Gleam (The Plated Prisoner 3)
Then, the cart cuts a sharp corner against a rocky hill of snow, and my view of him is gone, the sound of the horses’ pounding hooves somehow sounding like Jeo’s knees as they slammed into the ground.
Far off, I hear the toll of the castle’s bell echo through the mountains, a warning for the storm that’s beginning its furor.
It will rage with ice and wind, and come morning, Jeo’s body will be nothing but a lump of snow, hidden by the sky and stolen by the ground. Come morning, Highbell will be out of my grasp again and under the control of the man who used me to get it in the first place, while I’m forced to flee from the shadow he sent to eradicate me.
Fury like I’ve never known before hardens like jagged waves of a sea gone glacial, stuck in a freeze that it has no way of thawing. When the blizzard hits, I don’t even notice it. I’m far too cold on the inside to feel it.
Chapter 34
AUREN
I sleep like the dead, so deep that it’s like clawing out from six feet underground to pull myself into consciousness. But I do it, because my subconscious is warning me that something is...off.
Peeling my blurred eyes open, I jerk upright, trying to bat away the last dregs of slumber, my senses prickling.
When I catch movement in my dim bedroom, I experience a moment of panic before my eyes land on the intruder.
“Lu?” My voice is croaky and cracked, but I stare at the Wrath incredulously. She’s sitting in front of the fire with her feet propped up, a book in one hand and a wine glass in the other.
She casts me a look. “Took you long enough. The sun went down an hour ago. You were snoring.”
Embarrassment makes me grumble indignantly, “I was not.”
I probably was.
Gaze flicking over to the balcony and windows, I see that Lu was right, I slept right through the entire day. Not only did I get a bath in before dawn, but I passed out just as the sun was cresting, and I’ve been sleeping ever since. Slade’s attentions wore me out in the best way.
Rubbing my face, I shove the covers back and stand up, stretching my arms over my head, feeling little twinges of soreness all over. Although, I think those have more to do with my nighttime activities than my exercises, and I have to keep a blush from my face as the swarm of memories crop up.
“How did you get in here?” I ask as I wander over to Lu, noting that not only is she drinking my wine, but she’s also helped herself to my tray of food that the servants sent. She must’ve built up my fire though, because it’s blazing warm and bright.
I flop into the chair across from her and look over the remnants of food on the tray. Looks like Lu helped herself to the cuts of meat and whatever used to be in the bowl. All that’s left is one chocolate scone, some gritty fruit, and half of a sandwich with a cinnamon crust that has a bite taken out of it.
I raise my brow at her. “Enjoy my food?”
She shrugs. “I’ve had worse. But why this kingdom thinks it’s a good idea to slop sugar on everything, I’ll never know. In the city, I ordered the beef stew, and it was smothered in syrup.”
My nose wrinkles as I take a bite of scone and help myself to some water. “How did you get in here?”
“Easily. Came right in through the balcony.”
A frown pulls my brows together. “That door was locked.”
“Was it?” she hums. “Well, then you need better guards. No one even patrols below the grounds over here, and the ones in the hall never hear a thing.”
When she says better guards, Digby’s face suddenly flashes in my mind. Just like that, the sugary breakfast goes sour in my mouth. I manage to swallow the bite down, but it feels like guilt settles in my stomach instead.
“What’s that look for?”
“Nothing. Just...I had a good guard,” I say, fidgeting with one of my ribbons in my lap as I think of Digby and Sail both. “Two great ones, actually.”
“Had?”
“It’s my fault,” I answer, unable to go into any more detail. It’s my fault Sail was stabbed by the captain of the Red Raids. My fault that Digby is being held by Midas and dangled over my head.
I feel suddenly awkward, because I didn’t expect this unrestrained sadness to cut my knees right out from under me like this, for me to suddenly stumble on grief. Especially not in front of Lu.
I need to talk to Slade about Digby as soon as possible—about Rissa too. I should’ve done it last night, but...I was preoccupied. I just wanted a moment for myself. I didn’t want to let reality flood in and taint our time together.