Briony presses a hand to my shoulder, and blinding pain shoots down my arm. I bite the inside of my cheek and refuse to scream as my vision goes bright white.
“Enough,” says Iywan, and Briony removes her hand. The pain ceases as though it was never there.
I draw in a shaky breath and press my cuffed hand to my shoulder.
“That’s just a sample.” Iywan is too pleased with himself.
My blood runs cold. Briony stands and steps back, regarding me.
“I’ll have someone bring you fresh clothing in the morning. You’ll start training then. And youwilltell us what we need to know.”
I press my lips together.
“Welcome to the Zenith, Princess.”
CHAPTER 60
Carys
Sleep never finds me.I lay awake in the small bed in the corner of the cell. The mattress is so hard that I might as well sleep on the floor, but at least it’s dry.
Drip, drip, drip.
I roll onto my side, my back facing the wall, and try not to focus on the infuriating sound. Being left here with my own thoughts is torture within itself. This morning—at least I think it was this morning—a servant lit a few more oil lanterns in the brackets on the walls. It leaves the cell a little brighter, enabling me to gauge my surroundings. There is just this one cell with a bed and chamber pot.A. Chamber. Pot.
I shudder.
Welcome to the Zenith; Iywan’s words echo in my head. The Zenith. I’ve never heard about whatever that is. All I know is that I want nothing to do with it.
Outside the cell, a long walkway leads to a metal door.
For the longest while, I stare at the door. What more could possibly happen? How is my mother faring up there? How are Durvla, Alys, and Tiernan managing? Are they safe? Maybe Durvla has reunited with her brother.
I hope for their safety, all while hating myself for being wildly jealous of them.
“Oh, Princess. Wake up.”
I jump up so quickly that my head spins.
Lowri is smiling down at me, fresh clothing in her arms. “Time to change out of those clothes.”
There are a couple of guards outside of my cell. One is a younger lad who I vaguely recognize, with a pale, bald head. I don’t recognize the other, but she’s tall and lanky, with a dark complexion and boredom on her face.
I turn back to Lowri. “What if I say no?”
“Then Lieutenant Bronn and Cadet Aela will step in.” Only then do I notice the shackles in Lieutenant Bronn’s hands.
I start to remove my dress, ungracefully unlacing the bodice and letting it fall to the ground. The hem crunches in my hands from the dried blood. I shove down the nausea and hold my breath to escape the stench. I could use a bath, but there’s no water in sight despite the incessant dripping, so I snatch the fresh clothing from Lowri and glower at her.
“I trusted you.” My voice is a mere whisper as I stare at the Skinchanger. I climb into the too-big trousers and pull the strings as tight as I can.
Lowri shrugs. “I know.”
I fumble with the ties, making a knot as my stiff fingers won’t allow for a bow. After dragging the tunic over my head, I pull my braid out of the clothing and push it back over my shoulder. Like my hands and the dress I’ve just removed, my hair has taken on its share of blood. I try my hardest not to cringe. Ellynne did such a good job styling it, and now her blood is all over her handiwork. I close my eyes and breathe through the memory of Ellynne dead in my bed.
“It’s easy to trust someone who you think is beneath you, isn’t it?” Lowri asks, and my eyes fly open.
“I nevertreated you as subservient.”
