Page 14 of Nightmare's Dance

“Okay, that’s cool as shit,” I muttered. At least something down here seemed to like me, even if it was a piece of shadow clothing.

I exercised until I was as loose as I was going to get after abusing my body. Then I sat on the mat and tried to figure out what to do. When I jerked my eyelids open one too many times, I lay back and let myself sleep. I had no answers and no reason not to nap.

With no way to mark time, and no actual change in my environment, I couldn’t tell the passing of time. Meals were sporadic, though I noticed a pattern after a few cycles of sleep. If I dreamed about food, the quality of what appeared in my room would be vastly better than if I didn’t. After that, I tried to think about what I’d like my next meal to be before I fell asleep. Whoever was reading my dreams and preparing my food didn’t always get it right, but after I discovered I could influence them, the meals were a lot better than the first attempt to feed me. They’d even managed chocolate cake, once.

With nothing else to do to amuse myself, it became some sort of game. See if I could dream what I wanted for my next meal. I also tried dreaming about Geraint, but that, unfortunately, didn’t produce the same sort of results. Those dreams just left me feeling empty and lonely, or horny and lonely, not to mention worried about my knight. My dreams, and learning to change the appearance of my clothing, were my only amusements outside of exercise.

I needed my knight, but I remained completely alone, the only sounds ones I made or the running water I sometimes left on just to have some noise. Even listening at the door produced nothing.

Finally, I started drawing on the walls with the shadow stuff. Landscapes, memories of home, using my fingers and the shadow to paint the walls. Then I erased it all like some sort of Etch-A-Sketch.

I started to understand why solitary isolation was such a harsh punishment.

Days must have passed before the door finally swung inward.

Eyes wide, I stared, covering my mouth with my hand, afraid to speak.

My knight glanced around the room before slipping inside and shutting the door behind him.

I threw myself into his arms, and he held me close. Geraint was shirtless, and old and new bruises yellowed and blackened his normal tan. That and his hollowed cheeks and wide eyes told me he’d fared much worse than I had.

“Geraint, what is going on?” I sobbed, tears coating my cheeks.

He held me tightly, rocking me. “I don’t have time to explain,” he whispered. “I have to go before they figure out I’m not in the cell they left me in.”

“But—”

“Shhh, it’ll be okay, Spark. Listen, tonight Prince Baz has arranged a show with all his performers that he’s taken over the years. They’ll come get you, obviously. Do what they tell you. Don’t fight them.”

“But—”

“This is important, Ember. Just cooperate. Act beaten. At the end of the show, you’ll have a chance to escape. Others will help you. I’ll cause a distraction and you just run. Find Prince Nic. I won’t make it out, but you must go.”

“I’m not leaving you, Geraint.”

He sighed and rested his cheek against my head. “I don’t want you to leave me, but you have to. There is more at stake than just you and me. Prince Nic can tell you everything you need to know once you’re safe. They probably won’t kill me, Spark. So, you know, maybe you can rescue me.” He said the last playfully.

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” He was joking. I was serious. If there was a way, I’d find it. Probably a little optimistic, considering I still had no idea where I was. “You are sure there’s no way for both of us to escape?”

“If I can get away, I will, but I don’t think both of us will get out, and you have to.”

“But if you escape, you can rescue me,” I replied, trying to keep the tears out of my voice and failing.

“I am rescuing you, Spark. Right now. Act broken, escape tonight when the opportunity presents. Promise me you’ll run. It’s our only chance.”

Swallowing the sobs trying to escape, I nodded and rubbed at my nose.

“One last thing. Be sure to tell Prince Nic that Baz didn’t recognize you. That’s important, and he needs to know.”

“Why—?”

“If I answer that question, I’ll be here answering more and more questions and we’ll get caught. Prince Nic will tell you everything. I love you, Spark.”

Geraint wiped a tear from my cheek, then pressed his lips to mine.

Before I could clutch him against me and deepen the kiss, the door opened, and Geraint jerked back as if not wanting to get caught kissing me.

“We must go, knight. The Princess agrees?” It was one of the weird gray people, though this one had a bit more animation in his eyes than most.

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