Page 50 of Sustaining
Just as the Solstice Queen tears the three of us away from Warf, I say the one thing he always asked me not to say.
“I love you.”
Twenty
Love and Lies
I wake moments later,and memories swirl through my messy mind, but I do remember exactly what she did.
I thought Agatha meant that Rime would be taken away from me. In my irrational fear of her confusing prediction, I thought that he’d be physically taken from me.
Now that I stand in the cold dungeon, I realize I misunderstood entirely.
Ice is slick under my bare feet, numbing my bones as I cling on to the bars of the cell. Several other cells are lined right next to mine among the shadows but I don’t focus on them or their occupants. Just outside my makeshift prison, in the dark, enormous dungeon room, Ellise lays the unconscious shifter to the floor. His pale hair is stark against the damp stone, and it hurts me to see him so weak and fragile looking. Magic flares to life in my fingertips, but when I lift my hand to fling that power at her, it simply burns against my skin. It presses to escape, but something out of my control doesn’t allow it to come tearing out of me.
“Magic isn’t an option, my dear.” She doesn’t look at me as she gets to work on setting something up on a table near the far wall. “I’ve enchanted that lovely cell you’re in to prevent any ill-wishing magic to blossom. Just a precautious measure, you understand, my friend.” She smiles to herself as I grind my teeth and pull as hard as I can against the barred door that’s separating Rime from me.
“I won’t hurt him, don’t worry.” Pure white light flashes across her features, the light crawling across the dimness of the room, and her smile only intensifies. “I prepared a few taming devices that I think you’d be interested to hear about.” She turns and reveals a circular object. It beams with so much brightness it has a halo appearance.
She kneels at Rime’s side, and everything in me wants to climb the bars of this place until I find a way out just to throw myself protectively across his unconscious body.
“I have a feeling you might still be a bit reluctant to help our cause but I assure you I intend to use all power provided to me with the very best intentions for our people.” She glances up at me just as she lowers the glowing halo to Rime. It shines over his pale hair, and she slowly fixes it into place with a terrifying electric sound. “This magic-infused device drives out the voice of humanity in their thick, beastly skulls.” Her fingers brush sweetly against his temple as she adjusts the halo. “It allows their dragons to come forth; it strengthens them as a man and as a beast. It unifies them in a way that will really benefit all of us.”
The muscles in Rime’s arms cord, tensing so slowly as he locks his fingers hard into his fists until every single part of him is carved into an image of frightening strength. My breath catches as I stare wide-eyed at the man lying on the ground, his sharp but beautiful features contorting with a look of blatant rage that I’ve never seen before.
Frost-kissed eyes open. He stares up at the woman above him, her fingers still softly touching his grinding jaw. The way his chest rises and falls, the sweat that trails down his temple despite the cold, and the simple way his arms keep tensing like an actual beast might rip right out of him has fear physically trembling through my hands as I lean my face between the icy bars of my cell.
“Rime,” I whisper. I say his name like I’m not even sure if I’ve ever spoken it out loud. It hurts to say. It hurts so badly, cracking open my chest so deeply I gasp from the feel of it.
I hate saying his name because I’m terrified of what the response will be.
His head tics, turning slightly but not fully toward the familiar sound of my voice. He doesn’t look away from the Solstice Queen.
“Rime?” The quiet, unsureness of my voice hurts my throat to even get the simple word out.
His gaze cuts to me, seeing me for the first time in the shadows of the room.
Stiffly, he stands. Ellise stands as well, and she keeps a curious attention on the shifter’s back as he prowls toward me. Even the way he walks is different. His movements are no longer that quiet confident demeanor. It’s all stalking, dangerous aggression.
He stops several feet from my cell, pacing slowly while his skeptical gaze shifts across my features. He takes in every dirty inch of my yellow dress. He sniffs at the dry blood coating my hands. And then he looks directly into my eyes. A rumbling snarl shakes from his chest. He steps closer and the vacantness of his eyes makes me flinch when his nose touches the side of my cheek, breathing me in in angry huffs of aggression. He slowly exhales, his teeth opening to release the low growl crawling up his throat, and I’m almost certain he might snap at me.
Instead, he grinds his jaw tighter.
And then walks away.
That’s the worst of it. Watching Rime turn his back on me and walk away like a stranger, that’s the very worst thing she could have done to me.
All the emotions in me come crashing down as he leaves me behind. My lips part with a sob striking up my throat. The anger and the pain that slices through my chest comes tearing out of me in shaking breaths and quiet tears.
That lying bitch. I know him. I know Rime and I know his fucking dragon. His dragon trusted me. His dragon trusted me before Rime even trusted me. Whatever her fucking device is pushing to the front of Rime’s mind, it isn’t his beast.
“Rime and I are going upstairs, Arlow. Lots of catching up to do.” Ellise claps her hands together as she faces me with an enchanting smile that I want so badly slap right off her mouth. “I have planning to do. Kingdoms to conquer. People to help. My time is precious, and it cannot be wasted. Your mate and I will return. We will come back down tomorrow at dawn, and when I return, I want your answer. Will you help us? Don’t answer me now. Just consider it. It is a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Rime and I will do this with or without you, but I know—I know—you are capable of greatness, Arlow.” It’s an inspiring little speech that makes me want to spit in her fucking face at the end.
She turns, Rime follows, and then, the two of them trail up the dark stairway on the far side of the room.
I can’t help but keep my eyes focused on the light of the halo shining down on Rime. I keep my gaze trained on the receding sliver of that light. It’s the last little fading piece of him. Until it’s gone entirely.
Leaving me alone in the dark.
