Slowly, they turned toward King Kairos, and Ashren stepped in front of Thea.
The king filled the archway, his broad shoulders nearly brushing the stone on either side. His dark leathers and armor drank in the light as shadows clung to the hard lines of his body, leaving little to the imagination. His lavender eyes swept over the scene.
His jaw ticked, and every muscle in my body tensed.
I stepped closer to the bars, and my coat brushed the iron. If something was about to go down, I wasn’t going to cower in the back corner like a kicked dog and would use the opportunity to my advantage if possible. My pulse thundered in my ears, but my feet planted themselves.
The king's gaze cut to Thea first. “I recall saying that no one was to speak to the prisoner or approach her cell. Did I misspeak, Thea?” His voice was low and growly.
She dipped her head in a quick, controlled bow. “No, Your Majesty. You were clear.”
“And yet, here you are.” He gestured to the two of them, then his eyes flicked toward me. He took in my coat and gloves. “Equipping her with things I didn’t approve of and conversing with her like she’s not a hostage.”
Thea and Ashren stepped back as he came to a stop in front of my cell just out of touching distance.
Hands folded tightly at her waist, Thea inhaled and straightened. “I determined it would be unwise to let her freeze. A dead person would be of little use to you, sire.”
“Yourdeterminationis not wanted.” His words sliced like a hot knife through butter. “Yourobedienceis required.”
Ashren moved in front of her fully, jaw tight. “I asked Thea to bring the coat when I learned the prisoner’s placement. It seemed more sensible than interrupting your other duties to inquire whether this was your preference or letting her freeze. The blame falls on me.”
“Were you the one who decided to put her here in this cell?” King Kairos demanded.
Ashren’s brow rose, and his head dipped, as if he didn’t want to name someone.
I raised my hand. “I can answer that!” I smiled, wide and smug. I needed to get this king—I wouldn’t think of him as King Kairos anymore. From now on, he was just Kai—closer, and this could be my chance.
His attention swiveled to me, that icy lavender glare as sharp as a blade.
My stomach somersaulted. It had to be from nerves. But there was something about his eyes, and I didn’t know if it was because of the pale lavender or the dark violet ring that surrounded his pupils.
“Why are you lifting your hand and looking at me so foolishly?” King—no,Kai’sface squinched in confusion, but then he shook his head. “Forget the question. Just tell me which of the guards it was, andnow.” He shuffled closer.
If they didn’t raise their hands here, how did people ask questions? Another question for another time, without raising my hand.Focus on the goal, Hannah.I almost had him right where I wanted him.
“Someone’s bossy.” I lifted my chin, keeping my gaze on him and trying to take in his weapons with my peripheral vision. But he was too damn tall. I had to find a way to scan him without making him suspicious.
Oh! I could pretend to flirt with him. It worked on guys back home.
I dropped my gaze in a deliberate scan of his body, biting my bottom lip. He had multiple blades attached to his belt and some attached to one thigh. Those could be easy enough to grab if I could distract him. I turned my palms upright as if weighing my options and shrugged. “In fairness, the guards thought they were following orders. You said to put me where no one else was.” I spread out my arms, my hands touching either side of the cell. “Clearly, it’s just me back here, so maybe you should’ve been more clear.”
Thea’s eyes widened, and the corners of her lips twitched upward. She clicked her tongue against the top of her mouth before focusing on Kai. Ashren’s gaze darted between Kai and me as if he were uncertain whether to intervene or simply watch.
“What did you just say?” Kai’s face twisted into anger, and he gripped the bars of the door.
Okay, I might have made him a little too mad. Every instinct screamed at me to flinch back, but I forced myself to remain in place. “That you weren’t clear about what you wanted.”
His nostrils flared. “I am the king and am always clear.” His voice rumbled so deeply that I got goose bumps.
My stomach flipped as the tugging sensation I’d felt earlier filled my chest.
“It is my people’s responsibility to do precisely as I say. The guards should have known that I wouldn’t want you to freeze to death before I retrieve the information I need.” He folded his arms over his chest.
Now was the time to distract him. I tilted my head, letting my hair slide over my shoulder and catch on the fur of the coat. “Hmmm, maybe the guards thought you wanted to torture me and put me on the brink of death.”
His eyes flashed again, and his hand shot through the bars and seized the collar of the coat.
A startled yelp escaped me, and I grabbed his arm with one hand. I would yank off my gloves and stab him in the eyes with my fingernails if he tried to kill me. My heart raced, feeling like it was leaving my body behind.
