Page 101 of The Dawn of the Cursed Queen

Gods, I would die for this woman.

I FORCED ANOTHER SPOONFUL OF THE MUSH THEY SERVED HERE INTO my mouth and hunched my shoulders, trying to appear smaller than what I was. I just wished to draw less attention after the brawl. A man to our right yelled and launched himself across the table, punching another prisoner in the face. Guards rushed forward and separated them. The guards were not gentle, taking out their anger on the prisoners while the rest of the room tried and failed to mind their business. No one wanted a rehash of before. Some were still bruised and battered, while others just wished to stay in their cells.

“I still think it’s a waste of time,” Orym said, shifting next to me.

“We cannot leave them here,” I said, taking another bite.

“I still can’t believe it.”

“I can,” I remarked.

Just like on the trail here, other prisoners had started sitting with us. Many of the guards were still pissed about the fight, and I think they thought I’d protect them. I’d saved and helped as many as possible while maintaining the diversion itself. I just hadn’t wanted anyone to get killed in the process, which was why our table was now full.

They spoke amongst themselves, not paying Orym and me any attention, just as we told them to. Dianna had formed a new plan, and gods, I loved her for it. After seeing the files she’d snuck down to us last night, we’d learned this prison was more of a holding cell with limited capacity. Only the prisoners Nismera truly wanted stayed alive, which was us here on this lower level. The others were killed the day they arrived and then tossed outside the castle walls to keep the creatures who stalked these mountains fed and away.

I stopped eating and lowered my spoon, my eyes drawn toward the upper levels. Taotl walked down the row, no one else noticing who really lay under that skin. A small smile crept over my face to see the nearly seven-foot commander with a tail tipped in dark fur dragging behind him. He glanced toward me with a flash of red eyes. The gleam was so quick that I would have missed it if I hadn’t been looking right at him. It didn’t matter what form she wore. I could spot her out of a crowd of millions. It was as if my soul was drawn to her, seeking the connection. I adjusted myself in my seat, the memory of this morning making me hard.

It had been weeks since the woods, and I hated every second I couldn’t be inside her, and from the look she shot my way, I knew she felt it, too. Whether she wore a suit of armor or the form of vermin, she was always watching me, never too far away. Gods above, I loved her more for it.

I’d never been one who needed protection. I was always the one running headfirst into any battle. It was just another thing we had in common. She and I were the same. Both of us had been given far too many responsibilities at a young age, forced to care for those around us and keep monsters at bay. Only hers were more physical than mine. I was the one the kingdom depended on. Sure, I had The Hand, but I was still alone. With Dianna, I did not have a single worry or fear that she wouldn’t completely have my back. My only fear was for her, never of her.

“Are you listening?” Orym nudged me.

I pulled my gaze from her and looked at him. “Did you say something?”

“Yes, your plan? I heard you and her whispering last night.”

I glanced back toward the spiraling rails, but she was gone. I raised my spoon to my mouth, speaking around it. “She found a map of the prison layout,” I said.

“Even with that information, you run a risk. The beasts that stalk these cliffs are evil. They have talons the size of my head or yours, and they scour the skies, waiting to snatch us up and kill us. Why do you think they waited for so long to come here? They had flown north for a season, and now they’re back and out of food, I might add,” the dwarf, Ozean, said, pointing his spoon at us.

“I have a plan for that,” I said, pretending to laugh at what one prisoner near me said. The others followed suit, acting as if we weren’t plotting to leave this place.

I nodded toward the back, and Orym stood.

We walked out the back of the dining hall, heading toward the cells. We walked down the curving rocky steps, guards standing in every hall. It wasn’t until we reached our floor and passed the guard on that level that I spoke.

“I plan to form a tunnel to get everyone here out,” I said, checking to make sure we were not being followed or overheard. I ducked into our dug-out cavern cell and sat on my small cot. Orym sat down across from me, leaning his elbows on his knees.

I reached under the cot, grabbed the map Dianna had stolen, and unfolded it. A long spiraling tunnel took up the top page, showing the tip sticking out of the top of the mountain. Exits were clearly marked, and it was easy to find the main gate we’d entered through. I flipped the page to one that showed the layout of the cells and how they all curved around the central structure. I placed it between us, pointing to what I needed.

“This portion of the prison is the most vacant. I think they used it once as a storage unit for something, but Dianna went there the other night, scoping it out as she said, and it’s empty.”

“Empty?” Orym’s gaze flicked up.

I nodded. “If I can make an escape tunnel that leads up, I can connect it through the lowest levels near Savees’s cell,” I said, tracing the path I wanted to take.

“If you do that, it will come out at the bottom of the mountain, straight at the river’s edge. Away from those treacherous creatures that fly high above the mountains.”

“Exactly.”

His eyes scanned mine as if I were crazy. “I mean no disrespect with this. I know your name and what you’re capable of, but with that,” he pointed to my midsection, “I know your power has not fully returned. They still speak of it burning in the sky. Digging a tunnel of that length will take—”

“Power,” a voice said from the doorway.

We both turned as Dianna dropped the illusion, her lean form replacing that of the ghastly male commander as she stepped inside. She placed her hand on Orym’s shoulder, patting it as she sat down.

“Don’t worry about the tunnels. I got started on them while you all were sleeping the last few nights.”

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