Page 104 of What did you do?

“Our powers don’t adhere to any of the realms’ rules. It’s what makes us so scary,” he said with a wink. “I’m not supposed to use them here though. Probably why I got a little carried away, ya know? Just felt so good to use them again. And as for why I’m helping you, I have a feeling we can help each other.” He stretched his arms, resting his hands behind his head as he looked out into the orange sky.

“I can’t help you,” I mumbled.

“Aren’t you the one they thought killed Prince Mendax? Didn’t you build a bomb in his bathroom or something?” he chuckled, leaning up to look at me.

“It doesn’t matter. He’s dead,” I said, my jaw tightening. My stomach clenched painfully at the thought.

“You love him? Is that why you worked with him?” he questioned.

“I didn’t work with him,” I grumbled. “But I did love him. I was stupid and foolish and didn’t listen to my gut when I should have.” I turned away from Sid, pressing my back against the bars. Edin was asleep in the corner of her cell.

“So which side are you on? Guess I should have found that out first, huh?” I could hear the smile in his voice.

I let my heavy head drop down. “Neither,” I whispered, wiping a stray tear from the corner of my eye.

“Weren’t you supposed to marry the Seelie prince?”

“Yeah” was all the response I could form.

We continued talking as the sky turned deeper shades of orange and red, signifying that it would be time for the bird to arrive again soon.

“What if you rip out your own insides? Ya know, make the guards think the roc did its duty,” Sid said nonchalantly.

“I already tried. The roc, as you called it, stopped me. They won’t allow me to hurt myself. Besides, it’s likely that I’d pass out from blood loss before I was finished,” I replied.

“You two are fucked up,” Edin called from her cell.

Footsteps echoed behind us, getting louder the closer they came.

“Fuck.” The skin around Sid’s eyes tightened. “I hear claws on the ground, Puddle. I think they’re bringing you another creature again.”

Air filled my lungs and pushed out my ribs painfully. I tried to brace myself to watch another sweet animal die at my feet.

The cell door slammed open, hitting the bars behind it with a clang.

“You better fucking destroy her, or it’s a sun pellet between the eyes for you, dog,” the commander goaded.

A yelp and snarl sounded as he kicked whatever creature had just stepped into my cell.

Every part of me sank lower than I thought it could go. I couldn’t handle any more animals being hurt. My eyes blurred as I continued to stare at my hands between my knees.

The footsteps echoed back down the hallway.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“The fuck?” said Sid next to me.

As I cried, the creature seemed to grow taller in my blurry peripheral.

“We really need to stop meeting like this.” A warm and soothing voice blanketed my skin.

My head snapped up as hope rippled through me like it was going to light my insides on fire. “Walter!” I gasped.

My gaze found the kindest chestnut-colored eyes. I tripped to my feet, unable to believe what I was seeing.

“You know, I do enjoy other activities, ones that aren’t always helping you escape from a dungeon,” he said with a broad smile.

I ran to where he stood and hurled my arms around him.

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