A Child of Darkness

Chapter 4

"Who is Nevan?" I asked, confused. I still didn't understand what was happening or why I was here.

"King Nevan," Leo answered. "He rules over Casamont."

"What is a King?" I asked. "What is Casamont?"

Rhys blew out a breath. "This is going to be more difficult than we thought."

Another knock sounded at the door, and Leo got up to open it, talking in hushed tones with the person on the other side for a moment. Another man soon came into the room, and I shrank back against Mira. He was considerably older, with a full beard and dark hair to his shoulders. We stared at each other, neither moving. He seemed to be studying me, looking for something.

"Leila," he said finally, moving to take a seat next to Rhys on the couch across from the bed I was still sitting on with Mira. "It is so nice to finally meet you. You must have a lot of questions."

I kept on staring at him, watching him with the same scrutiny he was giving me.

"Father," Rhys interrupted, "I think now might not be a good time. Leila is probably already overwhelmed with everything, and she looks like she could use a good night of sleep."

"I agree, sir," Leo chimed in. "We've only just gotten her to begin speaking to us."

King Nevan continued to stare at me, ignoring the others, until I asked quietly, "Why have you brought me here?"

"What do you know about your life, Leila?" He asked instead of answering my question.

I shrugged, lowering my eyes. "I stay in my room; if I'm good I receive two meals a day, if I am bad I am punished. I watch the window. I count the times when the darkness falls. 6,210."

"Punished?" He asked me, raising his eyebrows. "By whom?"

"I don't know his name. He dresses in black and always has his face covered." I shudder, thinking about the man with the whip. I had not been punished in 1,003 days. "Sometimes I hear the others, in the rooms beside mine. I hear when they scream. I count the seconds until they stop."

King Nevan is quiet for a moment before he says, "You are right. Let her rest tonight, we will speak more tomorrow." I watch him as he exits the room, closing the door behind him without another glance at us.

"Why am I here?" I ask again, not to anyone in particular. "I don't understand what's happening."

Rhys sighs again (he seems to do that a lot) and closes his eyes. "Leila," he says, "It's a lot to explain. Too much to explain tonight."

"You've been held in the dungeons of the Citadel for 17 years, as a prisoner," Mira says roughly, as if she has to force the words out. "We were contacted by Friadus to extract you from the prison. It took us awhile, we had to travel from Casamont and make a plan to get you out."

"What is my crime?" I asked softly.

"What?" Leo asked.

"What did I do to be placed in a prison? What is my crime?"

No one answered, all of them looking away from me.

"Get some sleep, Leila. Nevan will talk to you more in the morning," Rhys said, and he and Leo left the room, shutting the door softly behind them.

"Come on, Leila, let's get some sleep," Mira said, laying down and patting the bed beside her. For the first time in my life, I laid my head down on a real pillow and slept in a bed.