Page 18 of A Queen’s Betrayal (Legends of Worldbinders #1)

Agony and misery were the only things Arenna felt anymore.

Days had passed—maybe weeks, or even months; she didn’t know.

But each day was the same. After realizing she could burn through everything he used to strap her to the table, Jaksen started drugging her.

She assumed it was a sedative tonic, making her weak and immobile.

Arenna’s vision came in foggy waves, never fully clear. She didn’t know how she was eating or drinking. All she knew was that every day Jaksen came to her, placed a needle in her arm, and that was that. Maybe he was draining her blood, or perhaps he was doing something else entirely.

She didn’t know or care.

Sometimes, more than one person would hover above her, but she never recognized them. They were mainly men—some old, some young. In brief moments when she found herself more conscious, she often thought of Isabella and Koltin, wondering what they were doing and if they were okay.

She thought of Faylen, how she would never again hear her voice or see her smile, and how she was truly and utterly alone in this world. She wondered if she, too, would turn into a druque if Jaksen took every ounce of her.

Arenna’s head lolled to the side as the sedative kicked in, making it impossible to keep it upright.

She blinked slowly, wondering if what she saw was real or fake.

The laboratory walls seemed to goop, as if they were a candlestick melting beneath its flame.

Lantern light swayed in unnatural rhythms, and noises that sounded far too much like a mighty roar rang through the stone walls, reverberating enough to send rainfalls of dust and debris.

She didn’t know if Jaksen had given her the vial to keep hallucinations at bay, or if what she was seeing was a symptom of blood loss, or whatever it was he was doing to her.

Regardless of why, Arenna felt like she was dreaming, seeing things that did not truly exist. She saw males and females with pronounced pointed ears, far longer and sharper than those of the Fae. She saw rolling hills and soaring mountains, fog, rain, mist, and smoke.

She tried to form the imaginary home within her mind but had little strength to do so. So, when the hallucinations came—of a gray sky, green lands, and joy in hearts—Arenna did not fight them as she usually did. Instead, she embraced them, hoping that they would stay strong enough to dull the pain.

Through slow blinks, she noticed darkness swallowed by a blinding light.

A man’s silhouette hovered above her slab, long hair dripping off his shoulder and spilling against her chest. She hardly felt his touch on her cheek but knew it was there.

He whispered something in muffled, hushed tones, but her hearing was far too gone to comprehend even a syllable.

Arenna might have been crying as pain erupted in the crook of her elbow at the unmistakable glide of a needle through her skin.

There was pressure, then pain, and then warmth.

There was no crackle of embers and no one to save her.

She was now fully a prisoner of the King of Brookworth, and there was no end to this road.

* * *

Light illuminated the room.Arenna squinted as it blinded her temporarily.

She did not know how many days had passed, though she recalled that whatever she endured last was enough to make her sleep for a long while.

Long enough, in fact, that she felt less hazy upon waking.

Her normal senses were not at full capability, but they were better.

Two figures stood above her—one with lighter hair and the other with dark.

“How long has she been in this state?” one of them might have said.

Bodies slowly moved away from her line of sight. Her vision faded in and out, but she did her best to remain lucid and conscious. Arenna couldn’t defend herself or escape, but she made sure to retain information.

Suddenly, her slab jerked violently, tossing her limp head until her cheek mashed against the cool concrete. Positioned this way, she got a better look at the room, the doorway, and the two figures.

They were dancing?

No —fighting, swinging and missing, swinging and hitting, dodging, ducking, and spinning in an endless dance of limbs and fists.

The smaller of the two took a fist to the jaw and fell to the floor with a loud thud. The taller figure moved closer to Arenna, bringing her face into his hands. His mouth moved, but she couldn’t process any of the words.

From the corner of her eye, the door swung open and light illuminated the room. It was enough to make out shelves, cabinets, jars, and cages. She was still in the laboratory.

Whoever had entered stood to the right of the tall figure, dangling what seemed to be a small vial in front of her face.

Again, they spoke to her, but nothing settled.

Something popped, then cool glass was brought to her lips.

She could not fight as the contents of the vial eased down her throat.

All she could do was close her eyes and remain brave.

Surprisingly, it was pleasant. The liquid was warm and comforting, much like a steaming cup of tea in the middle of a winter storm.

The effects took hold almost immediately, and Arenna jolted forward, stopping short from the restraints keeping her to the table.

She heaved and choked, desperately swallowing air to refill the emptiness in her lungs.

“A tonic to rid your body of any sedation,” Koltin said. “It will take a few moments for you to feel normal. But as soon as you can walk, we need to go. Guard rotation starts soon.”

Arenna choked back a sob at the sight of her friend. She lifted her hands, unable to move them past her hips, finally realizing she was in shackles. Her breathing turned ragged. “Help me get these off,” she said, panicking.

Kayson took the key from Koltin’s hands and unlatched the manacles with precision.

When her manacles clanged to the slab, Arenna rubbed at the sore flesh, burying her emotions. She looked upward, finding Kayson’s eyes glued to her. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He did not answer, only watched her.

Koltin pulled her in. Arenna wasn’t sure if she would ever see him again. But he was here, and he was getting her out.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Arenna leaned back to see his face. “Isabella?”

The commander studied her for a moment. He smiled. “Both fine. We need to go, though. And quickly. Our plans have changed a bit, but I need to get you out of here while I still can.”

She nodded, tucking her head back underneath his chin.

Kayson hoisted the other man up from the ground, clasping his wrists with the iron she had just been freed from. “Malsen,” she whispered.

“Jaksen has kept him stationed outside the doors the entire time you’ve been here,” Koltin said.

A profound emptiness opened within her. “How long?”

“Two weeks,” Kayson answered.

Two? Arenna ran a hand through her too-clean hair, trying to steady the storm rising in her chest. Has someone been bathing her?

Dressing her? The thoughts twisted in her gut, sickening and unsettling.

Her gaze dropped to the bruises in the crook of her right elbow. “He was taking my blood, wasn’t he?”

“Seems so,” Kayson answered. He walked to the opposite side of the room and opened two cabinets. Arenna nearly fell to her knees at what he revealed—multiple glass jars filled with crimson. “What was he doing with your blood?” the emissary demanded.

“That’s—that’s all mine?” Arenna shuddered. Koltin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, steadying her.

Kayson closed the cabinets, moving back to the slabs. “What did he want with your blood?” he asked again, his voice harsh.

“Give her a minute,” Koltin snapped.

“We don’t have a minute,” Kayson hissed.

Arenna took a deep breath. “I think Jaksen is trying to find a way to harvest elemental power,” she whispered.

Both men’s mouths parted, their breathing hitched.

She hobbled to the drawer Jaksen kept his journal in and pulled it open.

Relief trickled through her skin as she grabbed it and handed it to Kayson. “He was harvesting Fae blood.”

Kayson stilled, his hand freezing on the journal. “For what?”

“Blood magic.” The emissary’s eyes flared, his fingernails digging into the cover of the journal.

Arenna explained everything she had learned, telling them both about his experiments, the blood withdrawal, and how a drained Fae turned into a druque.

Neither of them spoke—hardly even moved—as they listened to every horror she shared.

She expressed her thoughts on her powers, saying that if Jaksen could steal Fae power and was taking her blood, he might have found a way to harvest her flame as well.

When she told them of the Fae male behind the locked door, all the color drained from Kayson’s face. He watched the door for many moments. “It was weeks ago,” she added. “I don’t know if he’s still there.”

Koltin and Kayson began whispering back and forth, and Arenna leaned backward against a slab. Her eyes caught a mirror hanging between cabinets. She took a step toward it with wobbling knees. She looked . . . dead .

Her midnight wavy hair was now dull and lifeless, her eyes hollow, and her cheekbones sunken in. She was thinner with each of her ribs visible through the sheer fabric of her nightgown.

Feeling violated, Arenna wrapped her arms around herself.

Jaksen had taken something from her to use for evil—to kill, to experiment on.

She wanted to take every last one of the jars with her but couldn’t possibly carry them all.

She couldn’t risk the time it would take to dump them out, not when Koltin said guards would be coming any minute.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Arenna willed the tears away, suppressing the dread that clawed at her and avoiding the bruises that marred her body.

He had broken her, violated her, and nearly killed her countless times before.

Whatever plans he had for her blood couldn’t be worse than the torment she had already endured.

At least, that’s what she told herself, if only to make the horrors of his intentions seem less overwhelming.

When her pulse had settled, Arenna opened her eyes, surprised to find Kayson watching, his brows subtly knitted together. He gave her a slight nod, as if to say , I understand your pain .

A noise outside the laboratory door had all of their heads swinging in that direction. “We need to leave,” Koltin whispered.

Kayson pointed toward the door with the male behind it. “I will not leave him in there,” he hissed. “You go on without me, and I will find you.”

“We don’t have time,” Koltin countered. “We have to go now if we have any chance at survival.”

“ She is not my problem.” Kayson’s eyes slid to Arenna. “I told you I would get you in here, but from then on, it’s on you.”

Koltin stepped toward the emissary, putting himself between Kayson and Arenna. “That was not the deal. You said you would get her out of here and get her to a sanctuary across the ocean.”

He said what? “Quit talking about me like I’m not here,” Arenna snapped. “Let’s get out of this damn laboratory, and then you two can have your pissing match elsewhere.”

Koltin’s eyes widened as he looked at her. She was done being queen, done being a puppet. Done being the serpent prize Jaksen made her. Arenna no longer had to play the part of the perfect, silent, well-behaved queen.

But then again, she did not know how to be anything else.

Kayson narrowed his eyes on the commander. “I am not leaving here without him, and that is final.”

Koltin argued, “You don’t even know if he’s still in there.”

“I don’t care,” Kayson murmured. “I will not leave without checking. You go on ahead, and I will catch up.”

Arenna placed a hand on Koltin’s arm. “Let him do whatever he needs.”

Silence clung to the shadows before Koltin sighed. “How can I trust you won’t go back on your word?”

Kayson stepped toward Koltin this time, his broad frame towering over the commander. “I don’t care if you trust my word or not. If I’m there, I’m there. If I’m not,” he looked at Arenna, “then I’m not.”

Koltin opened his mouth to reply, but Arenna placed a hand on his arm again and shook her head. “The most important thing is getting out of here,” she whispered.

Koltin nodded, though his eyes flared as if he wanted to say more. “Jaksen comes in twice a day, so he will be here soon. We’ve mapped a route we think will be easy enough to get us out of the castle, but you have to stay close to me. And we have to move fast.”

Arenna nodded and smiled. “Easy enough.” She did her best not to show the brokenness still haunting her, nor the anguish she felt.

Koltin let out a light laugh. “Easy enough,” he echoed. He grabbed her hand, squeezing as he pulled her toward the laboratory door.

The sound of glass shattering stopped her movements.

Her heart tumbled over itself.

Kayson did not look her way once as he began destroying the jars of her blood.