“I’m sure Leonidas is working to free you from the dungeon. With my sister’s arrival, his task has become more difficult.”
“Yes.” Gwenyth accepted Martinos’s assertion without hesitation. Leo was an honorable man, and he and his dragon would do their utmost to free her. She imagined he’d need to make a plan because failure at the first attempt would make everything worse.Or maybe he intends to leave you here.
No! That was Leo’s prim and proper parents. He’d never do that to an innocent.
“What did your sister want?”
“To gloat over how low I’ve fallen. Nan informed me she has taken over the family business. According to her, it has become more successful than when I was in charge.”
“Why does she require marriage to Leo if she’s already successful?”
“Simple. She wishes to increase her wealth and power. Smoking Isle is smaller than this island. The land is rugged and unproductive compared to Hissing Isle, which is why our family became traders. We also have a successful factory producing high-end pottery and ceramics.”
“What do they do on Perfume Isle?”
“The volcano that formed the island is much older, and it has made the soil fertile and suitable for many crops. There are more arable areas too. The island boasts many farmers. Why do you not know this?” The words held suspicion. “I thought you grew up here on Hissing Isle?”
“My memory is hazy after your sister hit me.” True. Her memory seemed on the same level as it had been after Leo saved her. Although a few strange things popped into her brain, some of which made no sense at all.
“I see.”
A door slammed, and Gwenyth heard voices. More than one. “Lie down and pretend you’re unconscious,” Martinos murmured.
She followed his instructions and waited, scarcely breathing and her heart racing.
The outer door to their section of the dungeon opened. Bloody hell. It was Nan again.
15 – Leo, I Didn’t Know You Cared
Leo ran down a copy of the plans in the library. While most castle residents socialized with the visitors from Smoking Isle, he’d ducked from the salon to visit Jakab.
Now, they were in the castle library.
Leo spread the old map over the desk in the far corner of the room. Books filled shelves on three walls, although his parents never read them.
“This isn’t right. It’s too new.” Jakab pointed at the far-left bottom of the map. “See the additions to the ballroom? That’s not part of the original footprint.”
Frustration fueled Leo’s temper, and he clenched his fists. This felt like a waste of time. Gwenyth might be dead for all he knew. If only they’d had more time to make that ultimate connection. Then, at least, there would have been a possibility of communicating. His inability to act and save her gnawed at him while his dragon paced, his tattoo zigzagging across his chest, ribs, and back. The unrest of his dragon tickled his ribs again.
“Cease,”Leo thought to his dragon.“I’m doing my best.”
“The inaction is bad. What if our Gwenyth is dead?”
“She’s not dead,” Leo snapped.
Jakab’s head jerked up, and his friend stared at him. “She’s not dead. Where else might the plans be?”
“Sorry,” Leo said as he unrolled yet another set of plans. “I didn’t realize I’d spoken aloud. Try the drawers over there at the bottom of the shelves.”
Jakab strode over and jerked the top drawer open. “You’re right,” he said. “These look older.”
Leo released the edge of the plans he was checking and stalked to Jakab. He’d plonked himself on the floor and unfastened the faded red ribbon on the first plan.
“This is them.” Jakab’s finger traced the line of the castle and the dungeons over to the side. He tapped the faded parchment. “We were right. Well, partly right. It looks as if there is a rear entrance to the kitchen.”
“So the deliveries didn’t disturb the castle residents,” Leo guessed. “Likely, it was blocked during the period of riots when the common dragons sought equality.”
“See this alley? It backs onto the dungeon too. It would’ve been the perfect way to drag in prisoners unannounced,” Jakab said.
