Twenty-Seven
CHAPTER
Still hugging Zathrian’s arm, I exhaled slowly.
My eyes were half open as I lay on the hard, cold ground beneath me.
Quiet, besides the soft rise and fall of my chest with every labored breath I took.
Zathrian and Mateo’s words were muffled by the wall between us as they spoke so softly on the other side.
Something about planning an escape, I think. I wasn’t really listening, still too tired.
I didn’t know how many days had passed, how many times I was dragged out of my cell and subjected to Neil’s—I pushed those thoughts away, nuzzling my head against Zathrian’s palm, which cupped my face so gently.
“Aerilyn?” Zathrian said from his side of the wall.
“Mhm?” I mumbled, having no desire to move, nor open my eyes again now that I had closed them.
“Talk to me. How are you feeling?” Zathrian asked.
“Tired,” I muttered.
His thumb brushed my cheek. “I know you are… I know.”
Exhaling softly, I was unsure of how much more of this I could take. “How is he… going to… use my magic?” I muttered.
“What?” Zathrian asked.
“How is he… going to use my… the book… the Relic of… Nightmares… using…” I was too tired to explain.
“Aerilyn, please. You’re not making sense.” Zathrian gently nudged my face, trying to keep me awake, I think.
“Mmm… the Relic of Nightmares.” I yawned.
“He has it?” he asked.
I nodded.
There were a few moments of shared silence between us.
“Go back to sleep. I’m here and you’re okay.” Zathrian’s tone shifted; softer and far scratchier than it usually was.
This place was wearing him down. It was wearing us all down. I thought if I tried to explain what I knew, I could help us get out of here. Unable to concentrate, I shifted the slightest bit closer to him as sleep washed over me. Temporary bliss.
The last thing I expected today was to hear Gelia’s distant screams that only drew nearer. Unamused, my eyes flickered toward the staircase, watching her clawing and kicking against the guards who dragged her down the staircase. Neil followed behind, voice laced with anger whilst they argued.
Lying there, I was too exhausted to even bother trying to get up. Zathrian’s palm cupped my cheek, drawing small circles against my scarred flesh to comfort me. He was sweet when he wanted to be. How I found comfort in his touch was still baffling to me, even now.
A line formed between my brows, Gelia’s obnoxious screams making my ears ring. A headache was coming on already, the last thing I wanted or needed.
“I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!?” Gelia’s voice echoed throughout the dungeons.
“I COULD NEVER LOVE A SLIMY LITTLE SNAKE LIKE YOU. TRAITOR! YOU ARE A DISGRACE TO OUR REALM!!!” he spat.
Gelia sobbed. “PLEASE DON’T DO THIS TO ME, NEIL. PLEASE, I LOVE YOU—” The door to my cell was opened, and she was tossed into it.
Of course. All these empty cells and it just had to be mine.
“YOU NEVER LOVED ME. YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF MY LOVE!!” Neil screamed from the other side of the bars.
“NEIL, PLEASE! PLEASE!” Gelia begged, choking on her tears.
Lifting my head, Zathrian’s hand slid from my face, searching for any part of me he could grab ahold of before settling on my hand.
Managing to sit up with my back against the cold stone wall, I said nothing, watching Gelia crumple onto the floor, wailing and sobbing hysterically.
Pathetic, really. Embarrassing, just as much.
Her white and gold dress, while still intact, was stained by the buildup of dirt and grime that coated the floor of our cell.
I gave Zathrian’s hand three little squeezes. He didn’t know what it meant, the reasoning behind three squeezes instead of just one.
Neil slammed the door of the cell, turning on his heel. He made his way back up the spiral staircase, not once looking back. Gelia continued to sob hysterically, sounding more like a moose the longer she went on.
“Crying won’t fix things, Gelia,” I whispered in a half attempt to comfort her, only because I was irritated by her sobs echoing within our shared confinement.
I felt everything and nothing at the same time.
She looked at me with red puffy eyes. My jaw clenched, quickly diverting my gaze. I couldn’t do this. Not with her. Not today.
I was able to ignore Gelia for at least a day or so while stuck in the cell with her. I remained squished against the crevice in the wall where Zathrian was able to embrace me with just his hand alone.
All she did was cry. I understood her pain, as I once felt it, too. I still did sometimes.
Silly how that worked.
How you could pity the same people who once broke your heart.
“This is all your fault,” Gelia whispered with tears in her eyes.
I scoffed. “What are you talking about?” My eyes darkened. Zathrian’s hand gently squeezed my thigh, his touch grounding me from the rage I felt within me.
Gelia lifted her hand, wiping away her tears. “You ruined everything, like you always do.”
Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. I crossed my arms, refusing to entertain her spiteful words.
“You were just a toy to me, a plaything. I—you were just a measly little human, Lynnie… I wanted to break you because I was bored and it didn’t matter what I said or how cruel I was, I—” Gelia choked out, tears pooling down her pale features.
“You were always kind to me no matter how much I hurt you, and—and I hated you for how strong you were. I hated that you were stronger than me.”
I was speechless. My eyes started to water, and lifting my hand, I wiped away my almost tears. Leaning my head back against the cold dungeon wall behind me, I considered her words. I wasn’t strong. I was falling apart. I was just far better at hiding it than she was.
“Lynnie—” Gelia called out, using the nickname I once loved. I hated it now. That nickname used to make me feel special. Now it only made me nauseous. “I-I didn’t know that you were special.”
I glared at her.
Gelia gulped, scooting closer to me, and attempting to reach out. I pulled away, using the little strength I had left.
“I-I didn’t know, I promise. I was taken aback when I came home all those months ago…
You have no idea how much it hurt me to see you with him.
” She sniffled. “He used that book to have me go to the Mortal Realm. I—he’s my Mate, Lynnie…
and… I don’t know how he is able to have such affection for you…
I—why did you have to ruin everything?” She attempted to explain, but I didn’t care to listen.
My jaw clenched, grinding my teeth.
“Save your energy,” I hissed.
“Lynnie, please, you have to understand, you hurt me… You hurt me,” she cried.
How dare you twist this upon me. My heart is heavy enough as it is.
“As if you didn’t hurt me,” I replied, pushing her away.
“Leave me alone.” Turning my back to her, I curled up on my side against the wall I shared with Zathrian.
His hand shifted, reaching for me, and I rubbed my face against his palm.
If I closed my eyes long enough, I thought I could fall into a much needed, deep, deep sleep. I refrained for now.
I didn’t trust her. Not in the slightest. Being held captive had that effect.
The dungeons were taking a toll not just on me, but on all of us.
We were all tired. Exhausted. Worn. Anxious.
Hungry. Broken. The list went on. We all wanted to go home, and I wanted that for all of us. More than anything.
“No one was ever supposed to get hurt… Neil promised me that no one would get hurt.” Gelia sniffled.
“Explain to me… how we got here,” I asked, needing to hear it from her own point of view. I needed to know what she knew. Holding my tongue, I listened.
There were always three sides to a story: one, the other, and the truth.
She sighed. Zathrian gently rubbed circles against my cheek in silence. I knew he was listening.
Gelia hesitated. “I was born in the Realm of Clouds. And I was a loyal member of the Court of Clouds. Neil and I grew up together, and we were only children when the Mate Bond snapped in place. We have been together ever since.” She paused, shifting slightly.
She couldn’t seem to sit still. “And I thought he loved me because we’re Mates, and Mates love each other no matter what because we are meant for one another.
The Gods above say so. But I was wrong… I think.
” She sniffled. “I was just a pawn to him. Just like you. He used me. I-I guess the Gods chose wrong when they paired us together. I didn’t even know they could do that.
I don’t know how he could love us both at the same time. ” She sniffled again.
He doesn’t love me. He never loved me. No one has ever loved me.
“He had me go to the Mortal Realm because he said if we gained control of the Realm, we could expand ours and join them together. That we would have everything we could dream of and more. He said if I did this, then we would be happy forever and ever… But when I came back, something wasn’t right with our Mate Bond.
It’s not the same as it once was, and I don’t understand why.
He’s hurt everyone I have ever cared about.
Even you. As much as I hate you, I still care about you. I hate that I care about you, Lynnie.”
Silently, I gnawed the inside of my cheek.
“You have to beli—”
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire room shook, the walls included.
“What’s happening?!” Gelia asked.
“The Wall!” I shouted, quickly sitting up.
Zathrian’s words were muffled by the sound of violent shaking. His hand retreated, and the lack of his touch made me feel uneasy.
Please don’t leave me.
“We have to get out of here!” Gelia exclaimed.
“We can’t stay here any longer, we have to stop him! He-he’s gone and done it. He’s taking down the Wall because he used the Relic of Nightmares!” I said in a panic.
The shaking continued.
And then everything was eerily quiet. Too quiet.
“Is everyone okay?” Zathrian asked.
“Yeah, yeah, we’re okay,” I replied, swallowing hard.
Based on how much the dungeons shook, I could only imagine what the Wall looked like. The barrier was down, there was no doubt about that. There was no way that the entire Manor would shake this far away otherwise.
I heard Mateo from the other side of the cell wall, clearing his throat. “So, about that plan to escape…” he muttered.
My hands slid to my lap. I picked at my fingertips as rage boiled within me, and a sense of hopelessness that he would do such a thing.
I wasn’t accustomed to feeling angry, but after everything that had happened, I was.
This burning sensation bubbled within me that was so hot I felt on fire.
Not being able to see the damage Neil had done already only fueled the flames under my skin.
Being angry would do nothing to help anyone. I shifted, reaching out for Zathrian. My arm slid to the inside of his cell and without hesitation, he took my hand in his.
“So, what are we to do then?” I asked, knowing that we had no other choice than to find a means of escape, even with the risk that came with Gelia being here with us.