“I will.” I’d already planned to kill him anyway. If this was what Dashiel needed…
He let out a long breath. “Very well.”
I’d figured out which cell Lina was in by process of elimination. I made to scuttle past her, and she let out a low laugh.
“I know it’s you, Prisca.”
I turned. Unsurprisingly, she looked terrible. Her blond hair was dark with dirt, hanging limp in front of her face, which was covered in bruises.
“It’s okay,” Lina said. “I won’t say anything. I know you’re here for Asinia.”
And no one had come for her.
Her lower lip trembled, but she bit down on it.
“I’m sorry about your grandparents.”
“Thank you. The worst part is…they didn’t know. Or I think they would have tried to get me out. But I didn’t know either. I thought I was just a lucky person. I thought the gods were smiling down at me. That I was blessed.” She let out a hollow laugh.
“I’m getting you out.”
A flash of hope sparked in her eyes, quickly suppressed. “You’ll never be able to do it. If you’re smart, you’ll take Asinia and run far from this kingdom.”
“Stop eating the food. And start exercising as much as you can.”
She stared at me.
I crouched down and leaned close. “I know you don’t want to hope. But if you can’t do it for yourself, do it for your grandparents.”
She let out a long breath, but her mouth had firmed. “Get me out of here, Pris. And I’ll owe you my life.”
“You won’t owe me anything.”
I spent the next hour searching for the tunnel entrance. But that search was futile. We had to be careful how long we spent down here, and when Tibris finally insisted we leave, I allowed him to take my arm.
Walking past Wila’s empty cell felt like being stabbed in the chest. I stalked past the frozen guards, holding the thread of my magic without a thought. I barely restrained myself from slitting their throats as Tibris tucked the keys back into the older guard’s belt.
“Are you okay?” Tibris murmured when we were back in the servants’ hall.
“No. But I will be.” I reached out and hugged him. Wila’s face flashed through my mind, the sorrow and rage as she’d talked about her brother. And I squeezed Tibris a little tighter. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
By the time I made it the hall outside my chambers, I was more than ready to crawl under my covers.
“And just what are you up to?” a low voice purred.
I whirled, finding Lorian leaning against a wall.
“What are you doing here?”
He gave me a slow, feline grin. It was as if this morning had never happened. Good. Shockingly, I didn’t enjoy being reminded that I’d sobbed in his arms.
“All this sneaking around the castle. Have you found a way to get your friend out yet?”
My heart twisted. “No.”
The smile left his face. “What’s wrong?”
I stared at him in disbelief. Everything was wrong. A good woman had just been put to death because of my stupid plan. Asinia was imprisoned because I’d been caught using my power. Both of our mothers were dead.
He leveled me with a hard stare. “Prisca. What’s wrong with your friend?”
I ground my teeth. Lorian had always seen more than I’d wanted.
“Asinia is sick. Tibris is healing her each night, but he’s barely keeping her alive. She needs medicine.” The servants gossiped enough that it wouldn’t be difficult to find where that medicine was kept.
“And I expect you’re planning to steal it from the king’s healers.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and stayed silent.
“The king’s healers have underlings who keep count of all of their supplies.” Lorian’s voice was surprisingly gentle. “If you do this thing, the castle will be searched. Guards will be alerted, and it will be even more difficult for you to get your friend out.”
“And I suppose you have an alternative?” The bastard was always ready for a bargain. Except when it mattered. Wila’s face flashed in front of my eyes, and I took a step back.
Lorian merely followed me until, once again, my back was against the wall.
“I have the ability to source this medicine,” he said, and my heart rate tripled.
“And I suppose you want me to do something for you in return.” The fact was, I’d do anything at this point—something I was sure Lorian knew.
His body practically radiated heat, and I’d been cold for days.
No, Prisca.
“I have many capabilities. Stopping time is not one of them. That makes you infinitely valuable to me.”
I ignored the warmth that spread in my chest at his words. He was literally talking about using me as a tool to get what he wanted.
That was fine. I could use him too.
“Just say it,” I snapped.
“The king has a hidden room. The door is in his chambers. I need to get inside and find the entrance.” I didn’t bother asking just how he knew about the hidden room. It didn’t surprise me at all that he’d already learned of such a thing.
“When?” I asked.
“Now.”
I licked my lips. “I’ve been using my power all night.”
Lorian’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and he shrugged one shoulder. As usual, he was unconcerned about my perceived limitations.
“As I’ve told you, you’re much more powerful than you think. This will be a good training session for you.”
He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall.
I dragged my feet. If this went wrong, Asinia was dead. I couldn’t afford any missteps. “What guarantee do I have that you’ll help Asinia?”
He cast me an affronted look over his shoulder. “You believe I would lie?”
I waved a hand, taking in his princely wardrobe. His eyes lit with amusement, and he turned, placing his hands on his hips.
“I vow it,” he said solemnly. “I will have the medicine for you by midnight tomorrow.”
We stared at each other. Footsteps sounded on the stone. “I suggest you use your power,” Lorian said.
I hoped he was right about how much I had left. I pulled the thread to me, my skin heating as I froze everyone except us.
“Good,” he murmured. “Now, move.”
We ran. Well, Lorian sprinted, dragging me along with him. Within minutes, we were standing outside the king’s chambers, the guards frozen in front of us. I attempted to swallow, but my throat wasn’t working properly. My breath was coming too fast, and I couldn’t seem to slow it.
“What if the king is in there?”
“He’s not. I made sure of it. But I suggest you take a firm grasp on your power.”
I glowered at him, but he was already pushing the door open and hauling me inside with him.
Thankfully, no one was inside the huge entry area. The room had been decorated in maroon and gold. The king was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the room was a blur, my eyes darting too quickly for me to take in the details.
“Which way?” I whispered.
“In the next room.”
I followed him into a lavish sitting room, also dripping gold. “Hold tight to your power,” he said.
“I am.” Tight enough that my head was beginning to ache.