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I didn’t see Lorian at all for the next two days. The queen insisted on taking her meals in her chambers, and I was still staying quiet in an attempt to learn everything I could.
I became very good at slipping around the castle unseen. I’d learned just
why the servants’ halls were so important. Not only did they allow them to be mostly unseen…
But they also allowed them to spy.
Tiny holes had been carved into various parts of the hall. Small enough that most wouldn’t notice. No one mentioned it, but I’d spotted a maid leaning against a door just yesterday. She’d cast me an unconcerned look when I strolled past.
Each night, we visited Asinia. And each night, she looked worse. Tonight, the dungeon seemed even colder than it had been. I was sitting next to Asinia, who was still mostly unconscious. Tibris’s expression was grim.
“What is it?”
The corners of his eyes tightened. “She needs medicine. I can keep healing the worst of it, but each time I go back, she’s just as bad. If we don’t
get her help, she’ll be dead within days.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. I’d already let one person die. The thought of Wila’s screams would haunt me for the rest of my life. Pushing Asinia’s hair off her head, I leaned down.
“I won’t let that happen,” I whispered in her ear. “I promise.”
In the cage next to us, Demos watched quietly. Since we’d been bringing him food and he was no longer eating the slop contaminated with fae iron, he seemed more alert. Tibris had been slowly healing his wound each night.
“There must be healers in this castle,” I said. “For the king. Tell me what you need, and I’ll find it.”
Tibris described a blue liquid that would likely be in a small jar. It would help Asinia fight off the sickness and allow her body to rest and recover.
“I’ll find it.” I no longer cared what I would need to do to get what we needed. This was war. And so far, we were losing.
“I need to work on her some more,” Tibris murmured. He was already ashen, but I nodded, stepping out of the cage.
I drifted from cage to cage, taking in the slumped forms in each. Most of the prisoners could do little more than blink at me. But there were some who hadn’t been here as long. While they were weakened, they could still communicate. And they told me their stories in voices hoarse from disuse.
Many of the tales were similar, and yet all were heartbreaking.
A man named Dashiel told me of the day his brother Thayer had used his magic.
The power of nightmares.
At just eleven winters, Thayer had been suppressing his power his whole life. But when the king’s assessor appeared in the village with no warning, Thayer had erupted.
Half of the village had turned crazed.
The assessor had been traveling with a shield-guard, who’d raised a magical buffer around him.
“He didn’t mean to do it,” Dashiel said, his eyes wet as he slumped against the bars of his cage. “He was just scared. I should have taught him. But I was terrified someone would learn of what we were doing. Instead, I got him killed.”
My own eyes burned at the hopelessness on his face. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Dashiel just shook his head and continued talking in that low, grief- stricken voice. Like most of us hybrids, Thayer had been actively fighting his power. So he didn’t know how to tamp down his power once he started using it. Half of his village was turned into little more than ghosts, unable to work.
“When…when he saw what he had done to our family, our friends… I couldn’t get to him. I couldn’t get to my brother. He took the knife on his belt and slit his own throat.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I crouched in front of his cell. “We’re going to make them pay.”
Dashiel’s breath hitched, his pale blue eyes finding mine. “It was a better end for him than any he would have had at the king’s hand. Sabium doesn’t just burn those of us with the most helpful powers, you know. Some of us, he puts to work.”
I shivered at the thought of being used to hunt the king’s enemies.
“He used Thayer as an example of what happened to villages that hid the corrupt. His guards went from village to village, town to town, with the story of how Thayer had turned half of his village mad. But they made it sound like he meant to do it. Like my gentle brother lashed out because he could.”
“The king’s assessor who came to your village… Did he have a scar on the side of his neck?”
Dashiel nodded. “You know him?” “He’s here at the castle now.”
Dashiel went still, and some of the life returned to those pale eyes. Life and vengeance. “I want him dead.”
“Then stop eating the food they give you. I’ll try to bring more down in the next day or two.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “I do this, and you’ll help me kill the assessor?”
“I will.” I’d already planned to kill him anyway. If this was what Dashiel needed…
He let out a long breath. “Very well.”
I’d figured out which cell Lina was in by process of elimination. I made to scuttle past her, and she let out a low laugh.
“I know it’s you, Prisca.”
I turned. Unsurprisingly, she looked terrible. Her blond hair was dark with dirt, hanging limp in front of her face, which was covered in bruises.
“It’s okay,” Lina said. “I won’t say anything. I know you’re here for Asinia.”
And no one had come for her.
Her lower lip trembled, but she bit down on it. “I’m sorry about your grandparents.”
“Thank you. The worst part is…they didn’t know. Or I think they would have tried to get me out. But I didn’t know either. I thought I was just a lucky person. I thought the gods were smiling down at me. That I was blessed.” She let out a hollow laugh.
“I’m getting you out.”
A flash of hope sparked in her eyes, quickly suppressed. “You’ll never be able to do it. If you’re smart, you’ll take Asinia and run far from this kingdom.”
“Stop eating the food. And start exercising as much as you can.” She stared at me.
I crouched down and leaned close. “I know you don’t want to hope. But if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your grandparents.”
She let out a long breath, but her mouth had firmed. “Get me out of here, Pris. And I’ll owe you my life.”
“You won’t owe me anything.”
I spent the next hour searching for the tunnel entrance. But that search was futile. We had to be careful how long we spent down here, and when Tibris finally insisted we leave, I allowed him to take my arm.
Walking past Wila’s empty cell felt like being stabbed in the chest. I stalked past the frozen guards, holding the thread of my magic without a thought. I barely restrained myself from slitting their throats as Tibris tucked the keys back into the older guard’s belt.
“Are you okay?” Tibris murmured when we were back in the servants’ hall.
“No. But I will be.” I reached out and hugged him. Wila’s face flashed through my mind, the sorrow and rage as she’d talked about her brother. And I squeezed Tibris a little tighter. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
By the time I made it the hall outside my chambers, I was more than ready to crawl under my covers.
“And just what are you up to?” a low voice purred. I whirled, finding Lorian leaning against a wall. “What are you doing here?”
He gave me a slow, feline grin. It was as if this morning had never happened. Good. Shockingly, I didn’t enjoy being reminded that I’d sobbed in his arms.
“All this sneaking around the castle. Have you found a way to get your friend out yet?”
My heart twisted. “No.”
The smile left his face. “What’s wrong?”
I stared at him in disbelief. Everything was wrong. A good woman had just been put to death because of my stupid plan. Asinia was imprisoned because I’d been caught using my power. Both of our mothers were dead.
He leveled me with a hard stare. “Prisca. What’s wrong with your friend?”
I ground my teeth. Lorian had always seen more than I’d wanted.
“Asinia is sick. Tibris is healing her each night, but he’s barely keeping her alive. She needs medicine.” The servants gossiped enough that it wouldn’t be difficult to find where that medicine was kept.
“And I expect you’re planning to steal it from the king’s healers.” I narrowed my eyes at him and stayed silent.
“The king’s healers have underlings who keep count of all of their supplies.” Lorian’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “If you do this thing, the castle will be searched. Guards will be alerted, and it will be even more difficult for you to get your friend out.”
“And I suppose you have an alternative?” The bastard was always ready for a bargain. Except when it mattered. Wila’s face flashed in front of my eyes, and I took a step back.
Lorian merely followed me until, once again, my back was against the wall.
“I have the ability to source this medicine,” he said, and my heart rate tripled.
“And I suppose you want me to do something for you in return.” The fact was, I’d do anything at this point—something I was sure Lorian knew.
His body practically radiated heat, and I’d been cold for days.
No, Prisca.
“I have many capabilities. Stopping time is not one of them. That makes you infinitely valuable to me.”
I ignored the warmth that spread in my chest at his words. He was literally talking about using me as a tool to get what he wanted.
That was fine. I could use him too. “Just say it,” I snapped.
“The king has a hidden room. The door is in his chambers. I need to get inside and find the entrance.” I didn’t bother asking just how he knew about the hidden room. It didn’t surprise me at all that he’d already learned of such a thing.
“When?” I asked. “Now.”
I licked my lips. “I’ve been using my power all night.”
Lorian’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and he shrugged one shoulder. As usual, he was unconcerned about my perceived limitations.
“As I’ve told you, you’re much more powerful than you think. This will be a good training session for you.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall.
I dragged my feet. If this went wrong, Asinia was dead. I couldn’t afford any missteps. “What guarantee do I have that you’ll help Asinia?”
He cast me an affronted look over his shoulder. “You believe I would lie?”
I waved a hand, taking in his princely wardrobe. His eyes lit with amusement, and he turned, placing his hands on his hips.
“I vow it,” he said solemnly. “I will have the medicine for you by midnight tomorrow.”
We stared at each other. Footsteps sounded on the stone. “I suggest you use your power,” Lorian said.
I hoped he was right about how much I had left. I pulled the thread to me, my skin heating as I froze everyone except us.
“Good,” he murmured. “Now, move.”
We ran. Well, Lorian sprinted, dragging me along with him. Within minutes, we were standing outside the king’s chambers, the guards frozen in front of us. I attempted to swallow, but my throat wasn’t working properly. My breath was coming too fast, and I couldn’t seem to slow it.
“What if the king is in there?”
“He’s not. I made sure of it. But I suggest you take a firm grasp on your power.”
I glowered at him, but he was already pushing the door open and hauling me inside with him.
Thankfully, no one was inside the huge entry area. The room had been decorated in maroon and gold. The king was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the room was a blur, my eyes darting too quickly for me to take in the details.
“Which way?” I whispered. “In the next room.”
I followed him into a lavish sitting room, also dripping gold. “Hold tight to your power,” he said.
“I am.” Tight enough that my head was beginning to ache.
Lorian was searching the walls for the entrance to the chamber, running his hand along each smooth surface, his eyes intent. I scanned the room for anything out of place.
One wall contained shelves that held ancient-looking weapons, scrolls, even a jeweled crown, which looked to have been tossed absently onto a shelf.
Just a few of those jewels could feed my village for months. I took a step closer, peering at it.
“You help me find what I’m looking for, and I’ll give you jewels of your very own,” Lorian said, starting on the next wall.
I surveyed the shelves. They weren’t completely flush against the wall.
One side jutted out slightly, drawing my attention.
I squinted into the gap.
“Those jewels better be big,” I muttered. “Because I’ve found it.”
Lorian’s hard body was caging mine before I finished my sentence. I went still, but he merely shifted me aside, then leaned against the shelves. Blood dripped from my nose, and I wiped at it. Panic returned with a vengeance. If my power slipped in front of a guard, we were both dead.
“I’m almost out.”
He sent me an unconcerned look. “No, you’re not. Work harder.”
He was facing the wall. I could pick up that decorative knife and stab him straight in the back.
“An attack from behind isn’t your style, wildcat,” Lorian murmured, still pushing the shelves aside.
“You know nothing about me.”
He just snorted at that, stepping back to survey the door. With a glance at me, he tore the bottom of his shirt, handing the material to me. “Let’s go.”
“If someone walks into this room, they’ll know we’re in here.” I could picture it. The guards drawing their weapons and either killing us immediately or hauling us down to the dungeon. They’d torture us down there. They’d need to know just how we’d gotten this close to the king. Iron would be shoved into my body, and they’d likely execute me the next day— just like Wila.
“Then you better ensure no one walks in here.” Bastard. Smug, glib bastard.
He was already grabbing my hand and pulling me after him. “I can wait here,” I insisted, pressing his shirt to my nose to stanch the bleeding. Now I was breathing in his wild scent. For some inexplicable reason, my heart rate slowed and I could take a full breath. I scowled.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
Grinding my teeth, I stepped into the space. The stone was clean and dry, although the air smelled stale.
It wasn’t a room. Lorian was walking down a set of stairs. The walls were so narrow, if I held out my arms, I couldn’t straighten them. My breath came faster. The walls seemed to press in on me, the roof inches from my head. My power slipped, and I caught it once more, a metallic taste flooding my mouth.
“I’m not doing this.” “Oh yes, you are.”
“I, uh, don’t do well in small spaces.” “It will be over soon.”
“Did no one ever teach you empathy?”
He chuckled. “Empathy is useless in this world. Besides, my empathy
won’t make you strong.”
Was that why he was like this with me? Because he wanted to make me strong?
My heart was already galloping in my chest. I stumbled on a step, hitting Lorian in the back, and he sent me an exasperated look over his shoulder.
“Almost there.”
He was right. The stairs expanded, and so did my lungs as I could finally take a full breath. We were in a tunnel. Torches were positioned every few foot-spans, and while it was still far too narrow, I focused on holding time. This was much longer than I’d ever attempted to hold it, and blood dripped freely from my nose. The scrap of Lorian’s shirt was soaked.
“Ah,” he murmured, satisfaction dripping from his voice. The tunnel ended. I looked up. And up.
The stairs suddenly made sense. The cavern was expansive, the ceiling so high it loomed above our heads.
Marble pillars stood several foot-spans apart, encircling the room like silent sentries. But my gaze snagged on the middle of the huge space, where an altar was surrounded by tall, unlit candles.
And on the altar? Basket after basket of oceartus stones. Not one of them was glowing. Empty.
Lorian prowled across the cavern, headed for a collection of wooden chests.
I gazed around the cavern. Surrounding the pillars, walls of bookshelves were stuffed with thousands of books. I wandered closer, intrigued despite myself.
Hunting the Fae. The Human’s Guide to Fae Magic. The Fae Wars.
Gods: A Complete History.
My fingers tingled at the thought of having access to these books. Oh, the things I could learn. Maybe I’d discover some way out for us hybrids. Perhaps one day, I could even have that future I’d always dreamed of.
A quiet life. A life without killing.
Small dots appeared in front of my eyes. Pain erupted inside me, as if I were being ripped in two.
The world had gone white, and then the white turned dark once more.
My grip on the thread of my power was slipping, slipping… I dropped the thread and leaned over, almost vomiting.
Oh gods. We were dead.
Lorian turned. Somehow, he knew, and he opened his mouth—likely for some cutting remark that would, in his mind, motivate me to do better.
Scuffing on the stairs. Footsteps.
My lungs forgot how to breathe.
Lorian moved faster than I’d ever seen. He leaped across the cavern and pulled me behind the closest pillar, his eyes glittering with banked fury.
My heart thundered, and I trembled. Behind me, Lorian was so still it was as if he’d stopped breathing.
The High Priestess stepped into the cavern. She didn’t bother glancing around, her gaze on the blue stones. My eyes met Lorian’s, and he gave me a warning look.
I peered around the pillar, just in time to see the High Priestess pluck one of the stones and shove it into the pocket of her robe.
She glanced around the cavern and then whirled, striding toward the stairs.
Relief crashed through me, my knees turning to water. If not for Lorian pressing me against the pillar, I would have slumped to the floor.
Neither of us moved for several long moments. Finally, Lorian let me go.
I swallowed. “What do we do?”
“We don’t need to do anything. Except you. You need to—”
“Work harder. I know. But why wouldn’t we need to do something?” My voice was very small. “Should we…kill her?” She would have seen the door cracked so we could get back out. Unless she was an idiot, she either knew someone had been here or knew she was being watched.
Lorian’s eyes gleamed in amusement. “My, how things change. Just weeks away from your village, and you’re already turning into a little savage.”
I stared at him. He turned and strolled away, back toward the chests he’d been inspecting.
“She must have noticed we’d unblocked the entrance,” I said, reaching for patience.
Lorian just shrugged. “She was clearly busy with her own sordid deeds. What do you think she’ll do? Tell the king she noticed the door was ajar when she snuck down here to steal from him?”
He had a point. But… “You’re not worried?”
He glowered over his shoulder at me, obviously tired of my inane questions.
“Of course I’m worried. If it had been a guard—or worse, Sabium himself—the entire castle would have been searched. Likely, truth-seekers and assessors would have been involved. Let this be a warning. Distractions
will get you killed.” He studied my face, and I saw curiosity in his eyes. A curious Lorian had never boded well for me. “Just what were you thinking about enough that you dropped the thread?”
My face flamed. If I told him I was imagining a future back in my village, he’d likely snarl at me.
“Nothing. I’m tired, that’s all.”
He just shook his head at my obvious lie. “You have a few minutes to rest. The priestess wouldn’t have sauntered down here if there were a chance of discovery.”
I turned my attention to the empty oceartus stones, my own curiosity like an itch I couldn’t scratch. “Why do you think she took the stone?”
He shrugged absently, throwing open another chest. “We’re not the only ones in this castle with plans of our own.”
I let him work, wandering toward the stones. Not long ago, I’d daydreamed about having one for myself. I’d thought if I could just drain my magic until the Gifting, everything would be fine.
The worst part? I still had to actively prevent myself from darting forward and swiping one of those stones. Even knowing I needed my power to survive, I wanted to listen to the little voice inside me that said if I could just be normal, everything would go back to the way it was.
I turned away, disgusted with myself.
Something caught my eye, and I took a step closer to the marble pillar. The carvings weren’t just decorative. They showed strange creatures I’d never seen before. Creatures with wings and claws, tentacles and talons. Furred beasts that stood on two legs and tiny men with misshapen faces.
“What are these?”
“Did you truly think we were the only creatures on this continent?” “Well, yes.”
Silence. I turned.
Lorian had finished his search. And from his empty hands and emptier eyes, he hadn’t found what he was looking for.
The mercenary practically vibrated with rage as he stared at the chests
—in fact, I’d never seen him this angry before. While he was a master of hiding his expressions from me, I’d gotten used to studying his face while I attempted to figure out what he was thinking. And if I wasn’t wrong, buried beneath the rage was…desolation.
For some stupid reason, I hated the thought of this man feeling despair. “Do you want to tell me what you’re looking for? Maybe I can help you find it.”
Lorian slowly lifted his head, his gaze pinning me in place. He showed me his teeth, taking a single step closer. Cold fury poured off him in waves.
I froze, and my mind flashed me back to Kreilor in the bakery, trapping me with his bulk and his threats. To the hunter, approaching me slowly, ready to cut me down.
Lorian wasn’t either of those men. But my fear had already slithered through every muscle of my body, settled in my chest, tightened my throat.
I took a deep breath. If Lorian’s search wasn’t successful, at least we could leave this place.
I forced my expression to remain blank as I pulled on the thread of my magic, stalking out of the cavern and up the stairs. Lorian shadowed my every step, his rage palpable, consuming the air in the already cramped space. My breaths grew shallow as the walls seemed to close in with each step.
Trust him to make this even worse.
Halfway up, I tightened that thread, focusing on the brute trailing behind me.
He froze. Now that I knew he couldn’t scold me for my fear, I hurried up the remaining stairs. Once at the top, I allowed time to resume for him. My head pounded, and it took all my strength not to vomit.
Lorian let out a low hiss that made me want to slam the door and barricade it with the bookcase. In moments, he was behind me, pushing me through the open door.
“You dare use your powers on me without permission?” he crooned.
I shivered at his tone and the strange angle of his head. Something told me I was closer to death than ever before, even in the river.
Whatever Lorian had been searching for, he expected to find it in the king’s hidden rooms. Not finding it had pushed him over the edge. I had wanted to see beyond the expressionless mask he often wore.
Now I was. And it was terrifying. But I refused to be cowed by him.
Leaning close, I gave him a nasty little smile. “I suggest you get yourself back to your room yourself, impostor prince.”
“Don’t you dare—”
I froze time for him once more. Then I sprinted past the guards and down the hall, back toward the servants’ quarters, my nose dripping blood.
I didn’t have long. My power seemed to be tied to my fury, and while I was angry, it was hurt that bubbled beneath that anger.
Thankfully, the fact that I even felt hurt was so distasteful, I managed to get back to my room before time resumed once more.
I pictured Lorian attempting to move the bookcase back into place without drawing the attention of the guards. A hint of regret slid through me, and I ruthlessly shoved it away.
I fell asleep with a frown on my face and vengeance in my heart.
