AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ivy
It had barely been a day, but Ivy felt as if she had languished in the cell for weeks, if not months. Castor had made good on his promise… he had sent his stewards down to see to her every comfort. The hard stone floor of her cell was covered in furs, and a brazier was set in the corner and kept burning to ward off most of the chill. A feather mattress was laid on the bunk, and everything Castor thought she could possibly want was brought in. She did not lack for anything.
Except freedom.
Ivy sat on her bed with her back against the wall, and her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the bars on the door to her cell. If she were able to shoot fire from her eyes, those bars would have been melted the moment Castor shut her in there. All she could do was hope that Mira had gotten through and had gotten her message to Fin. If he knew Castor was keeping her hostage, he would come for her. She knew he would.
The scuff of bootsteps on the stone alerted her that somebody was coming, and she sat up. Castor came into view, balancing a tray on one hand. With the other, he slid the bolt on the door back then pulled it open, the hinges on it squealing sharply. Her brother walked in to set the tray in his hand down on the table against the far wall. Ivy glanced at the cell door, wondering how quickly she could get to it. If she could beat Castor there, she could lock him in and end this whole sordid affair.
“Trust me, Sister, I am faster than you,” Castor said. “You will not make it before I catch you.”
Ivy turned her eyes to him, and he was looking over his shoulder at her, a sly grin on his face. She glowered at him as she slumped back against the hard wall as Castor finished laying out the food and drink he’d brought her. When he was done, he turned and waved at it with a flourish.
“Your evening meal, dear Sister.”
“I fear that I do not have much of an appetite,” she spat. “Confinement and torture has that effect on me.”
He chuckled low, a threatening sound. “What do you know of torture?”
“Father used to use confinement to break men.”
He nodded, conceding the point. “That is fair. But unlike Father, I am not breaking your fingers or slicing little bits off of you in order to break you,” he said amiably. “As far as your confinement goes, I have already told you why that is an unfortunate necessity.”
“Yes, your greed has made it necessary to lock me up like a wild animal.”
“Your lack of gratitude is appalling, Sister,” he replied. “I have secured you a match far above your station--”
“A match that benefits you, more than me.”
Castor gave her a small shrug. “Be that as it may, Baron Weedler is still above your station,” he said. “You will be well provided for.”
“I will also likely be well and thoroughly beaten. Regularly.”
“Do not give him a reason to beat you, and you will be fine.”
His voice was cold, and his eyes were hard. And his words send a cold chill sweeping through her. Ivy was appalled that her own brother would say such a thing to her. As if having her own mind and speaking her own beliefs warranted the sort of savage beating for which Baron Weedler was well known.
“As cruel as that man is, I believe it is you who are far crueler,” she hissed.
“Perhaps,” Castor offered. “But I am merely a man trying to balance the scales in my life and improve my position. I do not believe ambition is something to be feared. Or shunned.”
“But when that ambition drives you to murder innocent people-”
“The Duke is hardly innocent,” Castor roared. “Or have you already forgotten what he did to Mother?”
“I know what Mother did to herself,” she replied evenly. “She took her own life.”
Castor waved her off. “As I said before, it might as well have been the Duke who took her life,” he growled. “Were it not for the affair….”
“Which, if it truly happened, she took part in of her own accord, Castor,” she interrupted him.
“Of course, it happened,” he snapped.
“Then Mother was not blameless in the scandal,” she spat. “I believe you are overlooking that fact.”
“Enough,” Castor hissed. “This is not your decision to make. This is mine, and I will not allow you to slander our mother.”
