Heart of Fire

Chapter Thirty

The dungeons in Narva are about as close to hell as one can get. The atmosphere is simply...depressing. There are no windows, seeing as though we are underground, making the only source of light torches which are scattered scarcely down the hallways. The warm light gives no comfort, it is almost as if feeling trapped with no way out. It reminds me of my days in Caraq, stuffed into a cell with no chance of escaping.

I push away the awful memories, following close behind Kenton who walks swiftly. We don't even reach the cells before he stops abruptly, causing me to clash into his back.

"Why did you stop?" I ask him, peering over his shoulder to search for any signs of danger. The only thing I can see is a lone spider, dangling from its web that is attached to the ceiling above us. It's quite large, but I would expect nothing less in such a place like this.

"Nothing, let's go." He says, making a point to avoid the spider. I fall into step beside him, grinning as I study his face.

"Are you afraid of spiders?" I ask, careful not to let myself laugh.

"What? No, of course not. That's utterly ridiculous." He scoffs, yet he doesn't look at me as he says this, confirming my speculations.

"You are! I cannot believe this. The Kenton Steele, next king of Narva, is afraid of spiders!" I grin, now failing to hide my amusement at this information.

"Stop talking, please. You do not speak of this ever. This doesn't leave this dungeon, alright?"

"My lips are sealed." I laugh, mimicking a lock motion across my lips, earning a roll of his eyes in annoyance.

I don't know why such a silly thing brings me so much amusement. Perhaps knowing that Kenton has such a human fear makes me feel like I know him better. Or possibly I could be overthinking such things, seeing as though I know much more about Kenton than I let myself believe before now. I know plenty of things about him, things that one would not know if they did not spend so much time with him. I know that he smells like fruit on most days, specifically while he's in the castle. I know that he has one dimple that always appears on the left side of his face when he's smirking, which is quite often. I know that he only calls me sweetheart when he's messing around or joking with me, because he knows all too well that my heart is not in fact sweet in any way.

Everyone automatically assumes that Kenton is a closed off, arrogant asshole that only cares about himself. Which I suppose isn't fully incorrect, but they do not see what I see in him. They don't know how considerate and endearing he can be, the side of him he lets me see. I only wish that he would let other people see that side of him, but for whatever reason, he doesn't.

I'm snapped out of my trance as we approach Zehra's cell, the one at the end of the hallway far away from the others. Kenton unlocks the cell, letting us both in before closing it behind him, keeping the key close to him.

"Rise and shine, princess." Kenton announces. Zehra sits in the corner of her cell, her arms wrapped around her legs and her head bowed low. She looks up at us with bloodshot eyes, her hair a mess.

It's strange seeing her like this, so unhinged in a way I never thought I would see her. That usual put together, perfect princess front she puts on is completely shattered, leaving her looking like a broken doll. I almost feel bad for her, but then I remember how truly awful she is and the feeling goes away instantly.

"What do you want?" She rasps, glaring up at us.

"We want you to tell us where the heirloom is that you stole." I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

She laughs weakly, shaking her head. I should have known she'd act like this, not wanting to give up information. Luckily, I'm not one to give up so easily. I walk over to where she hunches in the corner, grabbing her hair at the scalp and forcing her head back. She gasps at the pain, now looking me in the eyes.