Page 49 of His Noble Ruin

“Yes, sir.” Cael smiled and bowed. “As do I.” He walked away without so much as a glance.

Desperation, fury, and blood rose in my throat. I sank to the filthy floor and shook silently, breathing in the rotten air. My stupidity had caught up to me, and whatever strength or pride I’d had was gone with my freedom.

I pushed the foul air out of my lungs, wishing I’d never have to breathe it in again, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Another breath came in, and another went out. In, out. In, out. I lacked the will to do anything but breathe, and even that was almost too painful. I was as powerless as the dead and just as alone. I tried to push the darkness away, but it settled on me instead, finding its way under my skin. It swirled inside my mind and heart, familiar, as if it had always belonged there.

A voice broke through my solitude. I lifted my head and leaned toward the bars. Across the aisle was a scrawny man with a shaggy beard and graying hair. He watched me with a friendly smile.

“Evenin’ lass.” He spoke in a humble style I hadn’t heard in too long.

I stared at him through the bars, unwilling to attempt the slightest sound.

“You’re not the usual type. Whatcha in for? Splittin’ an infinitive?” His wheezing laughter burst out so enthusiastically that I wasn’t sure we were experiencing the same reality.

I shivered in the chill of the dank prison and tightened my arms around my knees. The rows of bars and moldy stones separating the cells seemed to close in on me in the dim torchlight.

“Eh, it ain’t so bad,” the man said. “The company’s better than what they got above ground.”

If I didn’t have spikes in my mouth, I might’ve cared.

“The name’s Aldric. Most folks call me Al. Don’t you worry. I’m used to bein’ the talker. Even when the other guys don’t have branks, plenty of ‘em’s scared into silence.” Al licked his chapped lips and went on. “That’s a whole ‘nother perk ‘bout down here. You can talk how you damn well please!” His laugh echoed on the stone and bars. “Once you get yer branks off, anyhow. Is this your first time wearin’ that trap?”

I nodded.

“The first time’s the worst. Come to think of it, every time’s the worst. I’m dyin’ to know what you did.” He tilted his head and winked. “Wanna hear what I did?”

I shrugged.

“I take it that’s a yes.” Al’s beard lifted around his mouth and his eyes sparkled. “I was caught with a woman and she weren’t my wife, if ya know what I mean.” He ended his sentence with another wink. “‘Course, that’s just this time. I been here before, I’ll get free again. Hell, I’ll likely be here a dozen times before I’m dead.”

I was glad I didn’t have to respond. Even if I could have, I wasn’t in the mood to add my noise to the world. Vanishing from it would’ve been preferable.

“Sometimes I wish they’d kick me outta this city,” said Al, “but I s’pose my crimes aren’t enough to get me banished. Yet. No outright rebellion, anyhow.”

Mine were. There was only one punishment harsher than banishment, and if they found out who I was and what I’d been plotting, I’d earned it.

I pointed at myself and nodded.

“Nah, you?” He wheezed out another laugh. “You don’t look the rebel type.”

I nodded again.

“Can’t wait to hear about what you did then. I hope it was good.”

I shook my head.

“No? Not even a tiny bit good?”

One thumb down.

“Just plain stupid?”

Two thumbs up.

“That’s okay. We’re all stupid!” He tapped his head. “But the stupidest ones think they’re smarter ‘n the rest of us, so you’re doin’ all right.”

I tried to keep the corners of my mouth from lifting, but I couldn’t stop them in time. The spikes drew blood and I let out a pathetic whimper.

“Sorry. Smiling’s no good. I shoulda warned ya.”

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