If he were being quite honest with himself, he had no idea how this had come to fruition. But all he could think of, all he could hear, were the words she’d said to him on top of that mountain. All he could feel was the painfully beautiful pressure of her kiss, the apologies that burned at the back of his throat.
“Have it your way, then.” His voice came out strained—eyes like daggers as he met the stares of the warriors mere yards away. He forced a pressed sigh, stepping through the warded entrance.
Kaya took one glance at the encampment behind her, the warriors all staring at her with wide eyes. Because, of course, she was the princess. There was no mistaking her for anyone else—not with the striking resemblance she had to her mother.
She gave them a meek wave and flashed an awkward smile before she darted through the entrance. She saw him through the opalescent haze, descending into the poorly lit and sloped corridor. Just before he began taking multipleconfusing paths that she never would have been able to figure out on her own, Kaya was able to fall into stride beside him.
It was eerily silent inside the prison and although the creatures confined to their cells seemed docile enough, their menacing presence was enough to have her muscles tighten and her teeth clench. Prisoners peered out of their enclosures, a mixture of orc and fae alike—as well as some others, but they mostly lurked in the darkest corners of their cells. Her stomach tightened with each whistle and cat-call and she moved closer to Ilias, practically using him as a shield as they continued. The corridor was made of stone—high ceilings hung with iron chandeliers, the firelight emitting from them casting an orange glow onto the obsidian walls. It reeked of rotten food and rotten souls, the dampness making the stench that much more suffocating.
“Where are we going?” She whispered her words, but they still echoed, bouncing off the arched walls. She winced, turning to glance at a red-skinned male with black eyes that was making an obscene gesture in her direction. And despite her anger, her shadows were completely silent.
Iron.
She could feel the dull ache of the metal, like a humming throb in her hands and feet—in her chest. It was as if she’d suddenly fallen ill, her body dragging and weakening the deeper they went.
It was eerily silent by the time they reached the end of the darkest corridor in the prison. This cell, unlike the others, had no bed. No toilet. And the male trapped within was more emaciated than the rest.
Her stomach plummeted, her heart rate increased significantly and she could feel the Dark Bringer straining against the powerful wards in a desperate attempt at escape—curling against the force of the iron surrounding her and groaning in agony. They wanted out. They wanted to seek justice again and again and again until there was nothing left of him, but thin ribbons of skin.
The last time she saw him, her shadows had nearly ripped his entire face off. What was left of it was just as terrifying as the handsome one he had paraded around with before. Except…
Looking at him, in his state of disfigurement, was more pleasing. It fed thedarkness inside of her and it licked its lips with a satisfied smack. Because, seeing her assailant now, the male she once thought she loved and feared, his image reflected who he was on the inside.
Small.
Ugly.
Weak.
If anything, she had not ruined a face at all, but merely peeled back a mask to reveal the monster lurking underneath.
He looked at her with his remaining eye, its twinkle dulled by time spent in this dim and dark cavern. Something shifted when he saw her, his body jostling against the iron chains shackled to his wrists and ankles. He made a dry noise, what was left of his mouth pulling back into a wide grin.
“Kaya.” He whispered, his voice still laced with the same sickening, greasy pride.
“This was a mistake.” Kaya snapped. She prepared to turn and run, but Ilias reached and grabbed her hand. “What are we doing here, Ilias?”
He just smirked, placing something cold and metallic into the palm of her hand. “He’s all yours.” Ilias shrugged.
She stared at him for a moment before the reality set in, a scoff escaping her as she folded her arms across her chest. “This place is filled with iron, I can’t do anything in here.”
“Who said you needthemto be able to do anything to him? He’s chained—defenseless. You can do whatever you want.”
Kaya opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a hoarse laugh. “But she won’t do anything. Will you, Kaya?” The male’s voice was taunting—menacing. And it was enough to make her entire body go rigid.
Ilias tugged her hand, pulling her close enough so that she was enveloped in his scent, in his warmth, his eyes boring into her own. “Don’t listen to him. Listen to me.” In the hand that did not hold the key, Ilias slipped her his knife. “I want you to do to him whatever you feel you need to do in order toheal, Kaya. Do anything.”
“And if I don’t want to do anything—what then?” She rasped. Tears began forming in her eyes, her hand trembling around the hilt of the knife. Herlungs compressed, burning. She wasn’t afraid of him. Not anymore. She was afraid of her rage—that she would not be able to stop once she started.
Ilias closed his hand around hers, stilling her tremors. “Do you want me to do it, then? Just say the words, princess, and I’ll carve his fucking heart out for you. Take his fingers off one by one and string them on a necklace for you.”
Kaya swallowed. “Ihavebeen wanting a new necklace.” It was a failed attempt at using humor to calm herself, but her hands still shook. She wasn’t alright.
“Isn’t this precious,” the former captain groaned. “She must have a thing for men in uniform. What do you think, Dothrae?”
A muscle twitched in Ilias’s jaw, his teeth grinding as he took the knife back into his hand. Kaya handed him the key to the cell and backed herself into the shadows.
“How long have the two of you been screwing?” The male continued. “Wouldn’t you agree that she looks best on her knees?” Ilias chuckled dryly as he opened the cell door and stepped inside.Roman Prim stared up at him, watching him approach. “A lot we could bond over, you and I. I could give you some pointers on what makes her scream the most—what makes hershake.”
