Page 80 of Ties of Dust

“What is it?” Sir Keavling snapped, clearly not appreciating the interruption to his moment of triumph.

“An urgent express has come for you.”

The imposter stood, irritation clear in his frame. “Bring it here.”

The man brought him a sealed billet, which he broke open and scanned rapidly. He let out a quiet oath, his eyes settling angrily on the two men flanking Cassius.

“You clumsy oafs, you raised suspicion when you grabbed the girl. If it’s necessary for me to return toCrandell before it’s time because of your ineptitude, your lives will be forfeit.”

There was a moment of tense silence as the imposter considered his options and Cassius lay prone on the floor, his head spinning and every inch of his body aching.

Then Sir Keavling folded the parchment with a decisive flourish.

“I need to speak to the scouts.”

He squatted down beside Cassius, his tone still businesslike.

“We’re not finished, Prince.” The last word was an insult. “Youwilldo what I need you to do. I’ve enjoyed watching you break, just as I will enjoy watching your conceited little kingdom be smashed into splinters. But I’m afraid we don’t have unlimited time for pleasantries. Once my current business is complete, we’ll bring the girl up for an interview with my associates.”

Cassius stiffened as Sir Keavling’s eyes flicked to the two men whose fists had left Cassius battered.

“I have a feeling you’ll be more cooperative then.”

Sir Keavling rose with the words, moving toward the door. He jerked his head toward the silently seething prince.

“Throw him back in the cellar. We’ll finish this later.”

Cassius found himself seized and the bonds around his feet slashed free of the chair, although his hands were left bound. The men frogmarched him the short distance to the cellar, then threw him in. He caught the fall as best he could, trying to minimize the pain it would cause him and therefore Flora.

As soon as the door closed above, he scrambled to his feet, his heart hammering as his eyes found her. She wasjust where he’d left her, and she didn’t appear to be conscious.

Cassius ripped his arms back and forth, determined to break the knot that bound his hands behind his back. They’d tied it hastily, and he’d been knocked about since then, enough to loosen it a little.

To his relief, the rope started to give. Working quickly, he disentangled himself until he was able to pull the bindings away completely.

Dull pain radiated from his whole body thanks to the beating he’d received, but it was the least of his concerns. He sprinted to Flora’s side as soon as he was free, placing his hands on either side of her pale face.

“Flora!”

Her eyes flickered open, recognition lighting them as they fell on his face. Cassius ripped the gag from her mouth, and she drew in a shuddering breath.

“Cassius.”

The whisper broke him all over again. There was a bruise along her jaw, and her breathing was even shallower than before. His own aches told him how much pain she must be feeling, and a silent scream rose inside him, the rage all the more ferocious for its futility.

At least his hands were free now. He withdrew them from her face and circled behind her, assessing the ropes that bound her to the beam. It took several minutes, but he managed to loosen one of the ropes enough to rip open the knot. One of Flora’s arms flopped free, her lack of response to the change alarming. She hadn’t said a word while he worked, and she remained silent as he tugged at the next section of bindings. The task became easier the more of her he freed, and soon enough he was able to yank the final rope from around her midriff. The freedom atlast propelled her into motion. She stumbled away from the beam and straight into Cassius’s arms.

He closed them around her, his chest heaving as he held her flush against him. He was too overwhelmed to speak, and he had no words to say to her. How could he ever look her in the eye again?

Cassius wouldn’t have blamed Flora if she’d hated him after what she’d endured on his account, but nothing in her demeanor suggested it. On the contrary, she laid her head on his shoulder, sending his heart sputtering into double time as she buried her face in his neck. She seemed to sink in his arms, her legs quivering as she tried to regain her footing after so long bound upright. Cassius tightened his grip around her waist, his hold strong enough to take her weight, and wordlessly, she gave up the attempt to stand. She was collapsed against him, his arms all that kept her on her feet.

Panic barreled through his mind with deadly force, making it hard to think straight. Sir Keavling had been clear—if he couldn’t find a way for them to escape, they would beat Flora next, probably kill her if Cassius didn’t help them start a war. He wasn’t sure whether the imposter knew the effect the prince’s injuries had on Flora, but it was abundantly clear that Sir Keavling knew that she was Cassius’s vulnerability.

Being free of their bonds was a start, but it wasn’t enough. They were still locked in a cellar, and Cassius had no way of getting them out. Even if he did, they wouldn’t get far with Flora too weak to move.

Cassius wished he was strong enough to be her stability, but slight though she was, his own arms were already shaking. His body was in a state of shock on its own account. He hated his weakness, but he accepted that hecouldn’t hold her up forever. Shifting carefully backwards, he found the wall and lowered himself down it, Flora still clasped against him.

She drew in a sharp breath as he repositioned her, and Cassius froze.

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