33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

I slid down the cool bars of the cell, collapsing into myself. A makeshift bed sat in one corner, and the other had a bucket for relieving oneself, and I hoped I wouldn't have to use it. Hoped Malik might be on his way, even if he had every right to abandon me after the stunt I'd pulled.

And what did I accomplish?

I ended up caught, just like Malik had said. Maybe he was right not to believe in me or my abilities. Aside from healing, I wasn't skilled at using it. It didn't even cross my mind when that woman rushed toward me to defend myself with it. I'd been distracted, like he'd said too. The moment I'd heard Caelus's voice, I ran off without thinking.

"Eira?" called a small, familiar voice.

My heart thundered. I whirled toward the cell across from mine, chains clanking. My eyes burned at the sight of Teeg in the cell across from mine. He's okay . Dark circles lined his eyes like he hadn't been sleeping well. His shirt had a few smudges of dirt on the sleeves, and the bottoms of his pants were tattered. But he was okay.

Teeg was standing across from me, and he was alive.

Our eyes met, and a small sob escaped me. It couldn't be real. But it had to be. Gods, it had to be real.

My fingers twined around the iron bars, wishing I could tear them apart to get to him—to hug him and keep him safe. "We're going to get out and go home, all right?" I said.

He nodded. The everflame torch a few feet away illuminated his face in the faintest orange glow, but I caught a tentative smile.

I couldn't help smiling back. "Did you overhear anything?" I asked.

He wiped his face with his arm, dirt smudging along his cheek, and then his blue-green eyes met mine. They gleamed from the tears he was holding back. "They've been saying I'm special and taking care of me. Until they brought me here . . ."

Something changed if they'd been taking care of him. But what? "Who are ‘they'?"

"Mr. Beris and Mr. Anwir."

My fingers trembled. "Are you sure?" I asked.

Teeg nodded.

But that couldn't be right. That would mean that Roan Beris and Gavriel Anwir had been working together—that they were responsible for all this. Why?

I'd seen Gavriel at the ball and assumed his distant demeanor was because of Dorian's death—because it had been me who'd killed him. It didn't seem to matter that his wife, Ina, had forgiven me. But would that be enough for him to take a child? And for what purpose?

"Did they say why they brought you here?"

He shook his head. "They've been saying they need souls. I don't know what that means." His breath hitched. "Eira, I want to go home."

"We will," I promised. "Don't worry. I'm here now. Malik is on his way." I hoped that wasn't a lie.

Teeg calmed, giving me another glimpse of a smile. He retreated farther back into his cell, saying he was tired.

I released the iron bars and tested my power against the shackles, but there wasn't even a faint hum. These manacles didn't redirect lightning back toward my body either. Caelus must not have memorized the correct runes if the cuffs were only blocking it.

It was a small mercy knowing I wouldn't be writhing in pain, unsure how much time passed or what was going on around me. Teeg witnessing that from his cell across from me would definitely leave a mark.

I needed a way out, and I needed to forget Caelus. I examined the cell for anything I could use to pick the lock on the shackles or the cell door. But there was nothing. Not even a loose stone along the wall that I might be able to use as a distraction.

Frustrated, I plopped onto the grimy, hard mattress and lay back.

When I closed my eyes, images of Caelus and that lovely petite woman flashed in my mind, her lips against his. Less than a day had passed since his lips had been on mine and shared much more.

My heart twisted. Had I really been that naive?

Yes .

Between growing up with Aunt Celeste, na?ve who'd pretended I didn't exist, and being sheltered in the temple, I was the perfect target for falling prey to his looks and his charms. I'd let him in because I thought I could trust him and instead had been used. Again.

Had he been planning to get me here? Had he known I'd come for him if he didn't come back like he said?

And what about Kenzo and Stumbleduck? They were both people Caelus knew. They helped me get inside Thistlewall. Was it something the three of them had planned, then?

I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. Getting out came before worrying over that.

Esteban wouldn't sit still while I was missing. And even if he didn't know I was captive, he would push Malik to come after me. I knew Malik well enough to know he wouldn't allow Esteban to go alone.

I hoped they made it in time before anything more happened to me or Teeg.

With a sigh, I sat up and examined the manacles more closely. The tight cuffs didn't allow for much maneuverability with my wrists. Slipping my hands out didn't seem to be an option. The longer I scrutinized them, the more I regretted it. Sweat built on my brow, and my heart pounded. Memories of Klareth's punishments filled me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly until my heart eased.

Groaning, I stood up and began to pace.

Citrus filled the cell. Caelus stood with his arms crossed in the middle of the small space.

"You shouldn't be here," I said.

"And brooding doesn't suit you."

"Leave."

He smirked and took a step forward. "You're rather ill-tempered. Again."

I scoffed. "You think I shouldn't be?"

" She kissed me."

"And I should believe it wasn't mutual?"

His lips pressed into a thin line.

My eyes drifted toward the iron bars of the cell, not wanting to meet his gaze.

Caelus stalked forward, pressing my back into the stone wall of the too-small cell. Two fingers lifted my chin so that our eyes met, but his hair fell forward, casting shadows that hid whatever emotion was trapped behind them.

My heart raced for an all-too different reason, and I could have sworn the tempest murmured within, trying to slip past the invisible cage keeping it locked away. I swallowed and tried to ignore the way my body relished being so close to him—the heat radiating from him.

I wouldn't make the same mistake of trusting him so easily. Not after that kiss with that woman. Not after I came for him, and he wasn't even in danger. And especially not after he allowed Teeg to remain here, knowing the dangers that might await him.

"She enjoys causing trouble," he said, voice low.

"Is that some lame attempt to convince me that you didn't want it?" I shoved my cuffed hands up between us. "Or am I supposed to believe you and that you had nothing to do with this?" I shook my hands, the chains clanking together.

His gaze dropped to the shackles, and a muscle worked in his jaw. "I had everything to do with ensuring you wouldn't be harmed."

My brows rose. Maybe he meant that woman couldn't use runes, and maybe it was because of him that my blood wasn't burning. That didn't remove the hurt from him watching her place the shackles on my wrists—the terror that set in as the cold iron clasped around my wrists.

"Should I thank you, then?" I let out a bitter laugh and stomped on his foot.

Caelus winced, and his fingers slipped from my chin. When his face met mine again, he wore a wolfish smile, but I caught the flicker of surprise before it was gone. "Not yet," he murmured. "Almost got the better of me last time you were in a bad mood too. Too bad there isn't a dagger this time."

"Yeah, a real shame."

Those gray eyes drifted to my wrists, and a muscle jumped in his jaw again. "Roan and his associate brought Teeg here at the Abyssal's request."

My eyes widened. "Why are you telling me this?"

"The truth is complicated. But you were never supposed to be here."

I ground my teeth. "Malik said the same thing. So, when is someone going to explain to me what that means?"

"Roan and his cohort were working with the king."

"And what? I'm supposed to believe you? Do you think the labryn is working with him too? I doubt it. The king needs to be informed."

His body tensed and citrus filled the cell, and the faintest breeze was all that remained of Caelus.

I slid down the stone wall, fresh tears stinging my eyes. When I reached up to wipe them away, my wrist came free of the shackles, and the tempest stirred inside me.

I wanted to smile. I wanted to believe him. I wanted him to come back so I wouldn't be alone.

But he'd given me my way to freedom. There was no other explanation for how the manacles had been unlocked. And I hated that I wanted to smile because of him—hated that he was giving me reasons to think he could be trusted.

I picked up the iron cuffs and flung them at the far wall. They clattered against the stone. It didn't alleviate any of my anger or frustration the way I hoped.

Teeg didn't stir. He must have stayed asleep the entire time Caelus had been here. He'd always been a heavy sleeper, and he was probably exhausted.

But we needed to leave before someone noticed.

Pushing myself up, I focused on the cell's lock, praying it wasn't enchanted to repel esprit.

Caelus was the only reason I could use air well enough to even think of unlocking it. Stop thinking of him . I breathed in slowly to calm my mind and imagined a key slipping into the lock, shaping the wind. When I released the breath, the door opened.

In seconds, I'd done the same to the lock on Teeg's cell and rushed inside. I rubbed soothing circles along his back to wake him. "Time to go," I said.

"How did you get out?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"I'll tell you some other time," I said. "Promise."

He smiled and took my hand.

Together, we left the dungeon and approached the junction where I'd last seen Stumbleduck and Kenzo, everflame lighting the way. Teeg followed me down the stone path Kenzo, Stumbleduck, and I took when entering the maze of tunnels. I wished I'd paid more attention as we weaved farther and farther through the halls. The cracked-stone tunnels weren't special and had very few memorable markings for me to know if I was leading us toward the exit.

In a more familiar corridor—at least, I hoped it was familiar—voices drifted toward us. I ducked into what I assumed to be a supply room, Teeg a step behind me, and I slid the wooden door closed.

"You shouldn't be here," rasped a voice.

I twisted around, pushing Teeg behind me. A dark coppery-headed gnome was tied to a chair next to a glowing jade-like crystal. The crystal was taller than the gnome, just by a few inches, and like the others I'd seen, the inside of it seemed to swirl. It cast the dark room in a green hue.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

"Tooley Whistlemane. And not that Abyssal they have pretending to be me." He coughed as he finished speaking.

I stepped closer to get a better look at his pale, gaunt face. His body was thin, as though he hadn't been eating well. "Why did they restrain you?"

"Because I wanted nothing to do with this!"

I bit back a frustrated retort. "And what is ‘this'?"

The door pushed open behind me, sending Teeg tumbling to the dirt floor. On instinct, I blocked Teeg with my body, cursing myself for not paying more attention to the sounds beyond the door.

Roan Beris stood in the doorway. His clothes were clean, and he wore an embroidered maroon coat over his tunic. With a smug smile, he said, "Tempest! How good it is to see you again. I didn't get a chance after I found my wife's corpse. With your infernal connection to that guild, I had to get out of Dusmir before Malik found me." His eyes narrowed on me. "But I always knew there could only be one person responsible for my dear Klareth's death."

"She killed Tryssa," I said, and Teeg's hands squeezed against my hip, clinging to me. I'd forgotten he didn't know, but there would be another time to talk to him about that. "She sent Teeg to that cannibal, Travok. Who's to say how many lives both are responsible for."

He straightened his lapels. "Ah, but it was always so much more than that. We collected souls," he said reverently. "Souls are powerful."

Lord Whistlemane scoffed behind us.

I narrowed my eyes. "And that was worth killing children?"

He growled. "Continuing our work is worth anything. And you, an orphaned girl who killed her childhood friend, unable to control your gift from the gods, wouldn't understand that."

Teeg tugged on my clothes, and I glanced at him. His eyes were wide, and his face drained of blood.

We needed to leave, and Roan wasn't a threat. He didn't have any esprit that I knew of. He was just normal human Roan. Curiosity got the better of me, though. "And how does Gavriel fit into this?"

"The father of your childhood friend. What better ally to have in all this? Once I learned of Travok's betrayal and needed to retrieve the boy, it was all too easy to convince him to assist me, if only to spite you."

My heart sank into my stomach. For Gavriel to involve a child . . . all because of an accident. My blood sparked, but I willed the storm to remain within.

"You must be thinking it'll be easy to outrun me with the boy. That you have an advantage over me because you're a Divine. But I believe your dear aunt and cousin have been missing, haven't they?"

That spark in my blood writhed with new life. "Where are they?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Roan stepped aside and into the hall, gesturing to that iron door I'd seen coming in. He grinned from ear to ear—a grin that never led to anything good—but I didn't move. I waited for him to be the one who stepped inside.

Seeing that I wasn't going to move, he walked in, and I peeked into the room.

I wished I hadn't.

From the doorway, I spotted Aunt Celeste and Lora in the previously empty manacles on the far wall. Their once-fine dresses were torn and tattered, splotched with blood. Cuts marred their bodies and their beautiful, nearly identical faces. Lora's blonde hair was matted with blood and grime. Aunt Celeste's head hung limp, unconscious. Lora's eyes met mine. They darted over to Roan and widened.

Fear replaced the shock in her gaze once they landed on me again. "Run," she rasped.

I stepped in front of Teeg, preventing him from taking in the sight and praying to the gods that the things he experienced wouldn't haunt him for the rest of his life.

"What did you do to them?" I bit out, ignoring Lora's weak command.

"Nothing more than they deserved for hiding the only living daughter of the Quinn family."

Lightning broke free along my fingers, and Teeg's hand found mine, squeezing it—a reminder that he'd never been afraid of me.

"I'll let you leave, but you can only choose one: your family or the boy."

I stepped over the threshold, and Teeg released my hand. "You can't stop me from choosing both."

Roan's grin didn't falter. He snapped and the sound of running water came from below the metal grates that lined the room. In front of Lora and Aunt Celeste, a shape the colors of night glimmered and began to form.

The shades of blue and black morphed together, the colors changing to gray. Skin stretched over muscle, forming into an enormous man's body. A single giant saucerlike eye stared back at me. That inky substance dripped from the golyath's arms. It wielded a mace far larger than any human could. The labryn had taken on the form of a golyath from the Abyss.

Teeg screamed behind me, and a hand shoved me farther into the iron room. I spun around, and Gavriel tugged Teeg away by the arm. He slammed the door, trapping me in the room with Roan and the Abyssal.