Page 9 of The Chains You Defy

“In a dungeon cell surrounded by Perran Feroy’s men. I have no idea where.”

“Doesn’t matter. Just hold on, I’ll find you.”

“Of course.” My subconscious obviously attempted to sell me on hope, even though my rational brain understood there was none.

“You don’t believe me.”

“I broke my promise when I ran away in Amalach. All this is my own fault.”

The unreal version of Dion showed me his teeth and growled. How I hadn’t been able to connect the dots that this male wasn’t human during all those months I’d traveled with him was a mystery to me. He acted like a feral beast at best any day, and I’d simply ignored his otherness as if I hadn’t wanted to figure out the truth.

Honestly, I’d owned more than enough pieces of the puzzle. So many things that hadn’t been adding up. In retrospect, my surprise had been utterly unfounded.

“Who is to blame for what happened is an entirely different issue and not in relation to the fact that I’mcoming for you. All you need to do is not give up. Do you hear me?”

“What if I don’t want you to come?”

“Have you already forgotten how I ignore your opinions when it comes to your safety, little Jama?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Why are you just as insufferable in my dreams as in real life?”

Dion sighed as well. “Because deep down, you understand I’m right and you should listen to me from now on?”

“You wish, princeling.”

Dion growled once more in frustration. “Stop calling me that.”

“As soon as you drop using Jama.”

“Very funny. On second thought, I don’t mind you giving me a nickname that much. And princeling is better than bastard, after all. So I’ll take it.”

My eyes dropped to Dion’s cheek when his smirk coaxed out one of his dimples. He could never learn how much those affected me, not even this dream version I’d conjured in captivity.

Dion’s grin vanished, and he regarded me with a sad expression. “I have to go. Wait for me. I’m coming and will get you out, even if it’s the last thing I ever do. I’ll kill everyone standing in my way. Ivreia will run red with blood until I have you back.”

Before I could react, his arms hauled me into a crushing hug, and despite all the lies he’d spoken and secrets he’d hidden, I simply allowed him to embrace me. Also, I stopped fighting against the hope blossoming in my chest, if only for a moment.

All because of a stupid sleep fantasy.

Agony returned with a vengeance as I woke up on my cot. I dwelled on the dream for a little while before banishing the mirage deep into the same box where I kept all the other memories of Dion locked up.

I couldn’t cope with the conflicting emotions threatening to rise.

The tiny spark of hope had completely vanished, and instead, I held on to the small pity that there was at least a possibility that I’d never have to deal with any of my boxed-up trauma again. If that wasn’t an optimistic view of my current situation, then I couldn’t imagine what else might be.

Slowly, I sat up as heavy steps hit the ground outside my door, the telltale sign that the guards were back to take me to further interrogation.

Inhaling and exhaling to steel myself, I swallowed the knot forming in my throat.

Only as the door opened did I notice the faint scent of petrichor and evergreens lingering in the air.

The small bell rang in a high pitch as the door touched the gilded metal upon opening.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, and I wasn’t supposed to be here, but I was done playing nice. Every second I stayed oblivious to where I had to go next was one too many, and that being aimless and clueless were the overarching elements connecting the journey through Ivreia irritated me to no end.

So I’d snuck out of the inn where I and my comrades were currently staying—to do some unsanctioned investigation on my own. The others were going to be livid when they realized I’d escaped theirsupervision—again.

I slipped through the open door into the small general store located in this shithole they called a village somewhere along the border between Kerid and Eurionos—if I’d learned its name, I’d forgotten the moniker already—and the bell chimed once more as the door closed behind me.