Page 24 of Of Rime and Ruin (Sirens of Adria #2)

Chapter twenty-two

Nahla

I pull the bone through my teeth, cleaning the final bit of meat from the clawbeast’s prize catch. With a flick of my fingers, I stack the bone with the rest of the pile in my frigid cell.

My stomach is bursting. I couldn’t eat another bite if I tried. I tried to spread the meal out over the course of the past day, savoring each morsel. The large catch should have lasted me a few days at least, but I underestimated my hunger.

I cleaned that poor creature to the bone, wasting nothing, in a matter of a day.

At the end of the tunnel, I can see the fading light. Soon, Perrin will leave me, the darkness will descend, and I will summon the clawbeast once more.

Satiety spreads warmth through my limbs. If I can get the Beast to hunt for me each night, I might have a chance of escaping this dreadful place.

Will he come to me again? Or have I stumbled into an unusually good stretch of luck this week? My stomach twists around my meal, gurgling uncomfortably.

I hardly know anything about this creature. This Beast . He’s proven dangerous and unpredictable, and yet I’m trusting him to be the opposite. I need him to help me. I can’t break out of here alone—and Perrin won’t unlock my cage for me. Yet.

A burp builds in my chest. I push it out, and the bubble bursts through my lips.

Perrin glances at me from his post by the gate. “Gross,” he says. His whiskers twitch as he wrinkles his nose. “I give you a five out of ten for that one.”

“Damn. Not my best.”

He laughs. “Where’d you get that fish, anyway?”

“Same place I got the tunnel.” I wink, and the tips of his ears darken. “Outside help.”

He raises his hands in mock surrender. “I don’t want to know.”

We made good progress on my escape tunnel today. The hole in my ceiling is deep enough to hide my torso and tail. Perrin says we’ll be out the top in a couple weeks, if all goes well. It’s a thick ceiling, but I’ve got nothing but time and a few boring books, and I need the exercise to stay warm.

Perrin stiffens to attention as a shadow covers the entrance to the tunnel. The youngling’s gills flutter at his neck.

“Perrin!” Vaughn swims into view.

The youngling drops his shoulders and blows bubbles from his mouth. “Here, sir.” His voice shakes. “You’re early. I thought you might be—”

Vaughn leers. “Your aunt here to tell you it’s your bedtime?”

Perrin shakes his head and straightens his posture. “No, sir.”

Vaughn approaches, and Perrin swims out to meet him. They whisper for a moment. I drift to the front of my cage, gripping the bars, but I can’t make out their words.

Perrin shoots me an apologetic look over his shoulder. “I’ll ask her.”

He floats toward me, expression grim. “Sorry,” he says, reaching for the keys.

“For what?” This can’t be good. Why would he be ordered to let me out of the cage? Has the king decided to do away with me, after all? I stir my tail, retreating a pace into my cell.

Perrin’s eyes widen. “Nothing bad, Nahla. The king wants you to come to dinner. I know you don’t want to go, but…”

“That’s right, I don’t.” I snort. Dinner with the king? Is this a fucking joke?

The lock clicks, and he hesitates, hand at the ready to move the gate. I watch him, tensing. If he opens it, I could swim free. Vaughn’s a slow swimmer. I could out-maneuver him.

But it’d mean consequences for Perrin. I study the youngling’s soft face. The nervous twitch of his whiskers. The round ends of his tusks poke through his top lip. He’s been so helpful. I can’t betray him like that.

“He’s not that bad,” Perrin whispers.

But that doesn’t mean I have to do it. I have standards. And frankly, the king falls short by a nautical mile. The Beast, on the other hand? I might consider. “I’m not hungry, and I don’t want to spend my evening with that arctic asshole.”

“Come on, Nahla. It won’t be that bad. Promise.”

“He can’t make me.”

Perrin glances at the guard. “He may try.”

Vaughn grips his trident, narrowing his eyes. “Oy. Just grab her and let’s go.”

I chew my lip. If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s being manhandled .

“What do I tell the king?” Perrin sighs.

I reward him with my best beaming smile. “You’re smart, Perrin. You’ll think of something clever. Perhaps I’ve come down with the paddledrake flu.”

It’s a guppy’s tale, meant for scaring young merfolk into an early bedtime. But the Frost King doesn’t need to know that.

Perrin perks up. “Paddledrake flu? Okay. I can work with that. What are your symptoms?”

I feign exhaustion, slouching to the floor and draping my hand over my forehead. “Lack of appetite,” I groan, patting my belly. “Boils on my face. Terrible cough. I’m afraid it’s deathly contagious. Wouldn’t want the king to catch it.”

“Alright. I’ll try it, thanks.” Perrin chuckles, then turns the key in the lock, sealing me in. His tail stirs, and I crane my neck to watch him discuss my sickness with Vaughn.

Vaughn’s lip curls, and he shoots me a disgusted look. I moan for good measure, turning to hide my face in my arms.

Oh, the horror. I might not survive this illness. Give my bones to the Beast when he comes.

I peek through the crook in my elbow to check the effectiveness of my act.

They whisper some more, until Perrin hands Vaughn the keys, then disappears. Vaughn settles at the entrance to the tunnel, shooting me dirty looks.

I cough loudly, and he turns the other way, grumbling to himself.

My smile spreads in the darkness. Maybe I’ll get lucky tonight, and the Beast will eat Vaughn for dinner.