<b>Chapter </b><b>84</b>
He looks down the <b>hallway </b><b>once </b>more<b>, </b>taking hold <b>of </b><b>my </b>arm<b>, </b><b>just </b>above <b>my </b>elbow<b>, </b><b>as </b>he <b>forces </b>me along. After a moment, the air <b>grows </b><b>cooler </b>and my chest <b>feels </b>like <b>a </b><b>heavy </b>weight has been lifted <b>off </b><b>of </b>it. I inhale sharply<b>, </b>my eyes closing<b>, </b>relishing the <b>fresh </b><b>cool </b>air that fills my lungs.
“<b>What </b><b>is </b>she doing out of her <b>cage</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>someone <b>asks </b>and I snap <b>my </b><b>eyes </b><b>open </b><b>to </b><b>see </b>Jennifer standing in front of us, her hands on her hips, her <b>eyes </b>glowing like an ember in a waning <b>campfire</b>.
“Move<b>,</b>” the guard with me grunts out, taking an imposing <b>step </b>toward her. She rolls her <b>eyes </b>and shifts her hips before she nces at me and back <b>up </b><b>at </b>him<b>, </b><b>a </b>curious <b>arch </b>to her brow<b>.</b>
“No.” She <b>insists</b><b>. </b><b>“</b><b>Not </b>a chance in hell. She shouldn’t be out of her cell, Tieran.”
“The king wanted <b>to </b><b>see </b>her and <b>when </b>he <b>was </b>done, he demanded I take <b>her </b>back to her cell. Unless you think you <b>are </b>higher ranking than him, I
I <b>suggest </b><b>you </b><b>step </b><b>aside</b>.<b>” </b>He bites out at her<b>. </b>She looks surprised, as her demeanor changes and she clears <b>her </b>throat, looking back down the way we came from.
“He <b>is </b><b>awake</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>She <b>asks</b><b>, </b>sounding <b>a </b>little worried.
<b>“</b>Of <b>course </b>he <b>is</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>He snorts.
“And he <b>is </b>down here? Why the hell is the king hiding in the depths of the mountain when he should be up-”
“The king <b>goes </b>and does as he <b>pleases</b>. He doesn’t <b>owe </b>you or anyone an exnation, so I suggest you stop questioning what he is doing and step <b>aside</b>.” <b>He </b><b>says</b>, pushing me forward.
“<b>It’s </b>just that Giselle said…” she trails off for <i>a </i>moment and clears her throat. Her demeanor changespletely <b>as </b>she smooths her outfit out with her hands and steps to the side. <b>“</b>Carry on,”
Tieran frowns at her but ushers me along, looking over his shoulder before frowning <b>as </b>he turns me down a different hallway. He presses me into the wall, peeking around the corner for <b>a </b>second, and then he hums in thought.
<b>Its </b>obvious something is amiss<b>, </b>but with not knowing either of them well and having no desire to know them any better than I currently do, I keep my mouth shut.
“<b>Does </b>she not seem suspicious to you?” <b>He </b>asks, absentmindedly.
“Uh, <b>yes</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>I give him <b>a </b>confused look, and he blinks down at me like he forgot it <b>was </b>even squished between him and the wall. Tieran takes a step back and <b>clears </b>his throat before looking around the new hallway.
“I need to follow her.” He frowns, he looks at me and groans in frustration. “Shit.”
“I can find my <b>way </b>back<b>,</b>” I offer<b>, </b>and he chuckles under his breath.
<b>“</b>Yeah, and I’m a fucking fairy.” He <b>teases </b><b>as </b>he walks me down the new hallway reluctantly.
“Why don’t <b>you </b><b>tell </b><b>her </b>you don’t trust the king?” <b>I </b>ask quietly, and he snorts. “She already expressed she doesn’t trust Giselle.”
I <b>recall </b>the <bst </b>time I <b>was </b>being tortured, and she was told that she was wanted upstairs. She threw a fit, and it seemed like she didn’t like the chosen <b>mate </b>of the king<b>. </b><b>If </b>anything, he should work with Jennifer, not me, to figure out what it wrong with his king. Though, admittedly, <b>I </b>already know what <b>is </b>wrong with his king.
He is <b>under </b><b>the </b>spell of Lily, and Giselle <b>is </b>using him how she <b>pleases</b><b>. </b>That’s what she does. She maniptes everything and everyone to her whim. <b>For </b>what? <b>Well</b><b>, </b>that <b>is </b>the question I am <b>still </b>trying to work out. <b>Yes</b>, they want me <b>because </b>I am a hybrid, but why do they keep me alive?
<b>“</b>Simple<b>.</b>” He <b>mutters</b><b>, </b>“I don’t <b>trust </b>Jennifer either<b>.</b><b>”</b>
<b>I </b>scoff, <b>shocked </b>by <b>the </b><bck </b>of trust in the kingdom <b>where </b>everyone still fights for what <b>they </b>are told, even if they don’t <b>agree </b>with it. Who the <b>hell </b>fights blindly <b>for </b>something they don’t <b>believe </b>in?
<b>“</b>Oh<b>, </b>and you think <b>you </b><b>can </b>trust me<b>?</b><b>” </b><b>I </b><b>ask </b>him<b>, </b>yanking my arm from his tight grip with <b>a </b><b>scowl</b>.
“I trust <b>your </b><b>desperation</b>.” He <b>frowns</b><b>, </b>reaching <b>out </b>to <b>give </b>me a nudge forward. I skirt <b>away </b>from him with a <b>hiss </b>and he <b>smirks</b>.
<b>“</b>Why do <b>you </b><b>keep </b>doing that? I’m <b>walking</b><b>!</b><b>” </b><b>I </b><b>growl </b>at him and he <b>breaks </b>into a full–blown smile.
“To <b>ensure </b><b>you </b><b>remember </b>who is boss <b>here</b><b>.</b><b>” </b><b>He </b>shrugs<b>. </b><b>“</b>And it’s amusing to watch you huff and <b>throw </b>a fit<b>.”</b>
I blink at him for <b>a </b>second <b>confused</b><b>, </b>is he <b>being </b>friendly with me? <b>Well</b><b>, </b><b>as </b><b>friendly </b><b>as </b><b>a </b>dragon can be<b>? </b><b>Because </b>his smiles <b>and </b>shoving <b>feel </b>weirdly <b>familial</b><b>.</b>
<b>1/2</b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>84</b>
<b>“</b><b>How </b>about <b>we </b><b>get </b><b>to </b><b>what </b><b>you </b>want <b>from </b>me <b>so </b><b>we </b><b>can </b>strike <b>our </b><b>deal </b><b>and </b><b>I </b>can <b>leave </b>this <b>literal </b>hell hole.<b>” </b><b>I </b><b>say</b>, trying <b>to </b>calm <b>myself </b><b>so </b>he <b>doesn’t </b><b>get </b>the <b>enjoyment </b><b>of </b><b>watching </b>me <b>get </b><b>angrier</b><b>.</b>
<b>He </b>looks around frantically<b>, </b>then trains his annoyed <b>gaze </b>on <b>me</b><b>.</b>
<b>“</b><b>Watch </b>your volume,” he hisses at her <b>as </b>his name echoes down the stone walls. He <b>freezes</b>, his body going rigid as he looks around. He grabs me <b>by </b>the back of the neck, making me <b>gasp </b>out in pain.
But he is too distracted rushing down the hall <b>to </b><b>care </b>about what he is doing to me. We twist and turn down the halls; the air growing colder and damp until <b>we </b>finally break into the prison <b>cell </b><b>area </b>again.
<b>“</b>Someone <b>is </b>calling your name<b>,</b><b>” </b><b>I </b><b>whisper</b><b>, </b>and he nods <b>in </b>acknowledgement.
“I am <b>aware </b>of that.” He grumbles<b>, </b>shoving me into my <b>cell</b>. I stumble, tripping <b>over </b>my feet as <b>I </b>grunt andnd on the hard ground. I spin to scowl up at him <b>just </b><b>as </b>Jenniferes running in<b>, </b>out of breath, like she had been chasing us.Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Tieran turns and looks at <b>her</b><b>, </b>arching a brow like he hadn’t been expecting her.
“<b>Are </b>you looking for me?” He <b>asks </b>her and she grins.
“It’s time to punish them,” she grins. “The king himself said I could take <b>it </b>as far as I need to in order to make this one do what we want.”
Jennifer’s <b>eyes </bnd on me with an eerily giddy grin.
<b>“</b>You think the other one can handle more? She is healing much slower these days.” He reminds her and she rolls her <b>eyes</b>.
“You no longer outrank me prince Tieran, so how about instead of questioning me, you round the bitches up and bring them to the torture room, okay<b>?</b><b>” </b>she pats him on the chest <b>as </b><b>I </b>watch in awe. Prince Tieran? Yet he is stuck down here, escorting prisoners around like a lowly prison guard.
Jennifer prances off like a kid, excited about getting their way <b>as </b>she goes to wait for Tieran to bring me and my mom back to her to do whatever the hell she wants to get me to cooperate.
<b>He </b>turns and sighs, moving to unlock my mother’s <b>cage </b>first. As she walks past me with her head held high, she meets my gaze<b>, </b>reminding me of what she told me earlier. To just cooperate so that Merikh at least knows I am missing.
When Tieran walks back for me after delivering my mom to the other room, I look around and then up at him.
<b>“</b>Prince<b>?</b><b>” </b><b>I </b>whisper and he frowns, looking away.
“That <b>was </b><b>a </b>long time ago,” He sighs. “I questioned my father’s judgment, and now I am working my way back up to his side.”
“And how does offering to help me <b>get </b>you there?” I <b>ask</b>, meandering.
“I’m not <b>sure </b><b>yet</b>…” He <b>says </b>in a hushed tone.
Then he pushes me through the iron door and into the room that smells of blood and stale dirt. My body shivers involuntarily as I look at my mother strung up, preparing for the pain.
“Ah, thedy of the hour. I have this <b>special </b>little chair for you.” She grins, pointing to a silver chair. “Come, <b>have </b>a seat…”
<b>2/2</b>