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“I allowed you to take her even though I did not trust you.” When Rurik took another step forward, her father pointed to her. “She had not just accepted her death. Shewantedto die!”

Rurik’s brows furrowed.She wanted to die?

“She did not want to be taken by Strolguil again, and she was afraid of you. When I tried to carry her, she asked me not to. She even asked me to leave her behind!”

Then her father halted to stare him down. His cowardliness faded to boldness.

“I have been locked away for nine years hoping this day would pass, and I would not see her again. I worried when I was moved to that castle recently. I knew something was wrong. My own daughter came to me bleeding and pleaded for my help. Then, when I had been hoping I could save her myself, she could not go on, and I could see she did not want to.” He had the audacity to point his finger at Rurik’s face only a few centimetres away. “You do not get to make me feel more guilt than I already do. She wanted an escape from every terrible possibility because at the time, she knew one of you would win and come for her.”

His eyes travelled to her once more.

She is afraid of me again.

His words on that altar rung in his head, and he visibly winced. He’d tried to punish her before she took his life, had wanted her to taste fear one last time. Rurik could only imagine what he would face when she woke.

“Instead of letting her die in my arms while talking to you, I let you take her when that is not what she wanted. The only reason I did was because you said you would not harm her once you healed her, and I hoped that you would at least allow me to be imprisoned with her so she does not have to be locked away alone.”

“No.” He stepped back, letting his own anger fade rather than grow. “You will be imprisoned by yourself, and she will return to walking inside of my lair like before.”

“Why do you even care for her? She is a Witch. How did she come to know you before this day?”

Rurik sighed, seeing no point in answering the man’s questions, but decided to in order for him to understand.

“She saved me and healed my wounds in her cottage when I had been injured after fighting the Vast. Then she released me, setting into motion my blood debt to her that I did not intend to fulfill at first. Right after I left her cottage, she was taken to be burned on the stake, and I did not return in time when I knew something was wrong. She was burned, she died, and I brought her back to life with my breath like I did just now.”

The man’s face paled upon hearing this terrible fate his daughter had faced.

Rurik waved his hand backwards towards her limp body.

“I brought her here so I could heal her legs because they had been eaten by fire, and she would not have been able to walk again. Before I got the chance to take her to a town, she saw my human face. Because of my stay in her cottage, I could see she intended no harm, so instead of killing her or putting her in my prison alcove, I let her roam free inside of my lair.”

Her father frowned in thought as he brought his hand up to cover his lips and chin. “You did say she has been with you for quite some time.”

“Yes.” Rurik’s eyes wandered slowly to the wall for a moment before they returned to him. “You will be imprisoned by yourself, but I will allow her to see you if she wishes to. I will not keep you from her.”

He could imagine her begging him to see her father, and he didn’t want to cause her any sadness. He just hoped she understood that he wouldn’t be allowed to walk his lair like she could.

“You would not keep us apart?” His brows drew together tighter as he tried to understand why Rurik would allow this.

“No, and you will create a potion to heal her of the damage we have just done in bringing her back to life.” Rurik had heard her ribs breaking and felt they were loose under the force of his pumping. “And then you will follow me there. I still have some questions for you, but I would feel more at ease if you were inside of it.”

He also wanted Amalia to rest in silence.

“Do not fight me on it,” he sighed since he didn’t want to have to drag him there.

The man gave his own sigh. “Fine, I will help heal her and go there. One cell to another. At least in this one, I do not have to fear for her life.”

He allowed Rurik to lead the way.

Chapter 36

The moment Amalia could feel herself waking, her eyes flew open. She shouldn’t be waking. She should be seeing darkness forever – or whatever place they went to in the afterlife.

Why am I alive?Anxiety picked up in her chest as she stared at the ceiling.And why do I not feel pain?Her hands flew to her stomach, finding no wound, not even a scar.

She felt tired, she felt weak. Amalia felt drained of life, like she wasn’t supposed to be here. She had bleda lot.

Where is my father?