Fuck. When did that happen. When did she become—
Doesn't matter. Someone hurt her. Someone put their hands on her throat and lifted her off the ground, and I felt it, and now I'm going to find them and I'm going to take them apart piece by piece until they understand exactly how badly they miscalculated.
Venn clears his throat. "My lord. If anyone asks where you've gone—"
"Tell them the truth." I check the pistol's magazine. Full. "Tell them Discord is visiting Coin."
"And if they ask why?"
The tunnel entrance is in the lower basement. I'm already walking.
"Tell them I felt like it."
Renan meets me with six of Discord's elite. Varn, Malik, the twins, two others whose names I don't care about. Armed. Silent. Ready.
Good.
"What's the line?" Renan asks as we descend into the dark. "How many bodies before you're satisfied?"
"Anyone between me and the north wing."
"That's going to be a lot of people."
"Then they should have posted fewer guards."
The tunnel swallows us. Darkness ahead, darkness behind. The pull guides me forward, steady and constant—six blocks now, then five, the distance shrinking with every step.
I can still feel her heartbeat. Slower now. Steadier. She's probably in the room they gave her, probably lying on whatever bed Coin provides for their valuable property, probably wondering what the fuck just happened to her.
Hold on.
I'm coming.
I don't know how long I've been sitting here. An hour, maybe four—the light through the balcony doors hasn't changed, but that doesn't mean anything because I don't know what time it was when they locked me in.
My throat aches. Every swallow reminds me of Kairis's fingers, the way my feet left the floor, the particular quality of panic when you can't get air and no one's coming to help. I should be doing something useful—mapping the room, testing the windows, finding anything sharp enough to matter. That's what smart people do in cages.
Instead I'm sitting on the edge of the bed watching the door handle, because my head is still spinning and standing makes me want to throw up. Not my best work.
Footsteps in the corridor. My whole body goes tight before I can stop it, every muscle bracing for the lock to turn—
They pass.
I breathe out slowly and my ribs protest, this dull ache that flares with every expansion of my lungs. More footsteps now, different rhythm, heavier, and I'm tracking them like my life depends on it because it probably does. They pass too.
This is going to drive me insane. Every sound, every shift in pressure, my body coiling for something that might be nothing—I can't keep doing this for hours, for days, for however long they plan to leave me here before someone decides I need more breaking in.
The lock clicks.
My stomach drops before my brain catches up and I'm on my feet without deciding to stand, which is stupid because the room tilts sideways and I have to grab the bedpost to stay upright. The silk coverlet bunches under my grip.
The door opens.
Kairis fills the doorway. His eyes find me immediately. Standing instead of cowering on the bed like a good little investment.
His expression flickers. Irritation.
"I expected you'd be more compliant by now." He steps inside and the door closes behind him with a sound that echoes in my chest. "Most tributes learn faster."
