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“No.” Her chin jutted forward.
My eyes did a slow search of the room, reminding myself that we were alone. “You remind me of me. You are bound into slavery like I am bound to my queen. Except that to save you, all that needs to be done is someone to stand up and fight for your freedom.”
“More than one someone has to stand up, but one person is a start.” Hope flashed in her eyes.
“I hope one day I’ll be able to visit this realm again. And maybe one day you’ll be free.” I pulled the cloth from one hand and began dabbing at the other. “Or maybe we will meet in another world, in another lifetime and things will be different.”
“There is no other world for me. When we die our bodies are given to the Mother. Our flesh melts into the dust that keeps this cruel world alive.” Red sighed. “Maybe one day you could be free too.” Her face twisted as she flinched, the rag snagging on a still-fresh wound.
“There is only one way out of the bond, and I’ll never do it. That’s how I know I’m stuck.” It was my turn to sigh as I leaned back into the chair that had never lost its warmth from the Fae who was last sitting here. Fire-like pain singed at the back of my throat. Even saying the words of how to break the bond was painful. Few men had actually done it.
“How do you do it?” I barely caught her words as I undid the shackles holding her before me. The large, heavy, metal clamp around her neck was still on, rubbing her throat raw.
“You have to give Queen Atarah the person you love the most,” I spat the words out quickly, clenching my jaw tight trying to work through the pain of saying it.
“But what does she do with them? Keep them as pets?”
“If only it was that easy.” I laughed dryly. “She slits open their throats, collects their blood in a bowl, and then you must bathe in it.”
“That’s terrible,” she agreed.
“That’s why many sworn to her don’t do it. That’s why many of us don’t even get close enough to love people. Or people stay guarded and don’t let us love them. One or the other.”
“Who do you love most?”
Patting my pocket, I remembered what I had stolen from dinner for her. I pulled out a roll and placed it in her hand. She cupped it, careful not to touch it with the tips of her broken fingers. My mind drifted to Eydis as Red ate. Who did I love the most? For a while, it had been the woman I had been engaged to. I had built her up to be this perfect, angelic being in my mind, and she didn’t even love me in return.
“I don’t love anyone enough to break the bond,” I finally admitted, pulling out a small canister of water and setting it on the table between us. Listening intently, I could hear the guards breathing at the top of the stairs, no one near enough to see what I had done.
“So, you’re the type to keep your distance,” she mumbled through a full mouth. “I figured you were the type people stayed away from because you’re annoying as fuck.”
“Excuse me?” I coughed. “Would someone that annoying be kind enough to bring you something to eat in the midst of your planned starvation?”
“Well, clearly, because you did.” She pushed the last of the bread into her mouth, one hand already reaching for the canister. Pain laced her features as she tried to extend her hand.
With a shake of my head, I picked the water up, pushed away from the table, and walked over to her side. “I’d hate to be annoying, but let me help you with that.”
Red rolled her eyes. With one finger, I tipped her chin and she propped her mouth open. Careful not to drown her, I slowly tipped until water drizzled out. When I stopped, she nearly moaned. A noise that sent a spike of interest straight to my groin. Twisting the lid closed, I tucked the bottle back into my pocket. I had to force myself to take a step back.
“Thank you.” Red nodded.
“I thought you would deserve whatever it was you had coming,” I started. “But being here, it doesn’t feel right.”
“You’re right. Something is wrong. Not just with how they treat me, but look around, Milo.” She tossed a glance to her right and left. “Look at all these cells. Shouldn’t a king so famous for breaking Nymphs have a dungeon full of crying Nymphs? Where is everybody? Why am I all alone?”
I followed her gaze. My trained eyes passed over cell after cell, all completely empty. She was right. Where were the Nymphs?
At the top of the stairs, the guards shuffled. It made me wonder how much of our conversation they were listening to. Was I incriminating myself just by being down here?
“King Windre said part of the process was to make you lonely. I’m sure they are hiding somewhere.” I stalled, still glancing aroundonly to mumble, “Hate to do it, Red, but that’s my cue to leave.”
She felt like a feather as I pulled her chair away from the table and pointed her toward her cell. To avoid catching any more unwanted attention, I mouthed, “I’ll bring more food.” As she stepped forward, I closed the door loudly, sealing her back into her prison.
A small mound of hay waited as the only comfort in the all-stone keep. I tried not to imagine being magic-less, wounded, and stuffed into a hole like that. My hand brushed the bars in an awkward goodbye. Red was already curling into herself and ignoring me as I left.
The musty smell of the hallway greeted my sensitive nose, while I took the stairs two at a time. Both guards turned to watch me from the small platform at the top. Their faces remained blank. Whether or not that was a good sign was beyond me.
“Think I’m going to head back to my room. Maybe get a little bit of light reading done,” I chuckled, smacking my hand off one of the guard’s chests lightly. His face remained blank. “I can show myself back.”
