“Is, uh . . .” Percy’s voice echoed in the cavern. “Is everyone alive?”
“Yes,” Phaedrus’ rich voice answered. “Thank you for asking.”
“I wasn’t askingyou.”
Fire erupted across the chamber as Seraphim’s blood swirled around her, catching alight. She balanced the orb of flame above her shoulder, casting dim light across the room.
A high ceiling reaching into darkness, and stone walls surrounded us on all sides. A single metal door barred the entrance from which we came.
Even Ainwir would have trouble escaping from this cell.
Still, beauty painted the walls. Duathi runes covered every inch of the stone, swirling toward a statue rising from the center of the floor. A woman reached for the ceiling, a stone grasped in one hand, and a flower in the other.
Limping, Eleos approached and examined me. “Are you alright?” He asked softly.
“I’m fine,” I said, gaze drifting to Seth.
Eleos must have heard the bitter notes in my voice. Eyes narrowing, he whirled around and stalked toward Seth. “What were you doing at the Oracle’s tower?”
“That can wait,” Seraphim said, traipsing toward Phaedrus. The red-headed siblings faced each other, wrists bound behindtheir backs. “You tried to kill me last time we met, brother.”
“Yes, unfortunate, that,” Phaedrus said. “Had I known we’d be meeting again so soon, I would have waited to stab you in the back.”
“Ha!” Seraphim threw her head back, but I saw pain laced with the humor. “That might have been funny, had you not tried tokill me.”
Phaedrus exhaled, closing his eyes. “My path brings me no joy, Sera.”
“Mine does,” she spat, spinning on her heel and stalking away. Stopping before me, she tilted her head. “You werenotin Naunet. How did you end up with my brother?”
Swallowing hard, I looked at Seth. He stood alone across the cold chamber, staring at the floor. His eyes flicked to the side, meeting mine for a moment.
“Seth gave me to him,” I said plainly.
“Ah.” Seraphim lifted her chin, “We were mistaken to trust the hound. Seems Whisper is trained to follow his master’s charade.”
Snarling, Eleos leaned toward Seth. “You didwhat?”
Raising his head, Seth finally spoke. “I did what was best for her. Seraphim knows exactly what happens to women like her in this place.”
“So you returned her to the man who tortured her?”
“A psyche’s torment isnothingcompared to—”
“Nothing?” Eleos hissed. I blinked in surprise, seeing the darkness dancing in his tone and shadowing his eyes.
“What happens?” Percy interrupted, stumbling forward. “What happens to women like her?”
Seth narrowed his eyes, staring daggers at Seraphim. Her eyes widened. “Oh, you have venom forme? You could have aired your grievancesbeforebetraying us.”
Phaedrus watched the brewing tension with raised brows. “He has a point. You hid the truth from Aethra.”
Seraphim’s fire dampened. She glanced at me, mouth tugging down. “I was afraid . . .”
I gleaned the remainder of her words. “That I’d run away?”
“Yes,” she confirmed quietly.
Phaedrus chuckled, hand twitching as he tried to brush backhis hair before remembering his shackles. “Look at all of you, manipulating and lying to one another. And here I am, the only soul who bared the truth to the poor girl.”
