I pressed the knife against her throat. I had to act quickly. Before the girl could come up with an escape plan, I needed to neutralize her and take the stone.
But I had to ask.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
She stopped writhing under the blade. I tightened my legs around her.
She paused and looked into my eyes. She was probably surprised I remembered.
Honestly, I was surprised too. I had taken a rock to my left temple, after all. But thanks to my father, I was used to blows.
I pressed the knife harder, my voice firm.
"Why didn't you kill me back there?"
She stopped gripping my wrist.
"To be different," she said.
Different? I looked at her, confused. She explained.
"If I had killed you back there for my own gain..."
Her gaze drifted off into the distance.
"If someone has to die, it doesn't matter who's right or wrong. If death is involved, there's no justice—only cruelty."
I wasn't even sure if she was saying that to me.
Then she looked straight into my eyes again, and I froze.
"If I had killed you there, how would I be any different from him?"
She hesitated.
"How would I be any different from the King?"
Even though I hadn't moved, I was breathless. The King wasn't exactly known for his mercy...
His words at the council suddenly lit up in my mind. He had been ready to sacrifice an entire border village.
I asked myself, "What would the King do with the stone?"
He wouldn't feed his soldiers, protect his people, or rule with justice.
He would only solidify his dictatorship.
Damn it. That stone has to reach the elves.
-○-
(Now from the other girl's point of view)
She hesitated so long that I began to regret what I'd said.
I had insulted the King—and she served him.
The pressure of the blade on my throat lifted.
She got off me.
I jumped to my feet and immediately reached for the dagger hidden under the pillow. I unsheathed it and pointed it at her, but she didn't seem like she was going to attack—or defend herself if I did. She was breathless.
"You need to leave," she said. I froze.
She looked me in the eye, then suddenly turned to a bag in the corner of the room. I flinched and gripped the dagger tighter. But she just sheathed her own blade and pulled out a scroll.
Clumsily, she unrolled it on the bed. I leaned in.
It was a map.
"You can head southwest from here," she said, tracing the path with her finger. "There's a windmill there. Go inside. No—don't go in. Wait near the main road."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused.
She lifted the map and shoved it against my chest. I caught it in the air.
"The last piece of the stone is there," she said.
I took a deep breath. How could she possibly know that?
Why was she telling me this?
"But don't go in without me. The place is crawling with soldiers. I know a secret way in. Wait for me. I'll take the piece from the palace and meet you there."
I stared at her in disbelief.
If what she said was true, we'd have all four shards.
But...
"Go!" she shouted.
"Why should I trust you?" I asked. How did I know this wasn't a trick? Then again, if she'd wanted the stones, she could've taken them while I was defenseless...
Still, I couldn't trust blindly.
She paused. My question made sense to her.
She began patting herself down, searching her clothes and pockets. Her hand stopped.
A loud banging started on the door. The King's soldiers. They were here.
She pulled something from her pocket and shoved it into my hand. By its shape, I could tell it was a ring, though I didn't get a good look.
"It was my mother's," she said, locking eyes with me.
"It's the most precious thing I have. Take care of it. I will come back for it."
A crash hit the door like a hammer. It was about to break.
"Go!" she shouted.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and jumped out the window.