with the two large dogs. Briar struggled to move, but Nico still wouldn't let her go.

"Wait," he whispered. "They aren't out of my line of sight yet."

Seconds seemed like hours as she lay underneath him. Maysa gurgled in her own blood on the other side of the dumpster, each painful breath stabbed at Briar's ears. Nico finally rose and released her as she ran to the dying woman's side. Still alive, but with only minutes left, she gasped for oxygen.

"Everything's going to be all right," Briar said, kneeling down beside her. "I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise."

Maysa clawed at Briar, crying and gasping. The only comfort Briar could give her was to cradle her head and stroke her forehead. Her body jerked, blood gushed out her neck, and the blood stains on Briar's clothing grew with every second. Death blanketed her.

"You're going to be okay," Briar said, loathing her own words. Maysa was moments from death, and this was all Briar could offer. "You held your dignity. You didn't let them steal that from you. You should be proud that you stayed strong as you have always been."

Maysa's eyes widened and she gasped through failed breaths. She tried to speak, but her own blood strangled her. She only had minutes left, if not seconds.

"Relax. Just relax. It won't be long until you get to see all your loved ones again. They'll be there waiting. They're waiting for you. Just close your eyes and relax."

Briar wasn't sure how much of her words Maysa heard. No one should have to die alone. Briar would not allow her to die alone.

Maysa opened her mouth to try to speak again and blood poured out as she grabbed Briar's hands, shaking with a grip of pure panic. She faced the fear of death.

"You're safe now. You're safe now," Briar repeated her words, rocking on her knees with her dying friend's head in her lap until she took her final rippled breath.

Briar set down her head, rose, and stumbled to the alley wall, mourning the loss of a woman she couldn't save. Grieving someone she had grown to love. Her lungs heaved, unable to breathe through her sobs.

"We couldn't have saved her," Nico whispered as he approached her.

Briar leaned against the cold stone wall for support, covered in blood and lacking any energy to talk. She bit her lip, shook her head, and turned away from him, burying her face in her bloody hands. She had nothing to say to him, nothing at all.

"I know that wasn't easy to see." He paused for a moment. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, please." Briar removed her hands and faced him, but couldn't look into his eyes.

Nico continued, his tone fiercely disapproving. "I told you to stay. I demanded it. But you were too stubborn. Too stubborn to listen. How am I supposed to keep you with me if you won't listen? How can I know this won't happen again?" His words were more of a statement than a question.

"She was my friend! She was a human being who didn't deserve to die like that!"

"No, she didn't deserve it. And you were seconds from suffering the same fate. Your bravery can't be confused with foolishness!"

"We should have done something."

"Do you know what they would have done to you if they found us? They would have just killed me. But do you know what they would have done to you before killing you?"

"Yes, Nico, I know exactly what they would do, and death would be a blessing in comparison. I know the ramifications of my actions."

"Do you know I would have died tonight trying to protect you?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe you do, Briar. Do you know the predicament you put me in? This new world we're in is tough enough without me having to worry about taking care of your ass!"

"Nico, I'm sorry. But she was such a good person. I didn't realize people could be so awful. How could this happen? How could anyone..."

"Do you believe me now? Do you see why we have to leave? If the women are still here… they are most likely dead."

"Yes," Briar whispered. "I see that now. But I just can't leave them. How can we be sure?"

Nico opened his mouth to speak, but paused for a few seconds. "I've seen worse. I've seen things and experienced stuff I would never wish on you. I'll protect you, Briar. I'll make sure you are safe from it all. I gave you my word that I would. But you have to let me lead. You have to trust in what I say and never question me again. I promise you I'll die trying. But I ask you to never fight me again."

Briar simply nodded.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"No."

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Nico reached for her hand and pulled her into an embrace.

He held her as she cried, stroking her hair softly. He stepped backwards away from her, swiping at the tears streaming down Briar's face. Unable to stand any longer, Briar dropped to her knees and sobbed out his name. "Donte. Please help me find Donte."

Nico held her tight and stroked her hair. "Who's Donte?"