Page 41 of Destiny Redeemed
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I groaned as consciousness returned, my head throbbing like an overripe melon ready to burst. The stone floor beneath me was cold and damp, seeping chill into my bones. As awareness slowlytrickled back, I cracked open one eye, wincing at even the dim light filtering through the bars.
I gently prodded my temple and winced immediately.
Nothing like waking up in a dank cell to really start the day off right.
At least Tommy wasn’t here. That was one small mercy in this god forsaken mess. The boy had escaped - I hoped. How long had I been out? Hours? Days? The gnawing ache in my stomach suggested it had been a while since I’d last eaten.
I pushed myself up on shaky arms, fighting a wave of nausea.Come on, Ilyana. You’ve had worse hangovers than this. Pull yourself together.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, growing louder. I steeled myself, forcing my face into a neutral mask as keys jangled and the cell door creaked open.
“Well, well. Look who’s finally awake.”
Gareth. Of course, it would be him. I bit back a groan.
“Gareth. Last I remember, I warned you if you ever return here, I’ll have your body cut into pieces and thrown into Lake Calista,” I drawled, my voice raspy from disuse and anger.
He sneered, grabbing my arm and hauling me to my feet. I stumbled, my legs as weak as a newborn colt’s.
“Shut up,” he growled. “You think you can do anything now. That’s a lot of talk for someone who’s about to die.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Bold of you to assume I’d die here.”I wasn’t so sure about that myself.
His face twisted in rage. “You. You insufferable, spoiled little brat. Do you have any idea how annoying you were? Always prancing about, demanding this and that, thinking you were so clever.”
I blinked, acting surprised. “My, Gareth. I had no idea you cared so much.”
He shoved me against the wall, his face inches from mine. “I hated every second working for your idiot father. But I played my part, biding my time. And now look at you - the mighty Lady Ilyana, brought so low. I never thought you’d fall for your downfall yourself. I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”
Well, this is interesting.I filed away every word, every detail. Gareth was revealing far more than he realized in his anger.
“If you hated it so much, why stay?” I asked, keeping my tone light and curious. “Surely there were other positions available for a man of your… talents.”
He laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. “You really are as stupid as your father, aren’t you? I was never loyal to Elyas. I had a greater purpose.”
Uh-huh.“And what purpose might that be?”
Gareth’s eyes gleamed with a fanatical light. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to tell you?”
“Why not? You said, I’ll die here anyway.”
He moved away a bit, giving me some space, and started pacing, looking proud of his shenanigans.That idiot!“That’s true. You will die here. Red won’t let you go. You know way too much. I was only there to use your stupid father for our cause. In all honesty, you or your father weren’t even our target. If everything had gone well, Elyas wouldn’t even have noticed anything different.” Gareth suddenly turned around and looked at me menacingly. “But he had to go ahead and be a thorn in our side. I was wondering how stupid Elyas suddenly became so… perspective all of a sudden. Now I’m starting to realize it was all someone else’s work.”
My blood ran cold. “It was you. The gold bars— no, everything was a setup all along. My father was nothing but a puppet all along.”
I stared at Gareth, the pieces finally clicking into place. The smug bastard laughed, his eyes glittering with malice.
“Now you understand,” he sneered. “And do you know who gave him this brilliant idea?”
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the blood drain from my face as Gareth’s grin widened.
“It was me, of course,” he crowed. “That stupid father of yours couldn’t come up with such a clever idea even if his life depended on it.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “Who was behind all this?” I managed to croak out. “Who has a grudge against Magnus?”
Gareth’s expression darkened. “Enough of this chitchat,” he snapped. “Now I’ll be the one asking questions, and you will only answer. How much do you know about the gold smuggling?”
