Serpent in Shackles

Chapter Seventeen

We rode in silence for hours, tension building between us as he silently prayed I wouldn't ask any questions. There was something about him. Something that he didn't want me to know and made sure that the others knew not to say either.

The cold, distant exterior hid his sadness and loneliness beneath it. And my shield was almost as strong as his. Maybe that was why I felt a connection to him. Since the day we met, it was like an internal desire, a magnet drawing me to him. Not to mention the presence radiating off him that didn't seem to affect anyone else.

Maybe that was the reason I saved his life that day.

Maybe that was why he appeared to see right through my facade. There was no point in pretending with him, because he seemed to already know what I was thinking and feeling.

So I swallowed my nerves and worked up the courage to say it. "Caeden."

The broad muscles tensed as his real name rolled off my tongue, realization setting in that I knew more than I should. He let out a sigh. A deep sigh full of worry, yet sheer anger still radiated off him. "What else did he tell you?"

I was surprised at how mad he seemed to be. What was a name after all? Why did it matter so much?

I pushed further into him. He couldn't avoid me or my questions while we were stuck together on horseback. "Why does it matter?"

"What else did he tell you?"

"Only your name. It's not a big deal. Its-"

"It is. He shouldn't have even told you that."

"Why not?"

He shifted, head turning slightly to eye me from the side. "It's better for you if you don't know me."

I wanted to press him for more information. I needed to know. My whole world had been a lie. All of it. But this wasn't the time to pick a fight. Not when my life was about to be in his hands.

We reached the edge of the forest, nearing the bottom of a mountain. So I changed the subject. "Tell me about this prison."

The tight muscles relaxed. "It's a prison for the worst of the worst. monsters go in, but they rarely ever come out. That includes prisoners and visitors."

I gulped thinking about the monsters that awaited me. "Have you ever been there before?"

"Yes," he answered hesitantly. A hint of guilt dwelled in his voice. "During the war, my sister was captured by the Queen's people and taken there. I- We came here to save her and that's how we met Vincent. He was her cellmate."

The prison.

Guarded by a river. Twigs fell, dragged beneath by the current. But I couldn't peel my eyes from the old, stone building on the other side.

My voice was a whisper. "What- What happened to them in there?"

"They were tortured. My sister barely recognized me by the time I got to her."

We stopped at the top of the mountain, leaving our horse with the rest of the team before we made our way down the flattened dirt path.

Eyes wide, I trailed behind the Shadow Knight. My heart was already racing as I scanned the area for any sign of danger, feeling anxious from my senses being on high alert. "It must be hard for them to look at each other and not be reminded of that time."

"I'm sure it is," he said. "But I think they find a lot of comfort in being together, knowing that they survived it together and that they have each other. That's why it will just be you and me going in."