The Stains of the Crown

Chapter Twenty One

Sorry for the hiatus. I had originally written a much darker chapter, and while it did get posted, I decided not to leave it up. However, because it was the only way to get to the next book in this series from where I had already written, I am currently working on rewriting this story. Until I'm ready to upload that version, I will continue to update here, but the time between chapters may be a bit more lengthy than they have been previously. I will keep the new version as close to this one as possible, but it will have more details and a new sub-plot that will tie in with the rest of this story. Thanks for your patience!

Trigger warnings: torture, abuse, attempted murder, past murder, past parental death.

I wake up in a cold, dark room that smells of damp. A flickering torch in the cell next to me reflects off of the wet stones. Metal bars act as two walls, forcing the realization that I was in some type of dungeon. My head spins as I stand. I stumble forward, gripping the bars only to jerk my hands back. The metal was cold enough to burn.

"Oh, Echodis, don't you know there is no escape?" I turn to see a man hiding in the corner across from my cell. His identity remains concealed in the darkness, but anyone could see that this man was not cowering. He stands tall, almost cocky, wearing a grin that chills me to my core. "You know, they say you're brilliant. I'm inclined to agree. You've found a way to weasel yourself out of almost every situation. But you won't be doing that here. You see, I've bested you. I've outsmarted you-"

"Oh, come on. Stop with the monologuing and just get to why I'm here," I demand, folding my arms over myself as I tauntingly lift my eyebrow. He chuckles lowly, forcing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand at attention. I didn't know who this man was, but he was clearly powerful, dangerous, and truthfully, a little terrifying.

"All in due time," he says, stepping into the light. He was an older man, probably mid-forties. He has dark hair with speckles of grey at his temples. His stance is straight, almost like a guard, but more regal somehow. He was much larger than me, mostly muscle. But that's not what scares me. The thing that scares me are his eyes. They're a striking blue. The joy in them would make them positively vibrant if it wasn't for the crazed look in them. I'd seen that same look in the Kypture hunters who had branded me. This man was clearly a sadist. Judging by the bags around his eyes, he was mildly sleep-deprived, telling me he'd planned this, whatever this was, very carefully.

"At least tell me who you are," I say confidently, pretending I wasn't terrified of this man. He gives me a sickening grin, leaning against the icy bars like it was nothing to him. Maybe it was nothing to him. It was possible he was an ice fairy. Or maybe he was as much a masochist as he was a sadist.

"I'd rather tell you about who you are." I huff and roll my eyes.

"Ooh, lucky me, another monologue." He chuckles lowly.

"Not quite. Dane!" I nearly flinch at his sudden shouting. The large door into the dungeon creaks open. I watch a woman dressed in a fancy silk dress walk in. She takes slow, calculated steps. She'd look elegant if not for the clear fear in her eyes. Or the shackles on her wrists. I had never met this woman in my life, but something seems oddly familiar about her.

"Yes, my love?" I can see her words weren't genuine. This woman was a prisoner, just like me, but with an invisible cage instead of a physical one.

"I'd like you to meet someone," he says, flashing that same sickening grin. The woman turns to me. She gasps.

"No, Mazus, you promised!" the woman screams, nearly hysterical. I see tears well up in her eyes. I frown, trying to make sense of this situation.

"First off, you promised not to run!" he bellows, towering over her. She cowers back, and he quickly regains his composure. "Secondly," he says, adjusting his tie, "I promised not to hurt your child. She's all grown, now," he says, turning his grin on me. My eyebrows furrow.