Desara grabbed Luella’s elbow—of her good arm, blessedly—then tugged her back to the stone table and forced her to lie down.
Luella’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, her heart kicking back up. Each thud was a wet, bloodied beating of her determination.
When Caliban returned, she could only stare at the ceiling. She didn’t move her head to look at him.
"She appears better. Is she able to speak now, or will my throne room have more decorations?"
"Yes, Master." Desara’s scratchy voice filled the room.
Caliban’s face appeared above Luella. His shadowed green eyes peered down at her, pinning her to the stone table. "Speak." He commanded her like she were a canine.
Soft shuffling filled the room. If she did not speak, what would happen to Desara and Floris?
She could sacrifice herself. But not anyone else.
Obey, obey—the words beat against her, in tune with her heart. She could almost hear Vale now.Keep your head down, darling. Do what he wants.
Give him just enough to keep him satisfied, but not enough to give away the pieces of yourself. Don’t break, Tharen would say.
Or maybe not. Maybe that was her latching on to whatever serenity and comfort she could think of. Maybe Tharen wouldn’t care that she was taken. Maybe he liked her gone.
Maybe Vale was glad she was out of sight, so his dragon no longer forced him to care for her.
Even still, Luella could not risk the healers.
"I will speak. Not for y-you, though," Luella forced out quietly.
Caliban’s eyes filled with a more pressing darkness. "Smart, but in time, your allegiance will shift. You will begin to do things to please me and no longer care foranyoneelse." He sounded certain of this.
She grew quiet. She had given him what he wanted. He would get no more.
"I do not wish for you to crawl, but I will make you if you cannot walk well enough."
He pulled back. She didn’t move.
"Don’t test me," he said harshly.
Luella slowly sat up, stilling when her body protested.
She threw her legs over the side of the stone table, the hem of her rough shift rising up her thighs indecently. His eyes dropped to her legs as her feet touched the stone floor. Hunger flashed in his eyes, but it felt… odd. As if he were not starving for her flesh, but for what was contained within her flesh—her magic.
She wouldnevergive it to him.
That was even if she was able to control it. She could not. And she was understanding what a blessing that was. For it to remain locked away.
She placed her full weight on her feet, wincing as her ankle throbbed, pain shooting up her leg.
Caliban walked back, eyes on her. "Come."
She gritted her jaw, her right arm cradled to her chest. Her fingers were curled inward to her palm; she could scarcely move them.
She walked to him. Each step felt like she was betraying herself.
"Good." Shadows flickered in his eyes. He turned his sights on the healers. "You won’t die today."
They both breathed a visible sigh of relief, but Luella saw the conflicted look in Desara’s eyes. She caught Luella staring and looked away, but not before Luella saw the slight shake of her head.
Sometimes, it was a mercy to die.
