Every now and then, a groan slipped unbidden from my lips.
“If you can convince the guards to move you into one of these cells,” a young man whispered to me, “we can get you some water. There are several leaking pipes overhead.”
My puffy eyes peeled open. I was so tired… and I needed a drink… and I had to pee, too.
“What?” I murmured.
It was the same man as before. The man with the tattooed hand: the fireball. “Convince a guard to place you in a cell. We will be able to get you water then. It shouldn’t be too hard. They don’t like when you spit on them. That should get you a cell right quick.”
“Thank you.” I swallowed. “What did you say your name was?”
“Didn’t say,” he replied.
The sound of a door clapping shut nearby brought us both into tense silence. Our eyes fell to the left corner of the room, where guards would enter. Was it shift change again so soon?
A shadow moved across the wall, and Lethe stepped into the torchlight.
My heart gave a strange little flutter of gratitude. Lethe’s eyes met mine… and warmed, darkening.
“Penelope,” he greeted, stepping closer. “I thought they would give you a cell.”
“The cells are too crowded,” I grumbled, turning my eyes from him. I was so tired. “Did you—” My voice caught in my throat. “Did you capture Theon?” My heart solidified to stone at the thought. Theon hadn’t been brought here, into the prison. Which meant… if they had overtaken him in battle, he was probably…
“We were able to wound, capture, and even annihilate some of his men,” Lethe answered, becoming cold. “But no. We did not capture Theon himself. He—and a beautiful young woman, reportedly—escaped together into the streets.” His eyelashes lowered, and a nasty little smile spread over his lips.
I said nothing to this. I didn’t want him to know how the news both elated and disappointed me. Theon was safe. He had escaped. And apparently, now he was alone with Michelle.
I wondered what they were doing. Had she already pulled her more obvious material? Getting drunk, getting flirty? Had she moved on to the more advanced stuff? The pouting? The lip-nibbling? Would they sleep side by side? In the same bed?
“I talked to my father,” Lethe volunteered.
At this, I perked. “And what did he say?” What did you say?
“He told me again that this is a pivotal moment in my story.” Lethe’s eyes refused to meet mine. “We have just seized the castle again. It was the life’s work of my grandfather, and it has become my and my father’s life’s work. He always questions my strength.” His face soured as he went on. “We must show unwavering leadership, he said. He would prefer that I marry as soon as possible to solidify my position here. There are two things he commands that I do prior to assuming the throne: marry… and execute Theon.”
My blood ran cold. Execute Theon.
“Perhaps I could convince him to let me execute Erisard instead,” Lethe suggested.
“Who is Erisard?”
“The fire king. Theon’s father.”
My jaw went slack. “Lethe…”
But Lethe looked to me with flashing eyes, as if he knew that it was horrible. “I suppose you think that I’m bloodthirsty and power-starved, like the other ice people,” he muttered. “I suppose you think that I kill often, and easily.”
I shook my head, mute.
“The truth is that I’ve never killed a man in my life.” Lethe’s gaze was distant and unfathomable. It reminded me, briefly, of those starry gates: the portals to and from Theon’s world. “And that it saddens me to know my father’s prejudice will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the selection of my mate.” His eyes shifted to mine. “And I’m sorry for that. Because ice women…”
Lethe let his words hang, staring off as he ruminated on the subject.
“Ice women are cold. They’re ruthless, and powerful, and they can be sexy. They can be very sexy. But…” He shook his head, still not looking at me. “There’s no softness. There’s no warmth. There’s no trust.” Now his eyes shifted to mine. “I didn’t put you down here because I was angry,” he blurted.
“Are you sure about that?”
“I put you down here to keep myself away from you.” His eyes… How were they so deep and dark now, but so bright when he was mad? Now that blue had become almost blue-black, like the enfolding waves of the sea at night… “If I will never be able to have you—then I must stay away from you.” Even as he said this, his attention poured over me. “For the sake of my kingdom.”