Page 62 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

I took my seat as Reyna walked in, accompanied by Captain Zurina. The two talked companionably enough that one would assume them friends—if one were not a hostage and the other her jailer. Reyna broke off the conversation and aimed for the open seat next to mine. She shot me a wink as she settled into her place.

“Pleasant morning?” I inquired.

“Not bad. In fact, I think the day may be quite sunny indeed.”

I barely stifled a laugh. It was raining today, pouring buckets from the sky. Unless… My features evened out as her nose wrinkled.

She knew something, though I couldn’t hazard a guess at what.

“Let’s paint this afternoon. Just the two of us,” she continued, reaching for a platter of food. “I’ve had an inspiring thought that may look beautiful on canvas.”

* * *

Of all theplaces Reyna could have picked, she chose the indoor sparring rooms. Soldiers swarmed the area, engaged in practice with several captains who acted as instructors within the large stone room. Windows along one wall showed the rainy gloom beyond. Lit torches and a chandelier sporting wide candles provided what light the sun did not.

“Why here?” I mumbled as a guard set up the easels she’d carried in for us. Another adjusted blank canvases atop them. We’d face the arena, presumably to paint men and women as they trained.

Reyna shuffled through the jars of paint in her basket while the guards finished our setup, seemingly oblivious to my question.

“Thank you so much,” she said, gracing them with her broadest smile before they moved off to join the others in training. As they left, she turned to me. “Don’t you admire the way their muscles flex and move as they lunge at each other? It’s like sex. With clothes.”

A soft blush rose to my cheeks. Watching men train would never again feel quite so innocent.

“But honestly,” she continued, passing me a jar, “no one pays attention to what’s right under their nose.”

She had a point. As I glanced around the room, very few people bothered to look at us, much less pay attention to what we did. As if, somehow, we weren’t a threat sitting here in the middle of their training. There was a brilliance to it I couldn’t help but appreciate.

“So what are we painting?”

“Anything that strikes your fancy. It’s different than nature scenes, but…” She shrugged, brush in hand.

I attempted to paint two men sparring with swords, though the first few stokes made it apparent that any talent I had lay in painting nature rather than people. I frowned at my work. “So when do you think the sun will come out?”

One glance proved Reyna lacked my struggles where human proportions were concerned. “Oh, quite soon, I think. Once we go outside, you’ll have to ask if the birds are ready to migrate.”

I digested her words, searching for a deeper meaning. “How will I know if they are?”

“Listen for their songs. Sometimes they sing quite clearly just before they flee the nest.”

“And you think I’ll like these birds?”

She grinned but didn’t look away from her artwork. “I do. Very much.”

My warrior’s sword transformed into a grey lightning bolt across the canvas when the people I least expected walked through the doors: Elin and Warren.

My brush hovered above the canvas as I gaped at the sight, especially when I caught the smile pulling at Elin’s cheeks. She rushed to the edge of the training circle, eager to watch the soldiers sparring.

“There’s worse company she could keep,” Reyna whispered.

Still, part of me grew nauseous just watching them. I hadn’t spent enough time with her recently, had ignored my friend in favor of pursuing my goals. Against all odds, she seemed happy. Was this not a terrible prison for her too?

“You’re right, it could be worse,” I replied, sliding my eyes to Orson for emphasis.

She gave a dramatic shiver, the mirror of my thoughts.

“I just didn’t expect it.” I glanced around, searching for the location of the guards before I continued. “Could it be some kind of trick? A trap?”

Reyna shook her head. “Not with that one. He…well, it seems he retained a sort of innocence.”

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