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My eyebrows rose. It was the first any of the guards had spoken to me directly. Sensing an opportunity, I smirked at him. Being locked up in here all day and night had left me bored and confused and not a little scared. I still didn’t know what Araki planned for me.
“Why not?” I egged and deliberately repeated the name of the usurper. “Araki certainly doesn’t mind it. We spent days together alone. I wager I can tell you things of Araki that wouldcause you to question everything… things that Araki would never want you to know.”
“Shut your filthy mouth!” The guard barked.
“Araki certainly doesn’t mind when I have it open,” I smarted.
He hissed as he came at me, the jug swinging by its handle in his hand. “Don’t you dare—”
The guard made to grab my arm, and I jumped from my chair before he could touch me. I punched him in the throat hard enough to wind him but not so hard he’d die. I put one arm across his neck as he gasped, the other across his stomach. I didn’t want Araki to decide to execute me over this.
“Unhand him!” The guard with the bow shouted but didn’t shoot. I held his companion as a shield, grabbed a dagger from the belt of my guard, and pointed it just under his ribs.
“Don’t I dare what?” I taunted. The light tone in my voice belied the anger boiling inside me. This was the most excitement I’d gotten in a while, but I doubted this guard would remain on duty with me. The other guards entered, weapons at the ready. The one with the crossbow narrowed his eyes at me. “Release him, Miss Reilyn!”
I hid my surprise. They knew my name? And more than that, referring to me as ‘Miss’? It was far more polite than I expected.
“I don’t know if I want to release him,” I shrugged. I glanced over all the guards, judging their angry faces. None of them seemed eager to fight me. “I’m tired of being in this room with nothing to do but eat and sleep. If Araki wants to killme, I’d much rather he uses a method of execution other than boredom.”
“Release the man,” the guard said once more. “If you wish to escape, you must have a better hostage. Him, we’ll just kill ourselves.”
My hostage wheezed again.
I laughed lightly. “So Araki doesn’t care about his guards.” I released the man and handed him his dagger. I could have kept it, but I’d found what I wanted to know. I wasn’t going to get away so easily. “Good to know that you’re all disposable.”
The guard stumbled away from me. The others grabbed him and dragged him from the room. The last was the one with the crossbow. He backed away; the bow aimed at me still. He pulled the door shut, and a key turned in the lock. I went to the pitcher and basin. Pouring a little water into the basin, I washed my hands, and then returned to the table. Just as I’d suspected, the only hostage that would get me out of this place was Araki himself. And he was far too clever and quick for me to take prisoner. I would have to find another way to break free.
The thought crossed my mind to seduce him. Sleeping with him would provide plenty of skin-to-skin contact for me to steal much of his power… but I wasn’t so sure that would work. Even if I were willing to let him touch me in such an intimate way, how could I know I wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of magic he had? I almost fainted the last time I stole his magic. I mulled over as I ate. The food was tasty. After eating, I finished my stretches and decided I might as well read since I had a few books at my fingertips.
I selected a title I remembered,A Tale of Twin Magi, and sat in one of the overstuffed chairs to read. But as I openedthe book, I found it challenging to focus. I struggled to make sense of the words on the page. The words were hard to read. My mind was restless, and time was slipping from me. I had to do something. I expelled a sigh, forcing myself to relax and concentrate on the words.
A few words made sense, but the rest were jumbled to me. Frustrated and annoyed, I threw the book aside. Not knowing my fate in this palace unsettled me. It was also another reason to be angry with Araki for holding me prisoner. And yet, when another knock sounded on my door, my traitorous heart leapt once again. I went to the door and tried it. Unlocked. Swinging it open, the sight of Araki greeted me. Today he wore a black shirt with dark trousers and boots, his silverish hair tied back from his face. His violet eyes swept over me once before settling on my face.
“May I come in?” Araki asked.
I stepped back, eyeing the angry guards behind him. “I don’t think your men will like that much. I’m sure you heard of today’s incident?”
Araki grinned, “Oh, I did. And I have reassured my men that there are no chances of you hurting me… even if you tried.”
Did he allude to sexual acts, as I had? At the time, I only wanted to make the guards angry, but now as he strode in and the guards looked all the sullener, I wondered if that had been a bad idea.
Too late now.
I shut the door behind him. When I turned toward Araki, I was surprised he had already slumped into one of the chairs near the bay windows. Araki stared out the window, leaning oneelbow on the arm of the chair, with a melancholy look spread over his face. I wanted to erase that expression from his face and return the grin he had given me a minute earlier, but then I reminded myself that he was my enemy.
“You look tired,” I said dryly, sauntering over to sit in a chair opposite him. “Maybe you’d like to undo this union spell between us and allow me to throw you out the window?”
“Only if you take the plummet with me,” Araki smiled sinisterly.
I crossed my arms. After two days in the room, Araki visited me every day. He usually started off trying to convince me to betray the Nightshade. Today, though, his thoughts seemed far away. I didn’t like it.
“What are you going to do to me?” I finally asked.
He turned his gaze back to me, a startlingly soft look on his face. “What am I going to do with you?” He mused, “That’s a good question. And in return, I will ask you a question. Will you help me or continue to play with destiny just to save your coven?”
Play with destiny? I wasn’t playing with anything. I was fighting for my destiny. I tapped on the wooden table.
“No,” I said finally.
