Page 69 of The Lost Princess

The figure laughed; a rough, wicked sound that didn’t bode well for either of us. He didn’t react at all to my voice magicks. His eyes raked up and down my form, greed practically pouring off him as he rubbed his hands eagerly.

“An unmated female. You’re a valuable one. Better make sure the king triples my price. Otherwise I’ll be taking you with me. I can already think of nine ways until Sunday to use you.” His voice was harsh with an odd, gritty accent I’d never heard. Before I could react, he punched Selena in the temple and she went down hard. I growled, baring my fangs and flaring my wings as much as I could in the tight space.

He chuckled. “None of that now. Go to sleep.”

His arms shot forward, faster than I could track. I managed one scream before a sharp pain exploded against my temple, and I crumpled to the ground.

ChapterTwenty-Two

KAIDA

Blinding pain was all around me, utter agone in my wings and head. I coughed roughly around the dry gag that had been retied around my neck.

I wassickof being beaten unconscious.

And worse, I was in the cage again.

“Finally. Next time don’t hit her so hard.”

I opened my eyes to see Alfred and the man from the passageway stoically regarding me. The man looked like a pirate. Or at least, what I imagined pirates to look like. Selena always told the most fantastical stories about them.

This one was covered in leathers and belts. Dark kohl smudged under dark eyes and a hat with a feather perched on his head. He leaned back against a pillar, casually picking his nails with a small dagger. Leather boots were scuffed and dirty, and when he caught me staring, he flashed disturbingly white teeth at me. “I got the job done. I’ll expect more payment if you intend on me sticking around.”

That accent grit against my nerves in a way I couldn’t explain.

Alfred stuttered, angry, “The payment is for your continued consultationon how to deal with these creatures, especially if we capture the male. It wasn’t just for her capture.”

The pirate lifted a dark eyebrow sarcastically. Alfred turned bright red. I think I’d like this pirate man if he hadn’t assaulted me.

Wait.Capture the male? That’s right; he wanted to use me to lure Nasi in to get us both. I kept my mouth clamped shut. No more screaming. No more accidental distress calls. I wouldn’t risk Nasi. Not after everything he’d done for me.

Alfred leaned in toward my cage, wrapping his hands around the bars. “Now, since you’ve shown a taste for sedition and treason, I think a bit of punishment is in order. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Can’t afford that. But I also want to show you off to the public. So view this as a win-win.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. I shot a look at the pirate. He smirked at me.How had he avoided my voice magicks?More importantly, how did he know so much about drakens?

As if reading my mind, he popped out a tiny, white piece of wax from his ear. He waved it at me sarcastically, then popped it back in.

Alfred’s sharp command broke my chain of thought. “Open the doors!”

Four guards appeared on either side of my cage, easily lifting and carrying me toward the front of the entrance hall where the doors to the main balcony were thrown open by more guards. This balcony faced the city front and center and was used during celebrations or to give announcements to the people.

The guards grunted and heaved as metal chains clanked and attached to my cage. A large hook dangled from the stone high above us from the parapets, and thick chains wrapped around the top and attached to the stone pillars. The guards grabbed the ends and yanked. Inch by inch, my cage rose to dangle in plain view of all.

My heart flipped in my chest as I realized what Alfred meant to do. I wouldn’t let him. I couldn’t control much, but I still hadsomecontrol. I closed my eyes.

A crowd quickly gathered, pointing up and gasping in disbelief at the cage hanging in the hot sun, its prisoner on full display for everyone to see.

Alfred grinned nastily, but it faltered as looks of disgust and panic met him from the crowd. The pirate laughed uproariously as he glanced at me, bending over to smack his hands on his knees in mirth. Alfred glanced up and went purple in rage.

The crowd was yelling now. Screaming obscenities at him as they looked upon their human princess, naked in a cage and bare before the entire world.

“Change back right now!” Alfred roared, and I couldn’t help my own smirk as I locked eyes with the pirate. He twitched his hat down a fraction of an inch in grudging respect at me.

“Sir, I recommend releasing guards to control the crowd—”

“CHANGE BACK NOW!” Alfred demanded, ignoring his captain’s anxious looks toward the gathering mob below us.

“You sure you want the trouble? I can take her off your hands for the right price,” the pirate offered chummily. I hissed at him, and he blew me a kiss back.

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