“Are you still able to communicate with your mate?” I ask.
“Yes,” Anassa confirms. “The collar was not created with mating bonds in mind. It seems to only block the pack bond, in case you sought to utilize your station to escape.”
I’m still breathing hard and flushed from my outburst, but my heart rate is slowing. It felt good, finally shouting at her for the shit she’s put me through. The petty anger is a distraction from my bottomless pain and rage over Killian’s betrayal, which thrums low and insistent at the back of my mind.
But then she stands, her massive form taking up most of the cell. She pads closer to me, bringing her nose close. Her eyes bore into my soul. Her voice is smooth, unforgiving but lacking outright hostility. “Trust goes two ways, Meryn.”
My cheeks heat. I can’t stop my hand from reaching for her, fingers tangling with the fur beneath her jaw.
“You say I have given you nothing. What have you given me?” She stares just the same, patient and knowing. “You demand I show you my mate in the light, yet you hide away with your prince in the dark.”
“Anassa,” I breathe, eyes widening.
“You may not trust me fully, but I cannot trust you, either. This is why I kept my mate a secret. I could never be certain that you would not have taken his name to the prince.” She lifts her head. My hand falls from her fur. “Regardless, it has benefited us. He has not thought to ward us against mate communication.”
I let out an aggravated breath. I’m still frustrated. I can’t stop the torrent of emotion entirely, especially because Anassa’s own irritation is starting to create a feedback loop.
But a part of me knows that nothing she’s said has been wrong.
“And is your mate here? In the castle?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Who is it?” I try.
Foolish of me to attempt to get a direct answer out of her, I suppose. She merely shakes her lupine head and says, “Perhaps you’ll know soon enough.”
Okay, I get the hint. I take a slower breath and lift my head. “Please, contact your mate now and tell them we need help. Have them get in touch with Venna. I know my trust has been misplaced with Killian, but I truly believe Venna will help us. She can help your mate and their rider get around the guards.”
A tingling awareness shivers over my spine. My soul reaches for something, and my mind jumps unexpectedly to the voice that woke me, demanding I retrieve the crown.
If Killian wants me mad, fine. I’ll use this pain, too, and trust my dream.
“Tell your mate that there is a crown buried under the arena, in the drain at the center. They need to find a way to retrieve it and bring it here,” I say, knowing that it’s right.
Anassa’s gaze is sharp. “Is that a direct order?”
There’s an edge to her tone that carries hidden meaning. Her body is stiff. Her ears trained towards me. Her intensity tells me that her question is important. That the answer is important, too.
My spine tingles again. Looking into her eyes, I know suddenly that itneedsto be an order.
“Yes. Anassa, I order you to tell your mate where the crown is. I order your mate to get the crown and bring it here, to us.”
Anassa looks away from me for a moment. Energy buzzes in the air. Then she looks back at me.
“It’s done.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
The rhythmic echo of my footsteps is starting to drive me mad, but I can’t stop pacing. Anassa’s eyes follow me as I walk back and forth across the cell, rubbing my temples to massage away the headache that lingers even though my wounds are gone.
It feels as though we’ve been waiting here forever. Anassa told me that her mate and rider were successful and that they’re on their way to the dungeons. They’re with Venna, waiting until there’s a change of the guards and they can slip in unnoticed.
The minutes crawl by agonizingly slowly. I’m worried about what Killian’s doing. I’m worried about where Saela might be. I’m worried Anassa’s mate is going to get caught long before they reach us.
Then, footsteps. I finally hear boots in the corridor again and look instinctively towards Anassa to gauge her reaction—and her gaze has softened. The rider’s footsteps are joined by the click of massive direwolf claws on stone. Relief floods me.
And then Stark walks around the corner.
