You are not a prisoner but make no mistake: if you attempt to leave my lands again, the forest will devour you. I would regret your death.
Today, you remain indoors. This is not a request.
Yours,
Kairos
The last word seared brightly, then faded like cooling embers.
I re-read it, studying each line for information.Guards outside—so he’d admitted to them.Within reason—boundaries, but vague ones.
When Vaeris arrived, I needed to know the weak areas in Kairos’s court. I wasn’t going to sit here like a decorative prisoner. I’d learn the secrets of this castle.
I got up and crossed to the wardrobe. Robes, silks, countless gowns embroidered so finely, my heart ached to look at them. I brushed my fingers over a sleeveless midnight-blue gown, the bodice stitched with silver thread in curling patterns. The stitching reminded me of river currents.
The fashion here wasn’t like the tight corsets of Skaldir. I picked out another dress—deep green, with open sides and a high collar that closed at the throat with a simple bone clasp. No laces, just clever draping that made the fabric flutter. This court dressed like beings of the forest.
Kairos was trying to seduce me with softthings. Maybe turn me into something like…what I’d been for Vaeris. He’d done the same thing—pretty dresses, warm rooms, helping me break runes. He’d made me feel special. For a while, I’d let myself believe the gifts meant he’d choose me. Now Kairos was laying the same trap.
I dressed myself and bound my braid into a knot. My clothing wasn’t ideal for scaling walls, but I’d make it work. I’d been watching the guards from my window. They changed shifts every two hours, leaving a three-minute gap when the courtyard was empty—and one of those gaps was happening now. I approached the window and leaned out, measuring the distance to the outer wall.
It wasn’t far. Below me was a sheer drop of jagged stones. The rock was weathered, but climbable. Kicking off the slippers, I pulled myself out. I inched sideways, searching for a hold.
Step by step, I climbed.
My muscles ached. I scraped my palms. My dress caught on stones. Several times, I had to stop and yank it free. I nearly slipped but kept going until I dragged myself onto a narrow ledge, my back shoved to the wall. Eventually, I hauled myself over the rampart.
I sat there, catching my breath. The mist was thicker, clinging to the spires. I rose slowly.
The parapet stretched in both directions, dotted with watchtowers. Carved runes glowed on the wall. I palmed one, scraping the threads. Ancient. Very rough.
I closed my eyes. The magic was a mesh, lacing through each stone. They made a lattice with other runes. For structure? No, protection.
I lifted my hand and crept forward.
A tower loomed ahead, its base fused into the cliffside.A heavy wooden door barred the way, guarded with a locking rune.
I crouched and pressed two fingers into the rune. Magic coiled like a spring. The threads hissed. I teased the outer strands loose, its texture like burning steel. Then I twisted. It snapped with a loud spark.
I wrung my hand. The rune fizzled, and the lock gave with a click. I opened the door and slipped inside. As I descended the stairs, a faint sound drifted from below.
A hiccupping wail.
I froze.
It came again—thin, high-pitched, and raw. Was that a baby? I moved faster. Down through the dark that thickened with each turn. The cries became louder. More desperate.
I hit the bottom of the stairs, facing a door. I pushed it open and stepped into the chamber. It was huge, the walls slick with moisture. Chains hung from the ceiling. The air tasted like rust and old blood—how many people had died down here? A small row of cells lined the wall. Inside one was a baby deer.
I stopped.
Adeer. In a dungeon cell.
The tiny creature was lying down, shivering so hard its spotted sides quivered. Its head was too big for its body, its lashes wet. When it tried to rise, its legs gave out, and it toppled with a plaintive bleat.
My throat ached despite the warning bells ringing in my mind. Why would Kairos keep a fawn in a dungeon? He had gardens, forests at his doorstep. This didn’t make sense. Courts didn’t cage animals in their deepest chambers unless?—
Unless it wasn’t what it appeared to be.
