Fire Breather

66.

   THE second my eyes opened, panic sliced into my heart, and I blinked a few times, seeing a stone wall across from me. Only when I went to rub my throbbing jaw, my hands didn't move and I looked down, seeing them strapped down to the arms of the chair I sat on, along with my legs.

"What the fuck?" I breathed, closing my eyes for a brief moment. Around me, it smelt like wet moss and iron, meaning we had to be underground. "Nim—" The connection between us was foggy and my power didn't rise, telling me that someone forced that fucking elixir down my throat. But when—

In the hallway. Someone knocked me out just after Garrick left.

When I opened my eyes again, a grizzled face stared down at me, sending my heart jumping in fright. "Major? Your prisoner is awake!"

I jerked my neck back, keeping as much distance between me and him as I could, allowing me to take in the prison cell I was in. A door that looked exactly like the one in the interrogation chamber made up the narrowest portion. My jailer wore infantry blue, which meant this had to be the brig.

My eyes snagged on the unwashed, bloodstained walls, and I quickly looked away to Nora leaning against a wooden table, her arms folded as the door opened beside her.

Major Varrish walked inside, a wicked smile on his face.

That had to mean we were caught. But was it just me here or were the others? Were they hurt? Was Garrick captured before he could leave?

"Out," he ordered the other man who quickly left into the main chamber but left the door open behind him.

Fear leached the color from my face. Without reaching Nim or Garrick, that meant I only had my weapons—the same fucking weapons that were stripped from their sheathes. And with my hands bound, there was no way I could free myself.

"We just need you to answer a few questions," Varrish drawled while I stayed silent, staring at him. "Why did Sorrengail steal Lyra's journal?"

Violet? Gods, no. That meant they had Vi if they knew the journals were missing because she was supposed to hold one while Xaden took the other. But that also meant that Xade got away with the second journal if they didn't ask me about it.

"Silence?" Varrish arched a brow. "That won't save you here, Riorson. Markham sounded the alarm that the royal wards within the king's private library had been breached, and then Violet was found with one of the journals. We know she couldn't do it alone and who else was she always with?"

Me. We were always together and rarely separated.

"Answer my questions, and we'll let you go sleep that headache off before class tomorrow. Lie—even once—and it's going to get messy."

So, it was Sunday then.

"Three questions," Varrish went on, clasping his hands behind his back. "We want to know how you did it, who you did it with, and most importantly, why."

If I told them who, then everyone would be killed—including my brother and Ridoc. So that wasn't going to happen. If I told them how we did it, then Aaric's identity would be revealed. Another no. And if I even uttered a word for why we did it, then the revolution would be slaughtered.

Hell fucking no.

"Let's start with how you breached a royal ward," Varrish suggested.

"Can't do so without a royal," I hissed, the throb in my jaw intensifying with each word. "And last I checked, there were no royals in this death college."

"She's telling the truth," Nora said, tilting her head to the side. "My signet detects lies. Tell one, and I'll know."

Well obviously fucking not considering I just lied straight to their faces.