He stole her. He stole her. He stole her.
The words have echoed round my mind for days since her capture. The knowledge fuels my fury. It’s the only thing that has prevented me from collapsing after nights without sleep and days without food. I don’t need it, I tell myself whenever I feel a pang of hunger or the heaviness of fatigue. I don’t have time for it.
I trace my finger over the map, along the closest route towards the keep. I’ll march every single soldier in Alnembra through the mountain pass and over the steep slopes and cliffs to get Verity back. I’ll tear Sadal’s throat out myself.
The door creaks open, but I don’t bother looking away from the map. I can smell the sweat and adrenaline on the messenger as he steps into the room. “Your Grace,” the messenger says breathlessly.
“What?” I growl, digging a finger into the map over the Bloodbane keep.
“Lord Thalamain has returned, we spotted his sails on the horizon,” the messenger says.
I feel a spark of satisfaction at his words. With Thal’s return, he will have brought my allies. And with my allies, the Bloodbane won’t stand a chance against the combined forces of the Fae. “Good,” I say sharply.
Without another word, the messenger slips out of the room. I look out the window, towards the harbors of Desmarais. I can see the sharp, tall sails of the Wind-Singer against the cobalt blue sky. In the distance, hundreds of sails are scattered across the horizon – Stellium’s navy.
I press my lips together, curling my hands into fists at my sides. The Bloodbane could have attacked Alnembra at any time over the centuries, and yet they waited until I had returned to power and overthrown the curse. They shouldn’t have.
I stalk from the room, leaving my maps scattered throughout the council room. The stairs to the dungeon are so ancient and well-trodden, there are indentations in the stone from thousands and thousands of years of footsteps. I snatch a torch from a wall sconce and stride down the stairs into the chill air of the dungeons. The light of the torch bounces off the walls, casting strange shadows in the spiral staircase.
Five guards are stationed at the foot of the stairs, standing at attention. I don’t allow them to stand guard in the dungeon for more than three hours at a time. It’s too dangerous, too risky. The guards stare resolutely down the hall, towards the two prisoners. I know they haven’t spoken to them either, despite the Bloodbane witch cajoling them all hours of night and day.
I send them away with a lazy wave of my hand. Their armor clanks loudly as they march up the stairs, leaving me alone with the prisoners. The door above slams shut as they leave. The dungeon falls silent, so quiet I can hear the torch flames crackling. In the distance, I catch sight of slender fingers wrapped around the bars. When the light falls on them, the fingers slip away quickly, as if Navi is too ashamed to be seen in the light.
I narrow my eyes towards the bars of her cell, where I know she’s kneeling. Waiting for me. I stride towards her, my stomach twisting with fury and some inexplicable emotion that has my heartstrings lurching. I pause in front of her cell, studying the rusting bars that keep her trapped as my prisoner.
The light falls over her thin body. She’s kneeling in the center of the cell, her head bowed, as she has every day since I first visited her here. I glower down at her, gripping the wooden torch tightly in my anger. She looks up at me, her green eyes glazed with regret. My lips twist as I wrestle with my feelings; fury, sorrow, disappointment. I never expected Navi to be the one who betrayed me. I trusted her with my safety, with my people’s safety. And she worked against us to help the Bloodbane curse come to fruition.
I haven’t spoken a word to her since she locked herself in a cell and tossed the key at my feet. Her motives still plague me, all my memories of her shatter through my mind as I search for answers I can never find unless I ask. But the thought of speaking to her sends bile rising in my throat.
“Altair,” Navi rasps softly. Her voice echoes through the dungeon and I cringe internally. I turn my head, closing my eyes as if to block out her voice. “Altair, I’m sorry.”
“No matter how many times you say it,” I say, “I can never forgive you for betraying me.”
My voice is hoarse, harsh, and unfamiliar to me. These are the first words I’ve spoken to Navi since her betrayal. Her eyes go wide, shining silver with held-back tears. She inhales sharply, a low whistle through her teeth.
“I know,” she whispers.
“Goodbye, Navi,” I say, turning away.
She falls into shadow just as she lunges at the bars. Her long fingers wrap around the rusting metal and she presses her face against it desperately. “Altair,” she cries, her voice cracking. “Are you eating? Sleeping? Please.” She chokes back a cry. “Take care of yourself.”
I ignore her, striding deeper into the dungeon. I hear her boots scuff against the stone floor as she drops away from the bars. The tightness between my shoulders softens as the echoing of her last words fades. Soon, the dungeon is silent again beyond the fall of my footsteps. I glance down at the shining leather boots. There are scuff marks and stains on the fine workmanship, but I hardly care. Just a week ago, I took care in dressing finely. I wonder vaguely how long I’ve worn these clothes.
But then, the woman I came for comes into view. The torch light falls over the last cell in the dungeon, casting a warm glow beyond the bars. But it doesn’t reach far, a
