Page 88 of Silver Claws, Crimson Tears
Who said? What’s happening to me? I want to demand answers, but my jaw locks as my entire body begins to convulse. My back arches off the floor, muscles spasming beyond my control. My vision fractures into kaleidoscope shards: the ceiling, Craven’s face, flashes of glowing eyes and glyphs.
—Omneira, a voice whispers directly into my mind.Unbind.
I try to fight it, whatever it is, but the pressure keeps building—like a dam about to burst. Something inside me is tearing free, breaking chains I didn’t even know existed.
My last conscious thought is of Vaylen—his face, his touch, the hurt in his eyes when I pushed him away—then darkness rushes in, swallowing me whole.
31
Rhea
Iwake to darkness. The transition from palace floor to black confines is disorienting. My head throbs with each heartbeat, a dull echo of the earlier agony. How long was I unconscious? Hours? Days? I climb to my feet slowly.
Flickering torchlight reveals iron bars separating me from freedom. A prison cell. Again. The King showed his true colors after all. But how did they get me here without Zephyros destroying the palace? I reach for our connection. It’s open, but still muffled. What in all the hells?
Movement outside the bars catches my attention. A figure approaches—tall, elegant, with white hair held in precise braids. Recognition slams into me like a physical blow.
“Tahranis.” The name escapes my lips before I can stop it.
He smiles, amber eyes reflecting the torchlight. “You remember my name. Good. But call me Tahr.”
“Hard to forget the man who kidnapped me.” My voice is raw, throat parched. I look down. My leathers are torn, battle stained. I frown.
Tahranis carries a wooden plate heaped with food. There’sroasted meat glistening with fat, vegetables in vibrant colors, bread that steams in the cool air, and a generous pat of butter. The smell makes my stomach clench painfully. How long since I’ve eaten? The jerky in the woods. I shouldn’t be this hungry.
He slides the plate through a slot in the bars. “Eat. You need your strength.”
“Is it poisoned?” I ask, even as my fingers twitch with the desire to grab the food.
“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have woken up.” He hooks his thumbs in his trouser pockets, causing his long fur-lined coat to open wider, revealing a sheathed dagger at his waists and a stretch of smooth, pale chest. The casual display of skin feels deliberate, calculated.
“I have something to show you,” he says, his voice soft. “Something you’d love to see.”
“You have nothing I want to see.” I spit the words at him, though my eyes betray me by lingering on his exposed skin.
He laughs, the sound rich and warm despite our surroundings. “Such fire, Omneira. I thought you would be thus.”
“Don’t call me that. My name is Rhea.”
“That’s just the name they gave you.” Tahranis leans closer to the bars. “But I know who you really are. And soon, you’ll know too.”
I step forward, grab the plate, and pull it toward me, if only to have something to throw at his smug face. “The only thing I want to remember is how to get out of here and back to?—”
I stop myself before saying Vaylen’s name. Better Tahranis doesn’t know what matters to me.
“How was the King involved in my kidnapping?” I ask, balancing the place in my hands. “Why did you take me? Where have you brought me?”
Tahranis examines his fingernails as if I haven’t spoken.
“Answer me!” I slam the plate against the stone bench tomy right. A chunk of bread bounces toward the bars. My patience snaps like brittle kindling. “What does Craven have to do with this? What is this about?”
Nothing. Not even a flicker of acknowledgment crosses his face.
Fine. If he won’t answer, I’ll find help elsewhere. I close my eyes and reach for the familiar thread of my bond with Zephyros again. I push my thoughts outward with all my might, but nothing gets through the thick fog that lies between us. I push harder, straining until my temples throb and sweat beads on my forehead. Nothing still.
“Don’t strain yourself,” Tahranis finally speaks, his voice smooth as silk. “From here, you won’t be able to reach that dragon.”
The way he saysthat dragon—like Zephyros is somehow beneath him—makes my anger flare.
