Page 52 of Feathers and Thorns

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Frustrated, Jai slammed his fists against the stone wall of his cell until his knuckles bled. Finally, after unleashing all his anger toward his uncle on the stone, he sat down next to Adaryn in the ten-by-ten-foot cell.

“I wish you wouldn’t have done that. Now look at you,” she said, using a strip of fabric torn from the hem of her dress to wrap his injured hands.

“We need to get out of here,” he said through gritted teeth.

“Everett will come; you know he will.”

Jai’s plan had solely depended on the trust he had built with his childhood friend, and he was frustrated that Everett had yet to come to them.

“Well, you look like shit.”

The couple turned to see Everett and Erick standing next to the cell, holding a torch.

“About time you showed up,” Jai said, grinning. It had been a day and a half since they had been tossed into the dank cell with nothing but some hardened bread and water to satiate themselves. The chamber pot in the corner had been a whole other ordeal.

“We had to wait until everything settled down a bit. The entire castle is in an uproar, as you can imagine.”

Jai nodded. “I assumed as much. Now get us out of here.”

“I can’t.” Everett’s words were almost a whisper. “Your uncle made strict orders that he be the only person with access to the keys to your cell until you meet the noose.”

“Why has no one come to tell us we have been sentenced to death?” Adaryn asked, horrified.

“Your uncle seems to think you should not be provided such niceties,” Duke Erick answered. “He has turned our wedding day into a public execution. He plans to hang you both in the main market square to make an example of you.”

“How do you know all of this?” Adaryn asked.

“He seems to think I would be angry with you for committing adultery before our nuptials,” he said with a smile.

“So, where does that leave us?” Jai asked, pacing the cell.

“I have a plan, but it is risky,” Erick said. “The execution is set for three past noon, and they have decided to continue with the grand reception as a sort of celebration in the king’s honor.”

“Of course he did,” Adaryn scoffed. “Because why would anyone want a moment to mourn their king before going to a royal party?” She had been wringing her hands so hard that the knuckles had turned white.

“Mrs. Ferndale also received correspondence from Braexmirth that your friends are due to arrive sometime before lunch tomorrow. She had the letter burned, wanting to keep your uncle from knowing you have backup coming.”

“What about the letters of heritage? Do they mean nothing?”

Everett pressed his lips together, wishing he had better news. “Your uncle is the only one who can currently confirm or deny their legitimacy, and he is saying you had them crafted so that you would be named king upon the death of your father. He is saying it was all an elaborate plan.”

Jai groaned loudly, rubbing his hands down his face then grasping the bars of the cell. “I’m going to kill him!”

“And rightfully so, brother,” Everett replied. “But not before we get you out of here first.”

Jai’s eyes grew wide as Everett held up a baggy of questionable powder. “Is that what I think it is?”

“The cleanest batch you’ve ever seen.”

Jai wiped the smile off his face before admonishing his friend. “I thought you quit when I stopped drinking.”

“Yeah, well, I had to find some way to pass the time after you left.”

“Well, thank the Maker for your lack of self-control.” And just like that, their plan was set in motion.

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