Page 99 of Fighting for Her Heart

“I said I’d make them more comfortable only if theycooperate.”

Ryker and Zuben tug at their gags, at their bindings, trying to pull out the bolts holding their ankles to the wall. All it’s doing is making their burns worse.

“Let me talk to them,” I ask, and she nods.

Falling forward, I land on my hands and knees.

I didn’t realize how hard I’d been tugging against my own bindings, until they released from the wall. The silver still burns at my neck, wrists and ankles, but now I can move.

Scrambling to my feet, I race toward the cell, stopping short of touching the bars. Mercifully, the men’s silver gags have vanished, and I watch with a combination of horror and relief as the burns on their lips and cheeks heal.

I reach two fingers through a small, diamond shaped opening, and Ryker, who’s closest, stretches forward, straining, until our fingertips meet.

But tugging against the silver cuff around his ankle is hurting him, so I pull back.

“I’m so sorry,” I say softly.

“Why areyousorry?” Ryker shakes his head.

“This is not your doing,” Zuben adds. “Evanora tricked us all.”

“Some of us more than others,” Ryker mutters under his breath. “But yeah. You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.”

Their words do little to assuage my guilt, but guilt isn’t going to help any of us right now.

“Please cooperate with the witches,” I say. “Nora promised to remove your silver bindings if you stop fighting against her.”

“Cooperate? Likethatpoor sod?” Ryker nods toward the unconscious, nearly skeletal vampire lying on one of the lower bunks.

“I won’t let that happen to you. I promise.” I don’t know how I’m going to keep that promise, but I will. And I’ll make sure we all escape. But I certainly can’t say that out loud.

“This is for the best. Cooperate with the witches—with us…” I turn toward Nora “…and you won’t suffer.” I return my gaze to Ryker, then to Zuben hoping my eyes deliver a different message than my words. “Mom’s explained more about the Illuminant to me. Creating lambent vampires is my destiny. It’s what I was made for.”

Zuben shakes his head.

I smile at them, trying to disguise the way my cheeks shake with the effort. “At least down here we can all be together.”

“As prisoners.” Ryker trembles and he turns away from me.

Zuben touches Ryker’s arm, and it seems to instantly calm my pirate who spent so many traumatic years captive in the hold of a ship.

“We understand the meaning behind your words, cherished one,” Zuben nods at me. “And we trust you. Don’t we, pirate?”

Ryker glances toward Zuben, and then into my eyes. “Yes, little dove. I’ll do anything you ask of me.”

“Thank you.” I turn back toward Nora, whose arms are folded over her chest.

“They’re not going to fight you anymore.” I step slowly toward her, and then I go down on my knees to plead. “Remove their silver bindings. Or if the bindings aren’t real, release whatever magic is creating them. Now. Please.” I turn my head. Searing pain shoots through me as the silver aroundmyneck tightens.

“The silver cuffs are no illusion.” Nora runs her hand over my hair and the cuff on my neck loosens. “What you are feeling around your throat is one hundred percent real. As are the bindings on the men.”

“But you promised you’d make the men more comfortable.”

Her lips tighten. “Very well. I am a woman of my word.”

With a clank, the shackles—all except mine—open and clatter to the stone floor. The men’s hands fly up to their throats, and then they rub their healing wrists.

Still unconscious on the floor, Axe groans, and Zuben and Ryker shift him to get his body off the silver.