Ever. Especially not those who served beneath her. Being Caronese, the men of the Resistance were already predisposed to thinking of women as lesser beings. The only reason she’d been allowed to lead was out of respect and loyalty to her father. If they saw her crying, they would refuse to follow her.
Only Kere had ever seen her weak or vulnerable. Never had he thought less of her for it. And for that reason, he was the only man alive she’d ever trusted with her real thoughts and fears.
With her heart.
Where are you, Kere?
Taking a deep breath and forcing herself not to think about that right now, she pressed her hands to her face and put on a smile she didn’t feel. “Come in.”
The door slid open to show her Pip who had a disdainful twist to his lips. With furious strides, he came into the room and tossed a small plastic bag down on the desk in front of her.
“I don’t get it,” he said, putting his hands on his hips.
She scowled. “Get what?”
He jerked his chin toward the bag. “Out of everything we confiscated from our royal prisoner, that was the only thing the bastard put up a fight to keep. Only that. I figured it had to be worth a fortune given the rest of his shit and how much it cost, so I took it home and gave it to my wife. Last night, we decided we’d rather sell it and buy something we both could enjoy. So I ran it over to a jeweler to be appraised this morning, and the damn thing is as fake as it can be. He said it wasn’t worth the price of the appraisal. Can you believe it?”
That was strange. Why would a prince have a fake piece of jewelry?
But more to the point…
“The prince is still here?”
“Uh, yeah… like we were going to free him and make all of them happy after everything we’ve suffered?”
That was an entirely different story than Clarion had told her. Unmitigated fury tore through her that they’d have kept the prince here all this time.
Why hadn’t she checked on that?
The answer didn’t make her feel any better. As preoccupied as she’d been, she still should have asked Clarion about it.
Castigating herself for the neglect, her gaze fell to the ring and then something that felt like a fist, slamming into her stomach.
No…
Her heart stopped.
It was her mother’s second wedding ring. The one that her father had bought as a present when they’d been on a pilgrimage years ago and had renewed their vows…
The ring she’d placed on Kere’s pinkie…
Why would the Caronese heir have the ring she’d given to Kere?
The truth slapped her hard.
No, surely not…
Darling was too weak to look up as he heard the door open and the harsh lights flared on again. Besides, it no longer mattered to him who his torturer was.
In the beginning, he’d been determined to remember everyone who hurt him so that he could hunt them down and kill them.
But all hope of ever tasting freedom again was gone. He’d faced the truth weeks ago. He was never going to get out of here alive. And at this point, he didn’t want to.
All he wanted was to die. C’mon, you fucking bastards, just kill me.
Was that really so much to ask?
“Where did you get this?”
He could barely open his swollen eyes to see what someone was holding right under his nose.
What was it?
The woman slapped him hard on his festering cheek. “I asked you a question.”
This time, he recognized the voice.
Zarya.
Hope tore through him. Had she finally come to set him free? His breathing ragged from the effort it took, he lifted his head to meet her gaze. Surely she would recognize him this time…
But there was still no recognition in her cold amber eyes. Only bitter, cruel hatred. “Where’s Kere?”
I’m right here in front of you.
Why can’t you see me?
She backhanded him so hard that the engagement ring he’d given her sliced open his cheek again. “I want you to answer me! Now! What did you bastards do to Kere? Damn you! Tell me!”
How could he answer her? Couldn’t she see the muzzle straps that wrapped around his head to hold it in place? A muzzle that pierced his throat and tongue every time she hit him?
Blood filled his mouth, choking him until it had no choice except to run from the corners of his lips. The pain of it made his eyes water. He winced as the saline in those tears burned like acid on his skin.
Burying her hand in his hair, she wrenched his head back, which caused the muzzle to cut even deeper into his throat. “You killed him, didn’t you?”
No. They’d killed him. Her soldiers. His former allies. Her unfeeling apathy and callous disregard for what her men did to him. Their cruelty and torture had ripped the last shred of his soul out of him. He was nothing but an empty shell now.
After all the years of Arturo trying to break him, it had been his own allies who had finally succeeded.
There was no Kere left anymore. Kere had been a champion for people like her and Pip and Timmon and Clarion.
The last thing Darling desired was to help anyone now. All he wanted was for them to die slowly and painfully.
Just kill me. Please. For the love of the gods, have some compassion. A pittance of human decency. Even rabid animals were given more mercy than this.