Chapter 6
“John did such a beautiful job.” She looks up and down my body. “Don’t you think?”
I just stare at her. I don’t know how much more I can take if this is what it’s going to be like every single day. I will surely die before Kieran gets me out of here.
“Don’t you think?” she questions as she grips my face.
“Yes,” I agree with her.
She lets go and I hiss as my face makes contact with the ground.
“I thought so as well. Maybe he’ll have to come again tomorrow.” She taps her chin as she looks off into the distance. “Or maybe he should come back tonight.”
“Please,” I beg.
“You know what you have to do to make this stop. Just tell me the truth and everything will go back to normal,” she says.
I close my eyes. There is no way that I can give up any information. I have held out this long and I am not going back.
“That’s fine if you don’t want to talk right now. I’m confident that after a couple more sessions with John you will be talking and won’t be able to shut up.” Avira sounds smug.
Hopefully they will get me out of here before John can come back, but deep in my gut I know that it won’t happen. It has to be calculated and her idea which could take a long time.
A burning hot sensation forms in my stomach and I wrap my arms around myself, pulling my knees up to my chest.
Adeline! Kieran yells in my head.
“I think you want to tell me the truth so badly but you don’t want to betray the person you love the most,” she says as the burning sensation continues. “Maybe slowly cooking you alive from the inside out will help incentivize you to talk quicker.”
“Avira?” someone calls.
Her eyes go wide and I look around. His voice sounds so familiar.
“Yes, Prince Archie?” Avira calls back, the pain in my stomach stopping as she turns around and walks out of the cell, locking it behind her.
“Father is looking for you,” he says.
“Let’s go to him quickly,” she rushes out, sounding almost panicked.
But why?
“Who were you talking to this time?” Prince Archie asks. “What did the person do?”
Avira holds her hands up. “No one. I was just preparing for someone that we think is going to come in soon. You never know when one of the Fae are going to break the law or keep secrets and we need to torture them a little.”
My mind spins with so many questions. Why is she lying to Prince Archie? Why does she sound almost hysterical and is trying to keep him away.
My eyes go wide.
I open my mouth but before I can say anything, my mouth shuts on its own accord and Avira glares over at me briefly.
“Let us go to your father. You know that we should not keep him waiting.” Avira starts to walk, leaving my sight.
Once their footsteps are gone, my mouth opens once more.
“Did you hear that?” I ask Nas.
“I did,” he replies.
Prince Archie doesn’t know I’m in the cell. Is Avira scared of what he’ll do if he finds out where I am? I need to tell someone that can do something. Prince Archie might be the way I can leave this cell.
Kieran? I call out his name.
Silence.
Worry bubbles inside of my stomach but I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out, trying to calm myself down. Maybe Kieran is busy with work and can’t stop to talk.
But Kieran always said he would answer me even if he was busy.
Kieran? Are you there? I ask.
“I can’t reach him,” I whisper, my chest tightening.
“Everything is going to be okay. You’ll reach him soon. He may just be busy,” Nas replies. “Just take a deep breath and slowly let it out.”
I do as he says but the feeling doesn’t go away, it festers and grows inside of me.
“Do you know what this means?” I whisper.
“That no one but a couple of people know that you are down here?” he asks.
“Exactly. There are a few people who are very important and don’t know.”
I just need Prince Archie to figure out that I’m down here and I should be free. Even though I want to stay away from Prince Archie, I know he is going to be one person who can help me. He has some strange infatuation with me and I can use it to my advantage.
Kieran? I call his name again.
Right now I wish Fae had more of their magic and I could communicate with any of them. What if something happened to Kieran and I don’t know about it? What if he is trying to get to me and has been detained?
“No,” I whisper to myself. “Don’t think that way. Nothing has happened to him.”
“That is the way you should be thinking. Think positive or else it could all crumble in front of you and you don’t need that.
Everyone is safe and doing what they need to do,” Nas reassures me.
“He isn’t irrational when it comes to decisions.
He always thinks about it and makes sure that everyone is safe. ”
“Some things have changed. He finally found me, and the way he was talking before made it seem like he would do anything, even if it meant other people were in danger,” I mumble.
Nas chuckles. “For a second I forgot who he was to you. I’m sorry you had to meet him while we are still under the curse.”
“I’m not,” I reply. “I’m glad. He has changed so much in my life and I have him to thank for it. He has helped me through so much and I am forever grate—”
Adeline? Kieran finally responds.
What’s wrong? Why couldn’t I contact you? I blurt out.
The guards were walking around and we all had to stay alert. I heard you but I didn’t want to get distracted and I knew you weren’t in any new pain.
My body goes limp against the ground as the worry leaves my body. He is okay. Everyone is okay.
Are you okay? he asks.
Avira came back and tried to get me to tell the truth but I didn’t.
I’m so proud of you, he whispers.
A faint smile spreads across my face.
Why were you trying to get in contact with me? he inquires.
My eye goes wide. Oh! Henry needs to tell Prince Archie where I am!
Anger flows through the bond and I can’t help but snort.
No.
Kieran, hear me out.
No. Henry is not going to tell Prince Archie that you are there. He might be in on it and make it worse for you and for Henry. I am not going to risk him telling the prince and you getting hurt more.
That’s the thing… I don’t think Prince Archie knows that I’m here, I say.
What do you mean? Kieran asks.
Avira was just down here and Prince Archie showed up but didn’t see me.
Avira was panicked. She left and stopped him from seeing who was in the cell.
She lied that no one was in here. She looked almost panicked that he was about to find out, I explain.
Which means Henry needs to tell Prince Archie, or someone does, and soon. He might be able to get me out of here.
And lock you up in the palace after? Kieran asks. I am not going to risk that.
He won’t. I will say that I want my mother to take care of me and that I will be able to recover better at home than at the palace. He will listen to me.
I don’t like it, Kieran mumbles.
I don’t either, but if not this then what are we going to do?
How are you going to try and convince the witch to let me go when she is hellbent on keeping me here and torturing me until I die or give up the information?
I ask. This may even push the wedding back a little with the bruises that I have.
He will want me fully recovered before I am in front of everyone.
Silence fills the bond.
I’m going to tell Henry when he comes to see me next, I tell Kieran. She threatened to get the guy to come back today and tomorrow if I don’t start telling the truth. I honestly don’t know how much more I can go through and I don’t want to risk it. I’m not Fae. I am human.
Fine.
“Finally get in contact with him?” Nas asks.
“Yes,” I whisper. “Everything is okay. He was just busy.”
“I told you. You don’t need to think about the worst first.”
My lips twitch and I relax even more on the floor.
“Get some rest while you can. It will help you heal,” Nas says gently.
“Oh, Adeline,” someone whispers. “He told me to bring some salve but I didn’t think it was this bad.”
I hum and crack my eye open to see Henry kneeling next to me.
“Henry,” I mumble, and try to move.
“Don’t move,” he says. “Just stay right there and I will start putting salve on your cuts and bruises. You just lay there and relax.”
“I need you to do something,” I whisper as he opens the small container.
“Adeline, just rest,” he tells me.
I glare at him and he shakes his head.
“I need you to tell Pr— I hiss as he applies some salve to the area around my eye. “Gentle. Please.”
Tears pool in my right eye and I quickly blink them away, but they continue to form and before I know it they are rolling down my face.
“I’m sorry.” He looks apologetic. “I’m being as gentle as I can while I apply this. But it’s so bad.”
“I need you to tell Prin—” I start, but rear my head back as he continues to apply the salve.
“Stay still.”
“Let me get this out,” I heave as I try to fill my lungs with air. “You need to tell Prince Archie that I am in here. He will get me out of here.”
Henry’s eyes go wide and he quickly shakes his head. “No.”
Clenching my jaw, I move my hand and grip onto his arm sleeve. “You need to do it. I’ve talked to K and he understands. He knows everything. I need you to do this or else I won’t be leaving here.”
His eyes narrow on me. “You wanted to stay away from him and now you want me to go talk to him to get you out of here?”
I let go of his shirt and relax onto the ground again, my body aching from all the movement. “Just talk to K and he will tell you everything.”
I close my eye and even my breathing, done with the conversation. I can’t help but feel worried that Henry isn’t going to do it, and I’m going to end up being stuck here for weeks, months, or even years until I die.
Henry sighs. “I’ll talk to K before I do anything. Now, let’s finish putting the salve on your bruises and cuts and then I’ll feed you.”