AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“He’d be a fool to risk himself or his court for me,” I whisper.
“Perhaps.”
I scream and lurch backward as a shadowed figure detaches from the wall and stalks into the puddle of torchlight outside my cell. My racing heart doesn’t slow as I recognize Katiya’s brother, that nasty sword still strapped to his side, if anything, it intensifies. His clothing has changed. Dark armor hugs his form, accenting the power of his build. Give him a hood, and he could be my executioner come to finish what he started the day before.
“But I still expected him to,” he says, completely nonplussed by my reaction.
I scoot back further, my back coming against the rough stone wall. Somehow, the prick of stone through my clothes centers me. His words spark a traitorous bit of hope.
“Then he’s…” I dare not say it.
“Alive?” He kneels before the cell bars. “I suspect as much.”
Alive, he’s alive!Relief shivers under my skin, all hot and cold at once. The worst of my imaginings did not come to pass.
“Curious that he wouldn’t come after his marked human.” His gaze narrows. “Did you plot this?”
“What?” I squeak. “How could I possibly plot my own abduction?”
“Hmm.” He continues to stare me down, arms braced on his thighs where he balances on the balls of his feet. “And yet my sister reports that you are the first human he’s marked, that we are aware of.”
Somehow, despite the situation, this comment still brings a blush to my cheeks. After all, it isn’t every day that your enemy discusses your sex life like a host on a gossip show.
“I guess I’m not that important and you can just send me back.”
“I think not.”
“Back to my world?” It’s a foolish hope, but I have to try. “You said you don’t like humans getting hurt, right? And I’m no use to you here.”
He tilts his head, brows scrunching. His eyes widen as if he’s finally realized something. “Human lies,” he grumbles. “You are quite useful yet.”
Dang it.
I need a tactic change, especially before he decides to just walk away and toss out the key, leaving me in this blasted cell forever.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“My name?” He adjusts his stance and sits cross legged on the floor like he might stay a while.
Good thinking, Wren. Good progress.
“Yes. You’re holding me captive, and you stole my blood. I think it’s only fair you give me your name. I know your sister’s, after all.”
He lets out a soft grunt in response and glances away. A tingling fear that I’ve lost him courses through my chest before he glances back at me.
“Speaking of blood, perhaps you’ll explain something to me.” He grips the hilt of his sword and manages to pull it free, laying the now clean blade across his lap. There’s enough space from the bars to my wall that he can’t stab me without coming in here, I don’t think, but the act makes me uneasy all the same. “Why didn’t your blood work?”
“Excuse me?” I say before I can think better of it.
“The blood of a marked human should grant power back to the sword. Your blood did not work.”
“That’s not my fault.” I cross my arms and stare him down. “Maybe you read your instructions wrong.”
He raises one brow, a calculating glint in his eye, and for a horrible moment, I feel I’ve made a terrible mistake and encouraged him to shed more of my blood.
“What’s so important about this sword anyway?” I blurt, if only to distract him. Ancient he said, sure, but there has to be more than that.
“You can’t feel it? Hear its song?” he asks.
