Page 26 of The Chains You Defy

Feroy observed the royal guards and paid heed to the herald, who proclaimed the missive, totally unfazed by the tension reaching a boiling point around him.

“Perran Feroy, on behalf of His Royal Majesty, King Pritatus the Mighty, All-King of Ivreia, you’re hereby ordered to hand over Nayana Garnet Ortha of Credenta. Failure to comply will result in your temporary arrest and a thorough search of your premises until the matter is resolved. Also, for the potential abduction, imprisonment, and torture of said woman, you’re hereby mandated to present yourself to the Royal Tribunal for interrogation in a fortnight. Until then, you’re forbidden to leave Ivreiana.”

Feroy’s head wobbled as I shook him again. “You heard the man. Bring me to her this instant.”

“I have no idea of whom you’re speaking of. Yes, Miss Ortha murdered my son in cold blood, and I have a bounty on her head, but I’d never take the law into my own hands.”

Enough. I was over listening to his yapping—the pitiful remnants of my patience evaporated into nothingness.

Nayana was near and so weak, as if she were fading away. So I snapped my teeth at Feroy, and if he hadn’t reacted as fast as he had, I would have bitten a chunk out of his nose. “Lead the way. Now.”

My hands abandoned his lapels. Instead, I gripped him around the neck, not choking him—yet—but my fingernails dug into his skin, leaving bloody marks in his wake.

“Mr. Feroy, this is the last warning. If investigations conclude that you have been lying about not keeping this woman unlawfully and against her will on your premises, such an act will have dire consequences for you.”

Pure hatred blazed out of Perran’s eyes as they moved from the herald over the royal guard soldiers who had their weapons drawn a while ago until his gaze landed on my face. “Well. Let me go, and I’ll bring you.”

There was no sanity left in me, so instead of dwelling on why the merchant was so calm and collected, I shook him once more and dug my nails deeper into his flesh before I reluctantly released him. “Hurry up, before I forget myself.”

“Merchant, believe me when I say you don’t want that.” Thain sounded too cheerful for this shit show ofa situation, and under any other circumstances, I would have ripped his head off for disregarding his own advice.

The deep abyss inside me expanded, and the redhead’s voice, combined with the presence of Nayana’s torturer, pushed me closer to the edge. “Shut up, Thain. And you, fucking merchant, move.”

I was slipping in and out of consciousness, and every time oblivion dragged me under, I feared I wouldn’t wake up anymore. At some point during the past few hours, my muscles had started cramping. My head was bursting as my vision blurred more and more, and since my throat was as dry as the Restless Desert, I’d given up on trying to swallow the little remaining moisture my body was still producing. How long ago had the friendly guard snuck into my cell and granted me the few sips of water? Or—and the possibility became more and more likely—had I only dreamed of our interaction?

Every ragged breath was a fight, one I was going to lose soon.

There was at least a plus side, namely that I wasn’t hungry anymore. But on the downside, apart from all the above, I was freezing as if I were lying naked in the snow. My prison had never been warm, but lately, the low temperature had become oppressive.

“Gods, let go of me.”

“Then hurry the fuck up.”

Confusion flooded my mind, and slowly, I managed to pry my eyes open at least a fraction of an inch as I strained my ears in hopes of hearing more. This voice, the growling and snarling, was so familiar.

Was I hallucinating? Was this wishful thinking created by my body shutting down?

That had to be the explanation.

Surely he couldn’t…wouldn’t be here—not after everything I’d done, after all the promises I’d broken.

Sudden light blinded my vision as a thundering bang followed by deafening scraping noises shot through the heavy silence. Had the door flown off the hinges?

Only shadows moved in my perception, and seconds later, I was engulfed in a cloud of petrichor and evergreens, just as something warm and secure enveloped my body—powerful arms, a firm chest. Tendrils curled around me, attaching themselves to each limb, my midriff, and my head, but they felt weaker than usual. Yet, their inner vibration was more restless and agitated than I’d ever experienced before.

Although I didn’t trust my senses, every fiber of my being told me I was coming home. And if this were an apparition conjured by my dying brain, I’d be thankful that peace had been the last emotion I’d perceived before departing to Udiona.

“Nayana.”

“Di—”

“Your voice—”

“You—”

“I’m here. And I’m taking you with me. Don’t give up on me,do you understand?”

At this moment, I couldn’t care less that this male had lied to me worse than anyone else ever before. He had come for me, and I was safe.