by Elle Clouse
“And when he does emerge?” Flann watched his liege’s eyes close.
“One step at a time, my friend.”
THERE WAS ALWAYS A lamp lit when she woke up now. Kiera sat up and spied Odran sleeping in the armchair. As quietly as she could, she set her feet on the floor, but his eyes still opened.
“Good morning.” He swung his legs down from the ottoman and stretched his large frame. She felt guilty for taking his bed, but he insisted the armchair was comfortable.
“You look surprised to see me every morning.” Kiera stifled a yawn. The lamplight was nice, but it was no substitute for sunlight. The darkness made it hard to feel fully awake. She slept more in the dungeon than she had in her entire life.
“I’ve been alone for years. Sometimes I think you are a figment of my imagination and you will be gone when I wake.”
Kiera searched Odran’s face for signs that he was jesting, but he was earnest. “Years? How many?”
He looked to the side as he thought. “Almost fifteen years.”
Kiera was surprised by his admission. He looked no more than thirty years old. He must have been thrown into the dungeon at a very young age, possibly before his majority. “Fifteen? That is quite a long time to be alone.”
Odran nodded.
It had been several days since Kiera had awoken on his fur-covered bed. With no sunlight, it was impossible to tell how much time really passed. To spend fifteen years... She could hardly imagine it. “How do you know that it’s been that long? I can’t keep track myself.”
Odran reached into his jerkin pocket, pulled out a very old pocket watch, and popped it open. Curious, she stepped closer. He stiffened and pressing his lips into a thin line. She offered a smile, and the tension in his expression faded. In the silence, she could hear the relentless ticking in his hands. He looked down at the watch, then held it out to her. The piece tracked the date as well as the hour.
“It’s autumn,” he said. “The apple festival has probably come and gone.”
Kiera remembered the festival she’d attended as a child. She had almost eaten herself sick on apple turnovers and cider. “It’s just my bad luck, then. I only arrived a week ago from Talesin. I would have liked some of that famous apple cider.”
She looked up and caught him staring at her. He smiled, happy little wrinkles forming around his eyes; there was kindness in them that she couldn’t deny. It caught her off guard.
“You didn’t grow up in Cearbhall, then?” he asked. He closed the watch and tucked it away in his pocket.
“My mother and I left after my father died.” She remembered the journey into the center of Northam that had been half on foot and half by coach. “We lived with my uncle and cousin in Talesin for years, moving from district to district.”
The wrinkles around his eyes disappeared when his smiled faded. “What brought you back?”
“False opportunity.” She didn’t know how else to describe it without going into detail. She didn’t need to ask what Odran had been doing the last few years. The cold stone walls around them were her answer. “How many others have been thrown down here in the last fifteen years?”
Odran sighed. “Hundreds. Some survive for a while, but in the end the darkness gets them. One way or another.”
If the beast didn’t get them, the solitude or lack of sunlight would. Kiera cringed.
“But I was chained down for the beast.” Her voice came out as nothing more than a whisper. Memories of its hot breath at her throat and its low growl against her ear flooded back. She folded her arms to ward off a shiver of fear.
Odran put his hand on her shoulder, jolting her free of her terror. The memories faded, and once again she was in the apartment. A shudder ran through her.
“You are safe here,” he whispered.
Odran’s grip on her shoulder was her anchor, keeping her from succumbing to her nightmares. She leaned into him, seeking his comforting warmth.
“The chaining is new. The jailers added them to make the hunt easier. The other prisoners I could not save.” The regret in Odran’s voice made her heart ache. “For whatever reason, the beast was hesitant with you, and I took that opportunity to save you.”
“Thank you.” It was strange to think a beast like that would have hesitated to rend her from end to end. “I owe you my life, then. I will find a way to repay you, for certain.”
“That is not necessary.” Their eyes met again.
Kiera’s heartbeat quickened. There was something very familiar about Odran. Something about his blue eyes and the way he looked at her. The information was just on the edge of her mind. But she couldn’t let herself be distracted by him. When the time came and they escaped the dungeon, she would return to Talesin or try a new life in a new city. Staying in Cearbhall wasn’t an option, not after trying to defraud the royal family.
She thought of Brogan and the others and wished she knew their fate. An endeavor had never gone so awry before. Phelan’s infamous contingency plans never accounted for when one of their own got left behind.
Odran must have seen her expression wane. “I will find the way out.”
She gave him a small smile. His assurance was nice to hear, but she couldn’t help but wonder if his efforts were wasted. After fifteen years of searching, it was more likely that the legend was nothing more than that: a legend.
She sighed. “I miss my friends. I hope they are all right. There was no time for me to warn them before Ian hauled me down here.”
His hand still rested on her shoulder. It was warm, strong, and reassuring. She wanted to step close and feel his arms around her. No man had ever stirred such feelings in her. He made her breath catch.
“How do you get things down here if the door is locked?” Under the guise of shifting her stance, she shrugged out from underneath his hand.
“There is a dumbwaiter rigged to deliver foodstuffs and clothes, I can make requests. Apparently being mauled by that creature is fine, but dying of starvation or exposure isn’t acceptable.”
Kiera caught a glint of amusement in his eyes and smiled. “When you go to it next,” she asked, “may I go with you?”
His eyebrows rose.
“The creature has been silent for a while now.” The thought of encountering the beast again still terrified her, but she needed to get out of the apartment. “Anyways, I’ve had nothing to look at for the last week except these two rooms, and I’ve read every book you brought me. There’s nothing else for me to do. If I don’t get out of here for a little bit, I might just explode.”
He searched her face, and his expression softened. “It will still be dangerous.” He smoothed down the dark hair of his beard. “This is a very deep cavern; you could fall to your death if you take a wrong step. Even with a lantern it is hard to see.”
“I can handle it, but I’ll need something else to wear.” She tugged at the skirt of her sturdy wool jumper, a new arrival from the dumbwaiter. Ideal for the cold cavern, but too heavy and bulky for hiking. Her skirts would catch on rocks and trip her
“All I have are my own clothes, which are too big for your small frame. I could request a smaller size...”
“Who knows how long that will take? I can alter a pair of your breeches in less than a day.” Kiera couldn’t believe she was volunteering for needlework. “I need something to keep my hands busy.”
“All right, I’ll bring you a spare shirt and pants. But how about some breakfast and backgammon first?”
WHEN ODRAN RETURNED to the apartment, traces of thread and cloth scraps littered the table. He spied Kiera through the half-open door to the bedroom. She sat in her undergarments sewing shirt fragments into her size.
He lowered himself onto one of the chairs and grabbed a book to try to distract himself. Her scent was everywhere, even in the pages of his sonnets. It was intoxicating. He stole a glance in her direction. She pulled on the unfinished sleeve, tugged the new seams, then removed it and continued sewing. He returned his book to the s
helf and looked over the other novels and games. He’d never bothered to keep such things when it was just him and the dark.
The beast was rearing his head less the more Odran spent time with her. She was calming him in a way time never did. Perhaps his father had been mistaken about how the beast could be tamed. Maybe beauty tamed the beast, like the old legends said. He was thankful to be a man again. The curse had set upon him when he was still a lad, his majority years away.
He hadn’t even claimed his first kiss.
Kiera didn’t recognize him. He’d last seen her a decade ago, when they were sweethearts. Now he wasn’t certain if he was a man she could trust. He needed to be sure he could keep his curse under control.
He had to pay for what he’d done, but she didn’t. Not in this manner.
“All done.” She stepped into the common room in her makeshift outfit. If he hadn’t seen her rip the garments apart with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have guessed they had once been five times too large for her. Her clothes molded to her form, hugging her curves. The shirt revealed creamy skin at her throat. Her red curls were tied back and cascaded freely down her back.
“So?” She rested her hands on her hips.
“Good... Right.” He ran his hand over his face and led her into the corridor without another thought. He heard her follow, but when he looked back, she had halted at the threshold.
“Uh, Odran?”
He cursed at his thoughtlessness. Of course she would need a light of some sort. He brushed past her into the apartment and found a glass-paned lantern. He lit each candle within and as an afterthought grabbed a second lantern for himself. Normal men couldn’t see in the dark. As an afterthought, he grabbed a couple burlap sacks and tucked them into his belt.
She accepted her lantern as he brushed past her again, keenly aware that her shirt fell open a bit at the neck. He kept his gaze on her sweet smile, then led her into the cavern. He didn’t need a distraction in the blackness.
He made a conscious effort to slow his long strides, checking back on her progress often. She kept her gaze turned down to watch the uneven flooring. Even with the lanterns, the darkness was oppressive.
He stopped at the end of the corridor and turned to her, not realizing she was so close. She ran into him and stumbled backward. He reacted on reflex and caught her with one arm and pressed her against his chest. He felt the warmth of her body against his and her rapid breath.
He steadied her on her feet and released her, clearing his throat. “We are in the main cavern. The path gets very narrow and steep in places. You’ll need to be very careful.”
She just nodded in a daze. Perhaps their brief embrace hadn’t left her unaffected, either? He pushed the thought from his mind as he turned right. He moved slower this time, traveling along the ledge while keeping an eye on her progress. The caverns extended beyond the castle boundaries and into the surrounding mountains. It was easy to get lost or misstep and fall.
They approached a rock face they would have to climb. Odran had scaled the fifteen-foot-high wall many times—though never with a lantern—and wouldn’t have a problem with the precarious handholds, but he wasn’t sure about Kiera.
“I can give you a lift.” He lifted the lantern and saw her squinting at the rock face in a calculating fashion. He remembered that look of determination from their childhood.
“I can make it.”
He held back a sigh of frustration. “Let me go first. I can light the way for you.”
She nodded.
“Give me your lantern so you can have both hands free for the climb.”
She handed him her light and stepped back to watch, crossing her arms.
He transferred the lanterns to one hand and began to climb. Having only one arm free slowed his progress, but he reached the upper edge with little difficulty. He set both lanterns on the ledge and hoisted himself up. He pushed one lantern back for safety and held the other over the cliff face.
“Be careful.” His words echoed down to her.
By the scant light, he watched as Kiera approached the wall. She hesitated a moment, then reached up to the first hold and started to climb. Her progress was slow but methodical, and she inched her way up with dogged determination.
At last her hands grasped the upper ledge. Her face was slick with sweat but triumphant. She adjusted to pull herself up and froze. He heard the rock face crumbling beneath her as her eyes widened in realization.
In the space of a breath, Odran threw himself forward and grabbed her hand. His lantern tumbled past her and shattered on the stone floor in a burst of light. Her face was pale as she hung from his grasp. He gritted his teeth and began to pull her up, his muscles burning with the strain. Slowly, she rose onto the ledge. He didn’t let go of her hand until she was safe in his arms, her darling bottom on the stone floor. He hugged her tightly as she trembled and pressed herself into him, her whole body shaking.
“I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have come.” She kept her face buried in his shirt, but he wasn’t in a hurry to let her go. He had been as panicked as she was. A fall like that could have meant broken bones.
He let her rest her head against his chest until she stopped shivering. “Come on. We’re close.” He stood and offered her a hand up. After a moment of hesitation, she took it. He retrieved the surviving lantern and led her by the hand to their destination.
When they reached the dumbwaiter, they discovered a new delivery. The cart could fit a serving platter but nothing larger, and it was laden with all sorts of supplies. Odran loaded it all into the sacks, and they made their way back. At the rock face, Odran climbed down first. He stood anxiously below as Kiera descended, waiting to catch her if she fell, but she reached the ground without his help.
They returned to the apartment in triumph with their sacks of dry foodstuffs, a new game, and books on astronomy, philosophy, and several long novels. Kiera helped Odran lay everything on the table, then sort it away to a shelf or cabinet.
With everything in its place, it was finally time to relax. A book sounded like a good diversion. Odran joined Kiera at the shelf, and together they looked over the titles. He reached for the new text on philosophy, only to bump hands with Kiera as she reached for the same book. He yanked his hand away and stepped aside.
“Excuse me,” he said. “Go ahead.”
Kiera pulled the book of the shelf, then looked at him, biting her lower lip. “Why don’t you read it aloud?”
The request surprised him. “You want me to read to you?”
“Your voice is very relaxing. I like the way you pronounce the words. Besides,” she added, blushing, “I’d like the sound of your voice.”
Judging by the heat that flushed his cheeks, he was probably turning red as well. His only response was to nod. He took the book, then sat at the table. She sat down across from him, resting her arms on the tabletop.
“Introduction...” he began.
Chapter 8
“I find it hard to believe that the entire entourage of that imposter princess managed to get away.” Ayden looked over the suite that had been assigned to the fake princess and her maids. “I wonder how they managed to avoid capture. Do you think someone helped them?”
“They were tracked as far as the King’s Forest.” Ian stepped into the suite behind him. “They simply disappeared after that. My men could not find a trace of them.”
“Perhaps they were spirited away by fey, just like the villagers claim. Either way they are finally out of our hair. I think Father took the news that the princess had fled rather well. Those wedding jitters can drive people to do unthinkable things.”
“Father hasn’t been able to get out of bed since we told him,” Ian corrected rather harshly. He ran a hand over his worried face. He was starting to look older than his years. “I doubt it was worth the stunt we pulled just to rid me of an unwanted marriage. She never denied who she claimed to be. I think we made a mistake. We should have let it play out.”
�
�Balderdash,” Ayden said coolly. “We don’t make mistakes, Ian. Besides, dear brother, you were the first to think she wasn’t the real princess. Or did you already forget the color of her eyes?”
Ayden strolled into the first room, Fedelma’s, and threw open her wardrobe. Tacky little country dresses hung inside, with matching tacky slippers sitting beneath them. He rifled through them, tossing things on the floor as he searched.
Her nightstand was next. It revealed only a sickening book of sonnets. Ayden sighed in frustration and returned to the main room. Ian was searching one of the maid’s rooms. The sound of furniture being rifled through came clearly through the half-open door.
There was a soft knock at the suite door.
“Who is it?” Ayden demanded.
A footman entered the parlor and stood stiffly, waiting to be addressed. Ayden let him fidget for a while, then said, “I hope you have news.”
“Yes, sire,” said the footman. “You instructed us to let you know the moment anything changes in regards to the dungeons. I’ve seen the dumbwaiter being used. They’ve been sending clothing down, as well and candlesticks and books. When it comes back up, the items are gone and there are empty plates in their place.”
Ayden crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there anything else I need to know?”
“The king has instructed that whatever supplies are requested be sent down.” His voice cracked under Ayden’s scrutiny. “Specifically, board games.”
“Board games?”
“Yes. Like chess and backgammon.”
“Interesting.” Ayden snapped an irritated hand at the footman. “Go, get out of my sight.” The man bowed tersely and left. Ayden looked to his brother, who emerged from the adjacent room. “Well, you heard it yourself.” Ayden looked over the rustic furniture. “We have a problem with the pretty, pretty princess and the critter. Seems they are getting along well after all.”
Ayden waited for the “I told you so,” but Ian’s response was only soft, mirthless laughter.
