A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)(69)

“How can you hold a conversation and no one else can?”

He twisted his lips. “I’ve built up somewhat of a tolerance to the guards’ poison.”

I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “What’s your name?”

“Demos.”

I closed my eyes. This was the man Vicer had ordered me to get out when I freed Asinia.

“I’m—”

“Don’t tell me.”

Because if he was tortured for that information, he would be forced to give it up.

I blew out a breath. “How long have you been here?”

“Almost two years.” He must have seen the surprise on my face. “I was caught days after Gods Day. For some unknown reason, I was spared during the next Gods Day. I doubt I’ll be as lucky this time.”

He didn’t look all that concerned about it. I had a feeling he was ready to end his existence in this cell.

“Why can’t any of you use your powers?”

“Iron poisoning.”

I frowned, peeking at his ears, which were most definitely not pointed. “We’re not fae. We can tolerate fae iron.”

He nodded. “We can tolerate it. But the first thing they do when we’re brought here is slice at our skin and push fae iron into our wounds. Then they crush it into dust and feed it to us in what little food they give us.”

I stored that information away, attempting to distance myself from the sickening reality of it. If I was going to get them both out of here, I needed them to be able to walk.

“Is the iron still in your body?”

He shifted closer, and for a moment, he seemed so familiar I had to blink. Then he was holding up his arm once more, the rags he wore shifting back to show me his shoulder.

The world dimmed around me. Demos was cursing, covering up the wound, but I could still see it in my mind. Could still see the infection that had spread through his entire shoulder. Could still see the pus that wept from it.

I leaned over Asinia, pushing her tunic off her shoulder. She had a wound in the same place, although it was nowhere near as infected as Demos’s.

Blowing out a breath, I met his gaze. “Why is yours so much worse?”

“I may have decided to dig the fae iron out myself. Turns out, that wasn’t a good idea. Still, dying of infection is a better way to go than burning alive.” He gave me a grim smile.

I couldn’t disagree. “The guards still only feed you once a day, in the mornings?”

Surprise flickered across his face. “Yes. Keeps us hungry for the next bellyful of iron.”

“Don’t eat for the next few days. Try to make sure Asinia doesn’t either.” It was risky, given that she didn’t have any weight left on her to lose. But a few bites of food tainted with fae iron would likely do more harm than good.

He canted his head. “You have some kind of plan. Usually, I would laugh at you. But the fact that you managed to get down here tells me you might be my only hope in this place.”

“Just don’t eat the food. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”





CHAPTER SIXTEEN





Rough, warm hands on my skin, unerringly finding the spots that made me moan. One hand slid to my breast, flicking my nipple, and I arched my back, desperate for more.

“Patience,” a low, infinitely amused voice said.

I shook my head, reaching into the darkness, pulling the man closer, until our lips met in a filthy mimicry of a kiss. His mouth teased mine, his tongue thrusting deep, and I clawed at him, pulling him even closer.

He let out a rough growl that made me shiver, and I swept my hands along the muscles of his back. When he raised his head, dark green eyes burned into mine.

My eyes popped open and met amused brown. “Who is Lorian?” the woman asked.

I groaned, mortification making my cheeks burn.

She just laughed, jumping out of bed. I hadn’t caught her name, and she was already hurrying away.

Sitting up, I ran my hands over my face in an attempt to clear my head.

Getting out of the dungeon had been easier than getting in. My power had felt strong, likely fed by my rage. But every time I’d closed my eyes last night, I’d seen Demos’s shoulder, the other prisoners who couldn’t even lift their heads, and Asinia, shivering on that stone floor.

Dreaming of Lorian was the final twist of the knife.

No matter how many times he’d featured in my dreams over the years—and one day I’d figure out exactly why that had happened—they’d never turned into those kinds of dreams.

It was the kiss at the city walls that had caused this. Swinging my legs out of bed, I silently cursed the man who, even now, was messing with my mind.

“You should hurry, or you’ll be late,” a maid named Kryana told me.

“I will. Thanks.”

I wouldn’t have time to meet Auria for breakfast, so I went straight to Nelia.

“Ah, Setella. Today, I’m trusting you with the floors in the queen’s wing.”

My heart tripped. The distraction was welcome, but more importantly, it was a chance to start doing something.

“You are never to speak to anyone above your station unless they ask you a direct question. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Nelia.”