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“Kaylee.”

Rion made a show of thinking. “Kaylee,” he repeated, then examined her dark hair and eyes. “Let’s say March eleventh?”

Her smile could have lit up the universe and he wondered how long it had been since she’d smiled at all.

“When is yours?” she asked.

“October twenty-fourth.”

“That’s a long time away, isn’t it?” He nodded. “And how old are you? What’s your name?”

“Ninety-three. And Rion.”

Her mouth gaped. “Wow, you must have seen so much outside.” He rotated his aching wrists. “Can you tell me about it?”

“You’ve never been outside?”

She examined the cup. “He lets me go to the surface sometimes, but he doesn’t like me doing it much and I get in trouble if I try to sneak out.” She wrinkled her nose. “It stinks out there.”

“What does it smell like?”

“The fireplace after it’s burned. It looks like it, too.” Her head shot up. “I once found a book and all the trees inside were painted green.” She wrinkled her nose. "The ones around here are all black.”

So they were underground and whoever had trapped them had also burnt the area. Hiding their scents, he realized. Shit. That meant there wouldn’t be any landmarks either.

“Where do you go when you sneak out?” he asked carefully.

“No where, I just like to look at the sky.”

“There are no towns nearby?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He said the hounds will get me if I go too far. I saw one once. It was super scary and I didn’t go outside for a long time after that.”

Hounds. Great. Something else he’d have to deal with when he escaped.

She sat. “Will you tell me what it looks like? Outside?” she clarified.

“Can I have more water first?” The child jumped to her feet and ran from the room. The pounding in his head had started to subside and his senses were returning.

After he’d drank three more cups, Rion tilted his head back.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much. Are you allowed to take all the water you want?”

She nodded. “There’s a well.”

“I see.” Her eyes were expectant. “What do you want to know?”

She thought for a few moments and Rion swore he could visualize tiny gears moving in her head. “Forests,” she finally said.

His heart ached for her. She’d likely been here her entire life, confined to the dark walls of this prison. She’d never known the joy of sunshine or felt the cool breeze hit her face. Hell, she’d likely never seen a flower or played with other children. Damn her captor. Damn that male to the deepest level of hell.

Rion began recounting every detail, down to the tiny insects that lived within the barks of trees. He told her about his home country and how the residents all lived as one with nature. Her eyes lit up when he mentioned the three hundred-foot trees that surrounded the main city and she asked a million questions, constantly interrupting as if her brain couldn’t absorb the knowledge fast enough. Then Rion made a promise: If he ever got out of these chains, he would ensure she escaped these bland walls and he’d show her the beautiful city of Nàdiar himself.

Chapter Sixty-seven

Arianna