Whatever their plan was, one thing was certain: I had to get out. A voice in my head told me there was no chance, not like this, but another voice whispered that I had to at least try.
First step was simple—sit up. Only, that was something I already failed at. With both my arms and legs bound tight, I was helpless.
Defeat sank into me as I let my head drop back to the floor, closing my eyes. “Fuck.”
I would never get out on my own if they kept me like this. Maybe—just maybe—I could trick them into loosening the ropes. If I told them the spots were bruised and convinced them not to tighten it, maybe they’d change the rope, or loosen it a bit...? But would they fall for that? Or would they see right through me?
There was a high possibility it’d be the latter.
Just then, I heard noises like heavy thuds from the direction of the door. My chest tightened with the realisation that they were back for the real business as to why I was brought here. I closed my eyes again, knowing very well I’d rather drown to death than tell them anything Thrax and I had been up to, or anything he’d told me.
The sounds grew louder, more frantic, like they were struggling with the lock. It took a while before the door finally burst open, hinges rattling violently. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d both locked the door while they left the keys inside.
Heavy footsteps rushed across the floor, closing in fast. They stopped right in front of me, crouching before hands gripped me urgently, lifting me upright with surprising ease.
“Sanora?”
That voice...
It was deep, old, raspy and very familiar. I frowned, my eyes snapping open.
Weeny Man.
He came into view, looking like time had punished him in my absence. His beard was overgrown and tangled, his hair had gone almost completely grey, his once sharp eyes looked dimmer and weaker, carrying a kind of exhaustion that made my heart twist.
He looked older—ten years older, not a handful of weeks. Something about him sagged, and I didn’t know whether to be horrified or relieved.
“What happened to you? Where have you been?” I whispered, but no words beyond that came. A thousand questions flooded me at once, choking me silent. How had he found me? How did he even know I was here? When did he come back?Howdid he come back?
“How did you get here?” His eyes darted to the broken door before moving to my legs, pulling a knife from his pocket like he’d been expecting to meet me in this situation. The blade gleamed under the green light as he started hacking through the ropes.
“How did you know where I was?” I asked, swallowing hard.
He didn’t look at me. “Why are you still in Nimorran? I thought you left yesterday. Thrax doesn’t know you are here. Don’t tell me those tyrants gave you something.”
The mention of Thrax hit me harder than the ropes biting my skin. He knew Thrax didn’t know where I was? But then, what he said actually dawned on me, and I jerked my head back as if he’d just slapped me.
Weeny Man knew who Thrax was, too?
Fuck, was I the only one in the dark? He’d reacted strangely and out of character when I’d talked about Thrax some weeks ago. But I didn’t know hereallyknew who Thrax was and that he was the Soulless Man.
Did it mean Thrax knew him, too?
I shook my head, a headache blooming from the things I’d learnt in just under one hour, including the dream I was yet to understand. Too much. It was all too much.
“How did you know Thrax?” By the time I asked, he was done cutting through the rope around my legs. He moved to my back, driving the blade over the one binding my wrists.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” he said simply.
“How long? Two years?”
He gave a low chuckle, though there was no humour in it. “Since I was born.”
My head whipped back to him, disbelief clawing at my chest. I stared at him, but he wasn’t sparing me a glance. How was that possible? Was there another gods forsaking bloodline like the twin’s? One that was unhealthily obsessed with Thrax?
“How...how is that possible?” I asked, still looking over my shoulder.
But he dodged the question. “Why are you still here? You should’ve left yesterday. You should’ve been far away by now. Nimorran isn’t good for you.”
