“You don’t want to play games with me, Kiera,” he whispered.
My breath froze in my lungs. “Because you hate to lose?”
His eyes traveled over my upturned face. “Because I would do anything to win.”
I scowled, pulling myself to my full height, our noses nearly colliding. His breathing sharpened. My fingers floated toward his pants pocket while I allowed my gaze to flicker over his face, as if evaluating it.
I didn’t falter once as I pinched the key between my fingertips, slipped it out of his pocket, and held it up between us. “As would I.”
His eyes flared, and he pulled away from me. I grinned and clenched the key in my fist. He opened his mouth to say something, but a heavy fist beat on our door.
My heart leapt into my throat. The jailer. But why would he knock?
“Aiden?” a man’s deep voice came from the other side.
Aiden heaved a sigh and strode closer to the door. “It’s about time, Maz.”
“Then how about I play the gods-damned lunatic next time andyoube the rescuer,” the man named Maz grumbled, keysrattling. “Thought you were nothing but dog scraps by now when you didn’t answer?—”
“You tried other cells?” Aiden asked.
“You didn’t hear me?”
I felt more than I saw Aiden’s quick glance over his shoulder at me.
“No,” he answered quietly.
The door swung open, framing a huge man. He was tall and broad, bigger than Aiden. Torchlight glimmered on short golden hair. And he was soaked. A short wooden pole and a small axe were tucked into his belt.
“Fucking Four, what did they do to you?” he growled, gesturing at Aiden with the ring full of keys I’d last seen on the jailer. “Where are your clothes and why are you unchained?”
Aiden moved to the side and nodded his head at me. “Because of Kiera.”
Maz peered into the gloom. A smile warmed his handsome, bearded face. He looked to be the same age as Aiden, perhaps a few years older than me. “Ah, I see. I’m surprised at you, Aiden, but I understand. That still doesn’t explain how you freed yourself.”
My mouth dropped open at the insinuation, but Aiden merely rolled his eyes. “Enough, Maz. She’s coming with us.”
Maz nodded. I nearly melted with relief. This was it. I was truly escaping with Aiden—who, apparently, had a plan all along.
“We don’t have much time,” Maz said, his tone taking on the snap of a soldier. “The guards will wake soon. Ruru has a boat just outside the cave.”
My eyebrows lifted. The same sea cave Renwell had told me about? The one no one was supposed to know of?
Aiden grunted. “Good.” His gaze pierced me. “Leave your tunic here.”
I balked. “Why?” My shirt would cover me well enough, but I disliked the order.
“Do you want everyone to know you’re from the palace?” Aiden demanded.
Maz’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “The palace? Who the?—”
“Later,” Aiden cut him off, craning his neck to look both ways down the passage. “Kiera, it’s now or never.”
I gritted my teeth and threw off my chains to tug the ripped tunic over my head. I tossed it on the ground, the torchlight sparkling in the golden thread of the half sun. Hopefully, Renwell would see it and know I’d escaped, that I’d succeeded.
I’d never worn a uniform like that before, but it was strange, leaving it behind. As if I were severing the last connection between me and the palace.
I threw the chains back around my neck and faced Aiden and Maz with a mask of confidence. “Let’s go.”
