Chapter 26 Ariana
ARIANA
I lowered the girl down onto an open bed in the servant’s bunker. She weighed close to nothing. It took far too little effort to wrap her in a blanket and carry her from that torture room and through the city.
Shay found me as I walked the streets and followed us to the servant’s compound in silence, releasing a soft whine only after I placed the girl on the bed.
“Who is she?” Erik asked, looking over at her as the blanket fell away from her face, revealing one that did not belong to his sister. His shoulders sagged a touch with relief at seeing a stranger in such a state and not Iona.
“They kept her chained in a whorehouse,” I said, running to get a cold compress to hold to her forehead.
“You should take her back.” One of the servants stated coldly. “This will only bring trouble.”
I froze, turning to view a Sidhe man with a scowl curving his lips. “I could not just leave her there.” Eyes of the entire room were on me.
My attention settled on the wolf as I decided. “It’s time. Go.”
Shay released a throaty rumble and ran out of the room at once. The time of suffering under Clause’s rule would not continue. His people were going to get a choice of the kind of life they wished to live.
It was going to start soon, within the next day my army would arrive. Those trapped and wishing for a different life would be liberated. That was my only demand. Freedom.
“Your bleeding heart is going to be your downfall.” The servant stated boldly.
“Shut it.” Erik snapped at him before turning to view me. “What of Iona?”
I pulled my lips into my mouth, taking a moment to ponder how best to reply. “I found her, but she did not wish to leave.”
“What?” Disbelief tainted his voice. He even stepped away, as though the words blew him back.
My heart hurt for him. All of this, the scars on his back, were to get to this moment, to find her and rescue her.
He sacrificed his body for her. Yet she was no damsel waiting for rescue.
Instead, she entered the dragon’s den willingly and made a home there.
“Iona said she runs the whorehouse and is happy there. She knew they kept this girl in one of her rooms and did nothing to help.”
“I suppose all of that is close enough to the truth.” Iona’s voice sliced into the room just before she sauntered in. Her stony gaze moved through the space like a serpent’s eye until landing on Erik. “Brother.”
Tension flooded the space, and everyone turned to view the cause.
Erik froze, eyes wide, moving over his sister, recognizing her. He was stunned into silence, and Iona used that to her advantage as she stepped deeper into the cabin yet remained by the door. “What are you doing here, Erik?”
“I came to help free our people,” he stated, staring at her as though seeing a ghost.
Her jaw clenched. “Well then, I am sorry, but you have wasted your time. Please let father know he should be wiser than to send his heir into a world he knows nothing about.”
Erik shook his head. “Father is dead.”
Iona’s eyes widened. For the first time, a look of troubled surprise painted her features.
“What, expect your King to have filled you in on that detail?” I stated, moving to stand at Erik’s side.
He glanced at me as my words sank in and he then turned to Iona. “Your King?”
The trouble melted from her eyes, replaced by a mask. She shrugged, feinting indifference. “He actually wanted me. While dad never came for me.”
The air around Erik warmed, as though he burned beneath his skin. “Father had an entire people to care for.”
“And you don’t?” She tilted her head in wonder.
Erik tensed. “I do, yet I am here, aren’t I?”
Her gaze narrowed, sliding to me. “Are you?” She turned back to Erik. “What are you doing with Clause’s little lamb?”
He went completely rigid at her word choice. “Ariana is not his.” The tone in his voice was absolute and cold, plummeting the room deeper into an icy tension, while the temperature in the space sweltered.
None of the servants made a sound or moved a single muscle. They simply stared in our direction.
Iona slowly shook her head. “You do not know what you are messing with. Don’t tell me you actually care for this Bavadrin?” She pointed a long thin finger at me.
“That’s none of your concern,” I said, growing tired of her meddling. She wanted me to leave her establishment, and I did. So why now was she here?
Iona’s eyes doubled in size, looking at me. Her hand fell to her side. “You are going along with this- this fantasy?”
“It is real,” I stated.
She snorted. “And I thought I was the one who messed with the hearts of others.” Was that a comment about what she had done with Kole and Eislyn?
“If you do not want to leave this place then why are you here?” Erik asked, eyes narrowing.
She shrugged. “I was curious to see what the little lamb was up to. And maybe get a front seat to the show.”
“What show?” I asked.
“I told you there would be a punishment for taking the girl. We have already sent word. Clause will probably be here in no time, with his favorite entourage in toe.” She turned to Erik.
“A word of advice. If you actually think you care for her, leave. Unless you are already so integrated into this bunk that your absence would be noted.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” He stepped closer to me as if to make a point. His muscles coiled, ready to act towards a threat that had not yet even arrived. Too ready to act. And I was not the only one who noticed.
Iona chuckled, eyes dimming. “Tell me, if the Sidhe King decided to bend the little lamb over one of these filthy beds and make her his in front of your eyes. What would you do?”
Erik stopped breathing, as did the entire room. I reached for his arm before he had a chance to respond. His skin was burning hot. However, his gaze remained trained on his sister.
“Erik,” I said his name, hoping to earn his attention.
Iona spoke again. “Tell me, what would you do?” She had a disgusting way of getting her point across, yet I understood it for what she meant.
“I would kill him before it got to that,” he said, voice deceptively soft.
Iona chuckled. “You are a fool and if you wish to live, that is the wrong answer.”
“She is right,” I whispered, finally earning his gaze. “If you stand against him, you can’t win. Not on your own. Your conjuring can’t affect him and all he needs to do is touch you and you’re dead.”
Iona licked her lips, as though hungry by this excitement.
“Not to mention what would happen to all the good people here in this room if you were to upset him too much. It would be so much blood on the hands of a dead man.” Her gaze slid to me.
“A burden I don’t doubt the little lamb would take on to herself, only to be crushed by it. ”
“Stop.” I snapped at her before turning to Erik. “Maybe you should leave.”
“I am not leaving you,” he turned to me, eyes blazing.
“Ari is right,” Gorm stated, joining the conversation.
“If you act too rashly and your life is taken, then you can never help her when it truly matters. Instead, you would be dead, and Ari would be on her own. No matter what happens next, you must not intervene if you wish to have any hope of survival or helping Ariana.”
“You see me so weak?” Erik asked, turning to me.
“You are one of the most powerful people I know,” I said. “Yet part of being strong is knowing when you are outmatched. Alone against Clause, you are outmatched. All of us are. We need to be smart.”
“Funny.” Iona tilted her head, viewing me. “I feel like I just said almost the same thing to you before you decided to get involved in things that shouldn’t concern you.” Her gaze drifted to the girl made of bones and skin lying on the bed near me.
I gritted my teeth. Forcing myself to focus on Erik. “Clause cannot know who you are to me.” A look of confusion passed over his features before I pressed on. “He knows there is someone important to me. If he found out who you are to me.” My voice broke, sliced by fear. “That cannot happen.”
He look pained, actually pained. “Ariana.”
Iona turned, looking behind her. “Oops, looks like time is up.” She smiled, excitement twinkling in her eyes.
“Move to the back of the room, and stay there unless I say otherwise,” I instructed Erik. “Please, do not get involved. I will tell you if I want your help. Do nothing unless I say.”
Strain etched into his face, flattening his lips. But he nodded.
I turned to Timothy. “Stay with Erik. Make sure he doesn’t intervene.”
Erik cared for others. He had a decent heart. If his actions would jeopardize a young innocent boy like Timothy, I hoped that he would think twice about it. Hopefully, it gave him enough pause to clear his mind sufficiently to make a decent decision.
When my gaze met with Gorm, he sent a reassuring nod, lips curving into a sad smile that did not touch his eyes.
No one else made a sound in the bunker.
I focused on the girl on the bed and stepped towards her, not fully reaching her before others walked in.
Iona moved aside, allowing free entrance. “I came to make sure no one here left.”
“Good.” Clause paced into the room. His cold gray eyes immediately landed and remained on me. Though still gray, a potent darkness swirled within them.
The weight behind the gaze, the anger, it rendered me immobile. I froze mid-step.
Three other men entered on his heel, flanking him when he stopped. Iona remained lingering in the back, leaning against the wall, giving no indication of leaving anytime soon. Soren appeared in the doorway, stopping there, as though blocking the exit. A frown etched into his face.
I was the first to break the silence. “What crimes has this girl committed to warrant being strapped to a bed in a whorehouse without food or water?”
“That is none of your concern!” A man to Clause’s right snapped.
“Dragal.” Clause silenced him with just his name.
The man’s mouth snapped shut, but his face turned red with anger.
Clause remained where he stood as he addressed me.
“In this life, you are not yet my Queen. We are not yet true ruling equals. Therefore, when you act against my wishes, it cannot be ignored. No one acts against the Sidhe royalty.” Darkness emanated from him, potent and heavy.
It vibrated through everyone and everything, stemming completely from him.
There was something terrifying about it. Unhinged.
“But the girl–”
He cut me off. “I do not care for the girl. She does not matter outside of the weight you foolishly placed on her life. And for what purpose?” His sights narrowed, though remained solely on me.
Behind him, Iona’s gaze slid to Erik before returning to me.
“Her life matters,” I stated firmly.
He nodded while a frown pulled at his lips.
“I told you to not go looking for Iona.” His gaze finally left me and moved over those in the room.
My heart stopped when it focused on where Erik stood before continuing through the space.
“Someone here gave you information on where to find her.” He turned back to me.
“And you took it and directly opposed my wishes.” His voice was so deceptively calm, but I felt the danger in it.
I stood completely rigid before him. “You act as though I have never opposed you before.”
“With your words. I will allow that with you. But with your actions?” He slowly shook his head.
“You forget who is King here. I have tried to be patient with you, but apparently, some lessons will need to be learned sooner rather than later.” He clasped his hand behind his back and moved further into the space, walking a small circle as he again looked over the servants in the room before returning to where he started.
“It seems like you brought a girl here, but there are simply not enough beds.”
That was not true. There were plenty, two still open, even with the girl added to the room.
He continued, “So now that you took a life from me, I expect you to give one in return.”
My mouth went dry. “What do you mean?”
He lifted a hand, gesturing to the space. “Choose one servant who stays in this room and take their life using only your conjuring.” He shrugged, icy gaze centering on me. “A fair trade.”