Iย may never see him again.
Never see that smile that sneaks out when we are together. Never see that vest that hugs him tightly, just as I wish to right now. Never see that silver streak of hair I ๏ฌnd so comforting.
Never see if we trip into love together.
But, worst of all, I may never get to apologize for missing our date at the Fort.
It is cold in the dungeons.
I suppose thatโs to be expected. Not that I had planned on experiencing it 1rsthand anytime soon.
The damp wall pressed against my back has me wishing Iโd been wearing a sweater when the king summoned me. Or perhaps my cardigan with the lace trim. Though Iโd hate to wear it for the 1rst time to the dungeons, with no one but the occasional Imperial to admire my handiwork.
I shut my eyes against the lone, Rickering light beyond my bars and lean a throbbing temple against the stone wall. My stomach has been far chattier than anyone down here, growling with my growing hunger. I peek open an eye to stare at the stale bread tossed carelessly in the corner of my cell. After wincing at the mere thought of moving, Iโm viciously biting my tongue as I shift closer. The shackles clamped round my ankles have my eyes stinging, skin tearing like sheer fabric. Rusty metal has rubbed my skin raw, leaving angry red blisters beneath.
Taking a shaky breath, I reach for the bread.
I know what Iโll see. I even squeeze my eyes shut to prolong the inevitable, to pretend this is all a nightmare that Pae will wake me up from. Because she always did. She always found a way to 1ght oI fear, to be strong enough for the both of
us. I would feel the brush of her 1ngers against the uneven bangs I made her cut for me, and the soothing touch was enough to drag me from my dreams. And then we would sit with my head on her shoulder, staring at the stars until they melted into morning.
But this is not the Fort. And there are no stars in sight or shoulders to rest my pounding head on. I am very much awake and opening my eyes andโ
The sight of my 1ngers has me swallowing a sob. I wish they had bound my hands behind my back, if only so I couldnโt look at them.
Iโm not sure why they did it. Or, better yet, why Iโm down here in the 1rst place.
I screamed when they began breaking my 1ngers, pleaded despite the pain, begged them to spare the one thing I loved to live for. My 1ngers are my craft, my comfort, my connection to the past Iโve managed to survive.
And then I cried.
It was a silent sort of mourning at 1rst, tears slipping from behind squeezed eyelids. But my composure has never been anything to brag about. It wasnโt long before I was sobbing at the sound of my cracking bones and broken dreams.
Itโs only when my outstretched hand grows blurry that I realize Iโm crying. Again. It seems thatโs all lโve done since the king ordered me thrown in here. Why is that again? I still havenโt puzzled that one out quite yet. Although, I have been rather occupied.
Sni ing, I strain towards the bread, sucking in a breath when the chains round my ankles grow taut. The pain of it all is too much. Iโm not like Pae. Iโm not used to hurting so heavily. Iโm used to pricked 1ngers and sore hands, not an aching body and broken bones.
I huI and slump against the wall.
Itโs no big deal, really. Iโm used to being hungry. In fact, I donโt even want the stale bread.
My stomach protests. Very loudly.
Iโm about to remind it that weโve suIered longer without food, and to not be so dramatic, when the shadows begin speaking. How very odd.
โWould ya keep it down over there? Iโm tryinโ to sleep.โ
I startle at the gruI voice and squint into the cell beside me. โI-I didnโt say anything.โ My own voice is hoarse, scratchy like wool.
โYeah,โ the man grumbles, โwell, your stomach sure as hell has a lot to say.โ โYes,โ I sigh. โAll of me is quite chatty.โ My eyes trace the faint outline of a
1gure tucked into the corner connected to my cell, the corner closest to that dreadful bread. And he might just be able to reach it for me. โIโll tell you what,โ I begin cheerily. โIf you toss me that bread, my stomach will quiet down. So, weโll both get what we want. Iโll eat, youโll sleep.โ
He seems to 1nd this funny. Supposing, of course, that the noise coming from him is a laugh. โOh, yeah? And how dโyou know I wonโt just take the bread for myself?โ
โWell, are you in here for being a thief?โ โNo. Worse.โ
โThen Iโll take my chances,โ I say lightly. โSounds like you have no experience with thievery.โ
He makes that noise again, the one Iโm assuming is laughter. Then heโs shifting, sliding bony 1ngers between the bars in search of my bread. After managing to grab ahold of it, he tosses the loaf over to me with a gruI grunt. It rolls, coming to a stop when it collides with my leg.
I smile into the shadows. โSee, youโre no thief. Thank you.โ I falter at the sight of my 1ngers. Twisted and broken and useless.
The pain is paralyzing.
I place a palm atop the loaf, wincing at the pressure. After a moment, I muster up the courage to press the bread between both hands and attempt to lift it towards my mouth. Tears slip down my cheeks. But I take a bite. And another. Each one stale and salty with my tears.
โWhatcha do, kid?โ the voice asks, cutting through the sobs Iโm choking down along with the bread.
โIโฆโ A sni e. โIโm a seamstress. I-I used to be a seamstress.โ
The ghost of a smile lifts my lips. โLoot needs all the fashion help it can get. I had a whole little business. My best friend โ sheโs actually in the Trials, you know. Well โโ I frown โ โI guess you wouldnโt know if youโve been down here. Anyway, she would get me the fabric, and I would sew the clothes. Of course, I
always made sure she had 1rst call on anything I made. Oh, but I designed this vest for her with all these pockets, because, well, letโs just say she did have experience with thieveryโโ
โNo, kid.โ He sounds annoyed. โDamn, you sure do talk a lot, donโt ya? I meant, whatcha do to end up down here?โ
โOh. Um. Your guess is as good as mine,โ I say, struggling to swallow the tough bread between my teeth. โWell, I did try to steal something once. It didnโt end well. Pae is still shocked at how terrible a thief I am for being a Phaser.โ I attempt another bite at the loaf. โShe always says that if she could walk through walls, sheโd be unstoppable. And very rich.โ
โWhat, they just throw you in here for no reason?โ He snorts. โItโs not like youโre an Ordinary or somethinโ.โ
The thought of this being Paedynโs fate has my stomach turning.
โNo. No, Iโm de1nitely an Elite. Not that it will help me any in here.โ I glance at the stones surrounding the cells, feeling the Mute suppressing my powers so I canโt simply phase through these bars.
Something about him feels suddenly serious. โI wonder what theyโre gonna do to ya.โ
โWell โโ I lift my hands for him to see โ โthereโs not much worse they could do.โ
โYeah,โ he says gru y. โI heard that happen.โ
โSorry for keeping you up, then,โ I say halfheartedly. He chuckles at that, making me smile. โSoooo,โ I drag out the word, โwhat did you do to end up down here, hmm?โ
I can feel him watching me. โSomethinโ that earned me a spot in this dungeon. Unlike you.โ
โPeople can change,โ I say quietly. โNot me.โ
โI donโt know about that,โ I say cheerily. โHelping a stranger out is probably the 1rst step towards self-improvement.โ
I donโt know why, but it feels like heโs smiling. โWhatโs your name, kid?โ
โIโm Adena. But my friends โ well, friend โ call me A.โ He grunts in response. โWhatโs your name?โ
His tone is almost accusatory. โWhy you wanna know?โ
I shrug. โMaybe Iโm trying to make another friend.โ Iโm not sure why he laughs at that. โYou donโt wanna be friends with me, kid. They all end up dyinโ.โ
โWell, it sounds like youโre in need of some more, then.โ
Another rough chuckle. โYou make a good point, kid. Fine. Iโm Al.โ โAl?โ I repeat. โIs that short for something?โ
โWouldnโt know if it was.โ He coughs, nearly choking. โNever spoke to my parents. Just been on my own for as long as I can remember.โ
โHmm.โ Iโm quiet for a long moment, thinking brieRy of how I never knew my father. My silence seems to unsettle him into speaking.
โYeah, and I got no friends to give me a nickname.โ โWell โโ I grin in his direction โ โyou do now, A.โ โA?โ he questions. โIsnโt that your nickname, kid?โ
โFrom Pae, yes. From you, it sounds like youโve settled on โkidโ.โ
He laughs, the sound now making me smile. โYouโre somethinโ special, you know that, kid?โ
I toss the rest of the loaf in his direction, watching his hand hesitantly pick it up. โThank you, A. Iโโ
Heavy footsteps echo oI the dungeon walls, drowning out my words.
My cell door is swinging open before Iโm suddenly swallowed by a swarm of Imperials. Two of them are yanking me oI the ground, careless of my cracked 1ngers. I cry out, trying to shield my hands from them andโ
Now Iโm choking on something.
Theyโve gagged me with what feels to be cotton. My protests are mu ed as they drag me from the cell and into the hallway. Iโm frantic, eyes wide as they meet Alโs through the bars beside me. I can just make out his face now, crowded with wrinkles and covered with worry. He shakes his head at me, cowering in his corner.
All his friends end up dead. And Iโm starting to think Iโm not the exception.
He turns away from another doomed friend, growing blurry as my eyelids begin to Rutter.
And thenโ
And then, nothing.
Blackness and blinding pain are all I know.
