I crossed my arms. “You know that isn’t the same.”
He laughed through his nose. “Why are you trying to talk me out of this decision?”
“I’m not.”
He smirked, his eyes trailing over me again. “I have a feeling you will be persuasive when it comes to your people’s support of me.”
I stared at him for a moment. “How can I trust your word? That you will follow through with what you say and won’t be yet another ruler that criminalizes my people?”
His smile faltered. “You don’t have many options other than trusting me.”
My heart sank. That much was true. There was so much to consider. For all I knew, he could be warning his men, saying he was pretending and using me to find where the rest of my people were. I can’t imagine him doing so…but still. I would have to be cautious and keep my eyes on him at all times. Merrick being able to tell if he’s lying would come in handy, too…
I sighed. “I suppose I don’t.” I stared at the cuffs on my wrists. “Will you release everyone from these?”
“I will have them separated, but I won’t fully have them removed until we are farther away, in case anyone wishes to defy you.”
Defy me…not him.
“I have to escort you back now,” he continued. “I don’t want to raise any more suspicion than I already have.”
I nodded and slowly stood, and Silas lightly held my arm as we left the room.
I was led back to a different cell this time, passing the one I was in prior. As we drifted past, I glanced inside to see servants scrubbing what appeared like a lot of blood from the ground. I felt uneasy, first from picturing what Silas had done to those men and second from what they had done to me. I tensed, tears beginning to build.
“I made sure they suffered,” he said quietly, and I looked at him, his vision fixed on the destination ahead.
“I’m sorry you had to do that,” I whispered.
He froze, turning to me with darkened eyes and controlled anger.
“I enjoyed doing it. Do not be sorry.”
I bit the inside of my cheek, and Silas turned his gaze forward.
My thoughts drifted to when Silas killed those men at Amethyst Pond…how guilt-ridden and ashamed he was. There was no trace of that man here.
But those men of his…I was still not the least bit upset they were dead.
When the new cell door opened, the one I would be staying in, I was surprised to see Merrick and Viola sitting inside.
“Lena?” Merrick asked with wide eyes as he rose to his feet.
I ran in and hugged him, him unable to return the gesture as his cuffs were still linked together.
“You’re looking much better,” he said with relief.
I wasn’t sure if the two of them knew the extent of what had happened to me. If they did, they did not say.
Silas cleared his throat as he entered and shut the door behind him as I pulled away from Merrick.
“Share the plan with them…quietly,” he whispered, nodding towards the open window in the cell door.
“What plan?” Viola questioned in a low voice, eyes like daggers as they beheld the Prince.
I gave them both the rundown of our plan—how Silas would be helping our escape, how I was to create a distraction, and how Silas had ulterior motives in gaining our people’s approval.
“This has to be a trap,” Viola let out a dry laugh as she paced the room, then paused to glare at Silas. “Why would you be willing to do all this? After years and years of harming Mages, slaughtering us—” She shook her head, then faced me. Her violet eyes offered no warmth. “I hope you know what you are doing. What you are signing us up for.” Her gaze shot to Silas. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to make her trust you, but if you so much as tryanythingthat makes me believe you a liar, I will kill you.”
