Page 130 of Haunted

I press my hand against her stomach; I must unmask her secret, so I breathe in her ear. “You carry his child now. You didn’t know?”

Ahnalyn has only a tiny swell. She shows more than what I ever saw her mother show. Niawen was just a few weeks pregnant when she left me. Thinking this builds a fury in my heart-center. I will never be rid of that old pain of rejection.

“You didn’t think to tell him,” I spit in soft words. “Even now you’re wondering whether Brenin would still be alive if you’d told him. He wouldn’t have ridden off to battle to be slaughtered. This is two loved ones you’re responsible for killing. My, how the darkness grows inside you!”

She squirms in my grasp, outrage filling her. I let her go with a snide laugh.

“Your anger feeds me, Ahnalyn. You wouldn’t be so easy to read if you lacked such fear in your heart. Tell me, where’s your dragon? She doesn’t talk to you, does she? Your hardness hides her from your sight.” I cackle. What I wouldn’t give to see Neifion again. Ahnalyn has spent years in the dark, without any knowledge of Seren, her dragon. I can’t suppress the sorrow I feel for her deprivation.

Yet Ahnalyn says nothing. She keeps all her hurt locked deep inside.

Smug, I nod. “You know nothing of what an emrys is. Pity. This shall work to my advantage.” I’m satisfied with the clues I’ve left her. The truth will burn the lies from her eventually.

And it will hurt.

86

Summer becomes a slew of dying life by the time I return with Ahnalyn to my citadel of imposing rough stone. The month of travel is just enough to solidify Ahnalyn’s somber heart into an impenetrable wall, much as my citadel’s.

Her stomach protrudes slightly from beneath her garments. I imagine how Niawen must have looked carrying Ahnalyn, and regret pricks my heart.

I will take care of Ahnalyn. Her child will at least be strong, but despite my vow to keep her safe, she’s my prisoner. I have to put Ahnalyn in the dungeons because I’m molding her.

I purposely keep her secluded for weeks, though she is blessed with the food from my table. A hundred times more generous than what I’d do for any prisoner.

Studying her emotions and discerning her light from a distance is unbearable. I have to visit her.

How I wish I could tell her everything.

I wish I could tell her how much I loved her mother—

Until she tore my heart out.

Ahnalyn paces her cell, but she freezes when I approach. I unlock the door and step inside. She has meager light from a window high in the wall facing south. The cell is the best I could give her. When I see how beautiful my fair daughter is despite her circumstances, I can’t help but beam.

“Ahnalyn, you’re glowing! My, how radiant you’re becoming.” I slink toward her. For an instant, I believe I can push old wounds aside and start anew with Ahnalyn. I grasp her chin, turning her face, looking at either side, hoping to see a positive future between us.

“You’re fair-skinned but dark-haired,” I observe airily. “Emrys are fair-haired. Their skin is so light it’s luminescent in the sun. No doubt your hair color comes from your father.” The clue about her hair color is audacious. Surely she must suspect who I am. I lift my eyebrows as I let go of her face, wondering if she’ll notice my subtlety. She’s too disgusted by my touch and pulls away.

I glance briefly around the cell. The smell is nauseating. Compassion fills me. “This cell is abhorrent. If you do a task for me, I can increase your comforts.”

Ahnalyn narrows her eyes. Ah, she doesn’t trust me.

Smart.

She needs a task. Something to practice while she’s stuck in her cell.

“I want you to call your dragon.” I squint at her, puzzling out her emotions. She can manage this.

“I don’t know if I can,” she hisses. “What you ask is impossible.”

Annoyance flecks my patience. Of course she’s difficult. If she only knew how remarkable a bond is between dragon and rider, she wouldn’t hesitate to call her dragon. “Don’t be a fool, Ahnalyn. Your dragon is there all the time. You have to stop being stubborn and allow her into your mind!”

She squares her shoulders. “You presume too much. You forget I know nothing of what you’re referring to. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

I lick my lips, debating how much I should tell her. “Emrys have a connection with their dragons.” I emphasize my words. “The stone around your neck allows you to hear each other. You can see through each other’s eyes. Your dragon would be sorely distressed to know of your discomfort, and she would come to you.”

“How do you know this?” Ahnalyn’s body is tight with rage. “How has she never come before? Where is she even? I’ve had much distress these past years, and she’s never come to me. I don’t believe you—and why would I call her for you?” She turns away, her hands shaking.

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