Page 96 of Ocean of Silver

The floor was cold and wet as we walked through the damp halls. My bare feet were slowly turning brown from the filth. Muffled screams followed us as we traveled further down. The small windows I had in my cell didn’t exist in the pure depths of this place. The deeper we descended, the more the darkness took over. I kept searching the shadows for Athler. My heart was racing. Tez switched his hold from the chains to my hands, and I rejoiced in the comfort it provided. I hadn’t realized how numb I felt until his warmth seeped into me.

The dungeons were larger than I had realized. I was only kept in a small section of them near the entrance, and I had no idea they went this far below the ground. It spanned down and down, and I had a sinking feeling that they were larger than the castle itself.

Finally, he stopped in front of a door where three more soldiers were stationed. There was a dingy light hanging next to the cell door, the first one we’d encountered since we entered. “Let us pass.”

“I’m sorry, Prince, but we have strict orders. No one is allowed to enter this cell under any circumstances.”

Tezya had switched back to holding my chains. “I’m here to give her a reminder. She’s been acting up for the King. She needs to see what happens when she disobeys. I’ll only need five minutes.”

A long moment passed as they considered. Then they nodded and stepped aside, letting us through. My heart pounded, and sweat was pouring down my back. I couldn’t believe it worked, that we got in. It made me question the brutality Tezya portrayed as the Commander. I was happy it was working, but I figured getting in was the easy part. Leaving would be the challenge. I couldn’t think of one excuse Tez could give that would explain why we were leaving with Peter.

But right now, I didn’t care. I was finally with my friend. I hadn’t seen him since Kole whipped him and the King captured us.

He was still suspended from the ceiling, just a different one than before. The little bit that was left of his cream-colored dress was fully red. He didn’t stir at all. Tezya reached into his pocket and removed two sets of keys. First, he unchained me, then he worked on the locks around Peter’s wrists and ankles.

Peter groaned as he fell into Tezya’s arms. His eyes rolled in the back of his head. I had no idea what his plan was. How we were going to get out of here. The guards were just outside the cell, and we only had five minutes before they came to investigate. I wanted so badly to be able to talk, to be able to ask him what his plan was. I prayed he had one.

I could feel him looking at me. Tezya was hesitating. He sucked in a deep breath, then whispered, “I’m sorry,” which made no sense. Why was he sorry if he was helping us?

Before I could trace the wordwhyon his forearm, he opened the door to the cell. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell at his stupidity. He just unchained us—the both of us—the soldiers weren’t stupid. They were going to catch on to what he was doing. He was still holding Peter up, who was dead weight in his arms, and I had no choice but to follow him blindly.

For a brief second, I thought Tezya was going to hand us over. There was no other explanation for his stupidity. I couldn’t breath, couldn’t focus…

But then his markings appeared. Only it wasn’t the black flames that usually took up his skin. It was golden spirals—Tennebrisian golden spirals.

Tezya turned to the guards. His voice was different. Softer, musical, light. I knew the tone too well… I stared in horror as I watched himcompelthem, “Don’t scream. Don’t make a sound. You aren’t going to alert anyone about this.” Then, he directed his compulsion toward the one furthest from the door, “Go get a healer.”

I watched in disbelief as he immediately obeyed. I was thankful I couldn’t meet Tezya’s gaze right now because I didn’t know what I would do if I could.

A minute had passed before the soldier returned with someone else. The healer’s eyes widened as he took us all in. Tezya compelled them all, “Forget we were here. You never saw us. Continue to guard the cell like nothing happened. The prisoner is still inside. No one came down here.” Then, he turned toward the healer, “Heal him. Then forget you were ever brought down here. You had to go to the bathroom and got lost. You never saw us.”

The healer worked on Peter in silence, blue light radiating from his fingertips. Peter groaned but didn’t open his eyes. “That’s all I can do,” the healer panted as his blue light began to fade, “my reserves are tapped out.”

I could see white hair flash as Tezya nodded. My feet leadened. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t follow. I could distantly feel him pull at my arm, egging me forward. I heard his voice whispering my name, telling me that we had to move now, that we had to get out of here. But I couldn’t do anything. I was in shock. Tezya grunted as he shifted Peter over so that he was only holding him in one arm and picked me up in his other.

Everything was a blur. I kept replaying what I saw.Tezya had golden markings. Tezya used compulsion on the guards.

I blacked out. I couldn’t remember anything that happened from the dungeons to when we met Kallon on the docks. I thought Tezya compelled more people, but I couldn’t be certain. My brain was stuck on replay, constantly rewatching what just happened. I briefly heard him having a rushed conversation with Kallon, but I didn’t retain it, couldn’t process anything.

“Hurry and come to us, Kal. Don’t wait. It won’t be long until the King makes the connection that you helped us. Once Brock is healed, follow us.”

“I will, Tez. I promise.” The purple and black portal flashed, and Tezya jumped into it with Peter and me on either arm.

I didn’t think about where we were going or what would happen next. The only thing I could think was…

Tezya had golden markings.

Tezya had compulsion.

Tezya was from both Kingdoms.

Tezya wasLuxianandTennebrisian.

FORTY-ONE

SCOTLIND

The momentwe portaled onto the shielded balcony of Tezya’s condo in the mortal territory, he sat me down. His golden markings flashed across his skin again as he gently lifted my head to meet his gaze. “You can speak again,” he compelled, eradicating Kole’s prior compulsion. As soon as it vanished, my tongue felt heavy in my mouth.

---