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“You’re not dead and you’re not shackled in a disgusting cell. I suppose I should be thankful for that.” The basket containing the day’s supplies landed on the table with an angry thump.
Liora cast a glance to the doorway and dropped her voice to a whisper. “How much does Thirvar know?”
“If he knew everything you’d been up to, I’m sure we wouldn’t be sitting here having this conversation right now.”
Her chin lifted an inch. “Good. Then I’ll continue on with my plan. He’s not going to keep me here forever.”
Tirani didn’t bother arguing with her. “I thought the guard was supposed to be by your side at all times.”
She smirked. “I convinced him there wasn’t any trouble I could get into within the walls of the house. I also told him if he followed me downstairs, he would distract me from inspecting the shield, and Marindal could be left wide open for enemy attack.”
“Very persuasive.”
Liora decided to change the subject, albeit in the same muted tones. “Stephen told me Thirvar once was married. Did you know?”
“I did.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “How come you never told me?”
“It was all long before my time, many years before I was brought to Marindal.”
“I wonder what she was like.” She wrinkled her nose. “I can’t say I think too highly of her, if she loved that repulsive man.”
“She must have had her reasons. What they were, I can’t say for sure.” Tirani poked her leg. “You should be grateful toward her. It’s probably the memory of her that keeps you out of Thirvar’s bed.”
A knot formed in Liora’s stomach and she collapsed into a chair. “What do you mean?”
“Surely you’ve noticed the way he looks at you.” She tapped her front claws against the floorboards. “When he met you, you were beautiful, brilliant, and exceptionally powerful. In another time, he may have seen you as the perfect match for him.”
“No…” She covered her mouth with one hand, remembering the feeling of him pinning her down. “I don’t want to think about it. I…I can’t.”
“I don’t mean to upset you, my dear.” She crept closer, and this time, she gave her knee a reassuring pat. “But I will continue to urge you to be careful. I know you long to be free of this place, but there’s no reason to invite danger and other unpleasantries upon yourself.”
“I know.” She rested her chin on her hand and gazed down at her friend. “I keep telling you this, but once I escape, you should think about doing the same. If he finds out you knew about all my plans, I’m afraid of what he would do to you.”
“I’ve been considering it. I promise.” Tirani moved toward the door, ready to pass by the inefficient watchman. “I won’t try to persuade you to change your mind. Just…just remember how much worse things could be.”
She nodded. “Good-bye, Tirani.”
The guard grunted his own farewell, and the door slammed shut. Stabs of nausea nagged at Liora. She pushed the basket to the far end of the table, not wanting to deal with food yet. Though knowledge may have empowered her and Stephen, it also introduced a new set of distasteful possibilities. She was more determined than ever to put her plans in motion.
Chapter Thirty
Stephen often needed a cool shower after a day of work around the castle. As he finished changing into a fresh set of clothes in his quarters, there was a knock at his door. Though he hadn’t had a visitor to his modest living space since it was first assigned to him, he was not surprised to find Kai standing in the hallway. The men nodded a silent greeting, and he stepped aside to allow his guest entry.
They focused on his sketchpad for the rest of the daylight hours as he listened to the descriptions of Marindal’s lost queen and jotted down notes. Humble adoration was always present in Kai’s voice, and the pair worked together until a rough likeness appeared on the page. Satisfied he could make a legitimate effort to portray the image of her in the eye of her attendant, he vowed to begin work the following day.
Keeping his project a secret was of the utmost importance. Despite all his time spent in the castle, Stephen wasn’t sure who he could trust, and he wanted to keep his activities hidden from view. Rather than returning to the bright courtyard, he chose to work in the privacy of his room. He pushed his bed to the opposite wall so he could sit next to the sole window and take advantage of the natural light.
As he painted, he was reminded of the unfinished portrait sitting at home in his den. Inspiration flowed through his body, gripping the brush and guiding it in loving, deliberate strokes. While his body may have been imprisoned, creating his art liberated his subconscious, the part of his soul that could never be contained. Only Liora had possessed the power to unlock his potential. He tried to open his mind and let his passion manifest within him as he strove to capture the essence of someone else who, while unknown to him, had been treasured.
Progress was slower than he would have liked, due to the limited sunlight which angled into his room for a short time every afternoon. As the days passed, Stephen grew more confident in his spiritual revival of a woman he’d never met. Not only did he hope the painting would be a successful gift, he wished for guidance to show him how best to use his new friendship to his advantage.
***
Liora was frustrated. The guard at the door kept her from her explorations in the forest, and she’d had to settle for practicing in the imaginary tree in the realm of fantasy. She was lucky the unintelligent creature assigned to keep an eye on her was not very meticulous in his job, and her midnight visits with Stephen had gone undisturbed. Unfortunately, he would notice if she attempted to leave the house.
She sat on the bottom step of the basement stairs and tried to think through her options. Though the burly guard seemed rather slow and lumbering, she knew she couldn’t evade him in the forest for long. She had nothing with which to drug him. Even if such means were available, she couldn’t bring herself to end his life.
