Page 28 of Beneath the Flames
“If nothing survives, where did this food come from?”
“I use a portal to briefly travel to the border of the other kingdoms to get food—”
“Nico,” Rhydian cut him off.
My stomach twisted at the boy being shut down again.It reminded me too much of my own brother being forced to cower and be quiet.“Let him speak,” I replied.
“It’s better if he doesn’t.”
“Why are you so against me learning anything about this world?”I demanded.
“The less you know, the better off you are.”
“You said I’m going to die here.”
Rhydian said nothing.
“Then you might as well tell me everything.I’m already not safe.Right?”
Nico’s gaze bounced back and forth between us, looking like he desperately wanted to intervene, but he kept his lips tightly sealed.What would Rhydian do to the boy if he were to speak up?Could I get him to talk when we were alone?
Rhydian gave an exasperated shake of his head and went back to eating, and I fought the urge to scream.
“There’s no one else here?”I tried to hide the desperation in my voice, the way my hope that someone else would help me escape was dying in that moment.
Rhydian’s lips twisted into a hideous smirk—if anythingon his frustratingly beautiful face could ever be considered hideous.
“No one.So you can forget about your little plan to find someone to help you get back home.You won’t find a soul.”
How does he know?How does he know what my plan was?
His remarks about knowing what my other kidnapper had been thinking when he was dragging me down the street flitted through my mind.I hadn’t really thought anything of the comment, just thought it was something he’d guessed about the man, but maybe I had been wrong.
Could this man—Dark Fae, whatever—somehow read my thoughts?
My eyes snapped to him, and that smirk widened into a sarcastic smile.
I swallowed hard, unable to bring myself to ask.That smile said enough already.
How was I ever going to get home now?
Anxiety curdled in my stomach, turning the gross leaves I’d eaten into ash that burned the back of my throat.
Silence fell among the three of us, Rhydian seemingly happy to have rendered me speechless for the time being, Nico focusing on his plate as if his life depended on it.I nibbled on a vegetable that looked like a carrot but tasted like a pear, trying not to think about anything at all.If my thoughts weren’t safe around Rhydian, I’d have to be careful not to think about escaping this place.
Rhydian let out an annoyed sigh.“I can’treadyour thoughts, Maren.”
“Then how—”
“My magic gives me the ability to feel the emotions surrounding a person.It’s easy to guess a person’s thoughts once I decipher their feelings.So relax.”
I scowled, though I was secretly elated that he’d finallyexplainedsomething.“Don’t you know you’re never supposed to tell a woman torelax?”
He gave me an unamused look.“Relax, Maren.”
Nico sniggered, pressing his lips together.
Deep breaths, Maren.Don’t let him rile you.He’s being irritating on purpose.
