Page 78 of Shifter King
AaQar closed his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "In the morning, I am certain we will all be calmer and wiser. But no matter what is done, Naatos, you must at least admit that if you are to channel the raiku, you will need to be at your best. You will need full strength and full energy. So that means you will need to rest."
Fair enough. He tipped his head forward. AaQar made decent points. He would need to be at full strength. Or as close as possible. Besides, if they were fortunate, Amelia might reach out to him or find him as he slept. She’d almost leveled him at the sand pit. And he’d fallen a fair distance before recovering himself when she sent him the message about the river.
In a weakened state, he might not be able to survive the secondary consequences of whatever she did if he was out searching for her.
No. It was time to rest. Then he'd fight again.
He stretched out on the table in the little room where he’d first told her his brilliant plan for protecting her. How long ago all that seemed. Even if there wasn't some mystery baby in there, he didn’t want to be in the bedroom where her scent still lingered and the cozy warmth reminded him of the closeness now gone.
She would be back though. He’d find her. And everyone involved in this would pay.
Folding his arms over his chest, he closed his eyes.
The darkness welcomed him.
Sleep might come swiftly later, but for now, he remained in a state of waiting, his own mind open to hers and searching through the darkness.
It wasn’t the easiest of things to do. Just waiting in darkness, hoping she was there. Or that she would be and he could catch her. Without the necklace, aspects of their bond remained tenuous. At least for his reaching her or being aware of where she was.
Curse Vorec. He truly hadn’t died painfully enough.
At least even if he slept, Amelia might find him. If she was well enough or safe enough to enter into the deep mindreading.
Time passed slowly. The minutes eking by. Then a faint brush of a warm presence caught his attention.
There she was!
A SECOND OPTION
The guards flung Amelia into the cell and locked the door. The darkness engulfed her, faint screams and shrieks confirming that she wasn't entirely alone. She curled against herself, wincing at the pain that radiated throughout her body.
The Ki Valo Nakar cursed at her as it burrowed deeper into the recesses of her mind, stopping up its ears as it struggled to hide.
Shrieking crespa, not that she had given much thought to being caught, but that hadn't gone how she expected. She'd assumed the queen would want her dragged back, forced her to answer for herself, and then pronounced some sort of sentence. All of which would have bought more time, albeit not much.
But those guards had just pounced on her and beat her back, sides, and legs with what seemed like hollow sticks. Then they'd dragged her down here.
Not nearly as bad as flogging at least. Not even fractures.
She shuddered. This wasn't the end of it. What would Zorna come up with to answer for this? Zorna would probably consider what she'd done in freeing Eskiatlo a humiliation. By morning, she'd likely come up with a more "fitting" punishment. And it would almost assuredly be more creative than just beating her briefly with sticks.
Oh. The voices and presences of others in this place crowded around her, heavy with fear and crushing in on her.
She stared down at the stone floor, bracing herself and counting to ten as she forced the slow breaths in and out. She imagined building those barriers and boundaries and shields up stronger and thicker.
They would not break her. No matter what they did.
That spasm of fear that flared through her didn't even allow that desperate attempt at bravery to land for a moment. She released another breath. This false bravery wasn't going to work.
She knew better.
Everybody broke. It was only a matter of time. The hatred in Zorna's eyes—she shuddered.
These Bealorns didn't need her to be sane or to like them. All they needed her to do was give them babies. And women had endured in far worse situations for long, long periods. Naatos would find her before they gave up on her having children. But it didn't take long to enact horrors against a person.
"Why couldn't you listen? If you had eaten that woman's soul, you would heal faster. It would only take seven for you to be strong enough for me to move you out of here. Do you think you can survive in this place if you don't? You'll have to do it," the Ki Valo Nakar whispered. "Sooner or later, you'll have to do it. It's your only way out. Anyone would understand this. You can't let them do what they will."
"Just stop. Let me think in peace."Wincing again, she pushed herself to her feet. Torches hung on the walls of the dungeon beyond her cell, the sickly orange light passing through the uneven bars that lined the window in her door. That door appeared to be the only way in or out.
