I’d seen the lengths the king was willing to go to get what he wanted. All he’d have to do was keep throwing demons at us until we were buried under the onslaught. There were too many of them.
But I liked our shitty odds better than the thought of spending another minute away from Nyfain.
Pain sucked at me, pulling me down.
“Two more and then release her,” the first officer said, hovering around me.
“But first officer, I believe the king has no more use for her.”
“That is true, officer,” the first officer said. They never used actual names with each other. Not in front of us, anyway. They didn’t even use nicknames. It was a shame, because I’d given them a few they could’ve adopted. Like Dickface Barney or Turd Goblin Sue. “But that kind of work must be savored, and the end of the cycle is upon us. We’ll finish our other duties before we do his bidding. We have plenty of time.”
“Yes, first officer,” the minion said before doling out two more lashes that stung like hell and then standing aside.
They hauled me back downstairs and to my cell. Jedrek sat with his back to the wall, watching as they dropped me inside.
“I have valuable information for the king,” he told the officers, leaning forward. “Very valuable. About who has been messing with the parties and escape attempts…”
I tried to summon the strength to crawl over and shut him up, but my body wouldn’t work with my brain. My dragon hissed, desperate to silence him. Tamara drifted to her cell bars, but no one else pushed forward with the panic I so keenly felt.
The closest officer laughed as he clanged the door shut. The other shook his head.
“I’m valuable,” Jedrek called out, desperate. “I don’t belong down here. I was falsely imprisoned. It wasn’t me!”
The officers didn’t comment, leaving by way of the stairs and clicking off the light as they did so. I’d be the last prisoner to give them power tonight.
“Lock it up,” one of the officers said to the other as they disappeared from view.
“You are a disgrace to your kingdom,” Tamara seethed, flashing her teeth at Jedrek.
“Nice try, possum,” Vemar called down. “But they’ve heard that before. They’ve heard it all before. The whining, begging, promising the moon. They know better than to believe desperate prisoners at this point.”
“But…” Jedrek scowled at me. It didn’t seem like he was inclined to mate with me anymore. At least there was that. “You…”
I ignored him, belly to the stone, pain thrumming within me. Calia and her sister would take the night off too. We needed to save our strength.
Tomorrow was the big day.
I hoped we hadn’t made several grave errors. We could work with one or two, but several…
Adrenaline pumped through me the next night, and support and encouragement swirled through the bond. Nyfain must know what we were about to attempt.
The other dragons waited in their cells, idle and lounging, amazing actors. I stayed on my stomach because I wasn’t a good actor, and my terror and apprehension was probably showing clearly on my face.
Fuck, what if I got us all killed?
What if we couldn’t cross the bridge?
What if…
I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes, willing myself to relax.
“They’ll believe me eventually when they see the parties don’t change,” Jedrek mumbled, scratching at his head and then his chest. “I won’t have to stay in here.” His voice cracked. “I can’t stay in here. I can’t do this. I can’t be forced to live in this stench, sleeping out in the open with no food or bathroom. I can’t…”
Sobs racked his body, overcoming him. He wilted where he sat, breaking before me. Before us all.
Despite myself, I pitied him. Being the demons’ pet had clearly given him hope. And now that his position, such as it was, had been stripped from him, he couldn’t handle imprisonment. Especially not with a strong alpha dragon pressing on his senses, something that had to feel much more intense now that he could access his wolf.
But the sound of feet on the steps pulled my focus. That would be the officers coming down to shut off the lights and engage the magic to lock us in.
Except shiny black boots descended the stairs, four pairs in total. Guards. Given the number, they were coming for one of the stronger dragons.
My heart sped up.
Govam reached the end of the stairs and looked my way. His gaze never wavered as he cut a path directly for me.
Micah, standing at his cell, snapped his head in my direction. Hannon was watching my face, unsure of what was happening but ready to react to it based on how I did.
Govam stopped at my cell, the other guards behind him, Denski not present.
“Let’s go, Finley. The king wants to see you.”
I stood slowly, going over my options. Obviously I could kill them all, but then we’d never make it to the king. He’d be wondering where we’d gone, and he didn’t strike me as a patient man.
“Jedrek too?” I asked, backing to the bars.
“No, not him. Just you.”
Well, that was good, at least. Maybe they’d make a last-ditch effort to strip me of Nyfain’s scent. Or try to break me, since the officers had refused to do it. I could stand that. Time was a problem, though. It was of the essence, and I had none of it. The crowded everlass was in the fizzy drink. It was only a matter of time before the officers consumed it, if they hadn’t already, and died. Even in a place like this, a bunch of dead bodies would be noticed.
Damn it, why today of all days?
Shaking all over, uncertain, I waited for him to put the cuffs on and then met him at the cell door. He opened it, his eyes on my face, a small crease between his brows.
“The king doesn’t want to kiss and make up?” I asked with a grin.
Govam didn’t respond, not that I’d expected otherwise. Instead, he took hold of me and marched me toward the stairs.
The others watched me pass. Most hid the trepidation from their faces, but not all. They knew what this meant.
I wondered if they would go without me.
“Step lively,” Govam said, urging me up the stairs.
The second-floor landing was bare. It didn’t take long to discover why. The officers were lounging around the top floor, goblets in hand or visiting the fizzy container.
“Now is not a good day for this, Govam,” the first officer said, nestled on a couch within a bunch of pillows. “We will not be in a position to engage the obice and lock her in when you return.”
“I can handle it. King’s orders.”
“You’re higher powered, yes. Your kind usually aren’t. Too bad you can’t elevate yourself, hmm? Bad genetics. What a dismal life you do lead.”
I heard Govam’s huff of derision, but he didn’t comment. I wondered what kind of life the officer thought he led.
In the washroom, I let the attendants clean me up without speaking, but I wanted to ask what this was about. What was happening. How long it would take. I just didn’t think I could manage it without a quaver in my voice. Without giving away my urgency to hurry it up. I was a prisoner; I should have all the time in the world.
My hair was arranged simply, a change from normal, and very little makeup was applied to my face. The dress was hideous, as usual, and they stalled as they went to put on footwear.