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I swallowed, thinking of the commander's unsavory plans for me. “The commander came to get me,” I answered vaguely, keeping my interaction with Thrailkull to myself. Telling anyone else that I might be a Zavien seemed too dangerous right now.
“Well, I hope you’re not thinking the Obsidian Tower is going to be an improvement over the mine,” Krish said curtly.
Her harsh words weren’t unexpected. Being a prisoner in Malengard had a way of drying up the kindness in a person. If she followed orders and stayed in line, then she could hopefully avoid punishment. That was all that mattered to most workers. There was no room for understanding or compassion when you were scared and starving. Except with Krish, I recognized something behind the weariness and anger in her eyes.Grief. I had a feeling she’d lost someone close to her. Just like me.
“Don’t mind Krish,” Sable whispered when the Jakeen girl walked away to get a towel. “She’s been here too long. Well, I guess we all have.” Sable ran a comb through my tangled, wet hair. I barely noticed as she tugged at the knots, too distracted by what would happen when Commander Bloodbain returned.
I had to find a way out of here. I refused to wait around for the commander to use me or for Meat to find a way to kill me.
When Krish was out of earshot, I caught Sable’s wrist.
“Sorry!” she said apologetically. “You’ve got a lot of tangles.”
“I need your help,” I whispered, my tone turning urgent. “I have to escape this tower. And get out of Malengard. You must know where the tower exits are, or secret hiding places or passageways.”
Wisps of Sable’s red hair fell out of her low bun as she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t,” she said. But the uneasy look in her eyes said otherwise.
“Please, Sable. I have to get out of here. The guards are passed out, and Commander Bloodbain said he won’t returnuntil dawn. He’ll blame the guards when he finds me missing. Not either of you.”
Her eyes flitted nervously from the unconscious guards to Krish on the other side of the room and back to the comb in her hand, but she wouldn’t look at me. “You don’t understand, theyalwaysfind a way to punish us.”
Ididunderstand, but I couldn’t give up. “Look, you don’t have to be involved. Just tell me how to get out of the tower. I’ll figure out the rest once you’re gone.”
She tensed, still staring at her hands.
“You know why I’m here, don’t you? Why Commander Bloodbain is having you clean me up like this?” I figured she’d already guessed, but I wanted her to know the truth. “Because I’m about to become his personal play toy. So, not only did the Rathalans force me to work in their horrible mines, now they turn me intothis.” Water splashed out of the bathtub as I raised my hands to indicate the lavish room we were in—a room where the guard commander expected me to do more for him than shovel gravel. I felt my body shaking at the thought.
“I know,” she whispered, regret filling her voice. “I’m so sorry. I wish I could help you. But I can’t. Every time I burn the food or arrive late for duty or even raise my voice too loud, the matron doesn’t even look at me. She goes straight to punish my brother.” Sable’s voice quivered as she spoke, like she was trying to block out the memories. We all had our scars; some were just more visible than others. “He’s only eight, and he’s the only family I have. I can’t do anything to risk his life. If anyone even suspects I helped you escape, they’ll kill him.”
I heard Hen’s voice in my head.Keep your head down. Eyes to yourself. Don’t talk to anyone. That’s how you survive in this place.
Before I could respond, Krish returned with the towels, and Sable went silent. “Let’s get you dried off,” the Jakeen girl said, shooting Sable a scolding look.
If she wouldn’t help me, I’d just have to find my own way out of here once they were gone.
Checking that the guards were still asleep, I stepped out of the bathtub and hugged the towel to my warm skin. Despite my impending fate, I couldn’t help but feel some minor relief when I noticed my clean, fragrant skin.
Until Krish held up my nightgown.
“No, no, no. I can’t wear that,” I said, backing away. The nightgown was made of crimson silk that flowed in gentle waves to the floor. It left little to the imagination.
“It’s not a choice,” Krish said, pulling the towel away from me. “Commander Bloodbain’s orders.”
“But he—but I—” I couldn’t seem to get the words out as I wrapped my arms around my body protectively, trying not to imagine the look on Commander Bloodbain’s face when he saw me in that.
“The commander said you can either sleep in this or you can sleep naked,” Krish said, getting impatient. Perhaps the matron was waiting with their next punishment if they didn’t return soon.
My throat went dry. I didn’t like either option. But Krish made the decision for me, pushing my hands up so she could pull the nightgown over my head. The smooth, cool silk brushed over my skin.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror on the wall.
At first, I didn’t recognize the stranger staring back at me. She was so thin her ribs stuck out and so pale her skin seemed translucent. There were swollen red cuts on her lip and neck. A ring of dark bruises hung around her collarbone like a heavy necklace.
The hardships of the mine had been plainly written across my body. If it weren’t for my black hair and dark-blue eyes in the reflection, I wouldn’t have known it was me at all. Or maybe it wasn’t me. Maybe it was some empty, faded shadow of the girl I once was.
“I don’t know why they even bothered to leave that collar on you when your magic’s probably gone,” Krish said, busying herself tidying up.
I whipped around to look at her. “What do you mean?”
