Page 40 of Song of the Shadow Prince
“Lady Arya,” he reprimanded darkly. “Be careful with your words.”
I swallowed my words and stayed quiet.The emperor can kick rocks barefoot, I thought to myself. No wonder Damien was such a sour puss. I would be, too.
“Does it hurt to extract your dragon bones?”
Royal Prince Bai peered over at me, contemplating the wisdom of telling me the truth. “It’s the worst pain imaginable. It is quite literally someone dismantling your insides and pulling them out, bit by bit. The pain… is excruciating.”
I gasped in horror. The emperor was a real piece of work… and I was about to meet him. Jesus Christ. Who knew what he’d do to me to get the information he wanted? Damn, I really needed to get back home before I lost my life due to a royal pissing match.
12
CAT
Maeve was stationed like a solemn sentinel outside the Ryder mansion when my carriage rolled up; a less-than-triumphant chariot arriving not from some grand adventure, but more of a misadventure in navigation. The moment I alighted and caught Maeve's eye, startled by a look on her face that could sour milk, I knew something was up.
Her big eyes dimmed as they narrowed on me. She took hold of my hand and quietly ushered me inside. Without speaking, we walked through the maze of the outdoor courtyard until we reached Arya’s room. Once inside, she sealed us off from the world with a thud of the door that seemed to echo her heavy heart.
I turned around to see her still facing the door, clutching the handles for dear life and resting her forehead on the wooden door panel. “Maeve?” I ventured, my whisper hanging in the air. “Is everything okay? I’m sorry I stayed out all night, but I didn’t know my way home and the only person I ran into that I knew was—”
“You’re not Lady Arya, are you?” Her breathy whisper was nearly lost in the room's silence.
Her words hit me like a wayward dodgeball—unexpected and a bit absurd, considering I’d spent our entire acquaintance insisting I wasnotArya. Yet, there I was, feeling like a fraud in a play where everyone already knew the plot and only played along for the drama.
The silence stretched painfully before I admitted what she’d finally come to believe. “No. I’m not.”
Maeve’s sigh was as loud as a storm, and when she turned to face me, her expression was a mix of relief and dread. “Where is she?” Her voice trembled.
“I think she’s in my world.” I tried to paint a picture of safety. “And if she is, she’s probably enjoying a less complicated existence pretending to be me.”
Maeve nodded and tried her best to contain her tears. Arya didn’t deserve her loyalty.
“How did you figure it out?” I was curious, since I’d done so many things that should have made her believe me – my tattoos being a glaring red arrow – yet she never swayed.
“You… you fight really well,” she murmured. “My lady is delicate. She can hardly swat a fly on her own, nor would she try. But… it was when we were fighting the vampires that I knew you were not her.”
“How?” I frowned, puzzled by her detective skills. She watched me fight in the tavern and it didn’t sway her then. What was different about the vampires?
A thoughtful pause. “My lady never would have sacrificed herself to save my life. If anything, she would have sacrificed me to save hers.”
Sothatwas why she hesitated.
I gave her a gentle smile. “I tried to tell you, Maeve. I hope you don’t think I lied to you or anything—”
“I know,” she said solemnly. “I just… I need to get my lady back.”
“We will. That’s why I enlisted Garrick’s help. Hopefully we’ll hear from him soon with some clue on how I can return to my world. When I do, I’ll send Arya back. But in the meantime, I need your help to continue to pretend to be her.”
She gulped and her eyes widened. “I don’t know…”
“You’ve been doing a splendid job so far. It’s just for a little while longer!” I pleaded, although technically, I had no clue how much longer I needed her help.
Maeve nodded and nervously wrung her hands together. “Well… what’s your name?”
“It’s Cat, short for Catalina.” I approached her tentatively, aware she was probably afraid of me after seeing me kick ass in two fights yesterday. “I hope you know, Maeve, that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so far. I don’t know how I can ever repay you,” I said softly. “If you ever need help while I’m here, know you can always come to me.”
Her head bounced up and she gazed at me in shock, her eyes widening. “Really?”
I nodded. “Really. I can be loyal to those who are loyal to me.”
