Keys dangling loosely in hand, Malachi crosses the room with the ethereal grace of a peacock basking in the sun. He comes before our cell, his eyes locked with mine the entire time.
Behind me, I hear Elison backing away the closer he approaches. But I remain where I stand. Unflinching. Unblinking. Heart pounding in my chest.
As if he can hear my rapid heartbeat—and I'm not entirely sure he can't—his gaze flickers briefly to the space above my breast.
"Scared?" he asks so quietly that I'm sure only I can hear him.
"Of a spoiled boy in a crown?" I lean closer, heart thundering louder and louder. "Never."
Without another word, Malachi tugs my cell door. I jump at the loud and sudden clang of it holding itself in place, the lock not budging, and a deep sense of self-loathing washes over me.
Seeing my reaction, a faint smile dusts his face. "Of course not. The braveCharisn't afraid of anything. Not even death itself."
He tucks the keys into a pocket in his jacket and behind him I see Rowland squirming to remain where he stands.
"I think I understand now,” he says, causing my stomach to dip. Understand what? I don’t want him understanding anything about me. “You’re afraid of nothing—except the Hunt. That’s not unusual, of course. Most humans aren’t too keen on it—for all that’s wicked in the realm, even noctis like me aren’t strong proponents of it.”
He realizes his divulgence at the same moment I do, regret flashing across his face.
Not a strong proponent of it? How can that be possible? He helped capture me and brought me to the castle, after all, so it’s a little difficult to imagine that he doesn’t support the Hunt. But then why else does he look like he’s just accidentally told me his deepest, darkest secret?
He recovers quickly, picking up precisely where he left off, his focus still on understanding me.
Maybe two can play that game.
“It wasn’t that you wanted to escape the death that awaited you in the Hunt, just like it's not your own death that you fear now. You’re afraid to watch the others die."
There it is.
My greatest fear.
My greatest weakness.
The secret that I've worked hard to conceal for years.
And now the son of my greatest enemy knows it.
I do what I can to stop it from showing in my face, but at this proximity, there's no denying how much his revelation pains me.
With something almost akin to remorse, the prince lowers hishead.
“I understand that fear.” I have half a mind to punch his pale, flawless face for having the audacity to try to commiserate with me—an actual prisoner who is days away from being served up on a platter for hundreds of starved monsters—but before I can, he adds, “Watching the people you care about…die? Seeing them torn to shreds right before your eyes? It’s…it’s…”
“Malachi,” Caz calls in an attempt to draw the prince out of the dark recesses of his mind and back to the guards he left squared off with Rowland and his feeble rescue party. He succeeds, the prince blinking furiously before meeting the dark-haired noctis’ hard gaze. “You know what we have to do.”
Slowly, Malachi turns again, this time his gaze veering to the cell diagonal of ours. Hair disheveled, Fox draws nearer, mangled fingers wrapping around the iron bars of her cell as she awaits his next move.
Whatever inaudible communication is shared between the two of them, I can tell by the pained expression he turns on me that it doesn’t bode well. His lips move in a motion that I almost think looks like an apology, but that can’t be right considering what he says next.
"Throw them in the cells with the others."
"No," I breathe the word.
Rowland stiffens, just as dumbfounded as I am.
"Keep them spread out,” the prince continues, spinning on his heels and marching toward his men. “They were bold enough to attempt this botched rescue mission. There's no telling what they'll try to do if they're allowed to strategize."
Rowland braces for the swarming noctis, but they snatch him and the others swiftly. I watch helplessly as he struggles against their clutches, but they outnumber and overpower him, and there is nothing neither him nor I can do now.