Page 59 of The Oracle of Dusk

Aurora tentatively took the keys from his hands and shuffled forward to unlock the shackles that bound his wrists.

“Thank you. If you’ll allow it, I will heal your wounds to repay you.”

This filthy mountain of a man could heal? She must have looked incredulous because he frowned.

“Do your injuries trouble you so little?”

No, they troubled her a great deal, in fact. They were the only thing holding her back from escaping this prison. Though whether she could evade the high priestess’ reach was another thing altogether.

Aurora chewed her lip. She supposed he’d been good enough not to attack her the moment he’d been freed. And he’d mistaken her for a full-blooded fairy, one of the founding races of Trisia, as cruel as they were whimsical and not to be taken lightly. An error she did not plan on rectifying. Whatever stayed his hand, whether fear or honour, she should not let this chance go by, even if it meant tolerating his prodigious odour.

“You may heal me, Your Majesty.”

His wild magic crashed over her like a wave. Every hurt was magnified. Searing heat replaced every dull ache in her body. She gasped, biting her lip as she tensed against the next wave of his magic. By the time he was through with her, she stumbled back, leaning heavily on the nearest column for support, her breath sawing in and out. Goddess, that was unpleasant. But as the last of his magic faded, so too did the pain. She gingerly slid her arm out of its sling, tested her weight on her splinted leg, and took a deep, full breath for the first time in weeks.

“Thank you,” she said. “And I’m sorry for hitting you.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“If you…if you wish to bathe, the baths here are extensive and they’re down that hallway.” She pointed to them.

“If you’ll excuse me, then.”

Aurora nodded, watching him slowly get to his feet and give her a wide, respectful berth. She wondered how he would fare with the others here. They were a miserable lot—bored, purposeless and angry. It made them unspeakably cruel at times, hungry for new entertainments and escapes from their lives.

“Be wary of the others here. They play cruel tricks, and already see you as their newest toy.”

“Thank you for the warning, madam fairy.”

“Good luck, Your Majesty.”

Aurora raced off after that, eager to get to her room and remove all the bandages and splints that hindered her. If she were lucky, she could be quit of this place in a few days, on her way to Gilvus or Niveum. If Orithyia had no use for her warnings, perhaps Nerio, the high priestess of Justice, or Myrina, the high priestess of Passion, would.

Once inside her small, spare room, Aurora changed out of her ruined gown and eagerly tore off her splints and bandages. She slipped on another gown and went through her mental list. She grabbed the large travel bag she’d put together with sections of her bed linens cut using pilfered silverware and sewn using a stolen needle. Inside, she’d tucked a few of the jewels the other prisoners had left lying on their vanities, as well as the silverware, a few half-eaten loaves of stale bread, and a container she hoped would hold water. Aurora stuffed her trousers, tunic and cloak, as well as another gown and a few unmentionables inside for good measure.

On her vanity, a precious scroll with her drawings—of Phaedra, Silvanus, the holy sword…and Drakon. She’d hoped to show these to Orithyia, but Aurora had no stomach to potentially face off with the woman again. She’d tried asking the other captives here if they recognised the Beast of Old, but none had, and in doing so, she’d only given away that she was not, in fact, a child to be left alone. Placing it inside her satchel, Aurora paused.

Would the king know anything helpful? He was the most recent prisoner here, and he’d been a free man his whole life. If nothing else, he could tell her where the high priestesses of Justice and Passion currently resided. Knowing that would help her set her course once she escaped. Mind made up, she snuck out of her room and made her way to the baths.

A bath attendant was leaving in a huff, a furious scowl on her face.

That boded ill.

Aurora peeked inside, only to be greeted by fragrant steam.

“Your Majesty?” she called.

“Madam fairy?” he asked back, more amused than angry.

“May I come in?”

“As long as you don’t intend to extort sexual services from me in exchange for soap.”

Yes, that had been a lesson Aurora had learned on her first night. She’d opted for being a bit smelly and stolen the first bar she’d found unattended, guarding it jealously. It seemed the king had managed to fight the attendant for his.

“I see you’ve met another of our jailors,” Aurora said, slipping inside.

“Will I be dancing naked for dinner?”

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