Page 57 of Detonation
“Yes, madam,” she states in a polite voice for the benefit of the guards, rolling her eyes at my demands.
I bite back a laugh, enjoying how her presence puts me at ease, despite the shitty situation we’re in.
Closing my eyes, I search for my power and lift my hand when I feel it, willing a small flame to come to me. I open my eyes and smile at the orange flames licking at my palms.
They’re coming back.
Liviana strides towards me after I drop my hand and places her arm around my waist, motioning for me to lean into her. I place some of my weight on her shoulder as we get to my door and she calls for the guards to open it for us.
We exit my chambers and I note the two stoic guards, dressed in black with a leather vest over them like armor. I don’t dwell on them for long, focusing on the slow walk to the doctor and making my fake limp look believable.
Thankfully, we don’t pass many people, so I walk normally for the majority of it to make the trek faster. I knock on the door and the doctor opens it, ushering us in, before closing it behind us.
I drop my arm from around Liviana and undo the bandages on my feet. Doc rushes to stop me. “Oslana, please, sit and I will do that. They need to be handled gently.”
Laughing, I bat his hands away and do my best impersonation of an Irish jig. His mouth drops open and Liviana covers her mouth to stifle her own laugh.
Footsteps sound in the hall and Doc rushes me over to a small cot and drapes a hand towel over my feet, standing up as a knock sounds at the door.
The person does not wait for a response and the door creaks open, revealing our guest. Leaning in the doorway is Sebastian, accompanied by two guards and a limp man between them. He has long, dirty, blonde hair hanging over his face and is grotesquely skinny.
Livi fades into the corner of the room, keeping her eyes cast downward to not pull anyone’s attention.
Sebastian zeroes in on me and narrows his eyes. “Why are you out of your cage, little bird?”
I huff and roll my eyes. “Why areyoustill alive?”
He chuckles low and smug. "I'm alive because Anshar needs me, much to his disgust. He's come to realize that while he may have the power to best me, I have the loyalty of our entire kingdom. It is not so easy to gain the respect of those who waited for forty years for you."
I can't hold back my retort. "It doesn't matter who they follow. You're both fucking idiots, blindly following a supposed dark god's bidding. You act like you rule everything but you answer to someone higher than you. Tell me, have you even seen him? How powerful does that make you?"
He motions for the guards to drag the man in towards the other cot while he answers me with a single brow raised in a mocking expression. "More powerful than Anshar. What's a kingdom if you have no one to rule? I have their following."
I don't bother responding, intently watching the man now laying a few feet from me. His chest is rising and falling, barely but it is.
Good. We're not too late.
They've taken his shackles off so I'm hopeful his powers don't take too long to come back.
"I'll ask you once more—why are you here? This room is reserved for our prisoner."
The doctor steps in. "Lord Anshar has bid me to tend to her wounds." He gestures at my feet covered in the cloth.
"Let me see your injuries," he demands, clearly skeptical as he strides over to me.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
The prisoner coughs, drawing Sebastian’s attention away from me. He mutters low under his breath, "Fucker,” and I suppress a laugh.
I knew I’d like this dude.
Sebastian walks over to the man and backhands him but the prisoner merely chuckles, which quickly turns into a coughing fit.
"Pathetic," Sebastian hisses, turning on his heel to walk out the door, the two guards following behind him.
"Behave, little bird. I'd hate to have to punish you in Anshar's absence," he tosses out before the door closes.
"I'm sure you'd absolutely love that, fuck face," I respond beneath my breath.
