AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The groan of a heavy door opening woke me from a half-in, half-out slumber. But it wasn’t my door. I moved closer to hear. The shuffle of boots on stone. The clatter of metal and a single word.
“Please,” she said. And I thought I recognized the voice, even muffled as it was through the walls, “What is it you want?”
No answer came for her, and I listened to the door shut, and the heart wrenching sounds of quiet sobbing.
It took me a moment, but it couldn’t have been anyone else. I knew that voice, I’d just never heard her so upset. Her words high-pitched. Cracking.
It was Aisling.
My skin iced over, and I had to bite back the immediate urge to call out to her. So she would know she wasn’t alone. But then a key turned in the lock on my door and it swung open, the ancient hinges squealing in protest.
So bright. It was so bright I winced, my eyes burning.
He tossed a tray to the ground at my feet, the clatter of steel against stone rang in my ears. I blinked enough to see a chunk of crusty bread and a handful of dark berries scattered over the floor.
“Verbane berries,” Valin said, “I heard you like the taste.”
I squinted through the rays of light from his lantern, at last finding his ugly face. I felt the fire in my core heat. It tried to build on itself, but even with the door open, the bindstone did its duty. I could do little more than produce a small flame on the palm of my hand before it winked out—the heat taken with it.
Valin’s eyes widened at the sight of the flame, and I reveled in what I thought was fear turning down the corners of his mouth. But then his gaze wandered to the shackle at my ankle and he smiled wickedly.
“So much power,” he jeered. Stooping down to my level, but still, just out of my chain’s reach. He leveled a heated stare at me, “The king will be pleased with my work. Thana was a great disappointment to him. But I won’t be.”
“What are you—”
I started, just the sound of Thana’s name enough to have me crumpling, but he tsked, speaking over me, “You see, fair Liana, I’ve brought him three mighty gifts to aid in his campaign. And when the king returns from amassing his forces, I’ll revel in watching the fall of thelastqueen of Night.”
The flames at my core rose again, mingling with the ice vying for dominion in my veins. “You’re a monster,” I shouted at him. “You’re just as mad asheis.”
Valin stood, “Stupid girl,” he said, “The only mad one here is you. And when the first snows fall, we’ll take back what belongs to him.”
And he closed the door, leaving me screaming every profanity I could conjure after his retreating back.
I waited until I could no longer hear the echo of his footfalls. And until I was able to calm my wild breathing and clear my adrenaline addled mind. Then I moved back to the door as close as I could. “Aisling,” I called through the slit between the wood and the floor.
“I knew it was you!” she called back, relief flooding each of her words, “But, if you’re here that means—”
She started, not having to finish her sentence. We both knew what it meant. By now someone had claimed my throne—likely my father as king regent.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, “How long have you been here?”
“I—well I’m not sure. Maybe three days. Valin—he put something in my drink. And then I—I couldn’t move,” she paused, and I held my breath, “But I couldfeeleverything,” she sobbed.
And the weight of what she implied settled in my stomach like a swallow of acid. My eyes pricked with tears for the horrors I couldn’t imagine she’d had to endure. All alone. Because I asked her to find out what Valin was hiding. Would she even be here if I hadn’t put her in that position?
“And then,” she continued, “I feinted. I don’t remember how I got here. Are—do you think they’re going to kill us?”
I hauled in a shaking breath, calming the tremble in my bones, “No,” I said, as calmly and as strongly as I possibly could. “We just have to be patient. Alaric—he’ll come for us. We will get out of here—gethome.”
We were silent after that, and I wondered if she knew I was lying.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Finn
Aisling hadn’t been within the walls of her quaint family home. Her mother was quick to ask when she’d left the palace and shout orders at her son to ready his sister’s room. I hadn’t had the heart to tell her Aisling wouldn’t be coming home. At least, not anytime soon. The news wasn’t a shock to me or to any others. But Kade and Tiernan hung their heads with guilt.
Alaric had sent them to make sure of the young healer’s safety. And they had failed.
