A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)(57)

“All right, suit yourself,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t want to be working this early anyway.” I turned to leave, then spun around. “If Mathis dies of blood loss before they can get information out of him, just tell Commander Griffin you didn’t recognize the prison healer. I’m sure he’ll understand. He’s such a warm, forgiving man.”

I started walking and held my breath. After a slew of grumbling, the guard finally shouted after me. “Fine, fine, just make it quick.”

I was delighted, but plastered a mask of boredom on my face before turning around. “Thanks, shouldn’t be too long.”

Inside, the cells were as soggy and miserable as I remembered. My heart ached for Halden—it had been the most hopeless I had ever felt, inside these walls.

I found his cell faster than I could have hoped. His white-blond hair stood out among all the grey. He was sleeping in a heap, shivering and caked in dried blood. I hissed his name until he woke with a start.

“Arwen, what are you doing here?” He looked dreadful. His eye was now swollen shut and a bruise the size of a squash blossomed on his chin.

“I brought you some things.”

I pulled out the contraband and slipped it through the bars, not unlike what Kane had done for me so long ago. I pushed the memory from my mind.

Halden reached for the bundle and his bruised knuckles brushed over my fingers. My hands itched to hold him, to comfort him.

“Thank you.” He looked over the items and tucked them behind a bucket. “But I didn’t mean what are you doing down here in the cells. How did you end up at the Onyx Kingdom’s outpost?”

“It’s a long story. But I’m safe. I’ll tell you all about it when we have more time.”

“I doubt I have much time left at all.”

“Don’t think like that. We’ll figure something out.”

He studied me curiously. “You seem different.”

I felt my cheeks go hot. “How so?”

He looked uncomfortable. “I’m not sure. What have they done to you?”

Something like defensiveness bubbled up. Halden had a way of reminding me of Powell on occasion. Making me feel small. “Nothing. They’ve been surprisingly kind, actually.” It was the truth.

“Yeah, I saw that,” Halden’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe you can reason with the king. He cares for you, you know. You should have seen his face when I called you my wife. He looked like I’d killed his pet.”

For whatever reason, I thought of the Strix. My lips twitched thinking of Kane’s relationship with the foul beast—teaching it to come when called and how to do tricks. Bleeding Stones, how did I still feel anything warm and gooey for the man?

Halden. I had to focus on Halden.

“Why did you say I was to be your wife? We never spoke of things like that.”

Halden bit his nail in thought. “I did hope when I returned, we might be married.” I waited for him to continue. “But when I saw you in there, unchained, not as a servant, seated directly next to the king… I knew you were in some kind of position of power here. I thought if I tied myself to you, I might be spared.”

Something like unease spread through me, oily and cloying. So Griffin had been right. Halden was surprisingly more manipulative than I thought. I never knew that side of him. I guessed he was doing what he needed to survive.

“Maybe.” I let the thought linger, unsure how to finish. I wasn’t sure if I wanted Halden to be right, if I wanted Kane to feel that way about me, anymore.

“Trust me. If he didn’t care for you, I’d be dead right now.”

Something about his assertion drained the color from my face.

“Why? What did you do?”

Halden jerked back as if I had slapped him. “What did I do? I’m fighting for our home.”

But still, my gut told me his words had meant more than he intended to share with me. “Last night. They said you killed three innocent bystanders. Is that true?”

“Arwen,” his eyes were so wounded. “Of course not. How can you believe anything those beasts say? And about me?”

Shame heated my face. “I don’t know. Why would they lie?”

Halden bit at his nail again. “Why? Because they’re demons, Arwen. They’ve clearly gotten to you already. I don’t know why you’re here, but I promise, I’ll get you out. I told you last night I’d save you.” He looked at me earnestly and I tried to feel something positive: hope, love, relief. But all I felt was nausea.

“We have a plan,” he continued, nodding toward the cells to his right in which the other two Amber men slept. “We just need some kind of commotion. Can you think of anything that might spread the guards out?”

I wracked my brain, but nothing came to mind. “It’s pretty isolated here. What’s your plan?”

He shook his head as if to calm his own frantic thoughts. “Once something comes up that might work, you’ll find a way to tell me, yeah? I can explain then. And get us both out of here.”

Footsteps echoed down into the cells from the top of the stairs.

“Yes. I’ll keep my eyes and ears open. In the meantime, stay alive.” I turned to run.

“Arwen!” he rasped. I turned and looked back at his hands curled around the cell bars. “I’ve really missed you.”