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But his mother was dead. No, they’d never found a body. And people had stopped searching for her because—it had never made sense until now. Niall’s magic could influence thoughts and emotions. He’d said so himself. Which meant he had influenced his father to cease looking for her. To give up and give in to grief.

Because intense emotions were easy to manipulate. What else had he manipulated? And how far did that magic reach if he could influence an entire country to stop searching for their High Lady? How many were helping him?

Rion tried to clear his throat, but it had constricted. His body trembled as the thoughts kept cascading through him.

His mother. He’d been hearing his mother’s screams.

The bond pulled tight and Rion could feel Arianna’s gentle caress that told him she was there. That she feared the bond breaking just as much as he did.

Kaylee opened the door then and Rion tried to steady his racing heart. He knew she could scent the emotions coursing through him now. He couldn’t name them, not with the way they flooded through his system, uncontrollable and unyielding.

“Hi.” His voice shook and she remained in the doorway. The slight light from the lamp revealed the new bruises on her face. The swelling.

“He’s gone,” she said, though she made no movement to enter.

“The female down the hall,” Rion couldn’t keep his voice steady. “What does she look like?”

The child twisted the fabric at the hem of her shirt. “She has red hair like yours, but it’s really long and dirty. She’s nice and talks to me like you do. I like her a lot.” Her lip wobbled. “But he’s so mean to her.”

Time stopped.

Holy gods. Holy gods above. His heart was skipping all over again, his stomach twisting into knots. His mother. His mother was here. What had Niall said? That no one would find him? That no one was coming? He’d been so certain because he’d had a prisoner that the world had searched for and never found. A prisoner for over eighty years.

Anger rose in Rion anew. Fire burned through his soul and the girl took an involuntary step back.

“Do you want to help her?” Rion asked. Kaylee nodded, though he could tell she was uncertain. Rion gripped the cold metal of the chains holding his wrists. “Can you loosen these?”

Kaylee chewed her lip. “I can try.”

“Please.”

She exited the room and Rion heard the distinct sound of her dragging the little stool down the hall. He listened as she climbed up.

Rion hissed when she moved the crank and the chain tightened, then it moved the other way, giving him an inch, two, three. His elbows lowered, then suddenly stopped.

Rion waited and heard her grunting before she stumbled back in with her head down. “I-I’m sorry, that’s all I—” Her lip trembled. Gods, he hated Niall. He’d never hated someone so much in his life.

“It’s all right.” He studied the chains. “I need you to get something for me.” She looked up. “I need something with a sharp edge. A sword, a knife, an ax. Anything I could swing.”

“W-We don’t have anything like that here.”

“Please.” Rion struggled to keep his voice even. “You have to find something.”

“Why?” Her voice was soft. So frail and small. What kind of monster did it take to beat someone so innocent?

“Because I’m getting us out of here.” The girl’s face lit up with equal amounts of fear and excitement. Niall had finally made a mistake. He’d told Rion he wouldn’t be back, which gave Rion time.

And time was all he needed.

Kaylee nodded and ran down the hall, taking the little oil lamp with her. Rion tested the slack with a light pull. He curled his fingers tightly around the chains.

Then Rion sent a promise down the bond. I’m coming. He said. I’m coming, just hold on. Hold on for me. Hold on for us. Because when he got back, he swore he was never letting her go.

He was done with doubt. Done with letting others rule over his life with their opinions and prophecies.

Arianna had never given up on him. Not when he’d walked into that cabin half dead, not when he’d detailed every horrible thing he’d ever done, and not even after facing the brunt of his brutality.

So when he got back, when he saw her again, he would fall to his knees and take whatever pieces she was willing to offer.