Chapter 88 Chapter 88

Chapter 88 Chapter 88
Mirelle's POV

‘Who the hell are you?’ the owner of the voice behind me growled, pressing a sword to my neck.
‘Who are you and what do you want?’

‘I am here to see the rebels and hopefully join them.’

‘We are not looking for members,’ he grunted and tightened the sword against my neck.

Wait a minute… that voice sounded familiar.

‘Eragon.’

He stepped back in shock and accidentally nicked my neck with the blade. I stood very still.

‘How do you know my name?’

‘Eragon, it’s me. Elisa…’ I paused. He might not remember me by that name. ‘Taliahtie… Princess Taliahtie.’

He relaxed slightly, then tightened his grip again.

‘I know what the princess looks like. You are not the princess,’ he said.

Then I felt a sharp blow at the back of my head, and everything went black.

I woke up in a damp cell.

I looked around. It was morning. I must have been unconscious for a long time. My eyes found it difficult to adjust to the light, but when they finally did, I realized there were people in the cell with me.

One of them was sitting while the rest stood. They were all staring at me from a dark corner of the cell, making it difficult to properly see their faces.

‘Who are you?’ one of them asked.

‘I already told Eragon who I am.’

‘How did you know Eragon?’

‘For goodness’ sake, I don’t like repeating myself. Eragon must have told you everything. I promise you, I am not a spy. I really just want to take back what’s ours from Eliath and avenge my mother and stepbrother.’

Then the one sitting stepped into the light.

My mouth fell open in shock.

‘Corlin…’

A scar now ran from his temple to the top of his lip. I really did not want to come in contact with whatever had done that to him. Fae healed unless cold iron was broken off or lodged in the wound.

His brows lifted curiously.

‘You know who I am, who Eragon is, and the Seelie prince but you don’t look like the princess.’

He paused and stared at me more intensely.

‘Tell me… why should we believe you?’

‘Ask me anything. Anything only I would know.’

‘What was I doing the first time we spoke?’

‘You were practicing your unique sword dance. Eragon said it was deadly, and I said I wanted to learn it. But then you ended up calling me a bastard and said I was too dumb to ever learn it.’

His eyes widened.

‘But… how?’

‘That, brother, is a question I wish I had answers to,’ I said, then stood up. ‘The last thing I remember was dying in Drake’s arms. Then I woke up in this body, in the village not too far from this forest.’

‘You died?’ he asked quietly.

‘Yes. At least, I thought I did. Do you have any idea how this could have happened to me?’

He walked around me in a slow circle.

‘No idea. Do you still have your powers?’

‘No. I have tried to use them.’

‘So you just woke up here?’

I nodded slowly.

Then the rest of the people in the cell stepped forward, and Eragon was among them.

‘Princess, I am so sorry about knocking you out.’

‘No, it’s okay. I would have done the same. Where is Kraig?’

His face immediately turned sober. And I knew before he even said it.

‘He died honorably for the kingdom, Princess.’

Pain pierced through my chest.

‘And Makus and Hagath?’

‘The last we heard of Makus, he was imprisoned. Hagath, however, is due for execution in the next three days,’ Corlin said.

‘What?! Why?’

‘Eliath is trying to crush the people’s spirit by eliminating a royal. He is a monster. He hung Benedict and Mother’s bodies at the palace gates just to show he had defeated us. We retrieved their bodies and gave them a befitting burial. That was our first mission.’

The bastard. How could he? I would make him pay. Beneath that smile and handsome face was a beast, and he had hidden it so well from all of us.

‘How are we going to rescue Hagath?’

‘We can’t,’ one of the people in the cell said. I did not recognize her.

‘Why the hell not?’

‘Because, Princess, his execution is not only meant to crush our people’s spirit, it is also meant to draw out Prince Corlin,’ Eragon said.

‘Shit… we are just going to let him die?’

Nobody spoke for a moment.

‘Send me.’

‘That’s a bad idea,’ Corlin said immediately.

‘No, it’s not. He would not recognize me. We will be in and out within minutes.’

‘And what if he captures you?’

‘I will make sure he does not.’

‘I am sorry, but we cannot risk it. Our mother would hunt me in death if I let another child of hers die on my watch, even if she is a bastard.’

‘Will you stop calling me that? And can we please continue this conversation somewhere warmer?’ I asked, rubbing my hands together.

‘Come on. Follow me.’

We walked out of the cell together into a corridor made of stone. Since there were no windows, the only source of light came from the torches mounted on the walls.

A door opened, leading into a sort of armory filled with weapons.

My brother had been busy.

Then we took another passageway that led to a room with a desk in the middle and wooden chairs in front of it. It looked like a small office.

Corlin sat behind the desk and gestured for me to sit in front of him.

‘So apart from rescuing Hagath and Makus, how are we going to save the kingdom?’

‘The plan is already in motion, but it will take time. We need soldiers.’

‘I can get you soldiers.’

His brows lifted again.

‘Who?’ he asked.

‘Lycans. I just need to get back to Drake.’

‘The veil is being watched twenty-four hours a day. Eliath knows that is the only way into the kingdom from the human realm, so he has soldiers waiting for you there. We need to find another way. Until we do, we will not start what we cannot finish.’

‘Let me go rescue Hagath, Corlin. He does not deserve to die that way.’

We stared at each other for a long moment. I was not going to back down.

‘Fine,’ he finally said.

‘Prince—’ one of the rebels began, but Corlin raised his hand to silence him.

‘It will be done discreetly, and we need the people not to lose hope. The princess says she wants to do it. I believe she can.’

He turned toward me.

He believed I could do it, and it lifted my spirit. In that moment, I vowed I would not disappoint him.