Page 51 of A Taste For Lies (The Apex Kingdom #1)

Chapter 51

ALORA

M y head is killing me.

That’s my first thought when my eyes blink open what feels like hours later. My hands are numb where they’ve been shackled behind my back. I can’t stifle the groan that slips out as I roll to my side, painfully wiggling them back to life.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

I squint through the dim light towards the sound of Lord Winters’ voice. My brain is still muddled from whatever his guardian drugged me with, my senses not firing correctly. I’ve lost my lynx mask somewhere, and the amulet, of course, is gone, as is the dagger from my thigh, plus the one in my boot.

I’m on a stone floor, and iron bars are blocking my view of the lord. But if we’re in the dungeon, deep below the earth, why do I hear the gentle chirps of a bird?

The lord’s smiling face, framed by perfectly coiffed platinum hair, distracts me from the incongruous sound. “The Lady Lynx herself.” He holds up a tiny amber figurine.

My mouth tightens.

“Yes, my dear, I know.” His voice drips with condescension. “I’ll admit, it took me longer to put it together than it should have. But after your miraculous healing from the bloodbane, it wasn’t that far of a leap. You were too far gone when Taran brought you to me—unless you had Apex healing, that is. A quick look through the records, and I found what I was looking for. A missing female, roughly the same age.”

I shut my eyes against the pounding in my head. With my vision shut off, my ears pick up that strange chirping sound again.

Winters sighs deeply. “I should have realized you were lying to Victoria about the songbird being able to taste lies. Her name is Meiling, for Lumos’ sake.”

My eyes fly open. Steeling myself against the pain of my stiff joints, I rise to a seated position on the cold stone floor. Nearly against my will, my head turns to the cell next to mine.

Mei looks nothing like I pictured.

Her dark eyes are unfocused, gazing off into the distance, her head tilted. Her delicate lips are the source of the pretty little chirps I heard. She may not be aggressive, but try as I might, I can find no trace of her humanity.

I can’t help the trembles that reverberate through my whole body.

“How long?” I croak.

“How long what?” Lord Winters asks in a patient tone.

“How long since you used the amulet on her?”

He cocks his head to the side. “I suppose it’s been a little over a day now.”

I let out a silent breath. Not yet two days. So there’s still hope.

“The king was quite displeased, as you might imagine.” The lord’s ice-blue eyes, twins to Victoria’s, narrow. “When the songbird wasn’t what my daughter had claimed.” A cruel smile twists his mouth. “But you, on the other hand…once he has your talents magnified and in his grasp, he’ll forget all about this little…mishap.”

“And marry Taran off to your daughter?” I ask scornfully.

“The beast is a means to an end.” His lip curls in disgust. “Ridiculous that that animal and his cousin thought they could outwit me . He’s already asked her to marry him, you know. Now, you and I both know that was only ever meant to be a distraction while you completed the heist.” His expression turns gleeful. “Too bad he’ll have to go through with it now. My daughter will bear him a human son with a direct claim to the throne. Then Rhegar will take care of the mongrel.”

Maeve was right. This man does want the throne. She was wrong about his ambition being curtailed by his bigotry, however. But I can’t focus on that right now. I need to get myself and Mei out of this dungeon and onto that ship.

Unaware of my inner scheming, the lord holds up the amulet. “Lovely, isn’t it? You might even say divine.” He chuckles at his own poor joke. “I must admit, I’m quite keen to discover what your enhanced power will be. Translating codes and spying on enemies is already quite the distinction. Let’s find out, shall we?”