Page 39 of Keldori By Daybreak

“You know,” my cracking voice betrayed my nerves, “with everything happening that’s been happening.”

“‘With everything happening that’s been happening?’” Ciarán repeated in a mental hiss.

“Everyone believes in what you’re doing, if that’s what you mean,” the guard said.

“And what is it I’m doing?”

“Destroying the Frozen God and taking Keldori for the Second Sentinel, my Lord. We have long watched over Skalterra and kept it safe. It is time we did the same for Keldori.”

“Yes. Right.” Ferrin had at least given his people some version of the truth, then. The thought was less comforting than I’d hoped it would be. “Very good. You, um, you pass.”

The guard cocked an eyebrow at me over his round goggles, and I did my best to appear as self-assured as Ferrin always looked.

“The prisoner, as requested.” He stopped at the bars of the only occupied prison cell and stepped aside so I could better see Iseult where she curled against the far wall with her head against her knees.

The gloom of the cell made it difficult to discern her features, and I thought the green glow of the guard’s pike must’ve been playing tricks on my eyes because instead of Iseult’s long silver hair, I was looking at dark, twisted locks.

The prisoner raised their head to watch us, and green light cast shadows that highlighted the bruises and scrapes that marred the face of Tiernan Eldguard.

10. Persuasive Communication

Tiernan’s amber eyes glinted from the shadows that played across his dark face. His twisted hair locks hung loose, missing their usual gold ornaments. He’d been stripped of both armor and boots, left in a dirty tunic and trousers that were ripped at the knees, and his prison cell smelled of something I’d rather not name.

“Ferrin.” His voice was hoarse with disuse. “You finally come all this way to see me and choose to do it in the dead of night? Coward.”

“Where’s the girl?” Ciarán demanded in my head.

I didn’t have the wherewithal to answer. I was too busy trying to make sense of Tiernan, bruised and filthy, in the prison cell where I’d been expecting to find Iseult.

Fana had been right about him after all, because if Tiernan were imprisoned, he was definitely not aligned with Ferrin and Caitria.

“Open the door,” I demanded in Ferrin’s voice.

The prison keeper hesitated, looking between Tiernan and me, before stepping forward to insert a heavy, iron key into the lock. The metal door creaked as it swung outward.

Tiernan gripped at the air instinctually, as if to draw a Skal weapon, but he must’ve had no magick left in his system, because his hands remained empty. Weaponless, he shrank back against the stone wall.

“Tiernan,” I said, careful and slow. He clearly didn’t trust Ferrin, but I needed him to come with me without a fight. I’d reveal my real identity when we were a safe distance away. I just had to get him—

His eyes narrowed, and a half-cock smile chased away the fatigue that weighed on his bruised face.

“You’re not Ferrin,” he said.

And here I thought I’d been doing an okay job.

“You don’t—I mean—” I glanced at the guard and put on a show of imitating Ferrin’s laugh. “Of course I am!”

“I lived with Ferrin for two years.” Tiernan brushed a lock out of his face to better smirk at me. “You aren’t him.”

“Well, that’s—” I looked between Tiernan and the prison keeper, scrambling for a response, but Ciarán’s growled warnings sounding in my head made it difficult to concentrate long enough to find one. “Dammit, Tiernan.”

I lunged at the prison keeper. He raised his pike in defense, but I batted it away with a glowing flail of orange. His Skalweapon shattered, and I grabbed him in a headlock with my hand pressed over his mouth and nose.

“Thank you, Tiernan.” I grunted with the effort of containing the guard. “I definitely wanted you to announce I’m not Ferrin. That was absolutely part of my plan.”

“Wren?” Tiernan hissed incredulously.

“Obviously. Who else do you know that uses a flail?” I willed my Nightmare muscles to be stronger as the guard continued to struggle in my arms. “What am I supposed to do now?”