Page 25 of Beneath the Flames
I angrily swiped at my burning eyes, the hatred I felt for Rhydian for taking me away from them curling my hands into fists.
A light knock sounded at the door, so faint I thought I might have imagined it.But then a quiet voice came through the wood.“Maren, are you awake?”
Nico.
The air whooshed from my lungs in relief that it wasn’t Rhydian, and I shook my hands out, trying to rid myself of the scalding fury flooding my veins.Crossing the room on tiptoes, I stopped at the door, bracing myself.What did he want?Was Rhydian going to make good on his threat of a prison cell and Nico was here to deliver me there?Or was it something even worse?Maybe he’d come to bring me to my execution.
Get ahold ofyourself, Maren.We’re going to get out ofhere.Alive.
Sucking in a breath, I held it as I twisted the knob and found Nico’s bright blue eyes staring up at me.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice staying quiet as if he were afraid of waking others up.Except there were noothers.Without asking my permission, he shuffled past me and headed straight for the fireplace.“Rhydian thought you might be cold,” he said by way of explanation as he threw sticks into a neat pileand started a fire, with much less effort than I had expended last night.Soon, there was a blazing fire roaring away, and he walked back to the doorway.I sighed in relief as I stood next to the flames, holding my frozen hands as close as I dared.
I ignored his comment about Rhydian caring if I was cold.My kidnapper didn’tcareabout me.
“What time is it?”I asked.
His eyes widened like it should have been obvious.“It’s seven past moon rise.”
“Moonrise?”Not sunrise?
Nico nodded, giving me an odd look that made me feel extremely stupid for not knowing what moon rise was.
I glanced toward the balcony doors.“How could they have risen?The moons haven’t moved since I was brought here.”
Nico’s face twisted into an amused smirk.“They’ve moved.You just have to knowhowthey move.”
Great, more mind games.
“When does the sun rise?”I tried, momentarily warmed enough to walk over to where he stood just outside the door.Surely it had to get light at some point.
A crease formed between his brows.“The sun?”
“You know, the giant orange ball in the sky that lights everything up?Makes the air warm?”
Nico gave me a blank stare before shaking his head.“There’s no such thing here.”
Dread settled into my gut like a ton of bricks.“No sun?You mean it’salwaysdark?”
He shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal that this world lived in perpetual darkness.“You’ll get used to it.I’ve heard the other kingdoms don’t have constant night, but I’ve never confirmed it.”There was a sadness in his eyes as he said the last part—as if he regretted not seeing for himself.
“Doesn’t the darkness get to you?”
Nico hesitated, his body tensing at my question before saying, “There’s no power in darkness other than what you give to it.”
I blinked several times, unable to understand how a young boy could say such a thing.I wasn’t even sure how to respond to that so instead, I asked, “Why haven’t you ever left this place?”
From the way Nico’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, I must have hit a topic he didn’t want to discuss.His mouth popped open, but nothing came out.
I took advantage of his silence and asked a different question, one I might not have the chance to ask again.
I stepped closer.“Is there really no way for me to leave Eroth?”
Nico paled, fidgeting with his hands.“Not without magic.”Then he winced as if he regretted the words, as if he knew he shouldn’t have said them.
So therewasa way to leave?I just needed to find someone with magic who could get me home?Could I convince Nico to do it?
“Please, Nico,” I pleaded.“Please help me.I have two younger siblings.Lila and Joey—they need me.”
