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“Open up!” A man shouted.
I darted across the hallway, hurrying to get to them. I reached the stairs within seconds and started going down. But as soon as I was on the final step and grabbed the handle of the door leading to the main area of the inn, I felt Cari inside my mind.
I’m sorry, she said. I can’t let you do this.
My hand remained on the door handle, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not move to open the door.
Cari had just taken over my mind.
“We came to collect your tax,” the man replied, his voice muffled by the door between them.
“I don’t have it,” Marlian replied. “We didn’t have enough time.”
The man didn’t even pause for a second.
“Your inn will be closed down,” he said, quickly as though he was reading from a parchment. “However, that does not cover the full extent of your debt.”
“I know,” Marlian said. “Lugh wants me to fund his lavish lifestyle and I cannot do that.”
“I will add insolence to your crimes,” the man replied callously.
“You do that,” Marlian replied.
“Take her,” he said to someone. I could only listen as Cari’s grip on my mind became stronger. “You will be imprisoned for your debt. Your family has three weeks to pay for it. If not, you will be sent to work for your debt.”
“I don’t have any family,” Marlian replied calmly. “No one will pay for me.”
The soldier did not comment on that. We heard the sound of the door being opened again and footsteps followed. It seemed Marlian did not resist as they took her away.
They were gone. It had happened so quickly that I had trouble comprehending it.
Cari chose that moment to allow me to speak.
“Why did you stop me?” I asked, still unable to move.
“Marlian told me to,” she explained. “She knew this was going to happen sooner or later.”
“We have to do something,” I said. “Release me and I’ll...”
“No,” Cari said. “I don’t know why everyone is trying to protect you, but they are. Your sister got herself captured to protect you. Marlian went in without trying to escape to do the same thing. Perhaps it’s time you did something to justify that trust.”
I stared at her. She slowly released her control and although I could move now, I wasn’t sure if I should.
“You need to make sure they are not making a mistake by trusting you, Dark Prince,” Cari said.
