29. Maggie

Chapter 29

Maggie

I sat on the floor of the cell, my arms aching where they were tied behind my back, trying to ignore how trapped I felt. Damp cold from the stone seeped into my bones, and the scent of earth and something sharp filled my senses. Terrified, I was more afraid than I had been inside the palace. At least there, I could see Davon. We could make plans. Here, he didn't know where I was. Would I ever see him again?

At least the king had left after tossing out his threats. I hated him, hated that he was so determined to control me.

But despite the fear gnawing at my insides, I held onto hope. I had to. I couldn't give up, not when Davon was out there, fighting for us and our future. I clung to the memories of his touch, his smile, his love. It was all I had in the darkness, and I wouldn't let go.

The sound of footsteps echoed down the hall, and a male Veerenad unlocked and entered the cell carrying a tray with a bowl of something and a jug of water. He lowered the tray onto the floor.

I scrambled to my feet as best I could with my hands bound behind my back.

“What's happening?” I asked, my shrill voice reflecting my fear.

The male took me in with cold, unyielding eyes. He said nothing, turning away and stepping through the open doorway and slamming the barred door closed. The lock clicked into place.

I rushed over. “At least unbind me. How do you expect me to eat when I can't use my hands?”

He spun his finger in the air, and I turned. His blade sliced through the ties, and I pivoted, flexing my hands to bring back the circulation.

The male walked back down the channel, leaving me.

I sagged against the bars, defeat washing over me, but only for a moment before I turned to the tray, picking it up and carrying it to the back of the cell. I sat on the ground with the tray on my lap. Some kind of stew, thick and lumpy and cold. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to do anything but curl up and cry. But I had to be ready for whatever might come next.

So I ate, each spoonful a chore, the food tasting like nothing. I forced it down, washing it away with gulps of water from the small jug. When I finished, I placed the tray near the door and lay down on the floor, wrapping my arms around myself while trying to find some warmth, some comfort in the darkness.

The damp, cold stone sunk into my bones. My eyes closed, I blocked out my situation, replacing this horror with thoughts of Davon, of his strong arms around me, his warm breath on my neck. I remembered the way he made me feel, the way he made me smile, the way he made me believe we could have a wonderful future together.

Those memories were all I had, and I clung to them as I drifted to sleep, where my dreams were filled with Davon's face, his touch, his love.

I woke to the sound of distant bellows and the clash of metal against metal. My eyes flew open, my heart thundering up my throat. I scrambled to my feet, pressing my face against the cold bars, straining to see down the hall, but whatever was going on was taking place beyond this corridor.

The sounds of battle echoed through the cavern, the noise bouncing off the stone walls. It was hard to tell how close it was, but it was real. Something was happening, something that might change everything.

Hope surged through me, a fierce, wild thing that refused to be dampened. I gripped the bars, my knuckles turning white.

The noise grew louder, the clash of battle ringing in my ears. Shouts were followed by screams and the sound of bodies clashing, of weapons striking. The battle was coming closer.

My heart flipped over, because I knew .

Davon was part of the group and he would be leading the charge.