A young man with wavy brunette hair was tucked in the corner of a dim prison, knees pulled up, head resting in his hands. The flower patterns on his bracers were all too familiar.
I tugged the guard’s tabard. “That’s him!”
Sighing, the guard gave me space. “Make it quick.”
Eleos raised his head when he heard my voice, and his eyes flew wide. Leaping to his feet, he ran to the bars, bit his tongue, and glanced at the guard. When he spoke, his voice was hushed and calm.
“Aethra.” He said, lopping off my title. “You came.”
“I said I would, didn’t I?” I said, studying his face. A slash traced from his neck to his cheekbones, and bruises darkened his skin.
Eleos’s eyes slid off me onto the soldier behind us. Tapping his foot idly, the guard pointedly looked away, offering us privacy.
“Cry,” Eleos whispered. “Sob. Break down. Something pathetic.”
“What? Why?”
“Make him have sympathy for you.” He stared at me pointedly, waiting for me to catch on.
Oh.Oh. Psyches could change people’s thoughts when a kernel of genuine emotion was seeded in their minds. Pressing a hand to my chest, I steadied my racing heart and prepared to put on a show.
Backing away from the cell, I buried my head in my hands and released a pathetic, simpering moan. Hearing me, the guard rushed over, reaching out to check on me. His eyes fogged behind his helm, and he wobbled on his feet, confused. Eleos reached through the bars, only managing to brush the man’s forearm, but it was enough.
A strange light entered the guard’s simple brown eyes. He grabbed my shoulders. “What can I do to help?” He pleaded.
“I need to find Seth and Seraphim,” I said quietly. “And I’d like you to open his cell.”
Nodding, the guard pulled out a ring of keys and fitted one into Eleos’ lock, clicking the door open. Stepping into the hall, Eleos grabbed the man’s arm, meeting his gaze for a moment before uttering a quiet whisper.
“Why don’t you take a break? You’re exhausted.”
The guard nodded, eyes drooping until he fell to a knee. Eleos grabbed him before his metal armor clanged across the floor and gently lowered him to the ground. Grabbing his ring of keys, he turned to me.
“This way.” He jogged down the hall, pausing at an intersection to glance around. His head snapped back behind cover, and he motioned toward the eastern corridor. “Our chthonics are there. In high security.”
Leaning beside him, I saw a door further down the hall, watched over by a guard reclining against the wall.
“What now?” I asked.
Eleos thought for a moment before turning around. “We get Percy first.”
Following him back down the hall, I caught up and hissed in his ear. “His father’s there!”
“I know,” Eleos shot back.
Gritting my teeth, I glanced at the sleeping guard as we backtracked. Rounding back to the northern cell block, I heard Sir Percivus’ voice carrying from ahead, though the second voice was gone.
Eleos pulled me behind a pillar, and we listened.
Sir Percivus sounded more upset than angry. “Don’t you think it bothered me, too?”
“Bothered?” Percy tsked. “Not the word I would use. I’d choose, mm,destroyed? Or maybe-”
“This is exactly why you’re here.” His father snapped, anger overtaking his tone. “You take nothing seriously, you flit between women and duties, treating them as disposable frivolities.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that. You can go now.”
Silence fell over the hall. Daring a peek from behind the pillar, I saw Sir Percivus’ lantern outside a cell, barely illuminating the officer in his brilliant red surcoat. He took a hesitant step back, fingers twitching on his lantern.
