The day passed away and Kira had almost
talked herself into speeding the process along by winding the rope
around her neck—except her death would also mean the end of
Altaria. She knew she had to stay alive as long as she could if
there was any hope of saving her. If there was any chance at all of
returning her spirit to Lydia, Kira couldn’t give up.
The night grew unnaturally calm, warning that
a Royal approached. She prepared herself for Cael and the death he
would bring her. “I’m sorry Al,” she whispered. Kira turned to face
the door, using the last of her strength to raise her chin. He
could kill her, but she wouldn’t cower like a mouse when he
did.
But it was Nigel who appeared near the door.
His right eye was bruised and swollen as was his bottom lip. Kira
clumsily stood and backed away, flinching when her back struck the
wall behind her.
“What do you want?” she asked, her weak body
trembling. “Haven’t you done enough?”
He held a finger to his lips.
Kira shook her head. “No! I’ll scream if you
come any closer.”
Nigel retreated, increasing the distance
between them. It was then that she noticed something in his
outstretched hand—a leather water bag.
Kira lurched forward, grabbed the bag out of
his hand, then backed away again. She pulled out the cork and
clamped her tender lips over the opening, taking several large
gulps before Nigel pulled it away. He shook his head.
“I don’t care if it makes me sick,” Kira
whispered. She took a few more swigs, then held it against her
chest.
Nigel reached into his pocket and pulled out
a piece of cloth. He peeled back the corners to reveal a small
chunk of cheese and a few grapes. Like a starving child, she
grabbed at the morsels and scarfed them down.
“Thank you,” she said after drinking more of
the water.
Nigel nodded, reaching for the water bag,
which she pulled away again.
“No, I need this.”
Nigel shook his head and pointed to the
door.
Kira sighed. “You don’t want them to know
you’ve been here.”
He shook his head again.
She took another drink, splashed some of it
on her hands and face to wash off the blood and dirt, and handed it
back to him. “You’re not gonna take me out of here?”
His brow furrowed in frustration before he
glanced back at the door, then disappeared.
Kira’s stomach churned. It had been so long
since she’d eaten anything, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep
it down. Within the hour, she’d lost it. She spent the rest of the
night trying to get some sleep with her throbbing back against the
wall. Most of the wounds she couldn’t reach because her hands were
still tied, but the two near her neck felt swollen and oozed with
puss. If starvation didn’t kill her, infection probably would.
At first light, Nigel appeared again with
more water and an apple. This time Kira took it slow, hoping to
keep it down long enough for her to get some of her strength back.
When she returned the water bag, she kept her hands out in front of
him.
“Please untie me. I can’t sleep like this and
I’m so tired. They’ll never know. They don’t even check on me.”
Nigel shook his head again.
“Then why are you doing this? Why prolong my
life by bringing me food and water? Let me die. Better yet, kill
me. Take out your knife and slit my throat. I can’t do this
anymore, please.” She reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his
shirt. “Please, Nigel. Just end it.”
Nigel pulled away, clenched his fists and
paced the floor in front of her. His gaze flicked between the door
and her hands. Finally, he stepped to the hook where the rope was
secured and yanked it out of the wall. Splintered wood flew to the
ground and onto the front of his vest. He brushed it away, threw
the rope up over the rafters and loosened the knots with his teeth,
releasing her.
“Thank you.” Kira rubbed her swollen wrists
and tried to heal them. She couldn’t figure it out—she couldn’t
call on even a tingle of healing.
Nigel pointed to the Crystor and to the rope
burns.
“I can’t heal them. Something’s wrong—it
doesn’t work.”
He pointed to her back with a questioning
expression.
“No, I can’t heal my back either.”
This time he stepped behind her. He gently
lifted her hair to the side, pulling several strands loose from the
tender scabs. Kira tensed and moaned from the pain. He let her hair
drop, hit the wall with his fist and vanished.
Kira didn’t waste any time wondering if he
would come back. She reached in her back pocket, retrieved the
necklace and held it between her hands.
Octavion, can you hear me? Please answer. I
need you.
Kira! Are you all right? Are you hurt?
You’re there. You’re really there.
Tears filled her eyes and she sobbed, her fears momentarily washed
away with the hope his voice gave her.
I’m hurt real bad and the
Crystor’s not working. Shandira’s got me locked up. I need help.
Please, tell me what to do.
Where are you?
I don’t know. It was dark when she brought
me here—it’s an old barn.
Kira clumsily stood, stumbled to the
door and gave it a yank—but it didn’t budge. Someone had thrown the
bolt during the night. She slumped back to the ground, cringing
when the muscles in her back tightened across her wounds.
Octavion . . . I’m scared.
I know you are, but you have to stay focused.
I need you to be strong.
Strong?
Kira looked down at the cuts
and bruises on her hands and wrists. She’d fought with everything
she had and only made things worse.
I can’t. There are too many
of them. I tried to fight back—I swear I did—but then Zerek beat me
with his whip and—
The Darkords are there?
Octavion
interrupted her thoughts.
Yes, but only Zerek hurt me. Nigel brought me
water and food. He’s the only one who’s shown any compassion or
remorse for what they’ve done.
There was a long pause before Octavion
responded.
Kira, I can’t get to you without the journey stone.
Have you seen it? Do you know where it is?
Yeah, Shandira’s got it, but she can’t get it
to work and I refused to help her.
You have to get it from her. It will work for
you. You need to open the portal or I can’t help. There’s no other
way.
Kira wiped the tears from her face.
I’ll
try, but . . .
I know you hurt, but you have to dig deep,
find that stubborn streak I love so well. You can do this, Kira.
Find the stone. Open the portal.
“Shandira wants her now,” Zerek yelled from
outside the door.
They’re coming.
Kira! Get out of there! Get to the stone!
It was all she heard before slipping the
pendant and chain back in her pocket.
When the door slid open and Zerek stepped
into the room, his eyes were black.
“Can you walk, or shall I drag you?”
Kira pushed herself up to her knees, paused
there to gain her balance and slowly straightened to her feet.
“I’ll walk.”
Nothing had changed in the white room, except
maybe Shandira. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, like she
hadn’t slept for days. “String her up—I don’t want her getting
loose.”
Cael tossed the end of the rope over a rafter
and pulled it tight. He suspended her about six inches from the
ground and a couple feet away from the contraption of chains and
leather. Cael finished securing the rope and approached Kira, his
eyes on fire. He leaned in and drew in a breath, taking in her
scent. Kira swung her foot up and kicked him in the chest.
“Enough!” Shandira yelled.
Cael twisted Kira to face Shandira who
grabbed Kira’s pants by the front pockets and began searching
them.
“Where is it?” Shandira asked.
“Get away from me.” Kira tried to kick her,
but missed.
Shandira grasped Kira’s throat and squeezed.
“Do not test me. I know you have the necklace.”
“I don’t have it. I saw you lay it on the
table in the cave when you emptied your pockets. It must have
fallen on the floor when Cael knocked over the book case.”
“You’re lying. How else would Octavion know
the extent of your injuries?”
“Why are you doing this? Wasn’t killing your
sister enough?” It was the only thing Kira could think that might
get her released. If Shandira thought she’d succeeded in killing
Lydia, maybe her reason for keeping Kira would be gone.
“In the beginning, that was all I wanted—for
her to be dead. I’m first in line to the throne and I want to be
queen, but tradition says the throne must be passed to the eldest
male heir. That leaves me nothing. Bastian introduced me to a
prince, but his father, the king, won’t allow the union unless I am
unique
. He’s a . . . collector of sorts. I told him about my
strength and gifts and the crown was mine until Octavion told
Bastian my sister had a kindred spirit. As long as she is alive, I
am second best and he will not allow us to be bound.”
“Then why are you doing this? With her dead,
you can go be his queen.”
“Because you killed him.”
Kira’s mind wandered back to the canyon and
her arrow as it sailed across the meadow and pierced the heart of
Cade’s attacker.
Shandira’s prince
. A chill rose up Kira’s
spine and filled her body with mind numbing fear.
I’m so
dead
.
Shandira continued her search, finding the
heart pendant in Kira’s back pocket. “I knew you had it. Now, to
teach my little brother a lesson.”
Shandira glanced around the room as if she
was looking for something, then went to the shelves near her bed.
Rummaging through some of Octavion’s bottles, she made her
selection and returned to Kira. “Let’s see what Octavion has to say
about
this
.” She pulled the lid off the tiny vial in her
hand and held it up to Kira’s mouth.
Kira kicked upward, trying to knock it out of
Shandira’s hand, but Cael jabbed her in the side and grabbed her
legs. Zerek held her around the waist, while Shandira took Kira’s
jaw in one hand and forced open her mouth. She poured some of the
liquid past her lips, but Kira spit it out, splattering Shandira’s
face.
Shandira thrust a solid punch to Kira’s ribs.
“Drink it!”
“No!” Kira squirmed one leg loose long enough
to knee Zerek in the chin. He grabbed her harder and held
tight.
Shandira took out her dagger and rested the
point under Kira’s chin. “Drink it or I will slit your throat.”
“Do it,” Kira blurted. “You’re gonna kill me
anyway—get it over with.” At least she wouldn’t have to starve to
death or suffer the effects of whatever was in that bottle.
Shandira stepped back and grinned. “Cut her
down and tie her to that metal table.”
Cael cut the rope while Zerek threw Kira over
his shoulder. He tossed her onto the cold slab, pain blasting
through her back.
“Please stop,” Kira begged. “I changed my
mind. I’ll help you. Give me the journey stone and I’ll try. I
might be able to do it.” She needed to stall for time, but more
than that, she needed to get that stone.
“You’re lying. It’s a trap. He will know we
are coming.” Shandira took a chunk of Kira’s hair to hold her in
place while Zerek tightened the piece of rope that bound her hands.
Cael pulled her to the end of the table and tied her ankles to its
legs.
“Hold her down,” Shandira instructed as she
released Kira’s hair. She opened one of the cupboards and took out
a metal bucket, dropped it in the sink with a loud clank and filled
it with water. Once the bucket filled, she slowly poured the water
over Kira’s face, making her sputter and cough. Shandira pulled the
bucket away, just long enough for Kira to get a short breath,
before pouring it again and again. When Shandira finally stopped,
she pressed the glass vial to Kira’s lips, shoving it in her mouth
between her gasps for air. Kira choked it back, then swallowed, the
bitter liquid burning her throat as it went down.
“What is that?” Kira cried. “What have you
done?”
“I have no idea. I just liked the color of
the bottle.” Shandira laughed, holding up a green bottle about the
size of her thumb. She dropped it into the sink, then turned to
face Cael. “I’m off to retrieve my scouts—not that they’re worth
anything now that my brother has messed with their minds. But at
least I’ll have my servants back.”
Cael cut the ropes that secured Kira’s legs,
while Zerek forced her off the table and to her feet. Shandira ran
her finger along Kira’s jaw line, lifting her chin with the tip of
her finger.
“She’s all yours, boys.” She laughed as she
turned to walk away.
“Shandira,” Kira called. “He loves you, ya
know. You’re his favorite—always have been.”
Shandira spun around with rage in her eyes.
“What do you know of my life?” She pulled her dagger and brought it
to Kira’s face, applying enough pressure on the blade to sting, but
not enough to break the skin.
“Octavion told me about you as children and
how much he loved you. He blames Bastian for all of this—not you.
It’s not too late.”
For a moment, Kira thought she saw regret and
longing in Shandira’s eyes, but then it was gone. “You lie!” she
said, drawing her blade across Kira’s cheekbone.
Kira screamed, cupping one of her bound hands
to her face. Warm blood seeped between her fingers and ran down the
length of her arm.
“Give my brother a message—if you live. Tell
him to think of me when he looks at your face—that is if he still
wants you after my boys have had their way with you.”
“You can tell him yourself when he comes for
you.”
Shandira lifted her fist as if she meant to
deliver another blow to Kira’s face, then dropped her hand and
disappeared.