But one night, twenty years ago, I forgot.
Zola recognized my withdrawal, lack of sleep, and extreme mood swings for months. Thankfully, that night, she refused to leave my side. She didn’t breathe a word of what happened when she jumped into the shadows of my room. No one aside from her knew how close I had come to ending it all.
And as fate would have it, it was that very night when I finally closed my eyes that I dreamed of the green sand beach.
“Daxton?” Zola asked. I heard her footsteps echoing against the stone floor.
“I’m fine,” I said. “My body is healing between sessions with a salve, and my mind remains unbroken. It’s been days. Not years, Zola.”
“My presence is notallabout you today,” she replied.
I glanced sideways and watched as her hand slid over the stone bricks near the bars of my cell. Her fingers wedged between a crack I hadn’t noticed, pulling at the rock to reveal a secret alcove with a parchment tucked safely inside.
“Your informant?” I whispered. “You exchange your correspondence inthisplace?”
“Always have,” Zola said, her face cloaked in shadow. “Wouldn’t dare change the rendezvous point now. Besides, it helps me keep tabs on you.”
Humph, I grunted. “How thoughtful.”
Zola tucked the parchment into her fighting leathers and disappeared once more in shadow.
“There’s no word from her yet.”
“I didn’t imagine there would be,” I answered. “I never told her about this plan.”
“Idiotic choice,” Zola sneered.
“I couldn’t tell her,” I argued, still careful to keep my voice low. “If I had told her, she would’ve intervened.”
“And I would’ve helped her do it, if she asked.”
I leaned my head against the wall, chuckling softly to myself. “I know.”
“None of us. And I meannoneof us, Daxton, ever wanted to see you in here again.”
“Good thing I have loyal subjects and friends who wouldn’t dare disobey my commands.”
“Stubborn—”
“I heard that,” I said with a laugh that was worth the sting of pain from a cracked rib.
“I meant you to,” Zola snapped.
“And here I thought you checking in on me meant you were going soft.”
“Don’t press your luck, High Prince.”
A faint sound echoed from the underground hallway. I could hear Zola slide her hands to her weapons, but I remained where I was.
“It’s just the rats,” I told her. “After a while, you begin to recognize the difference. Besides, the guards are not due for a session with me today. They had their fill only a few hours ago.”
“I know,” she answered with a trace of unease that only those she kept in her inner circle would recognize. “I exchange communications when you are elsewhere,” Zola said, trying to disguise the pain in her voice. “Our informant shares the whispers from the Aelius court. The people know you’re here.”
“And?”
“And, due to their oaths to Seamus, they are forced to follow him as their high king consort, but there are sections that are beginning to doubt thequeen.”
“Good.” I groaned, absently rubbing my chest.
