Page 19 of Cages and Crowns
“What did he mean by a distraction?” Emery’s arms fall as she drops the bow, sticking the arrow back into the sheath on her thigh.
“He had to know he wasn’t going to get out of here alive.” She replies as she looks over at me. I watch her eyes quickly scan my body, searching for injuries. I can see the brief look of relief cross her face before she looks away. My pulse skips in surprise. Surprise that she cares enough to look at me like that.
“But what was he trying to distract us from?” I reply. He was here for more than just causing minor damage to the palace.He was looking for something. “Tobias wouldn’t send one of his favorite guards to die unless it was for a purpose.”
“Do you think there could be others?” Enzo asks, tearing his eyes away from the area Tano disappeared in and looking at Nithe.
“The guards are searching every inch of the palace. If there are, they’ll be found.” He replies, disinterested. His focus is elsewhere. His hands clench into fists as he stares off in the distance.
“Your father is asking for you, Nithe.” I say, remembering the reason we came out here in the first place. He rolls his eyes in my direction and pushes past me. I stumble to the side before whipping around to smack him. Enzo’s warm fingers slip from my arm and grab my wrist before I can make contact. I glare at him while he shakes his head in warning. He doesn’t release me as I watch Nithe’s back.
“I don’t have time to speak to my father, I have someone to deal with.”
Chapter Ten
The Protector
I follow Ni back into the palace, leaving Scarlett and Emery to head back to the throne room. They don’t need to witness this. Although I am half convinced Scar would want to contribute to his torturing in some way. He almost killed her, and he almost killed Elaenor. He deserves what’s coming to him.
Nithe leads me straight down to the dungeon, past the bunkers, to where Tano is being shackled to the wall. His hood has fallen back, his entire face exposed, but all I see is weakness. This man—thisfragmentof a protector—was supposed to be Elaenor’s guard. He was supposed to protect her, but he didn’t. And now he’s here, causingdamage to our home.
Nithe and I are both silent as we wait for the guards to finish with the tethers. When they do, they hastily bow to the prince before exiting, leaving us alone.
“Tano, is it?” Nithe asks, crouching down in front of the guard.
“And who are you?” He sneers, sweat beadingalong his brow.
“I’m the last person you are going to see for a while.” Nithe’s hand snakes into his boot, pulling out a short dagger. He slices it through the air, splitting Tano’s cheek open in a millisecond.
“Ni,” I warn, stepping forward. Usually his father, the king, is the one who tortures people. This isn’t like him. Nithe has always been against torture, against hurting without reason, but right now, right now Nithe isn’t himself and I have a sneaking suspicion it has something to do with Elaenor, and that thought causes confusing emotions to flick through my mind.
“Here is what’s going to happen, Tano. I am going to ask you questions and you are going to answer them. Every time you don’t, I cut something off. I’ll be generous and start with your fingers and not something you’ll really miss.” He lifts his hand and presses the blade against Tano’s thumb, where it is hanging from the wall behind him.He tries to wrench his hand away, but the tight shackles don’t allow it.
“Fuck you.” My heart skips a beat and I take a step closer to them, my hands clenching together.
“While I appreciate the offer, Tano, no thank you.” Nithe clears his throat. “Where is Elaenor?”
“At the palace.”He spits, his eyes narrowed.
“Good job. Youdolisten!” He moves the dagger to Tano’s pointer finger. “Is she alive?”
“Yes. For now.” His voice shakes as he looks down at the blade pressed to his knuckle.
“Where is she being held?” It's there, and I almost miss it, but the edges of Tano’s lips twitch as if he is trying to hold back a smile.
“In the royal chambers where she is shackled and naked, ready for any and all to—” Nithe barely flinches, and the pointer finger is gone. Tano’s screams echo off the stone walls, and I step back, watching the blood steadily drip down his arm. Bile fills my mouth and I swallow it down.Gods.
“That was for being disgusting.” He mutters.
“Why do you want the queen so badly? What is she to you?” Tano asks,begs.
“She is oursalvation.” Nithe whispers and my eyes widen. That was the first time he has ever acknowledged Elaenor for what she is. What she could mean. Thisisabout Elaenor. This whole side of him, his change in demeanor. What did I miss? Whynow? “Why are you here Tano?”
“A distraction.” He spits again.
“I got that the first time.Whatare you distracting us from?” He keeps his mouth shut, and another finger is cleaved off. I flinch as it falls to the floor with a fleshy smack. Tano yells out, his face going red from the pain. I can see sweat beading along his hairline, dropping past his temple. He’s a weak excuse of a man. I can almost guarantee that Elaenor takes the pain and the torture better than this. “Answer me!”
“He wanted to see how many you had at the palace.”
