***
“Can’t say I saw that coming.” Gavin trudged behind me toward the royal prison. “I guess I should have led with jail instead of ditches. Will you slow down? My head is killing me.”
I picked up my pace, snarling at Gavin over my shoulder. The entrance to the prison was a little farther ahead, and I couldn’t get the image of Liana locked away in some dark cell out of my mind.
“Start thinking about which weapon you’d like me to use. My collection is vast, and I’m going to kill you with a piece of it for letting her end up in this place.”
“Now, Bowen, it isn’t totally my fault she’s in jail. That’s on her.”
I turned and grabbed him by the jacket collar. His feet scrambled for purchase on the slippery cobblestones. “It’s on you. Pick something sharp.”
“There’s a spear I’m partial to. It’s silver-tipped. Do I get a last meal?”
“No.” Shoving him aside, I continued my march toward the prison. A guard stationed at the entrance gave me a nod and unlocked a heavy iron door. I nearly gagged from the rotten smell permeating the narrow tunnels that led toward the cellblock. Another guard stopped us before we could travel any farther.
“State your name and purpose.”
“Bowen MacKenzie. I have release documents for Liana Archer.” I passed him a batch of signed papers. “Where is she? They informed me at the agency she’d be released immediately and moved to a more agreeable location.”
The guard shrugged and unhooked a giant key ring from his belt. “There’s an issue. She’s been difficult. We thought it was best to wait for you.”
Another man dressed in official garb stepped from the shadows. He chuckled and elbowed his partner in the ribs.
“Difficult? You should have seen it! I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t witness it with my own eyes. She carved those bastards up. It was three against one, but when we arrived on the scene, there was only one left standing.”
The first guard located the correct key, letting it hang in the air while he waited for the rest of the story.
“She caught a blow to the jaw and went down. I was about to use my whistle and intervene when she reared up and kicked the thug right in the groin. I swear, his eyes crossed and his face turned blue. Felt the pain myself just looking at him.” The officer shuddered from the memory.
Gavin whistled in appreciation. A red haze filled my vision.
“What happened next?” Gavin asked, leaning into the conversation.
“She stabbed him right in the shoulder, pinning him to the dirt while she yanked a crystal from his fist. It appears they stole it from her. We didn’t know it at the time. Honestly, it looked as if she were the aggressor, so we rounded them all up and tossed them in here.” The officer squinted in my direction, his eyebrows rising when he spotted my scars. “She asked for you. Wouldn’t let anyone else near her. Screeched like a banshee, but it’s quiet now. Been quiet for a long time.”
“Unlock the door,” I demanded, baring my teeth.
The guard fumbled the key into the lock, his gaze fixed on my fierce expression. Twisting the key, he pushed the door open and then handed me a different set.
“Last cell on the left.”
We plunged down the narrow corridor. Torches bounced shadows off the stone, but there was plenty of dark behind the iron bars of each cell. A pair of rats scurried out of our path as we traveled the length of the cellblock.
The last cell was as black as night. Gavin pulled a torch off the wall while I worked the lock.
“Liana, we’re here to get you out.” My voice sounded strange even to my ears.
She didn’t answer. There wasn’t any movement or sound, and the silence made everything worse.
When the door swung open, I slipped inside, going down on my knees in the dirt. Gavin held the torch high, lighting the cramped cell.
Liana had her back against the wall, knees pulled up to her chest. Her eyes were wide, almost catatonic, lips slightly trembling. A dark bruise marred her jaw, and blood dotted her clothes. She didn’t meet my gaze, and I wasn’t certain she knew I was there. I couldn’t believe this was the same woman who’d taken on three street thugs and won. But I knew she carried a secret—one too painful to reveal—that caused her to turn inward when faced with captivity.
My hands smoothed over her shoulders, and she flinched. “Liana? It’s Bowen. You’re safe now. We can take you home.”
She didn’t respond.
I searched for a way to break through to her. What did she need? My thumb traced her jawline, and I swallowed around the tightness in my throat. She wouldn’t want sympathy or pity. She would have made them think she was weak when she was the furthest thing from it.
