Seda regarded him and his words. If the humans and gods almost won, why would the gods leave?
“Why did you ask to see me?” She was standing still, watching his every move, every flick of his eyebrows, the way his eyes would flash brighter and then dim.
“BecauseSeda Arbor,you have something I want,” he grinned at her with his sparse teeth.
“What could I possibly give toyou?” she sneered, feeling her hatred slip past her lips.
He didn’t answer for a long time. He walked around his desk and approached her. He brushed his fingers through her hair, gazing down at her softly with his amber eyes. She fought her flinch.
“Redemption,” he whispered as he stared at her, not saying anything further.
She raised her eyebrows. “Wh…” The door flung open, and a serpent creature strode in.
“There is a fight in the courtyard, sir.” Mordred looked toward the serpent and back to Seda.
“Take her back,” he strode through the door with his long legs and black robe trailing behind him.
“Wait! My friend was taken. She had a stillborn baby yesterday. Is she alive? Where is my father?”
Mordred turned around and looked at her without emotion. “He’s dead.” He left the room, and her heart sank into the pits of her stomach. Her eyes burned as tears began to form. She was losing her strength. She promised herself she would be strong, but the way he said that… so uncaring. Soevil.
She followed the serpent creature back toward the door to her hall. When he opened the door, she pushed through her emotions and bravely commanded, “I want the lights on in here, and I want food and water. I also doNOTwant to be chained to that wall.”
The serpent looked back at her and stuck his tongue out in the air, smelling Seda. “Who do you think you are to talk to me like this?” he replied in a slithering voice, his eyes narrowing on her.
Elco approached from behind, towering over them. He snapped his teeth at them and growled. The serpent turned and fell back toward the door, shrinking away. Seda stood tall and confident as Elco loomed over both of them.
The serpent clicked on a switch that lit lamps down the long hallway. Then he led Seda back to her cell, opening it for her. He locked the bars behind him and left, quickly returning with a fresh bucket of water and a plate of food. He opened the door and set both the pail and the food down, quickly locking the door again. When he left the hall, the lights remained on, and he closed the metal door roughly.
Seda sat on her bed with a plate of food in front of her. She grabbed the piece of bread, reminding her of her mother, and tears began to pool in her eyes as she chewed through the crunchy crust.
Esper was gone. Her father was gone. She was alone in this horrible place. She might never see her family or Cahir again, but she was proud of herself today, and she held onto that small flicker of hope that burned in her chest.
Mordred wanted something from her. She didn’t know what yet. She would find out one way or another. Today, she did not cower with Alexi as she usually would have. She spoke to Mordred, not stuttering once, and she advocated for herself with the serpent creature.
If she could do that,she could do more.
Chapter 23
Cahir
Cahir went to work to maintain appearances, but the office felt different without Seda there. He fucking hated this place, hated pretending as if he cared.
Those days are fucking over.
He struggled to finish any work but managed just enough to avoid drawing attention. Most of the day, he found himself staring at her chair. Finally, when he couldn’t take it anymore, he moved his things from his desk to hers and sat there, touching her belongings and missing her.
He prayed to the Mother Goddess that this plan was the right choice. He would find a way to get her out of this terrible place, but his time was running out, and she would need others around her if it happened.
If anyone hurt her there…
His eyes locked on a moldy mandarin on the floor. Was it the same one she’d thrown at him the day of the Wyrd? He walked over and bent down to pick it up. As he held it in his hand, he thought about her. She hated him dozing off at work, hated how he always bent the rules, but look what happens when you follow them to the best of your abilities and something is out of your control. Anger surged through his chest. He shouldn’t have been noble; he should’ve just given her the samples instead of always spitting in the fucking containers.
This was his fault.
He squeezed the mandarin.
After the curfew alarms rang,Cahir and Benny snuck into the grove of trees past the Gardvord again, wearing dark clothing. They met Askold, Ruel, and Ojore, who were waiting for them to arrive and had a pile of swords lying at their feet. The three men stood up and placed their hands on their chests in a gesture of respect for Benny.
