The Red Door Read online

“My goodness, where are my manners?” Being this close to him, I saw the orange tinges in his deep golden brown hair. “I’m Satchel.” He held his hand out to me.

  “I’m not shaking hands with my kidnapper.” I crossed my arms and shivered. With the wet dress and the sun setting, the cold air closed in around us, as unwelcome as the man in front of me.

  “Suit yourself.” He hopped back up and rummaged through a bag by the tree. My backpack lay in a heap beside it. The guard must’ve swiped it from the chair. He withdrew a ratted blanket and threw it in my direction. “Don’t want you freezing to death before I can start a fire.

  The blanket smelled of spoiled milk and death, so I reluctantly draped it over my knees. I watched as Satchel gathered wood to build a fire teepee. He was well built. His arm muscles bulged, carrying loads of wood back from the forest. He had grown a shadow of a beard in the same reddish brown as his hair, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes behind the mask, I could tell he was a good-looking dude. A dude I was pretty ticked with at the moment.

  When the fire roared in front of me, Satchel gave me a piece of bread and sat down beside me on the boulder. My body ached, and I really had to go the bathroom, but I wasn’t moving from that spot—not with the menacing dark of the forest creeping up on me.

  “What will you do if I run away?” I thought I’d test the waters with my kidnapper.

  He shrugged. “Why don’t you give it a try and find out?” He took a massive bite of his bread and chomped away.

  I slumped my shoulders.

  “Where are we going?” It’s not like I could tell anyone else his grand plan.

  “Mateel.” Satchel took a swig of water from a canteen. “One day there, and then on to insurgent headquarters.”

  The words leaving his lips seemed familiar, like I’d heard them in a dream one time. I dug through my memories, trying to find the one I was searching for, but it was like trying to find a coin buried in a beach full of sand.

  “We’d better get some shuteye. Long day tomorrow.” He laid the blanket out near the fire. “You want the inside or the outside?”

  “I’m not sleeping next to you.” I crossed my arms again.

  “Listen.” He sat down and found his own place on the blanket. “There are things out there besides the queen’s guards that will tear you into unidentifiable pieces. You should accept my protection.”

  “If that’s the case, escort me to the woods. I’ve really got to pee.”

  In the morning, I woke to birds chirping in the trees above me. My head felt a little clearer, and my first thought wasn’t of Athena, but Satchel and his whereabouts.

  This part of Rushna reminded me of home with its overgrown vegetation. There was little red to be seen, except for my dress, hair, and transport bracelet. Little fragments of memories began to bounce around in my head like popcorn in a microwave. Brek. Carter. They’d been left behind with Athena. Carter had tried to rescue me. He wore Aric’s necklace, so maybe he’d escaped.

  Satchel stomped out of the woods, carrying a rabbit by its hind legs. “I got us breakfast.”

  While I still didn’t trust the motives of my kidnapper, I was thankful to be away from Athena’s pheromones. My heart ached knowing that Brek was still under her persuasion. The sensation of having no control of how you acted and felt was scary.

  I picked at the rabbit meat. This could be my last meal for a while, if my plans for escape went off without a hitch.

  “You were so drugged out last night, I didn’t get a chance to ask you your name.” He picked at his teeth with a small stick.

  “Chloe.” Wasn’t it fair for me to hold something back from him when he wouldn’t even show me his face?

  “Ah, the fair Chloe.” His eyes rested on the transport bracelet. “Do you know your choice of accessories makes you a target in Rushna?”

  I held up my arm and the bracelet dropped almost to my elbow. “Why does this make me a target?”

  “It’s the sign of a foreigner.” He touched one of the stones. “They’ve been arriving in droves lately. Me and others from the insurgency rescue them from their own stupidity.”

  I huffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that you’re on a mission to get close to the queen and steal something from her.” He tossed the stick into the fire. “Something that can only be obtained in her presence.” He dug through his sack and pulled out a cream-colored shirt. “Here, put this on.”

  In the early morning hour, I gladly accepted his gift.

  “I think a distant ruler has sent you.” He nodded slightly. “And instead of leaving you in Athena’s custody, we’re dragging you, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the insurgence fold.”

  “Then, you’re rescuing me, not kidnapping me?” I snuggled into the warmth of the shirt. The first sense of comfort I’d had since I’d been here. “Why won’t you show me your face, if you’re good and all that?”

  Satchel let out a low whistle. His thin lips formed into a smile. The smudges of dirt on his face made his teeth look too white. “I never said I was good.” He bent his head down and rubbed his neck. “Oh, Chloe. You’ve got so much to learn about Rushna. You see, here, it’s a matter of who’s got the upper hand. Right now, Athena has her pheromones and she’s using them to suppress the masses.” He placed a finger on my bracelet. “With the stones from the transports, we’re able to travel to other worlds, including yours.”

  I moved my arm away from him and clutched it to my side. “How do you know that?”

  “Torture can get a lot out of the weak minded.” He unsheathed a knife from his boot. “We’re going to win. As we speak, the castle is crawling with insurgents. They don’t care if they have to play kissy face with the queen so they don’t blow their cover. We’re going to win.”

  My skin crawled with his words, although I didn’t quite comprehend them. “And by saying you’re going to win, what does that mean, exactly?”

  “We overthrow Athena, exile her and her followers to one of those other worlds, and set up our new queen.” He pitched forward and tossed several handfuls of dirt on the fire. “We’re too close to the palace for my comfort. It’s time to move.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” I gripped the log beneath me until my fingers ached. “My friends are in that place. And going with you to who-knows-where doesn’t sound like it’s going to help me get my friends out of there.”

  Satchel got in my face. He was so close all I could see was the red of his mask. His breath smelled like he seriously needed to brush his teeth. “Oh, no, Chloe. You see, that doesn’t work for me, or the insurgent’s cause. There’s a reason I snatched you out of Athena’s grip. It’s been a long standing tradition that only women rule Rushna, and we need a foreigner at the helm. You’re the only female we’ve come across.”

  I scooted further away from him.

  “Yes, Chloe. You will be the next queen of Rushna.”

  8

  An hour after we left the safety of the glen, we entered a village. Laundry hung from clotheslines in blue, green, yellow, brown, and even orange, but the color red didn’t exist. Every eye watched me warily as I passed by in my slinky, torn, and soil-laden red dress. With the news of Satchel’s plans for me, I’d ripped off his shirt and had thrown it in his face. There was no way I was going to be their puppet ruler. The boys and I had one job—get the stone and get out.

  Satchel didn’t seem to want to take any chances after my reaction to his royal decree. With a short length of rope, he’d tied my wrists together and all but dragged me along the path to the village.

  “It’s one of Athena’s whores!” a woman shouted. “Good for you, Satchel. Taking her back to the insurgents to deal with. Your momma brought you up right.”

  My captor smiled and nodded at the woman. “You always shoot straight, Marge.”

  He yanked on my rope harder, causing me to trip over a rut in the road. I stumbled, landing face first in a muddy puddle. The small cr
owd that gathered to witness my humiliation snickered and whispered in each other’s ears. These people were a real joy.

  “Looks like you got yourself a handful there, Satchel.” A hefty, redheaded man bent over and inspected me closer. His eyes grew wide. “She’s wearing a foreigner’s band around her wrist.” He elbowed Satchel in the ribs. “Worth more to ya on the market, eh?”

  Satchel gripped the rope, his forearm muscles taut, and tugged on me until I rose to my feet. “She’ll get me a pretty penny, Boris. Not that I’d share any with you.”

  “Nah, didn’t suspect that ya would.” The man winked at me and patted my cheek.

  I drew saliva into my mouth then I sprayed spit across Boris’s face.

  He took out a dirty handkerchief and wiped the spittle off his skin. “You’ve got yourself a wild one here. Good luck.” Boris stormed off into the crowd, receiving laughs and jeers.

  Satchel sidled up next to me and whispered in my ear, “It would do you good not to make too many enemies. You won’t be received well as the new queen.”

  I scrunched up my nose and hissed through my teeth, “And it would do you well to release me so I can rescue my friends.”

  The rope cut deeply into my wrists as Satchel dragged me through the town and to a tiny cottage on a stream. For what I assumed was a bachelor pad, it was actually well kept, with a wildflower field glistening in the sun to the right of the structure.

  “You’ll stay here.” He tied his end of the rope to a hitching rail and clomped off to retrieve whatever he needed from the cottage.

  While he was gone, I tried to slip my hands out of the ropes but they were too tight. Images of my time behind the Green Door filled my mind, when the guys tied me to a chair to keep me away from the murderous siren. With my limited finger mobility, I worked at the knot. Satchel must’ve been a knot-tying genius.

  “Who are you?” A woman with pale, blonde hair stood on the path we’d just traveled. She carried a basket of flowers and two other parcels wrapped in brown paper. Even in her plain, tan dress, she was strikingly beautiful.

  How did I explain to this poor woman, who was probably the resident of the house that Satchel was ransacking at this very moment, that I was an imprisoned future queen?

  “Uh…” I glanced at my torn dress and my skin covered in mud. Based on my current state, I was a piece of trash people stepped on while she was a crown jewel. My appearance didn’t scream monarchy.

  The woman stared at the cottage and brushed past me. “Satchel!”

  She rushed down the hillside, dropped her packages, and leaped into his arms. He removed his mask and kissed her. Now, I wanted to leave for more reasons than one. What would his wife, or girlfriend, or whatever she was, think of a man who tied a half-naked woman to hitching posts in their yard?

  After a minute of kissing, I cleared my throat. “Excuse me. If one of you would untie me, I can leave you to your reunion.”

  The girl looked at me and then at Satchel. “Who’s that?”

  “It’s part of my work, Esme.” He ran his fingers through her blonde locks. “She may be our future queen.”

  Esme scrunched her nose. “That… is our future queen?” She squirmed out of Satchel’s arms and moved in closer. “She does have high cheekbones, and beneath the dirt, appears to have a regal stature, but there’s much to be desired here.”

  Gut punch.

  “She’s the only female foreigner I’ve found.” He came up beside Esme. “Besides, she’s got the fortitude to secure the crown.”

  “And what exactly do I have to do to become this queen that I don’t want to be?” It was a reasonable question. Right now, my first order as queen would be to lop off Satchel’s head.

  “To begin with…” He reclined against the hitching post, a little too comfortable on his home turf. “You’ve got to convince the insurgent leaders that you have what it takes, not only to be queen, but to overthrow Athena.”

  “Piece of cake,” I grumbled.

  “Are you hungry?” Esme turned to the cottage. Should have known she wouldn’t understand the idiom. “I’m not sure if we have cake, but various types of bread.”

  My stomach growled. “No, it’s an expression that means that overthrowing the queen will be easy. But then, I was being sarcastic.” I tugged on the maddening ropes then let out a sigh.

  “The insurgents will put you through a series of tests to ensure you’re the true queen—physical, mental, and character driven. If you pass the tests, you lead the charge into the castle to capture Athena.”

  “And then?” In my conversation with Satchel earlier, he’d mentioned banishing Athena and her followers to the other worlds.

  “You use your bracelet to open the portal and do away with her.” He kicked his foot out like he was giving Athena the boot.

  “We still haven’t talked about what happens if I refuse all of this. My two friends and I are here to find an object and leave as quickly as possible. We don’t want to get involved with the politics of this world. Already done that.”

  “If you help us banish Athena, and take the monarchy back for the rest of the country, you and your friends can leave. We’ll crown a different queen, but it’s going to take time—time for you to go through the tests, time to fight the war to rid us of the current ruler. It’s going to take patience on your part.”

  His last words rang through my ears. Patience. The note from my prison cell in Athena’s castle played through my mind—love is patient, love is kind. Could displaying these traits be the key to her demise? From what I’d seen of the woman so far, she definitely didn’t display that kind of love.

  I hung my head for a second and then looked into Satchel’s eyes. “Do you have insiders who can find my friends?”

  “Yes, but as you know, it’s dangerous. If you leave them be, Athena will be none the wiser.”

  “Carter isn’t under her control. He has a pendant that keeps him from being brainwashed. But, how did you resist her pheromones?” I didn’t see a chain around Satchel’s neck.

  He dug into his pocket and removed a small jar of green capsules. “The insurgency provides these for those on the front lines.”

  “But they wear off.”

  “Yes, they do. On average, they last about one day.” He shook the bottle and the capsules danced inside. “I carry extras in case my assignment takes longer.” Satchel rubbed the hair on his chin. “I’m curious about this pendant. Where did it come from?”

  “There are people in the castle who know… who are aware.” The directions were in my notebook in my backpack. “There are three hard-to-get ingredients used to create it.”

  Satchel glanced at Esme. The insurgency beyond the forest must not have known of the tiny uprising gaining traction in the castle. But now with Aric, the creator of the pendants, under the queen’s control, would it continue?

  “If we all had these pendants…” Esme bit into her lip.

  My captor gave her a pointed look and then turned back to me. “What are the ingredients used to create this stone?”

  “I wrote them down, but my notebook’s in the castle.” I wasn’t ready to give them too much information. “If you help my friend Carter escape, he’ll be sure to have it.”

  He grumbled while untying my rope, “If we keep moving, and you come willingly, we should reach the forest of Mateel by nightfall. Then, one day through the forest to headquarters.”

  “Spend one night here.” Esme touched Satchel’s arm, rubbing her palm up and down his sleeve. “I can cook the two of you a meal.”

  “No.” He took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “But, can Chloe borrow some of your clothes? Travel through the forest will be very uncomfortable in that dress.”

  Her lips were set in a firm line. How often was he home? “Yes. I think we’re similar in size. Release her, and bring her down to the cottage.”

  Vases of flowers decorated the main area of the two-room dwelling. The smell was fresh and inviting. Esme removed a
pot from the hearth and set it on a trivet on the table.

  “Come with me.” She wiped her hands on her apron and led me to the other room. “I don’t have much, but I’m sure we’ll find something that fits.”

  By the door, I stood watching her rummage through her closet. I’d never think about the color red the same way again, and any piece of clothing would be a welcome relief from my current state.

  Esme held a blue dress to my shoulders. “This should do. I’ll be giving Satchel a bite to eat in the other room. Holler if you need me.”

  I stripped down from my dirty, red prison and longed for a hot shower. From what I’d seen of the cabin, there were only two rooms—no bathroom. Esme and Satchel probably bathed in the stream. By the window sat a washbasin with a clean cloth beside it. I scrubbed down my arms and legs, removing the caked-on dirt and mud. Beside the basin lay a mirror and brush, which I used to check my face for any last remnants of makeup and to brush my hair.

  I twirled around, entering the main room. “What do you think?”

  Satchel sat at the table with an empty bowl in front of him. “I’d say it’s perfect, except for the red streak in your hair.”

  “Cut it out.” I weaved my fingers through the strands, trying to extract every non-blonde piece from the others. “Use a knife or something.”

  “But your beautiful hair.” Esme crossed the room and ran her fingers through my long locks.

  “It’s only one section.” I shrugged. “The color makes me stand out.”

  Satchel unsheathed his knife from his hip and lifted the strands from my fingers. It was the first time I truly looked at him without his mask. His gray eyes were set in a face covered with scars. This battle had not been kind to him. “Stay still, Chloe.”

  “Soon you will call me your highness.” Something about being away from Athena’s clutches gave me hope that I’d find a way to get ahold of her jewel.

  He smirked and with one flick of his wrist removed a large chunk of my hair. “You better hope that grows back for your coronation… your highness.” Satchel took his knife and my hair and went to the door. “Give Chloe some of the stew and then we’ll be off.” He left the cottage.