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If Kellyn is surprised by the new direction I’ve taken the argument, he doesn’t show it. “And?”
“Why did you do that?” He knows I broke things off. I didn’t say it outright, but heknowsthat I can never be with him because of my sister. The guilt of still wanting him is already more than I can bear.
“Lots of reasons,” he answers.
“Name them.”
“I wanted to. I didn’t think I’d see you again. I thought I might be imprisoned or killed once Ravis’s men caught me. I wantedsomething good to hold on to if they tried to torture me for information. I wanted the last moment I shared with you to be something sweet instead of an argument or a stiff silence.”
A stiff silence fills the space when he finishes talking.
He sits beside me on the filthy floor. “Why don’t you just tell me why you’re upset? Is it because I kissed you? I’m not sorry. Only sorry that you had to stick around to talk to me about it afterward. Are you still angry about what happened to Temra? I tried to fix it. I’m sure Serutha got to her in time. Or is there another reason, Ziva? Just tell me. Tell me what I need to apologize for this time.”
“You’re an idiot,” I say at last, not answering his question at all, because I can’t put what I’m feeling into words anymore.
“You want me to apologize for being an idiot?”
“I want you to stop talking. I’m furious right now, and I need to think!”
“You mean to break us out of jail? There are no torches within reach. I checked. And even if there were, that door is mostly made of wood. The walls consist of stone. If we get out of this room, it won’t be by your magic.”
I want to cry. I wipe at my eyes before I remember my hands are still covered in blood. Now it’s on my face, and I just want to be clean, and I don’t want to hurt people anymore.
Why can’t everyone just leave me in peace? Temra and I mind our own business. We didn’t ask for any of this. I wanted to make the world a safer place with my weapons. Temra wants to keep people safe as a soldier. If she’s dead—
I can’t think like that.
When the night grows colder and I start shivering, I don’t let Kellyn share his warmth. I don’t want it. I want to be miserable. It somehow makes me feel better inside.
I can’t fall asleep because I’m so cold. But Kellyn’s snores eventually fill the room.
My teeth begin to chatter. Still I don’t move. If I’m going to die in here, I’ll do it without losing my dignity.
I think I might have started to nod off when the door opens. A guard enters holding a ring of keys, and Kellyn bolts to his feet. They don’t need to use any force to get us from the cell or through a series of locked doors until we finally come up out of the dungeons, where there is still warmth in the world. Too much of it, in fact.
The palace is quiet. I don’t hear courtiers laughing or music playing. All is still, and that somehow makes everything worse.
We’re led into a large throne room, which is the only place in the castle I’ve seen so far with any sort of decoration. Ravis, the eldest of Petrik’s siblings, sits atop the mighty chair. A spearpoint juts out on either side of the back of the chair, the shafts leading down to the rear feet of the opulent piece. The armrests shape out into giant cat claws, along with the front feet.
The prince wears a loose scarlet surcoat. The sleeves reach past his wrists, and the hem brushes his ankles. His feet are in jewel-studded sandals, and each of his fingers is gripped by a sparkling ring. The crown on his head is massive, each spire coming to a deadly point. At the base of the six spires are six jewels: red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and purple in color.
He looks bored.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my healer?” the prince asks. He hasn’t even looked at us yet. He’s staring at the long dagger gripped in his right hand instead.
Neither Kellyn nor I answer.
“Skiro has taken her back, hasn’t he?” Ravis asks, undeterred by our silence. “Who would have thought he had the guts? Or themanpower. No matter.” Ravis flicks his wrist, spinning the long blade in a wide arc repeatedly. “I beheaded the last fools who attempted to steal Serutha from me. What should I do to the fools who succeeded?”
My voice is so far from me, I don’t think I could find it if I tried. I can barely breathe for the fear pounding through me with each beat of my heart.
“Send us to get her back for you,” Kellyn says.
A flare of panic washes over me at the words. Just what is Kellyn playing at?
Ravis begins laughing. He sits up straighter in his chair, finally looks down at us. “Why would I do that?”
“We’re mercenaries,” Kellyn says. “Your brother paid us to retrieve the healer. Offer us a bigger sum, and we’ll get her back for you.”
