Page 125 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

A burning hot sensation forms in my stomach and I wrap my arms around myself, pulling my knees up to my chest.

Adeline! Kieran yells in my head.

“I think you want to tell me the truth so badly but you don’t want to betray the person you love the most,” she says as the burning sensation continues. “Maybe slowly cooking you alive from the inside out will help incentivize you to talk quicker.”

“Avira?” someone calls.

Her eyes go wide and I look around. His voice sounds so familiar.

“Yes, Prince Archie?” Avira calls back, the pain in my stomach stopping as she turns around and walks out of the cell, locking it behind her.

“Father is looking for you,” he says.

“Let’s go to him quickly,” she rushes out, sounding almost panicked.

But why?

“Who were you talking to this time?” Prince Archie asks. “What did the person do?”

Avira holds her hands up. “No one. I was just preparing for someone that we think is going to come in soon. You never know when one of the Fae are going to break the law or keep secrets and we need to torture them a little.”

My mind spins with so many questions. Why is she lying to Prince Archie? Why does she sound almost hysterical and is trying to keep him away.

My eyes go wide.

I open my mouth but before I can say anything, my mouth shuts on its own accord and Avira glares over at me briefly.

“Let us go to your father. You know that we should not keep him waiting.” Avira starts to walk, leaving my sight.

Once their footsteps are gone, my mouth opens once more.

“Did you hear that?” I ask Nas.

“I did,” he replies.

Prince Archie doesn’t know I’m in the cell. Is Avira scared of what he’ll do if he finds out where I am? I need to tell someone that can do something. Prince Archie might be the way I can leave this cell.

Kieran? I call out his name.

Silence.

Worry bubbles inside of my stomach but I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out, trying to calm myself down. Maybe Kieran is busy with work and can’t stop to talk.

But Kieran always said he would answer me even if he was busy.

Kieran? Are you there? I ask.

“I can’t reach him,” I whisper, my chest tightening.

“Everything is going to be okay. You’ll reach him soon. He may just be busy,” Nas replies. “Just take a deep breath and slowly let it out.”

I do as he says but the feeling doesn’t go away, it festers and grows inside of me.

“Do you know what this means?” I whisper.

“That no one but a couple of people know that you are down here?” he asks.

“Exactly. There are a few people who are very important and don’t know.”