Page 34 of Daughter of the Drowned Empire

Rhyan sighed. “If you’re so deeply unhappy with this arrangement, perhaps your father can arrange for another soturion to—”

“NO.” I whirled back to face him. My eyes locked with his. A sense of panic at the idea of him leaving me alone down here rose violently inside me. I feared who would replace him before Turion Brenna made her schedule. I feared…I feared being by myself, alone with the Shadows. “I want you. No one else.”

He seemed taken aback by my outburst, but then his good eyebrow lifted, and his lips curled. “You want me?”

I stepped back, not sure why those words had been the ones to escape my lips. I only knew I couldn’t stand for him to walk away. I swallowed, composing myself. “You’ve already seen me here—it can’t be helped,” I said, carefully. “I will not allow anyone else to see me in this state.”

Rhyan bowed. “As you wish.” He stood back, gazing into my cell. “I’ll stay.”

I collapsed to a seat on the bed and closed my eyes. I needed to think, to try to understand what had happened, and why, and what it would mean. But it was too weird knowing Rhyan was there, watching me. So I stood again, and before I knew it, I was pacing back and forth.

“Every part of your cell will look the same on your hundredth stroll as it did on your fiftieth,” Rhyan called.

I kept walking, my feet carrying me faster, back and forth, back and forth. I hit the wall, turned, and hit the one behind me.

“Oh, now look at this tile, I call this colorstonegray. This exact shade gives it character, but oh, is that a stain! Don’t recall that the last time we passed this way.” He turned his head and changed the affect in his voice. “Oh really, and when was that?” He turned again, mimicking the voice of the first speaker. “A second ago!”

“Shut up.” I continued pacing, hitting the walls, again and again. Every time I reached the end, I slammed my fist into the stone.

“The cell isn’t going to get any bigger,” Rhyan groaned. “And you’re going to break your hand if you keep doing that.”

I punched again. "So what?"

“At least wrap your thumb over your fingers, your grace.”

“You really love the sound of your voice, don’t you?”

“I’ve been told it’s quite lovely in the past,” he said, exaggerating his accent. Rhyan rolled his shoulders back, stretching his neck from side to side. “I wasn’t kidding. Wrap your thumb around like this, or you will break your hand if you keep punching like that.”

I turned away from him and continued pacing, refusing to reply.

“I’m bored,” he said.

“At least I’m doing something. Isn’t this more entertaining than watching me on the bed?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Depends on what you’re doing on the bed.”

“Pig! You wish!”

Rhyan scoffed. “Trust me, my wishes have nothing to do with you and a bed in the Shadow Stronghold.”

“So you just prefer me with my back up against trees?” I asked.

He froze, and plucked at his cloak again. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Of course not.” I turned on my heels, beginning another round. And then another.

“Auriel’s bane. You’re exhausting. Thumb over your damn fingers!”

“Ugh! Just stop! Stop talking to me. Stop watching me. You know what? Just go! I swear I won’t escape. I’m third from the Seat of the Arkasva, and I’m in a fucking prison cell surrounded by Shadows on my birthday. My almost-fiancé—as you like to put it—helped imprison me. And my own father, the Arkasva himself, left me here.” I choked on the words as the reality began to sink in. I was moving past shock into fear. “The Imperator should have known my father wouldn’t break the law for me.”

“You’re his daughter.” Rhyan’s voice sounded sincere for once.

“So? He walked right out of here tonight, leaving me behind bars.” He’d had to, I reminded myself. And hehadbroken the law to protect me tonight…just not enough. We’d been caught.

“He loves you. Sometimes that compels action against reason.”

I shook my head. “They imprisoned my cousin here two years ago for having visions. My father didn’t step in then either. He’d raised her as his own daughter.” And then it hit me. The Imperator knew I wouldn’t escape—couldn’t escape. No one escaped the Shadow Stronghold alive. Not with all its ancient magic and its Shadow guardians haunting the walls. Keeping me in prison wasn’t the goal. It was humiliating my father, forcing his hand in his own country—against his own daughter. That was why Rhyan was here—my escape had never been in question.