Her lips twitch into a faint smile. “I’m as real as you need me to be.”
Am I hallucinating again?
“Hallucinating?” Myna asks.
It’s the mad honey. Bittersweet, terrible aftertaste. But I think the hallucinations might be the worst.
My imaginary Myna curses, and I smile. I can imagine her reacting like that.
None of this is real.
“I’m very real, Starling.”
Then how do you know what I’m thinking?
“Because you’re thinking out loud.”
“Oh…” I stare at her a moment longer. She stares back.
Slowly, reality seeps in, like the first rays of morning light, forcing the veil of fog to lift from my mind. I inhale a long, shuddering breath. Reveling in the sheer relief that cascades through me.
Myna’s eyes darken as they take in my tortured body. “I’m sorry we didn’t find you sooner.”
“You stayed.” My words are broken as they leave me, giving voice to the hopelessness I’ve fallen into. “I told Nyssa I wanted you all to get away from here.”
“We couldn’t leave without you.”
“It’s what you’re supposed to do if someone is compromised.”
Myna’s eyes connect with mine, resolute and determined. “Not this time.”
I offer her a small smile but turn away as tears threaten to spill over. With each passing second, delirium fades further and my grasp on reality strengthens.
I almost wish it wouldn’t.
“I can pick the lock on the chain, but the collar will need to wait. Sparrow is standing watch in the hall.”
“Where’s Keres?”
“Neck-deep in wine and women.”
“Thank the fucking gods.”
Myna shifts closer, examining the collar and chain at my throat. “This might hurt a little.”
She goes quiet as she focuses on the lock, but instead of feeling comforting, the silence presses in on me. My breathing starts coming quicker, and my shoulders inch up as my mind spirals. Maybe this isn’t real. Maybe it is another hallucination—
“Is Nyssa okay?” I ask, my voice too loud in the quiet.
Myna winces but continues her examination of the lock. “She will be once we get you out of here. Now, hold still. We’re going to lose some of this jewelry.”
I offer her a small smile, knowing she’s attempting to lighten the mood. “The prince really does have garish taste.”
Myna hums in agreement as she gets to work on the lock. I hold my breath through the pain as the metal scrapes against my raw skin. Silence fills the room again, interrupted by the occasional rattle of the chain.
“What’s your real name, Myna?”
The words barely pass my lips before the lock clicks and the chain falls free, leaving only the collar in place. Myna places the chain on the ground beside me, as soundlessly as possible, watching me the whole time. I can see the question circling behind her shadowy eyes.
