The footsteps stopped every now and again. Why wasn’t Levi rushing him more? How was the guard supposed to believe that Levi wanted his money back?
Thirty metres.
The guard walked faster. Had he seen something? Doran crouched lower and gripped his dagger’s hilt.
Ten metres.
Doran swallowed.
Five metr—
A wet sound Doran knew all too well filled the air, followed by a thud. Doran jumped to his feet and over the crate.
But Levi was fine. The guard, however, was lying on the ground. He’d cracked his head on the crate on the way down, and blood gushed out of his temple.
‘What happened?’
Ginger stared at the body like he didn’t know either.
‘Look at me,’ Doran said. ‘Did he hurt you?’
Levi blinked once, twice. His eyes widened. ‘He was walking too slowly and I—’ He gulped. ‘I kept thinking that Ash doesn’t have the time, that we needed to hurry, that—’
‘It’s okay,’ Doran said. ‘Take off his trousers. I’ll see how soaked the jacket is.’
He would have preferred a dry, non-bloody uniform, but he’d make do if he had to. This was Alt Võina—guards got into fights all the time. The crate had caught most of the blood, but it did show.
But that didn’t worry Doran as much as Levi panicking. Levi never panicked, at least not in these situations. They’d raised him to be good in a fight and stay calm.
‘How do you feel?’ Doran asked.
Levi unbuckled the guard’s belt and took off the shoes. His hands were shaking.
‘I’m fine.’ He didn’t sound it. ‘Why?’
‘Let me.’ Doran didn’t give Levi time to answer and took off the guard’s belt and trousers. The man’s jacket was lying on the ground, as far away from the blood as Doran had thrown it. ‘Because you’re shaking. What’s wrong?’
Levi took a step back, his eyes on the path. ‘I’m just worried about Ash.’
‘Does this have anything to do with that look you get in your eyes sometimes? You haven’t been the same since we killed the cultists.’
Doran hadn’t wanted to push him for answers, but there was something about Levi he didn’t recognise, and it scared him. His Ginger was confident but also beautifully innocent. Their plan had been to knock this guard out; Levi killed in self-defence, not to kill.
Levi took a deep breath like he needed to steady himself. ‘I’ve just had a lot to think about.’
Doran stepped over the guard closer to Levi. ‘I don’t blame you, but you don’t have to go through this alone.’ Doran wanted to take his hand, maybe run a finger over his knuckles, but Levi didn’t look in the mood. He looked… Ancients, what was that look in his eyes? ‘I can help.’
Levi looked at him, blinked again, and smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. It didn’t even reach his freckles.
‘I know,’ Levi said. ‘Thank you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kill him.’
Doran nodded and forced down a sigh. He didn’t want Levi to think he grew impatient. He couldn’t really talk given how long it had taken him to open up about his brother, and Levi had endured a lot more. If he needed time, Doran was happy to give it to him—normally. But something wasn’t right about this, and Doran didn’t know how to fix it.
‘Help me hide him in the crate?’ Doran asked. ‘The longer he stays out of sight, the better.’
Together, they pried open the crate with Doran’s dagger and heaved the guard into it.
‘Did I ruin it?’
Levi sounded so fragile that it broke something in Doran. Was this a new weakness, related to whatever was going on with him, or something else the cultists had done to him? A fear of failure?
Doran shook his head. ‘It was a mistake. He probably had something to do with Ash’s arrest, so he’s had it coming.’
‘I meant the clothes,’ Levi said. ‘Can you still use them?’
Doran’s eyes flicked to the uniform he’d thrown aside. He didn’t fancy wearing a dead guy’s clothes, especially when the guy’s warm blood still soaked the fabric, but he’d do it if it helped Ash. Even if he wasn’t entirely clear on the details yet.
‘I’ll have a look,’ Doran said. ‘We still need a second guard.’
‘I have a better idea.’
Doran ran his hands over the uniform, relieved that the trousers and boots were mostly clean. There were a few blood splatters, but nothing that wouldn’t blend in. The jacket and shirt were another matter. Half the jacket was wet, and while the crate had taken the worst of it, a stain the size of his fist had soaked through to the shirt. He wouldn’t wear the jacket, but he’d carry it to show he cared about his uniform like most Vaskan guards. It probably came out of their salary if they lost any part of their equipment, so he hoped it would give him credibility.
He threw his clothes into the crate with the guard and slid into the trousers. ‘What do you want to do?’
Levi blushed and turned around.
Doran grinned. ‘Like what you see?’
Levi’s ears blushed harder. ‘I’ve seen you without clothes before, remember? When you were hurt and couldn’t bathe properly?’
‘That was different. Bubbles covered me then.’ Although, he hadn’t taken his underwear off this time, so it wasn’t too different. ‘But if the bath helps, we can do it again.’
‘I doubt we’ll have the time while we’re running from the guards.’
Doran winked. ‘That’s not a no. And we might not need to run if everything goes to plan.’
Levi turned back around but held eye contact. ‘You have a plan?’
‘Not yet, but I will once you tell me your idea.’
Levi nodded. ‘We don’t have time to find another guard and take his things. Some of this one’s blood got on me. You can pretend I’m your prisoner.’
‘Again with the rolepl—’
‘It’ll be more believable than two guards no one recognises walking in and asking about a prisoner.’
It wasn’t a poor plan, except— ‘They still won’t know me.’
‘No, but they’re more likely to believe you when you’re bringing in a new prisoner.’
Levi was right, and it was a good plan, but there was still something about it that Doran didn’t like. ‘What if they take you off my hands and send me back out on patrol?’
Levi shrugged. ‘You’ll think of something. If they question you, beat me.’
‘I won’t—’
Levi stepped closer to him. ‘I can take it. They’ll be more likely to believe it, and we’ll have a better chance of reaching Ash.’
Doran swore. ‘I’ll get us into the prison and out without hurting you or Ash.’ Levi had been through enough; he wouldn’t add to his pain. And Ancients only knew what Ash was enduring right now.