I chuckled, leaning down and pressing my lips softly against hers. “Find me once you’re done. I have good news to tell you. Now, enjoy your time.”
Giving her another quick kiss, I left the cell, leaving behind the crack of the whip and Sybil’s screams resuming behind me.
Chapter 16
Sybil
Ifelt them drag me through the dungeon, my heavy legs trailing across the cold stone floor until a bright light shone above me. I tried to open my eyes, but my body felt too weak, too spent to lift my head. Wavering on the line between consciousness and oblivion, I felt as if I were in a daze, losing myself to the void of my mind.
I didn’t know how long they dragged me through the hallways. I barely registered the guards pausing at a door, though I felt their voices vibrating through my body. Trying to pull away, pain shot through me, forcing a wince. A female answered them—her voice familiar—but I was too lost in the fog to place it or understand what she said.
The door opened, and the guards dragged me into another dark room. A desperate protest came out of me, and I bucked, fighting against their hold, trying to escape the dark hell that awaited me. But their hands tightened around my arms before lifting me into the air. The movement jarred my wounds painfully, making me cry out.
They laid me on my stomach against a soft surface, the plush material feeling almost suffocating. The female voice sounded again, her voice now pointed and cruel. The guards hissed backtheir reply before leaving us alone in the room. I could feel my panic quickly rising; I couldn’t take any more, I couldn’t endure more pain. My mind struggled, but I couldn’t move; I was too lost in a haze.
The female placed her hands on me, and I flinched, whimpering against the cold of her skin, though her touch was gentle. She murmured soft words, and her hands warmed. My body relaxed in that heat, the pain easing away into nothing.
I sighed with relief, letting the darkness take me away.
I felta sharp tug along my rib cage, jolting me from my sleep. I gasped, forcing my heavy eyes to open, blinking away the blurriness. The room was dim, with only a small light shining from beside the bed. I turned my head to the side, my gaze widening at the large male in front of me, and I jerked back.
“Sorry,” Kieran rasped, the sound of his deep voice making my skin tingle. The shock that lined his face mirrored mine.
“Kieran,” I breathed, letting my racing heart calm. Arms from a body behind me wrapped around me, pulling me against a hard chest. Twisting, I swallowed my sob of relief when I saw Samian’s gentle gaze watching me closely. “Samian, I—what are you two doing here?” I looked back at Kieran, my chest tightening. “Where am I?”
“It’s okay,” Kieran murmured, his face tight. “You’re back in your room, safe and healed, courtesy of Aster. She even scared away the guards so we could come in. Daelan has his magic surrounding the room so no one can hear us.”
My lips quivered, but I fought against the urge to cry, focusing on anything other than the dungeon and Arianna’s vicious laugh. My body still felt heavy, and the world spunaround me. I lay my head back on the pillow, settling into Samian and Kieran’s warmth. “What was that?” I put my hand against the center of my stomach, where only the echo of that tugging feeling remained.
“I think you know what that was,” Samian breathed against my ear.
My stomach fluttered, my blood warming, and I closed my eyes. Though my body was healed, there was still a fierce exhaustion weighing on me—on my soul. “The mating bond?” I whispered, willing myself to stay awake.
I felt a rough, calloused hand brush against my cheek. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt swollen and heavy.
“Shh,” Samian whispered, his arm snaking across my stomach. “Sleep, my mate. We will talk when you wake.”
My eyes slowly opened,my body feeling lighter than it had in days. The room was still dim, letting me know that morning had not come yet, but I could make out the male that still lay in front of me. Kieran watched me, his eyes slightly widening at seeing me awake, and relief washed over his face. Samian’s arm tightened, and I turned, finding the same emotion shining in his eyes.
“Welcome back,” Samian murmured. “You had us worried.”
I swallowed back my guilt, my stomach twisting. I hadn’t meant to fight back against Ambrose, to fight against his command. But I couldn’t do it willingly. I couldn’t submissively follow his orders.
“Come back to us, Sybil,” Kieran whispered, his hand moving over my own.
Tears burned my eyes, and I blinked them away. “I’m sorry. I just—I couldn’t?—”
“It’s okay,” Samian murmured. “I understand. Webothunderstand. You don’t have to explain yourself to us.”
I looked back at Kieran, his dark crimson gaze still fixed on me. His mouth quirked, one side rising in an amused grin. “We heard something interesting,” Kieran said, his voice turning rough. My blood rushed at the sound, and my adrenaline spiked, my heart pounding as my mind raced to Ivara, to the queen. “Would you like to know what we learned?”
“What… what did you learn?” I stammered, forcing myself to breathe. I couldn’t fight off the dread building inside me. Did they find out what Queen Cassia told me?
“Sybil?” Samian asked, picking up on the shift in my thoughts. Concern deepened his voice, but I couldn’t look at him. My eyes stayed glued to Kieran’s chest, focusing on the way it rose and fell.
“Sybil, darling?—”
“Don’t call me that,” I hissed out before Kieran could continue, acid burning my throat. Silence followed for a beat, and I closed my eyes, cursing myself for letting my fear get away from me. But I couldn’t hear that word, not from him, not from anyone, not after Ambrose.
