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“Good find that was,” he said happily, sitting down.
“I thought we were too deep below the castle surface for any natural light to reach us but thank Poseidon for the crack in that stone that allowed the light for moss to grow. Maybe if we pray, he will bring an earthquake upon this place and set us free,” I said.
“You worship Poseidon?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“From fisher stock then?” he asked.
“Yeah, what about you? What do you do back home?” I asked.
“Down the mines mostly. I’m part of clan Arbor; strong like a bear, but I got no beast. Lived in House Vouna territory all my life,” he told me.
“You know your way about up top?” I asked him. My joke about an earthquake made me think about escaping. It was a silly thought. How would I even get out of my cell? And what would I do if I made it out? I didn’t know the land. I’d be lost and quickly recaptured.
“Like the lines on the palm of my hand,” he answered.
“Do they ever open the doors?” I asked him.
“Now, don’t go catching the type of thoughts that’ll get you killed,” he warned.
“I don’t want to die,” I reassured him.
“In that case, they open the door once a day to throw in a slice of mouldy, stale bread. I’ve gone down a hole in my belt since I got here. I reckon they’re trying to starve me, keep me weak, or slowly kill me,” he said.
“When I came down here, I saw only one guard. Have you ever seen or heard more?” I asked.
He scratched his head, thinking. “Only when they’re switching over in the morning and night. What are you thinking? Got some magic way out of here?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Only thinking, for now,” I said. But my eyes travelled back to the cracked stone and tiny beam of light. The stone was old, and the damp - and most likely water runoff from the surrounding mountains had eaten away at it for a very long time. It wasn’t as strong as it once was.
21. A Second Language
Selene Borealis
Alone in my suite, I felt Percy’s absence like a physical weight pressing in on me from all directions. It was difficult to breathe. Only her scent, imbued in my bracelet, brought me the slightest relief.
If anything had happened to her…
If Valen had lain one hand on her…
I would make him beg for death.
A death he would not meet quickly.
Her loss aggrieved me. She was mine. The thought that another had her filled me with a rage I was unaccustomed to.
Yet it was more than anger, more than having a prized possession stolen. I hurt in an unfamiliar way. I was nauseous with worry for Percy’s safety and felt an unfathomable anxiety at the prospect of her permanent loss. Every time the thought flitted across my mind, I pushed it aside. I could not confront the possibility.
I had to have her returned to me. There was no other option. Whatever it took, Percy would be by my side again. And once I had her back, I would ensure that no other could ever take her from me.
The sound of hooves approaching the mansion drifted in through the window.
Did he hold such contempt for me, view me as meek, that he would have the idiocy, the arrogance to show his face? He should have spent the night running and hiding.
I made my way outside, startling his mare when I stopped in front of their path, the animal rising on her hind legs in fear.
“Selene, where did you run off to last night?” He asked, as he began to dismount.
