Slave to Sapphire
Chapter 29

Climbing the wall of the mines was a challenge. Iris climbed in complete darkness. She would make progress and then reach a spot on the wall that was smooth with nowhere to grip. Forcing her to move horizontally until she found a place where she could continue her ascent. Twice she had to climb back down to the ledge and replace a new starting point. After returning to the ledge a second time her arms and legs were trembling with exhaustion. Iris sat on the ledge panting; at least the strenuous activity helped distract her from thinking of azure. On her third attempt she was able to complete the ascent to the level above. She pulled herself onto the ledge and collapsed with exhaustion. She had done it though, which meant it was possible.

Iris moved as far away from the ledge as possible and laid down to sleep. Her body had long ago consumed all the calories from her meager rations. Her sleep was restless and filled with images of Lucious’ coal black eyes; his face would then fade to a bright blue pile of crystalline dust on a plate.

Iris shook the nightmares from her mind and opened her eyes to the blackness of the mines. She ran her hand along the wall, noting there were fewer hand holds on this level. After multiple failed attempts to climb she sank back down onto the ledge again. A nightmare fueled sleep took her again until she awoke stiff and full of craving. The passage of time was elusive in the mines, but her constant nightmares helped her differentiate from wakefulness and sleep. Iris was thankful that she had yet to dream of climbing the walls of the mine. She fought to clear her mind of the thought that maybe she had been. She would never escape if she lost her mind. She clenched her fist digging her nails into her sore palms, the pain in her hands too real to be a dream.

The cables groaned and Iris lined up for rations. The miners kept to themselves; no one acknowledged her. The small amount of food and water did little to fuel her. But the soft glow of the lanterns and the silhouettes of the other miners helped strengthen her hold on her sanity.

Her hands were bleeding and swollen from climbing. Iris let a small amount of life source trickle into her hands to heal some of the deeper cuts. She returned to her climb; it took a few more attempts but she started making good progress. She must be nearing the ledge. The cables started to grate again; the noise was deafening next to her. Dreck. She hadn’t realized how close her path had taken her to the cable cars. Iris moved her hand out to the side searching for a hand hold out of the path. She couldn’t replace anything on either side. Iris pressed herself close to the wall. Hopefully if she remained still enough, she wouldn’t be seen. Why was a cable car already coming back down, it hadn’t been two days already? Iris closed her eyes against the light, the lights made her dizzy at first and it would be difficult to finish her climb.

There was the screeching sound of someone pulling the brake of the cable car.

“Iris?” Ezekiel’s voice bounced off the walls of the mine.

The sound of Ezekiel’s voice caused Iris’ body to tense, and she almost let go of the wall. Maybe she had begun to dream of climbing the walls. Iris took a shaky breath and remembered that her eyes were closed. She opened her eyes and waited for them to adjust. She looked over her shoulder to see that the cable car had stopped several feet below where she clung to the wall.

“Iris, what are you doing? Are you okay?” Ezekiel shouted up towards her. His worry echoed throughout the mines.

Iris’ mind caught up to the reality that Ezekiel was here. It was several seconds before she was able to speak. “Of course, I am not okay! What are you doing here?” Iris responded through gritted teeth. She felt as if she was yelling but her voice was barely a whisper.

“I came to rescue you. I made you a promise that you would never have to go back to the mines and I failed.”

Iris wanted to cry. After how she had left him, he had still come for her. Even though there was no way for him to know about all the information that she had stolen from the study, her involvement in Maddox’s escape was betrayal enough. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, it was difficult to comprehend that he was here for her.

“How did you know I was here?” her voice still a whisper.

“Iris, the way you are clinging to the wall is terrifying. Can you please climb down to the cable car? Once you aren’t at risk of falling to your death, I will explain.”

Iris climbed down until she was level with the car. Ezekiel was only able to open the door partially, it was enough for Iris to squeeze through. His soft fingers wrapped around her forearm, she let go of the wall and he pulled her into the cable car. Ezekiel drew her into him, holding her tightly. Iris responded wrapping her arms around him burying her face against his hard chest and the soft velvet jacket that covered it. His heart drummed madly against her cheek, but his nearness calmed her. She relished the feel of his strong arms bracing her against his body. He clung to her with a desperation that allowed her to forget her desire for more azure and everything that had happened. Iris breathed in the scent of him, the smell of oak and citrus faint through the dirty cloth tied over her mouth and nose, her body relaxed against his. He held her in his embrace until his wild heartbeat slowed.

Ezekiel’s body tensed and he grabbed Iris’ shoulders and set her apart from him. Iris pulled the cloth from her face. He looked down at Iris, his bright blue eyes were filled with sadness. The color of his eyes reminded her of azure. No, his eyes were a darker blue. Iris stepped back from him. Ezekiel clanged on the cables with a wooden cane and the cable car lurched into motion, moving upward. She was leaving the mines.

He stared at her a long time before speaking. “It was chaos when Maddox Hawthorne escaped from his hanging. The people rioted until sunrise the following morning. I didn’t discover your involvement until the following day when I couldn’t replace you. I still don’t know how you managed to escape the Palace.”

Iris held his stare. “It wasn’t in one of the carriages.”

Ezekiel shook his head and looked away from Iris. “Iris, I offered you everything.” His voice broke as he spoke.

Iris debated how much to tell him. “If you truly knew me you wouldn’t have.”

Ezekiel dropped his eyes to the ground. “Julian came to me and told me you had been sold to the mines. I came here as soon as I could. But it seems you would have eventually made your way out.”

Iris snorted. “Eventually… could have taken me years.” Iris’ thoughts were spinning, Ezekiel was getting her out of the mines and Julian had told him she was here. Why would Julian have taken that risk? “Julian?”

Ezekiel ran a hand through his hair. “I now know he is a spy for Volos. I don’t know why he is helping you, but he has arranged passage for you to Volos.” Ezekiel’s expression was one of hurt when he spoke of Julian.

“Ezekiel, Julian and I never shared anything like you and me. I barely know him.” Iris reached toward Ezekiel and placed her hand on the side of his face. In the dim light of the lanterns her dust coated hand was a shadow on his pale skin. He covered her hand with his, holding it in place.

“Iris, even after everything I would ask you to come back to the Palace with me. But I couldn’t bear you choosing to leave me again.” Iris could feel the truth in his statement.

Iris nodded. Maybe Ezekiel did know her. If she were to return to the Palace with him, she would eventually make the same choice. He dropped her hand. Iris scanned the cable car, registering that Ezekiel was alone.

“Brutus?”

Ezekiel’s jaw clenched and he turned from Iris. “Brutus is indisposed, after I convinced him to tell me which level to replace you on.”

Iris exhaled. “Good.”

They didn’t speak for the remainder of the ascent. When they reached the surface Iris tilted her head up to the moonlight and the starry night sky. Tears streamed down her face. She had survived. Her time in captivity with Lucious and her return to the mines would leave deep scars but she would survive. “I am strong.” she whispered.

Iris felt Ezekiel’s weighted stare and she lowered her gaze from the stars.

“Come, we don’t have much time.” His words were tainted with reluctance. Ezekiel led her across the dusty plane to the carriage. The groom remained seated, Ezekiel opened the door for her but didn’t offer her a hand. Ezekiel followed her in the carriage and seated himself across from her. The difference in the atmosphere between the last time they had left the mines together was stark. In both cases Iris had sat broken, desperately trying to pull the pieces of herself back together. The first time they had left the mines Ezekiel gave her space so as to not hurt her, this time he kept space to protect himself. They rode a short distance before stopping again. The quiet between them was vast.

“Julian will be here in a moment,” Ezekiel whispered, desperate to look at anything besides Iris.

“I wish I had met you in a different life,” Iris stated.

Ezekiel’s eyes snapped to Iris, blue pools of yearning. He inhaled sharply at the sound of approaching hoofbeats. Iris leaned forward. The touch of her lips on Ezekiel’s were feather soft. She pulled back from him. His jaw clenched with the effort of holding himself back from her.

“Thank you, Ezekiel, I am sorry for everything.”

Ezekiel remained frozen in place as if the slightest movement towards her would cause him to grab on to Iris, never letting her go. Iris felt another piece of her break.

She opened the door and stepped out of the carriage. She didn’t look back when she closed the door behind her. Julian’s face was unreadable as he sat atop Tempest; the horse pawed the ground in frustration. Julian dismounted. Without a word he picked up Iris and placed her on Tempest’s back. He seated himself behind her, so his thighs were on either side of hers, her body caged in by his arms when he took Tempest’ reins.

“You stink, Iris.” Julian’s voice was gruff as he kicked Tempest into a gallop.