Bound by Dusk and Embers

Chapter Thirteen - A Flicker Of Hope

Days blurred into nights in the cold stone prison of Duskveil. The endless, suffocating silence was broken only by the occasional drip of water from unseen crack in the ceiling and the soft, rhythmic breathing of Riven in the cell beside hers. Time stretched in a cruel, endless cycle, and Amberlynn's only comfort was the faint glow of torchlight outside the bars and the distant memory of Lucaerys' voice.

He would come. He had to.

But as the hours turned into days, doubt began to creep in. There had been no sign of Lucaerys since Lady Eira had dragged her into this hellish place. No shadowy figure lurking near the entrance, no faint whisper of his presence. She had held on to hope at first, certain that he would come for her. But with each passing moment, the weight of her captivity pressed down on her, pulling her further into despair.

Her wrists ached from the constant strain of the iron cuffs, and her body felt weak from lack of food and water. The cold bit into her bones, and no amount of shifting on the hard floor provided any sense of relief. She tried to keep herself awake, tried to stay alert in case Lady Eira or her guards returned, but exhaustion was beginning to take its toll.

"You look like you've been chewed up and spat out by a bog-hound."

The dry, raspy voice of Riven broke through the heavy silence, snapping Amberlynn from her thoughts. She turned her head toward his cell, grateful for the sound of his voice. It was the only thing that kept her tethered to reality in this forsaken place.

"You look worse," she shot back, her voice hoarse from disuse. A faint smile tugged at her lips, but it quickly faded as the cold reality of their situation returned.

Riven chuckled softly, though there was no humour in it. "Fair enough. But at least I'm used to this. You... not so much."

Amberlynn sighed, her breath fogging in the cold air. "How long have I been here?"

"Too long," Riven replied, his voice low. "Time's slippery in this place. You could have been here a day, or you could have been here a month. Duskveil has a way of making you forget who you are... what you're waiting for."

Amberlynn's heart twisted painfully. What you're waiting for. Lucaerys. She was waiting for him. Wasn't she? He had said they would figure out this prophecy thing together. But how long could she afford to wait? How much longer could she survive in this prison, shackled, and starved?

"Do you really thing he's coming for you?" Riven's voice was quiet, but the question was heavy, filled with both curiosity and a trace of pity.

Amberlynn closed her eyes, fighting back the wave of doubt that threatened to overwhelm her. "I don't know," she eventually whispered. "I want to believe he will, but..."

"You don't know if you can trust him," Riven finished for her. "Because of his ties to Lady Eira."

She swallowed hard, the truth of his words settling over her like a weight. Lucaerys had told her the truth about Lady Eira, about the prophecy. He had spared her life when he could have killed her. But now... was she a fool for clinging to the hope that he'd come back for her? Was she waiting for a man who had no choice but to obey Lady Eira's commands?

"I thought I could trust him," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But he's still tied to Lady Eira. And if she orders him to..." She couldn't finish the sentence, the fear of Lucaerys turning on her too painful to voice.

Riven was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "Lucaerys might care about you, but he's been under Lady Eira's control for centuries. He's loyal to her because he has no choice. You don't know what kind of hold she has over him."

Amberlynn stared at the stone floor, her heart sinking. She had known that Lucaerys was bound to Lady Eira, that he had spent centuries as her weapon, her shadow. But she had convinced herself that he was different now—that their connection had broken through the chains that bound him to the Fae queen. Now, she wasn't so sure.

"I can't wait for him," Amberlynn murmured, more to herself than to Rowan. "I can't just sit here and hope he'll find a way to save me."

"Smart girl," Riven said approvingly. "Because waiting for someone else to save you in this place? That's the quickest way to die."

Amberlynn glanced toward Riven's cell, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Then we need a plan. We need to figure out a way to get out of here."

Riven raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a wry smile. "You've got fire, I'll give you that. But it's not that simple. Lady Eira's magic keeps this place locked down tighter than a Fae vault. We'd need more than just brute strength to escape."

"I'm not asking for brute strength," Amberlynn said, sitting up straighter despite the pain in her body. "I'm asking for a plan."

Riven hesitated for a moment, studying her through the bars. "You're serious about this?"

"Dead serious," Amberlynn replied, her voice firm. "I'm not waiting around for someone else to decide my fate. I refuse to let her win."

Riven let out a long sigh, leaning back against the wall of his cell. "Alright," he said slowly. "But if we're doing this, we'll need to be smart. Lady Eira's magic is woven into the very foundation of this place. If we try to escape through the usual means, we'll end up dead or worse."

Amberlynn shivered at the thought. "Then what do you suggest?"

"There's one thing Lady Eira's magic can't control," Riven said, lowering his voice. "And that's the ancient tunnels beneath the prison."

Amberlynn frowned. "Tunnels?"

Riven nodded. "This prison was built on top of an older structure—an ancient system of tunnels that run deep into the earth. Lady Eira's magic might control the surface, but those tunnels are beyond her reach. If we can find a way into them, we might have a chance."

"How do you know about these tunnels?" Amberlynn asked.

Riven's smile was grim. "I've been here long enough to learn a few things. The Fae who built this prison weren't stupid—they made sure to give themselves an escape route if things went wrong. The tunnels were sealed off long ago, but the entrance still exists."

Amberlynn's heart raced. It wasn't much, but it was something. "Where is the entrance?"

"In the lower levels," Riven said. "It's guarded, of course, but if we can distract the guards or slip past them, we might be able to get to it."

Amberlynn nodded, her mind already racing through possibilities. "Then that's what we'll do. We'll find a way to reach the tunnels and get out of here."

Riven chuckled softly. "You make it sound like it is going to be so easy."

"It's not going to be easy," Amberlynn replied, determination burning in her chest. "But it's better than sitting here, waiting to die."

For the first time since she had woken in this prison, Amberlynn felt a flicker of hope. It was small and fragile, but it was there. She had no idea if Lucaerys would come for her, but she couldn't afford to wait. She had to rely on herself—and on Riven, this mysterious prisoner who had been trapped in Lady Eira's grasp for far too long.

They would escape. One way or another.

But as the plan began to form in her mind, Amberlynn couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time.

And that Lucaerys, whether he came for her or not, was running out of time too.