But I’d be back. Unlike his mother, who hadn’t been able to cheat the grave, I would not let the beyond claim me. If I had to crawl out of this place, freshly whipped and randomly orgasming, I would. I would make it back to him just as soon as I could.
And I’d bring the cavalry. The dragon cavalry.
Click.
The sound snapped me back into the moment.
Was that…a lock clicking over?
I stared in absolute bewilderment as the door to Vemar’s cell slowly swung open.
What in the holy fuck, I thought as my dragon thought, Holy fucking shit, did that just happen?
He stepped out, facing my way. A cunning grin lit his face.
“Hey, Strange Lady…” he said in a singsong voice. “Time to see if you can use that sword, hmm?”
“Dragons handle their own problems,” Mr. Baritone said as another click rang out. His door swung open next. My heart started pattering a little faster. “And we have a problem with you. Now that things are a little more settled, there are some questions that need answering. It’s time you start talking.”
EIGHT
FINLEY
I opened my mouth to ask what possible problem they could have with me when Vemar spoke again.
“You are awfully quiet, Strange Lady.” He walked slowly down the left side of the main chamber, his hand out and fingers grazing the bars of the cells. Occasionally he hit someone’s arms or knuckles. He gave a tiny jerk every time, as did the person being touched.
They couldn’t see in the dark. Their animals were still suppressed. Whatever was happening now, whatever issue they had with me, I had an edge. I also wondered who exactly had the issue. Mr. Baritone had offered to help me that first night. Then again, he seemed like the alpha around here. He might’ve been using the collective we. And Vemar had been chatty with me this whole time, at least compared to the rest of them. He seemed to care about how much the officers were hurting me. What was his part in all of this? What had I done? Or was he just the muscle of the group?
Regardless, whatever was happening wasn’t good. I needed to make a move.
Gritting my teeth, I moved slowly and quietly to the opposite side of my cell. I braced my hands on the ground. Little sparks of pain erupted all over my body, but I ignored them.
Can you temporarily cut off Nyfain from feeling what I do? I asked my dragon as I pushed more weight onto my hands and got my feet under me before pushing to standing. More pain vibrated through me, not pleasant but endurable.
I don’t know about cutting him off, but I can muffle what he feels. The dragon will know I’m doing it, though. He seems to keep a close watch on our connection.
Muffle it, then. It’s fine if he knows. Maybe he’ll realize I don’t want to be interrupted.
Vemar reached the end of the last cell and paused. He tilted his head a little, and his other hand came out, as though he were getting ready to feel his way forward.
Back straight now, I took a few deep breaths, trying to work oxygen into my tired mind and aching body. Pleasure seeped into my blood—Nyfain was clearly on call.
I carefully stepped forward, aiming for little pockets of cleared straw so that I didn’t make any noise. In addition to not being able to see in the dark, Vemar’s hearing wouldn’t be as acute as mine.
He can’t smell Nyfain with his animal suppressed, my dragon thought. Pull out his dragon and let that beast take a nice, big whiff. That’ll slow this escapade a little.
It also might have him changing shape, which would wreak havoc, bring the officers or guards to kill him, and probably get me slapped with nuptials to Jedrek so the demon king can once again suppress you. Remember how we forgot to stipulate that he had to keep the spell off our people even after the marriage?
Nyfain resisted the suppression.
Nyfain shifted to do so. We don’t know how. Stop distracting me. I’m the brains of the shifter pair, remember? You’re the brawn.
I reached the side of my cell and gripped the bars.
Now what, Miss Brains? my dragon asked.
Damn good question. I had no fucking idea.
Vemar’s feet shuffled against the stone as he continued to move forward. Then he hit the rough stone wall to my left and felt along it in the direction of my cell, sightless eyes wide and staring at nothing.
“I know you hear me, Strange Lady,” he said, his voice low and raspy. “Are you nervous?”
No, just fucking curious why you’re coming for me, I thought, swallowing.
Mr. Baritone stood beside his opened door, head tilted to the side and down. Listening. Waiting. No one else had come out of their cells, but everywhere I looked, hands gripped bars or hung through them, everyone listening. Everyone waiting like Mr. Baritone. Clearly they were all in on this.
One thing I hadn’t properly realized as I was walked or dragged past Mr. Baritone or even Vemar—they were fucking huge. They were the same kind of big as Nyfain, especially Mr. Baritone. He stood tall and proud and confident, shoulders held back and huge arms dangling at his sides. What must he have looked like before he was imprisoned? Even in the darkness I could see the scars running down his body, not unlike Nyfain’s. He didn’t have a powerful bond mate to help him circumvent the pain. His pain tolerance—all of their tolerances—would be incredible.
These guys aren’t going to be any fun to tangle with, I thought miserably. Especially in my current state.
Deep breath. Another. My head cleared. Pleasure zinged around my body.
Muffle that bond, I told my dragon.
I did. Start trying a little harder to feel the fucking thing.
I grimaced and sent rage and annoyance through the bond. I felt a command for him to cut it out. I had no idea if he’d understand, but it was the only idea I had as Vemar worked closer, awfully slow now. Suddenly he was trying not to make any noise.
He stopped when his fingers touched the first bar of my cell. He lifted his hand until he was grazing the upper bars. He stood tall, about Nyfain’s height, mostly straight-backed now but with a little stoop he’d probably earned from this place and would likely never see the end of.
He wasn’t smiling for once. His dark brow was furrowed in focus as he carefully made his way past the bars, working toward the door. I pulled my hands back, but didn’t move yet. He was close enough to grab. I could yank him in, turn him, and get hold of his neck before he knew what hit him. I could kill him a moment later.
Though what if it wasn’t a key he had, but something to pick locks? I didn’t know how to do that. It would be no good to me.
Then again, an attack from a mad dragon wouldn’t do me much good either.
He edged along, his fingertips skimming above, his body coming evenly with mine.
I held my breath, taking his measure. From a distance, I’d thought him lanky. I’d expected him to be weak and frail. And, compared to his former self, maybe he was those things. But not compared to me. He might look starved, but he wasn’t much smaller than a healthy Jedrek, and I knew his prowess and dragon rage would make him explosive in a fight.
Fuckity limp-dicks.
The breath almost went out of me. I’d always been larger than the other women in my village. Larger than many of the men, even. But I had the feeling I was not large for a dragon. Because I knew that Mr. Baritone was bigger still.