Page 27 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
I gritted my teeth. My wolf paced restlessly, pushing me to find a way out. If only Ember were here. She’d know exactly what to do.
I shook the thought away. Fortunately, my sister was safe on Earth. “Tell me who they’re keeping alive with your blood, then. What do you know about her?”
“Not much. No one is looking.” His voice moved as if he were trying to stand. “Ironic, isn’t it? She won’t die, but I will. Then they’ll find someone else.”
I stepped on a loose stone, and as I put my weight down, it shifted, and I twisted my ankle. Chest heaving, I held back a whimper, not wanting to freak out Elias any more than he already was. I couldn’t stop just because I’d gotten another injury, so I hobbled around the cell until my ankle swelled up and I could barely feel the bottoms of my feet.
My fingers burned from pressing so hard against the icy stone and the trickling water. My body felt heavier, and my clothes were almost entirely drenched.
Did having someone looking for me count if they weren’t in this realm? Did Many-Greats-Grandfather really understand the issues of this place? I couldn’t help but wonder if he truly understood the dire situation I was in.
He might wait too long to try to do something about my situation.
No. I couldn’t let my thoughts become negative. That wouldn’t help anything. I knew my sister, and she’d keep looking unless she physically couldn’t any longer. I needed to channel her strength and determination.
There had to be a way out.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been looking. Time moved weirdly, with no light to indicate its passing. I glanced down and saw blood trickling from under my feet. I was in worse shape than I realized, which meant I’d been exploring the cell for longer than I thought.
The ground began to tremble, and Elias whimpered, “It’s time.”
I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but the entire cave shook around me, so hard that my ankle and feet gave out. I dropped hard on my butt and looked up just in time to realize that all my pain was about to be over.
I was going to die.
Chapter Eight
Vad
“Firellan’s Spine?” I demanded. It was the smallest of the prisons but the most vicious, the one where they sent political dissidents, hardened criminals, and vicious traitors. The tortures and punishments they inflicted in that place?—
I snapped my shadows back and released Deln. He dropped as low as he could in the seat, his limbs bruised and his fingers twitching as he spluttered. Blood dripped from his cheeks and covered his shirt.
Only a small measure of satisfaction pulsed within me to see it. Nothing would compare to when Briar was back in my arms and the true murderers of my father were punished along with anyone who had dared to lay a hand on her. The chill that spread within me urged me to resolve this swiftly so that I could go to her.
“What do we do with him now?” Thalen asked, though his tone suggested he knew what would ultimately happen and simply wondered about the method. He dissolved the tiny windblades and straightened, but his face had gone paler than usual, likely because he, too, knew what that prison meant.
My eyes narrowed at the gasping wretch. “One more question.” I held up a finger as I stepped toward him. “Did you enjoy hurting Briar?”
His gaze lifted to mine, and his face twisted in response, blood trickling from his mouth as he whimpered. He wanted to lie. I could practically see the rusted gears of his mind spinning as he tried to come to an answer that would be true and yet not reveal this. But there was none. I let the silence sit, my shadows and wings bristling. His silence was as good as a confession.
My shadows shot out once more with only one internal command: tear. With stunning precision, they shot into him and pierced his heart and lungs. He convulsed and spasmed, blood spilling like water onto the stone.
My shadows drew back, but the hollowness in me remained. This wretch’s death had done little to sate me. Urgency coiled tighter in my chest as I straightened my shoulders. “Deal with his body. Make sure no one finds him. We’ll deal with the second one later, when his disappearance won’t be as likely to be noticed.”
Thalen swiped his hand through the air. The previously invisible circle around the chair and Deln flared into view, and then the lines binding it thickened. “I know nothing is going to keep you from going to Firellan’s Spine, but as sure as the void is dark, you aren’t going in there alone. The body won’t go anywhere. We mask the door, and I go with you.”
My chest tightened, a mixture of irritation and gratitude cutting through me. For all his goofiness and ridiculousness, Thalen was a relentless ally. “If you can keep up, fine. Not wasting time arguing with you.” I strode toward the door, my boots splashing in the blood. The room spun for a moment, but there was no stopping what happened next.
Hold on, Briar,I’m coming for you.
Thalen followed half a step behind me. By taking the back halls in the palace, we avoided risking more delays. Most of the servants, attendants, and others who would be awake at this time were in other corridors. We moved toward the Hall of Receiving, knowing that we needed to use the hallways to get to the prison fast. I couldn’t show weakness until I returned, or I’d risk all the kingdoms learning of my dire situation.
We entered the Receiving Hall, a chamber where each kingdom’s sigils glowed in the walls. The large shadow beast sigil set into the center of the floor was second in size only to the one in the throne room. Six tall, narrow stone arches stood at the back of the enormous room, each with a set of three marble stairs and a small platform leading up to it and flanked by the banners of the kingdom the archway allowed access to. A pair of Shadow guards stood on either side of each entrance, with a single messenger from each kingdom represented on the right. The guards stood at attention, postures rigid and halberds or spears clasped firmly in their right hands. The messengers were alert but more casual in their poses, at least until they noticed me.
Clad in dark gray robes with a multi-colored belt fastened at his waist, Buldan the Shadow messenger on duty stiffened. Panic flashed in his purple eyes, as if he thought he’d been caught failing in a task. His peaked cap almost slid off his slick, dark hair before he straightened his shoulders. He crossed to me, drove his arm across his chest, and bowed his head. “Your Highness, the traditional notices have already been sent, but the leaders have not had time to organize their response beyond the initial extension of regrets.”
I brushed that aside, not caring about the gifts or words the other leaders would send. “Hold your station, Buldan. That’snot why I’m here. Stay alert.” I spoke harshly, with no hint of weakness.
