A Sprinkle of Stardust

Chapter 36 - Promise

Lyrani would've never thought that sunlight falling through an overhead grille could cast a decent checkerboard onto the ground, but desperation could make a person creative.

She moved one of her misshapen pieces, a stone she had found in the corner of her cell, then paused to contemplate her next move.

Playing checkers with herself wasn't the most rewarding or stimulating past-time, but it was better than letting her boredom eat away at her sanity while she awaited execution.

That was what was in store for her. There was no escape, after all.

Lyrani hadn't seen Trelle since they were arrested. If she could find where the other agent was being held, perhaps they could orchestrate a prison break.

Lyrani sighed. As if Trelle would ever want to work with her again.

She looked around her cell. If she was going to escape, she would have to do it alone, but her cell didn't give her much to work with.

The room was devoid of windows. The only light came from the opening in the ceiling. Even if Lyrani could get to it, there was no way she could move the grille, let alone fit through the tiny space.

A door was set into the wall in front of Lyrani. It wouldn't budge even if she threw her whole weight against it. She had tried.

The smell of earth hung heavy in the air. Lyrani had tried scratching away at the walls, but ten chafed fingertips and three broken nails later, she had accepted that digging through packed dirt was impossible.

She shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her.

It was late afternoon, judging by the fading sunlight falling on the ground, but in a prison buried this deep underground, the time of day didn't matter. It was cold whether it was the evening or midday.

Her hands still cuffed together, Lyrani moved her piece, only to walk into a trap set by herself.

She felt a little like she had the previous night.

She had thought she was so clever, taking on Trelle's role of getting close to Nash, but she had been the fool. The king's interest in her might not even have been real.

The spirit had known who Lyrani was, possibly from the beginning. She might've let Nash confide in Lyrani, kiss her, and even take her to his bed only because it fell into her plan.

Lyrani should've killed the king when she had the chance. She wouldn't have been arrested, and she and Trelle would be safely back in Irylen by now.

A small part of her scoffed at that. Lyrani liked Nash too much to kill him, but she had to choose the lesser of two evils.

If she had done her job, she wouldn't be here, facing her death while the realm was on the brink of chaos. Nash would be dead, with no chance to undo what he had done.

Lyrani cursed, sweeping the stones off her makeshift board. They scattered across the ground, and she didn't bother to see where they had landed.

This was an impossible decision. Both options were equally right and equally wrong.

The door opened with a metallic groan. Lyrani looked up to see a guard with a sharp, solemn face enter. She clutched at her cloak, preparing for the worst.

Her eyes widened as King Nash strode in behind the other elf, carrying a dark bundle. His eyes glowed in the dim light of the cell—beautiful, deadly. Something had drained the colour from his face, leaving it a sickly white, like death, like bone.

"Take off her handcuffs," Nash told the guard.

The other elf hesitated. "Are you sure, Your Majesty?"