Page 3 of To Sway a Prince
He drew back slightly, tilting his head in that way he did when I was missing something obvious. Another dragon snorted in its sleep nearby, sending a puff of smoke curling toward the ceiling.
Nothing made sense. The minimal security, the well-fed dragons, the cleanliness of the cells, Zephyrus's calm demeanor - this wasn't a prison.
That didn't mean it was safe for me. My gut clenched. My nerves tightened. I needed to get us out of here and fast.
His cell was deep, the gaps between the bars wide enough for me to slide through with ease. A dark, empty doorway was situated in the back. No. I wasn't going back through there. We'd go up through the staircase to the observation room.
A heavy iron lock secured his door. It too seemed completely ordinary, no magical signature or sigil work. Strange.
I sheathed my blade, pressed my hands together, and summoned an intricate series of knotted threads to press out through my aura, a small veil that enhanced my awareness, similar in form to a knotted shield but focused more on analyzing the points of contact with each knot and whatever touched the threads. I draped the magical web over the lock. It passed through easily, highlighting the tumblers.
Straightforward. Unprotected.
That was…very unusual. I didn't like it.
I slipped my fingers into my pocket and removed my lock picks. With care, I inserted the tension wrench and worked the pins.
An odd scent struck me. Sharp, cold, bitter. Thread rot! How had he managed that? I tried to counter.
It was too late.
Cold metal snaked around my ankles. The world twisted upside down. My picks clattered to the floor as more chains wrapped around my arms and torso, suspending me from the ceiling.
Blood rushed to my head as I dangled there, my hood falling away and my hair tumbling free. "Polph!"
2
SUSPENDED
How had that wretched sorcerer prince hidden that trap so well? I hated him even more now. Thread rot, this wasn't going well.
I half expected a loud gong or a pressurized wail to go off and inform everyone within miles of my presence. But there was nothing except the clanking of chains and the blue flare of a sigil binding the chains together.
Zephyrus made a rumbling sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
"Why are you laughing?" I demanded. Though I twisted in the chains, they tightened. My left arm was completely pinned, leaving me with nothing more than the ability to twitch my fingers. Whatever magic I channeled that way would be weak. My right had snagged and twisted in an awkward pose. Not much room to work with. These chains bit into my ribs and ankles, metal links cold against my skin even through my riding leathers. "Do something helpful, you big oaf! This is serious. Don't you want to get out of here?"
He cocked his head as he watched me swing and twist in slow circles. Poking his head through the bars, he nuzzled me. His hot breath steamed my hair.
"That's not helpful," I grumbled.
A dark thought occurred to me: what if there was no alarm because anyone who broke in wound up fed to the dragons? It would have been no trouble for Zephyrus to bite me in half. As it was, he just seemed sleepily amused, not doing anything to help me.
"Zephyrus," I whispered sharply.
He huffed again and bumped me with his snout, making me spin faster. His tail smacked the bars with playful energy.
"Zephyrus, no. This isn't the time or the place. Why aren't you being helpful?" Wincing, I wriggled, struggling to loosen my right arm as the chains clanked around me.
My blade pressed against my hip, still in its sheath. If I could just—there. My fingers brushed the hilt. The chains shifted, my arm aching, but I managed to grip the blade with two of my fingers.
A low growl echoed through the chamber. Then another. The other dragons stirred in their cells, their eyes gleaming in the darkness. Some made chirping sounds, others rumbled deep in their throats.
The nearest one—a female with silver-blue undertones beneath her dark-purple scales—stuck her head out. Her long serpentine neck allowed her to get uncomfortably close, though I remained out of the range of her broad jaws.
Another dragon—a silvering dark-green beast who looked like he had centuries on Zephyrus—twisted his head on the other side and leaned in. Torchlight glinted on his teeth.
Best not to make myself swing any more than I had to or else either of those two might nab me. These dragons seemed more curious than hungry or hostile, but curious dragons often used their teeth to nibble and test.
