Page 152 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

Was I really that horrible to be around? I bit the inside of my cheek. Maybe I was.

I shook my head.

“What? No. It was never like that. We each had our duties. We knew what we had to do to keep our kingdom running.”

“Yes, and you conveniently got the job where you got to leave. Do you know what it was like for me? To watch Father slip away day after day and never be able to escape?”

I didn’t know what to say. Had Gideon wiped her mind entirely and rewritten the very fabric of who she was, or had she always harbored this resentment, and Gideon just found a way to release it?

“I… I’m sorry, Baylis.”

“Save your fucking apology for someone who cares.” She scoffed and left.

“I’m not getting paid enough for this shit,” Alwin muttered under his breath, shutting the door behind him.

I sat in silence for a long time. My heart was heavy with a thousand emotions. Anger and guilt fighting a war inside my mind. I should have protected her, but what could I have done? I was fighting my own demons for years while Gideon was shaping her into the acolyte he always wanted. My breath turned to vapor in the cold air. With no window to the outside,I couldn’t tell what time it was. They left me water but didn’t realize I couldn’t drink it with my hands tied behind my back. Was this intentional cruelty or just sheer stupidity?

I had to get out of here, but first, I had to remove these manacles. Twisting my wrists in the shackles, I tried to slip my thin wrists out, but they were tight. I gazed around the barren room. There was nothing here to help me. I would have to get out another way.

I pushed myself up against the wall again. The iron still burned my wrists. I listened at the door for their voices but could hear nothing. They could have put up a sound shield, though Baylis didn’t have that kind of magic, and I didn’t suspect Alwin did either.

I tried the knob, but it was locked.Shit. Okay, it’s time for plan B. I kicked the door as hard as I could.

“Hello! I need to relieve myself!” I called to no one. “Hello! Did you hear me?”

Silence answered my call.

Examining the door, I noticed its age. The hinges surely hadn’t been tightened in years. Could I risk making that much noise? No. Best to try and find another way out. A poker leaned against a fireplace on the side wall. If I could angle it just right, I could break the taut chain binding my hands. That’s if I could get the poker to stand straight.

I blew out a breath, annoyed at my lack of options and even more annoyed I let myself get into this situation.

Using the fire poker as leverage, I hooked the ring of my manacles over the top then pulled as hard as possible against the metal spike, praying the base held. For a moment, I thought it would work. The metal bent against the strength of the poker, but it did not break.

Gritting my teeth, I pulled harder. “C’mon.” They did not break. Exhausted and still sore from the wound in my back Islunk to the floor. I’d have to find another way out. I looked at the door once more. It was risky, but I could probably break it down.

I weighed my options: I could stay here and wait for them to call Gideon or Erissa or whoever, or I could try to make a break for it.

Fuck it.

Hurling myself at the door, I lowered my shoulder to take the brunt of the impact. The wood creaked and groaned as I slammed my body into it, but it did not break. Pain throbbed through my shoulder. I checked the hinges again. They were looser. Dare I try again?

I held my ear to the door. If anyone were on the other side, they would surely have heard me. I braced myself for Alwin to come bursting through, trying to think of an excuse. My blood pressure rose, and I winced.

Nothing.

No one.

Huh.

I backed up one more time and hurled myself at the door again. The wood cracked. The door fell open, and I along with it. Dust billowed in the air and clogged my lungs. I coughed, trying to clear it. My head buzzed.

I tempered the lightness in my chest. A small success, but Alwin and Baylis could be lurking around any corner.

Slowly, I got to my feet, using the wall for support. I looked around for a way out. Two low-burning candles lit a decrepit hallway. Just like in my room, wallpaper peeled from the wall, revealing exposed boards and old brick. The smell of dust and cobwebs filled the space. Moonlight trickled in through the boarded-up window. Were we still in Ruska or someplace else?

I tip-toed down the hall toward what I thought was a staircase, using the dim moonlight as my guide, listening for anysign of Baylis or Alwin. The ancient floorboards creaked beneath my delicate steps. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I wanted to cut and run, but I needed to be smart. Being flighty would not help me now.

I held my breath as I worked my way down the stairs. Each step brought me closer to freedom. A fire roared in the hearth. I could make out Alwin’s silhouette slouched in a chair. His massive hand was still wrapped around a bottle of amber liquor. The sound of his snoring drowned out the crackling fire. Did he have the key to my shackles? Even as I thought it, I knew he didn’t. Baylis wouldn’t risk it. She was a hardened warrior now. A master of her domain, she wouldn’t trust just anyone with the keys to my freedom.

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