I look over my shoulder but, again, find only darkness. The flame in my hand wavers in a rush of cool air.
“Put it out,” Alliana says. “They’ll see!”
“But if I?—”
Loud stomping steps cause my blood to run cold. Without another thought, I shove the torch into the slick muck beneath my feet. It goes out with a sizzle, leaving me in complete darkness.
“Who’s chatting back there?” a male voice hollers.
The room is silent. I don’t dare move.
“I expect an answer!”
“Carington was having a nightmare again,” someone answers, voice low and hollow. I swallow. I don’t know who answered. Did they do it for my benefit? Maybe they all heard and hope to escape with us.
“Your whole existence is a nightmare,” the guard barks back.
No one argues with the male voice.
“Shut it, or I’ll take it as proof someone wants to make a visit to the drakai. Do I have a volunteer?”
Again, silence.
“As I thought.” The man spits, and his stomping fades away again.
“I’ll come back again,” I tell Alliana. “With food.”
She doesn’t respond to that. I don’t know what purpose food would serve in her situation. Will she still be fed to the drakai even with a full belly? But it’s something small I’m able to do. So, I will.
I slowly back up until my feet find solid stone. I take those few steps carefully, and then I pray hard as I attempt my walk across the narrow ledge in the complete darkness.
She’s dirty now.
Naughty girl.
The strange voices echo through my mind. But I force myself on, pressing tightly to the angled wall and take slow careful steps. I only shift my weight once I know I have a solid surface. My feet are now slick with mud, and I have no light at all to tell where to take my next step. My toes find the edge several times, but with careful precision, I adjust and find a new spot to step.
Finally, I reach the opening I came through. The hall is darker than before. The air thicker.
The hem of my dress damp.
But I feel it deep in my soul that I have to run.. I have to be back in my dwelling. Now.
Two steps.
That’s all I make it before a rough hand grabs my face and shoves me into the wall.
41
Lina
“The fuck are you doing?” His chest rumbles with rage.
Panic sets in, and I can’t get any air into my lungs. I whimper against his hand at my mouth, unable to scream and helpless to get free from his grip. Shadows twist around our bodies.
“I told you what would happen if you disobeyed.”
I scream but it dies against his hand, shuttered by his control.
