Reluctantly, Riordan dipped his chin in a curt nod and reached for Callum, but I quickly lost sight of them as I was dragged down a narrow hallway.
The air grew damp, and the light seemed to recoil the farther we traveled. No one spoke. The only sound filling the corridor was the heavythunkof our footsteps.
When the path ended at a door made from iron bars, I sucked in a ragged breath.
The dungeons.
My feet skidded to a stop, and the guards gripping my arms hauled me forward, almost dislocating my shoulder. If not for the iron cuffs dulling my magic, I would have killed them where they stood.
“Don’t make it worse for yourself, Princess,” one guard said. “We have orders to use… unpleasant means should you not comply.”
“Ryker is going to slaughter you. All of you.”
The two brutes holding me in place chuckled, their spittle hitting my cheeks, making my lips lift in disgust.
“The Prince is finished. His Majesty has grown tired of his disobedience and has cast him aside.”
“You’re a godsdamned fool if you believe that. The King only wants his son to fall into line. Ryker is the weapon he wields against his enemies, and that won’t change.”
“Until Ryker dethrones him,”I thought, but I kept that morsel of information to myself.
I took sick satisfaction as their confidence drained away, leaving them pale in the dim light.
So, I leaned into it, picking at that scab until it bled. “And when he finds out what you’ve done to me,” I said, my voice so low they had to strain to hear me, “he’ll end your miserable lives in the cruelest ways imaginable. He will carve you up, piece by piece, until you’re begging for mercy that he does not possess.”
One guard tightened his grip on my arm. “Move.” His voice was little more than a guttural snarl, but I could detect the faint trace of fear underpinning it.
I straightened, glaring at him. He looked away, refusing to meet my gaze.
Coward.
Stepping forward, I allowed them to lead me into the dungeon. Metal scraped against metal as one guard worked the key into the lock. When the mechanism sprang free and the door swung open, he nudged me inside, his movements far gentler than they had been moments ago.
I glanced around the stone walls, slick with condensation; the faint stench of mildew and rot wrinkled my nose. There wereno windows in my cell, no way of knowing what was happening beyond my cage.
Had Riordan reached Ryker and Callum? Were they safe?
My hands clenched, my nails digging into my palms, and it was all I could do not to scream.
The sound of scurrying footsteps was the only sign that the guards had retreated.
I was alone, and that terrified me.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
My gaze swept the four walls of my cell, hunting for the noise. A rusted pipe along the ceiling sported a hairline crack where the mortar had given way, and a slow, patient leak had taken root.
I settled on the hard, cold floor, my back pressed against the unforgiving stone as I watched the tiny droplets fall. A small puddle had formed in the corner, and I sat transfixed as it darkened and grew with each drop.
Time warped in the dungeon.
Each heartbeat felt endless, yet the hours vanished without warning. Day gave way to night, and eventually it became impossible to measure. Hunger gnawed at my insides, and thirst left my tongue dry and cracked.
But no physical discomfort could match the torment of not knowing if Ryker was okay or if my brother had made it out. My mind turned against me, torturing me with visions of the horrors that might have befallen them while I was powerless to help.
Footsteps thudded outside the dungeon, yanking me away from my restless thoughts. The steps grew louder, and I scrambled to my feet. A key scraped in the lock, and my heart thundered.
Was this how it ended?
