Page 7

7

Cyprien

I stare blankly at the bleak stone wall opposite the one I’m chained to, counting the rings of snow lichen across the cracked slabs. I’ve been locked away in this frozen hellhole for the better part of a week with nothing to do, nothing to ease the rapid thoughts flitting about my mind, filling me with anxious energy.

Gods, it’s so lame here.

“Is anyone else thinking about how much this sucks?” I grumble, laying my head back against the wall as a sigh puffs from my lips. “Seriously. I think I’m going to lose it if I have to sit here for another hour doing nothing .”

Lir groans from his position at the far-left corner of the cell, his sapphire eyes rolling to the back of his skull. “Even starving and near death, you still find new ways to be irritating.”

“At least I’m not boring , like some.”

At this, Roark snorts a laugh, and a haughty smirk makes its way onto my face. “You see? Roark gets it.”

“Easy, thumper,” Roark growls, his voice cracking from disuse. “I still think you’re annoying as fuck.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.” I frown. “Suppose we all drop dead in the next minute? Would you really want those to be your last words to your loved one? Could you live with the guilt ?”

“If I’m dead, I don’t suppose I’ll have the luxury of feeling anything, ” Roark replies. “But yes. To answer your question.”

Lir lets out a rare chuckle, and though it's at my expense, I can’t fight the rush of joy it brings. “You’re such a sweet talker, Roark. I’m so glad I’m rooming with you instead of someone with a modicum of charisma and the ability to hold a pleasant conversation. That would be so tiring.”

“I guess the welwigs knew what they were doing when they dragged me to this place,” Roark mumbles, crossing his arms behind his head. “They realized what a gift to this world I’d be.”

“They brought Abaddon’s soul here,” Lir reminds us, swirling a fingertip on the stone with a faraway expression. “We’ve angered them, that’s why this is happening. We were never supposed to be here. Clearly, it was a fluke.”

“Yet here we are.” I cross my arms with a rare frown. “You know, I hate to say it, but maybe Malice was right in one aspect—that we don’t need Abaddon. Maybe the fates want us to be here. Maybe this was always how it was supposed to b?—”

“Gods, the sound of your voice is making my head pound.” Lir brings his clawed fingertips to his temples and massages gently. “It’s clear the only thing the fates want us to be is dead. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“I don’t know…” I bring a finger to my lips, staring off into the distance, deep in thought. “I still think they want us to live.”

“Wrong again, cottontail. ”

Malice’s face appears in the shadowed hallway just outside the cell door, the twin sconces hanging from the frame casting eerie shadows along the harsh panes of his face. Silent as a cat, he steps toward the bars with a smirk, stopping just shy of the iron rods.

“And what the hell would you know?” I snap, narrowing my eyes in a glare. “You’re in the dark just like us.”

Malice’s lip curls back in a sneer. “It must be nice to have a mind absent of thought. No, cottontail, I am not in the dark. I kicked, and clawed, and scraped my way to the light. I know more than your smooth little brain could comprehend. ”

“Care to share with the class?” Lir asks, glowering at the red-eyed demon.

Malice smiles, but it holds no joy. “I will. In time.”

I roll my eyes. “Sounds like he’s talking out of his ass again.”

“ Why you… ” Malice stops, forcing his eyes closed and taking a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t know why I’m speaking to you. You’re not the one I came here for.”

Malice turns toward Lir, though his wicked words project into all three of our minds, carried by the bond we share as parts of Abaddon’s soul. And he only says four little words.

Be quiet. They’re listening.

He slowly reaches through the bars, his hand inching toward the sconce hanging from the frame of the cell door. His eyes hold a different emotion than his tone as he says, “I came to check on you lot and make sure you weren’t up to anything nefarious. ” His eyes glow as he stares into Lir’s eyes, a slow smile creeping over his face as he raises a hand to the sconce, something small and glittering clutched in his palm. “I’m glad to see you’re just as I left you.”

As Malice speaks, he balances the ring of a shimmering blue key on one of the sconce's flanges, his voice covering the gentle clank of the metal. It’s placed in such a way that the slightest vibration could cause it to fall to the ground—just within reach of Roark’s long arms—and I have no doubt Malice has cooked up some twisted plan that involves us.

But I know better than to ask. Instead, I wait for Malice to finish, watching the gentle twitch of his fingers as he stabilizes the key. When he’s done, he turns to us with a crooked smile, pushing his voice into our minds once more. When this falls, you may free yourselves. No sooner.

I can’t help but roll my eyes. Or you could just give it to us. No need to be so extra about it.

No.

Fine, I groan. I’ll bash my head against the wall a couple of times. That should do it.

A low growl rumbles in Malice’s throat, showcasing his irritation. If you make it fall , it will be too soon. There’s a method to the madness, one that would take your pea-sized brain far too long to comprehend.

My own rumbling snarl answers his haughty tone as Malice turns on his heel, clawed finger wagging over his shoulder in a farewell.

Remember, wait for it to fall. Not a moment sooner.

He slips back into the shadows, and the only thing letting me know he actually left is the slam of the dungeon door in the distance.

My gaze finds Lir, then Roark, my mind a mess of questions and possibilities. It’s clear Malice has something planned—the only question is what.

I lay my head back against the stone with a sigh, allowing my eyes to close as my headache throbs behind my eyes. I don’t know much, but I know whatever it is doesn’t matter. Not really. Not even if it ends in my death.

The only thing that matters is getting back to my little breeding bunny. And if going along with Malice’s plan is the way to make that happen, then I’ll just have to go with it.

Anything for her.