Page 111 of A Warrior's Heart

The dungeon was nicer than the holding cell on the ship. Still dusty and dark, but there was a barred window that let in a few streams of sunlight. The soldier threw me inside the cell and slid the door closed before locking it.

“Put your hands through the bars, so I can remove your cuffs.”

I obeyed, and once the cuffs were taken off, I rubbed at my sore wrists. At least my leg wasn’t chained to the wall that time.

Sometime later, footsteps echoed off the stone walls as men came down the stairs hauling the assassin forward. They shoved him inside the cell beside mine before locking him in and leaving without a word.

The assassin brought his legs up and rested his arms on them, leaning his head back against the wall.

“Hello,” I croaked.

He turned his head toward me. His eyes were the shade of honey, and his hood had fallen to show a head of light brown hair.

“Lusca, correct?” I asked. Marlin’s eyes had been green.

He nodded.

“I’m sorry about Marlin.”

Lusca looked away. “He deserved a better death than that.”

I blinked in surprise. It was the first time I’d ever heard him speak.

“You’re strong,” he said. “I heard how you were beaten and starved on the ship. And yet you sit here now with your head held high. Malik would be proud.”

Hearing his name, the tears I’d kept at bay finally fell. “What do you think they’ll do to us?”

“Torture us for information. Try to turn us against our brothers. Then kill us when that fails.” He glanced at me. “I don’t mean to scare you, little one. Yet, when death comes, you must face it head on. Keep your strength until the very end.”

“Why did Roan betray us?” I asked, wiping at my eyes.

Lusca’s hand tightened into a fist. “Because he was a coward. He didn’t believe we could win this war. I should’ve seen it, but I was blind to his deceit.”

“We all were. Even Ervin.”

“You helped them escape. I heard Ezra yelling at you for it.”

I nodded. “And I’d do it again.”

Tipping my head back, I stared up at the window above my cell. I’d be able to count the passing days now by knowing when it was day and night. Some comfort came from that.

Two days passed with only a serving boy paying us a visit. He brought us water and food before leaving again. Within that time, Lusca and I told each other stories. He told me of his travels, and I shared with him the tales Eva used to tell me before bed. It helped distract me from our grim fates. Our days were numbered.

I only wished I could see Malik one last time.

On the third day, I was woken by a clang against the iron bars. I jolted upward to see Ezra smiling down at me.

“Grab him,” he said before two men opened the door.

I scurried away from them, my back hitting the wall. They yanked me up from the floor, their fingers digging into my skin as they hauled me out of my cell. I whirled my head around to see Lusca on his feet, a pained gleam in his eyes.

“Take me instead,” he said, gripping the bars in front of him. “The boy’s of no use to you. He’s weak and not worth your effort.”

“Ready for death are you, assassin?” Ezra asked, approaching him. “Fret not. Your time will come.” He then nodded to the soldiers holding me. “Take him to my chambers.”

***

I stared at my reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall, not recognizing the face staring back at me. Both my eyes were swollen, my lip was busted, and bruises and scrapes marked my cheeks and neck.