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He looks down to the ground with an expression of deep thought. I’m flabbergasted and caught off guard, an apology being the last thing I expected from a prince, let alone a normal naga. He carries in his eyes a sense of regret. It’s easy to see he’s not lying.
“Well… if you’re so sorry then let me go home. I don’t belong here, and neither do those women.”
“I’m afraid I can’t quite do that,” he says, looking up with a hint of sorrow. “I want to, but even as a Prince, it’s not in my power to dismiss you. You see, you’re part of Princess Vippera’s dowry, so only she has the final say over you.”
Too many feelings and thoughts are coming over me at once, causing me to grab my head as a dull pain spreads across it.
“I don’t understand… You’re the one who demanded I be part of the dowry. Why can’t you undo it or ask her to dismiss me?”
“It wouldn’t be a wise move, Aurora. The last thing we should be doing is drawing attention to you. It wouldn’t bode well in Vippera’s eyes.”
“Why not?” I hiss. “What’s the loss of one regular human woman going to make into a dowry? You’re the Prince, can’t you just replace me with some money or jewelry?”
Zalith crosses his brows at me, his gaze suddenly intensifying. “We both know that’s not true,” he says defiantly.
“I’m sure it is. Don't tell me a prince doesn’t have access to all sorts of luxuries –”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” he retorts, taking a step closer.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my hand reaching for the nearest wall.
“Regular human women don’t have magic.”
My chest seizes up, the air snatched from my lungs as his gaze arrests me in place. In that moment, all hopes of escaping become lost to me. I don’t know how he knows, but there’s no way they’re going to treat me like a regular human.
The only way out of this is to play dumb, and by the gods I am going to try just that.
8
ZALITH
“Me?” quips Aurora. “Magic?”
Is she really about to play the dumb card?
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t mean any disrespect towards you, but I know nothing of which you speak. Maybe one of the other prisoners might –”
I wave a dismissive hand, shutting her up. Scoffing, I roll my eyes.
“Listen,” I say in a sharp tone. “I can see right through your little lies, so don’t waste time playing around with me. Us naga are gifted with heightened senses, granting us the ability to detect lies as soon as they’re spoken.”
“I’m serious. I don’t know anything about magic.”
“Look at me, Aurora,” I tell her, my voice foreboding. “Look deep into my eyes. Do I seem to be the jovial type? The sort of man who likes to joke around?”
Aurora gulps and looks away for a moment. “No.”
“Then you can tell I’m being serious, so don’t fool around. When you’re in an intense situation such as this, your magical abilities come rising to the surface of your skin, practically begging to be let loose.”
Her breathing becomes quicker, and her pulse, too. It is evident from the throbbing vein in her neck.
“It ends up affecting your scent. I thought I smelled it off of you back in your village when you were defending the children, but I wasn’t sure. Now, though, with no one around, it’s as clear as day.”
“Well…” she mutters. “So what now?”
Sighing, I reduce my tone back to a gentler, soft spoken voice.
