Crown of Coral and Pearl
But even as I asked, I knew. His silver eyes were full of the same pain and shame I’d seen that day at the lake. He didn’t just want an heir to the throne. He wanted me to choose him over Talin, even after everything he’d done to me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and I was. Not about my feelings for Talin, or for doing everything I could to help my people. But I had never set out to cause him pain. Somewhere inside Ceren was a boy who only wanted to be loved. Unfortunately, the people who had convinced him he was unlovable had also ensured that he would be.
He looked momentarily taken aback. “You know, I believe you truly do mean that,” he said. “But I’m afraid I can’t let you leave. Not after the crimes you’ve committed.”
“Crimes?”
His expression turned sly. “In addition to betraying the crown by posing as your sister, there’s the dead guard.”
“What dead guard?” A wave of guilt flooded through me. Had I accidentally killed the man outside my room with the ewer?
Ceren jerked his head toward the man at the entrance to the gallery. “I slit his throat just minutes before you arrived.”
I knew Ceren was a murderer, but to hear him admit to it so callously made my stomach roil. “So what’s your plan, then? Are you going to have me killed?” I was still so weak from the bleedings, but I bucked against him, desperate to get to my knife.
He chuckled softly. “You’re worth far more to me alive. But now I have a good reason to keep you locked up. I suppose I should thank you for trying to escape, really.” He twisted my arm and whirled me around so that my back was to him, then grabbed my other arm and wrapped something hard and cold around my wrists.
I cried out when he wound his fingers in my braid and yanked my head back, his breath hot against my neck, his smooth cheek pressed to mine. “Nor,” he purred, his tongue curling around the r in the perfect imitation of a Varenian accent. “I always knew you were special. From the moment you defied me in my chambers. Maybe since the moment I felt your heart beating beneath my fingertips.” He brought his right hand up to the center of my chest, as he had the first day I met him. Coming from him, the word special didn’t feel like a compliment.
“I prayed to the gods for a queen who would be the salvation of Ilara by strengthening our bloodlines,” he whispered in my ear. “I never dared to hope you might be my salvation as well.”
31
As the metal door to my cell clanged shut, Ceren’s face appeared briefly between the bars, his skin a sinister green in the foxfire torchlight. “I’ll be back tomorrow for more blood. Try to get some rest before then.”
The dungeons were deep in the mountain, not far from the entrance to the underground lake where the monster, Salandrin, had lived. As he’d dragged me down to my cell, Ceren had explained why the corridors down here were so narrow and cramped. They were part of the original bloodstone mine, before Queen Ebbeela had it flooded to stop the wars. The royal crypt was down another tunnel nearby, and if I breathed too deeply, I swore I could smell the stench of decay wafting into my cell.
One of the two guards on duty had patted me down for weapons, but he’d been too focused on my breasts and hips to check in my boots, which meant I still had the knife. I knew I would only have one chance of escape, so I waited, hoping an opportunity would present itself.
I slept fitfully on the straw covering the floor of the cell. The dungeon appeared to be mostly empty, though I’d heard coughing and moaning coming from a few other cells as Ceren led me to mine.
He came for me hours later in what I assumed was the morning, although there was no natural light here, or even any lunar moss, to confirm my guess. I had hoped he would take me back up to his study to bleed me, but the satchel he carried when he entered my cell made it clear I would be staying in the dungeon.
He crouched down next to me in the straw, carefully laying out his instruments. “I’ll have some food and water brought,” he said, though without any pity or compassion. “And a change of clothes, if you’d like them.”
I didn’t say anything, just remained tucked into my corner. I was too weak to fight him off, and if I was going to escape, I needed to save my strength.
“I wasn’t able to learn anything useful yesterday, unfortunately, but I think fresh blood will help. I’ll be making a trip to Varenia myself soon, to collect some of the coral. I thought I might check in on your sister while I’m there. Just to see how she’s doing in your absence.”
My muscles tensed at his words. “If you touch her—”
He removed the silver knife from his satchel. “Yes?”
I contemplated begging, offering him anything he wanted in exchange for my sister’s safety. But what did I have to offer that he couldn’t freely take here? The guards certainly wouldn’t protect me.
When he reached for my arm, I didn’t struggle. I had healed yesterday, and I would heal again today, though I wondered how long I could last like this. I needed to strike when I had some kind of advantage; otherwise the guards would catch me, even if I did manage to kill Ceren. But I couldn’t afford to wait too long. At some point, I may not have enough strength to recover.
He took less blood this time, but I was too weak to stand by the time he was finished. He lowered me back onto the straw with the same gentleness he’d shown yesterday. “I’ll have the guards bring you some beef liver stew.”
He chuckled when I cringed despite my weakness. “And some bread, if you like.” He stroked my hair, which had come unraveled during the night, as my head swam with dizziness.
At first, when I heard the familiar opening notes to the song Ebb sometimes sang to herself, I thought I must be dreaming. I opened my eyes and looked up at Ceren. He was singing to me, in the same surprisingly beautiful voice I’d heard that night by the underwater lake. Hot tears seeped out of the corners of my eyes and ran down my cheeks into the straw beneath me. I wanted to attack him now, when he was vulnerable, but I was too weak to reach my boot. Why hadn’t I done it when I had the chance? Lady Melina had warned me not to let another opportunity pass me by.
My Varenian morals were going to be the death of me.
When he was finished, Ceren leaned down, the strands of his hair brushing against my skin like feathers, and kissed me on the forehead.
* * *
Many bleedings followed, so many I lost count. I slept as much as I could, my dreams my only escape from the misery of the dungeon. I was dreaming of my sister when I startled awake at the sound of Lady Melina’s voice coming down the hall, followed by the angry grumblings of one of the guards. I had no idea how long I’d been down here—the only break in my days beside the bleedings was the single meal I was brought, and even though my stomach turned at the smell of it, I ate all of the liver stew I could. One day I would have an opportunity, I told myself, though it was starting to feel more and more like a lie.
“Take your hands off of me!” Melina said in her soft Varenian accent. I couldn’t see her, but I could envision her chin lifting in indignation as they manhandled her through the corridors.
“Get in there,” the guard grunted, and a moment later, I heard the clang of the metal door closing behind her. She wasn’t next to me, but she was close by. I could hear her muttering about the dirty straw and lack of ventilation.
The guard’s steps retreated back down the hallway, and for a moment I listened in silence, wondering what Melina could possibly have done to get herself thrown in the dungeon.
“Are you there, child?” she asked once the guard was out of earshot.
I sat up and scooted toward the door of my cell. “I’m here. What happened? Why have you been imprisoned?”
“I declared that Prince Talin was the legitimate heir to the throne, and Prince Ceren a murderer who had killed Queen Talia.”
My mouth fell open. “What? When?”
“Tonight at dinner.” To my surprise, Melina almost sounded amused. “It went about as well as you might expect.”
Gods. Now we were both trapped. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was the only way I could think to see you.”
I slumped back against the door. “You had yourself imprisoned for me?”
Her laugh was low and throaty. “Don’t flatter yourself, child. I did this for Varenia, not for you.”
“I don’t understand.”
She lowered her voice so that I had to strain to make out the words. “One of my spies told me about your healing abilities.”
I wanted to cry, but even that would require too much energy. “I’m so sorry. Now that Ceren knows about the blood coral, I’m afraid our people are in more danger than ever. And there’s no one left to warn them.”
“There’s a way out of the mountain even Ceren doesn’t know about,” she whispered. “And if you’re willing to trust me, I believe we can get you out of here.”
In my present state, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to escape even if the guards were to open the doors and personally escort me out of New Castle. “What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me, child.”