Page 21 of Caged By the Lich

"How soon?" V asks.

It's quiet for a moment, and I realize that Kaz must have been contemplating when he speaks. "It's getting stronger. I'm not sure how much longer it will stay hidden."

"Well, we'll just have to find it first," V snarls.

I retreat to my room, my head spinning. I suspected he was looking for something in the southern territories, but now, I know for sure. I just don't know what it is.

And I have to wonder what I got dragged into on my father's behalf. What was he mixed up in…and will I have to pay more consequences than the life of a prisoner for it?

V never calls me for dinner. Instead, a guard brings it in for me, and I pick at it before giving up. My mind is too busy, thinking over everything from the last few days, and I end up tossing in my bed before I fall into a fitful sleep where I watch Athena get dragged out of the ballroom instead of me and her fate is much, much worse.

I jolt awake, a scream dying on my lips as the remnants of my nightmare cling to my consciousness. Sweat plasters my hair to my forehead, and my heart races like a trapped animal in my chest. I have to fight the urge to sob, to remind myself that Athena is safe at home and okay.

As I struggle to catch my breath, a movement in the shadows catches my eye. I freeze, my body tensing as I realize I'm not alone. A figure steps into the dim moonlight filtering through the window, and my breath catches in my throat.

V.

His presence, usually so domineering and intimidating, seems different in the quiet of the night. His eyes, typically hard and calculating, now hold a hint of... concern?

"You were crying out in your sleep," he says, his voice unexpectedly gentle.

I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. "It was just a dream," I mutter, hating how weak my voice sounds.

V moves closer, and to my surprise, he perches on the edge of my bed. The mattress dips under his weight, and I instinctively draw my knees to my chest, creating a barrier between us.

"Tell me," he says. It's not a command, but a quiet request.

Maybe it's the lingering fear from the nightmare, or the strange intimacy of the moment, but I find myself speaking. "It was my sister," I whisper. "She was taken instead of me to pay my father's debts, but it was not as easy for her as it has been for me."

V is silent for a moment, his gaze thoughtful. "You fear for their safety," he states, not asking.

I nod, unable to meet his eyes. "I don't know what's happening to them. If they're okay, if they're..."

"They're alive," V interrupts. "Both your father and sister. No one has taken her."

My head snaps up, hope and suspicion warring within me. "How do you know?"

A ghost of a smile plays on his lips. "I have my ways, little rebel. Your family's well being is... of interest to me."

The use of his nickname for me, usually so irritating, now feels almost comforting in its familiarity. I study his face, searching for any sign of deceit, but find none.

"Why are you here?" I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop it.

V's expression shifts, becoming unreadable. "Like I told you, I was called because you were distressed," he says simply.

We sit in silence for a moment, the quiet punctuated only by the sound of our breathing. It's strange, this moment of almost-peace between us. No barbed words, no power plays, just... this.

"Try to rest," V says finally, rising from the bed. "You're safe here, Astrid. Whatever else you may think of me, know that."

As he moves towards the door, I find myself calling out, "V?"

He pauses, looking back at me.

"Thank you," I whisper, the words feeling foreign on my tongue.

He nods once, then slips out of the room, leaving me alone with my tumultuous thoughts.

10

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