Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

From behind the cover of the trees, I watched as Calim dragged Uriel out of the carriage to the dirt road.

"What? Did that coward not have the guts to face me after he betrayed me?" Uriel sputtered with the dust stirred up by the impact of his body on the ground.

"Nah, I was just too eager to make you pay for your little scheming behind our backs to wait for him to get here." Calim chuckled. "I knew you were too much of a coward to stay and confront us in the palace. That's why we sent someone to spill the beans to draw you out. Way easier than going through some decrepit holes that have been sealed for some decades now." Calim's face twisted with a malevolent smile at the sight of Uriel's flabbergasted face.

"I-I..." His face turned left and right as if the right thing to say was hiding from him behind the dense tree line. "Oh so, now you are his new friend to leach off, to speak on his behalf when he is too scared to speak for himself."

Calim's boot raised to his shoulder and pushed him back to the ground. "Oh, shut up! I'm tired of your constant need to manipulate everything."

"Think about it. Why would Iskander send you here on your own when he is the one that started this mess?"

"No, no, you already misguided me two times. I won't fall for a third."

"Two times? What are you talking about?"

"Don't act innocent with me. You know that this whole high priest debacle was not the first time you spew lies to me and Iskander." Calim's voice grew harsher. "Oh, don't look at me like that. You clearly know you have been getting into our heads since our school days."

Shame rolled over me and threatened to crush me under its weight. How could I not see it or sense it? I can't believe this has been going on for so long.

"Stop making stuff up."

"You know what? Shut up. I don't want to hear you speak anymore." Calim bent to grab the rope at his feet and crouched to tie his hands. When suddenly, the sun glinted on the polished metal of a blade in the hands of Uriel.

"Calim, a dagger!" I jumped out of the trees and ran, but I was too late.

Calim clutched at the hands that pushed the knife deeper into the gap between the plates of his armor. Piercing through the chainmail with the initial brute force of Uriel's stab.

My sword lowered to rest on the side of Uriel's neck. "Let go."

With eyes devoid of emotion, he pulled the dagger out of Calim's side.

My hands started to shake when the red stain on Calim's chainmail grew with the increase of blood spilling out from his wound. "I didn't say pull it out!"

"It's a brand-new dagger. I wasn't going to let him keep it."

"You bastard, I should've known you would do something like this." Calim spat.

"Well, Iskander, you better take care of your friend before he bleeds out. Or are you planning to betray him just like you did to me?" My chest tightened with fear for my brother's life. "You are not going to help him? Wow, what a disloyal man. You rather not let me go than help your friend. Like when your family burned alive while you just stood and watched. Too fond of your own well-being to do anything."

"Shut up! Don't listen to him; hold him there until the guys come back from the capital. I'll be fine."

I took a steadying breath. "Calim, you're bleeding. A lot."

"Nah, the blade didn't go all the way in. I'll sur—" Calim doubled over, clenching his teeth and side in pain, prompting me to bolt to his side. "No, he's getting away! Go, go!"