Page 55 of Claimed By Shadow and Blood
We had to.
"I can, but it’d be better if you told him yourself." I steadied my voice and squared my shoulders. "But I don't know what'sgoing to happen to either of us. So…we need to do what we can to keep our strength up, so we can jump at any chance we have to escape." I lined up the bread with the crack, trying not to think of the dirt and grime that would get on it by the time it reached him.
“You’re relentless, you know that?” Another laugh wheezed past his lips, but he put his hand to the crack. Dried blood lined his fingernails, and his hand trembled. “Fine. If it would please you.”
“It will.” I pushed the chunk of bread through. The thick bread was challenging to chew. Sometimes I had to dip it in water to get it down, which made it taste worse, but at least it didn’t disintegrate when I pushed it through the crack in the wall.
“You’re too good to me.” He drew the bread through. “No one else would do this.”
“Yeah, well, I like to spoil my friends.” The joke fell flat. My body ached, and I curled my hand around the rest of the heavy loaf of bread, my fingernails digging into it. The faint stale, fermented scent provided a reprieve from the filth of this place, but not much. What I wouldn’t give to be back with my friends.
Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.
The dripping of the water had me wanting to pull my hair out. Not only was it driving me crazy, but it also highlighted how uncertain time was here.
“As long as you don’t invest too much in one who is doomed.” He struggled to chew the mouthful and dropped his hand into his lap. “If you have a chance to escape and you can’t bring me, don’t you dare stay back for me.”
My heart clenched, and I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. More than anything, I wanted to reassure him, but I didn’t want to lie. “Elias?—”
“If I find out you had a chance and you stayed behind for me, I’ll curse you, girl. Or maybe I’ll find a way to bring this cavern down on both of us and end our pain.” He glanced at me sidelong and forced a trembling smile. “You’ve done me far greater kindnesses than I ever imagined receiving in this place. I can’t imagine ever walking free in the fire rose gardens again with the sun on my face and the wind at my back, but…somehow I can see you…with Colm’s head beneath your feet.”
A bitter laugh bubbledin my chest, but I held it back. “I’d rip out his throat first.”
I broke off another chunk of bread and passed it to him. My hands felt like they were on fire. I tried not to look at the raw sores that refused to heal.
“Yes, with your…uh…wuf. Isn’t that what you call it?”
“Wolf.” My wolf nudged at me, reminding me of her presence and that she wanted out. She paced, wearing on me, but I focused on the measure of comfort and the lukewarm spots of Ember, Ryker, and the rest of my pack in my chest. They were alive, and I wasn’t ever truly alone. My fingers curled at my chest as my throat tightened.
The door above me slammed open. I jumped as the stone rang out with a deafeningthud.“Hope you’re awake, filth blood,” a new voice sang.
I jammed the rest of the loaf roughly through the crack, and Elias pulled it through as best he could. They couldn’t see me from this angle, so I had a moment.
Heavy footsteps drew closer to the opening in the roof of my cavern cell. Then the grate clanged open.
Not wanting them to realize where I’d been, I ran on throbbing feet to the center of the cave, just as a metal bucket tied to a coil of thick rope slithered through the opening. It clanged into the shallow puddle, sending beetles skittering away from the spray.
Two gray-armored guards peered down at me, one holding the rope and the other aiming a crossbow at me, one metal-gloved finger resting on the trigger.
Of course they’d have bad trigger discipline. These guards lacked discipline and smarts. The only reason I hadn’t managed to attempt an escape again was because they’d left me down here.
"Move your ass, grave kisser," the guard barked. "Step into the bucket. We're in a hurry."
They hadn’t let me leave this cell since Vad’s visit. Had Colm decided to torture me again? My entire body tensed as I stared up at the imposing silhouettes framed against the light. My wolf snarled, making it clear she agreed that we shouldn’t goanywherewith them. "What's going on?"
"Shut your filthy mouth." The guard holding the rope spat, missing me by inches. "Someone important wants to look the king-killer in the eye. Demanded to see you personally. Now get in the damn bucket before I drag you up by your hair."
My heart skipped a beat.A visitor?Could Vad have come back to share a plan with me? Hope blossomed in my chest, but I forced myself to rein it in.
There was no telling who it might be—friend or foe—and my gut twinged. I doubted it was Vad.
My heart twisted squeezed like it was caught in a vise. I didn’t want to go with them.
“Move, or Iwillshoot,” the guard warned.
I didn’t have a choice. But at least I’d have another opportunity to learn the layout of the prison...and another chance to try to escape.
I lifted my chin, refusing to allow them to believe they had broken me. My wolf growled but then whimpered, knowing that she couldn’t surge forward to kill them.
