Lovely Demise

⊘⊘𝟙

Click. Click. Click.

The floors are slick with grime, and I walk with careful footing down the long hall. Two guards walk behind me, their faces void of any emotion as they follow me. Every ounce of doubt and fear slides out of me as I near the steel door at the end of the hall, and I don't allow myself to hesitate as I push open the door.

The smell of piss and sweat hit me first, and I scrunch my nose in disgust, allowing my eyes to adjust to the lack of light in the room. Chains rattle against the far wall, and I place an amused look on my face as I look towards the sound.

The guards flank both sides of the room, but I doubt they're going to stay long as I approach the far wall, my eyes adjusting to the low lighting. Sounds of struggle break out as I near the wall, and my smile only widens as I walk closer, taking in the half naked male chained in front of me

He had been stripped and beaten his first night here—and I had ordered that his cell remain empty for the past five days. He had been caught spying near our border, and the gems adorning his body accompanied with the wings on his back made him easily identifiable.

I had made sure that his wings were untouched before I arrived. Let him have that one shred of hope.

He had dull brown eyes and hair that looked like it could be blonde under all the mud and blood—and his face was so bloody and covered in dirt that I couldn't ascertain the rest of his features. They didn't matter anyway. His black wings were splayed out beside him—pressed against the wall. His arms and legs were shackled, and I can see the raw skin where he had struggled against them.

His mouth curls when he sees me, and I just raise a brow, motioning a hand for the guards to step forward. A cup of water and a roll of bread is placed into my waiting palms, and I take another step forward, offering the bread to the man.

Maybe if he weren't half starved, he would have refused, or maybe he was hoping that the food and water was poisoned and offered him a quick death, but he ate quickly, the roll and the water consumed within seconds.

The guards leave the room as the man eats, the steel door closing firmly behind them. I don't say a word as he stuffs his mouth with bread, choosing to take a small stroll around the small cell.

By the time I walk around the cell once, he'd finished his meal, and his eyes were watching me intently. I cock my head to the side, taking a step closer to him. "I've given you a treat, now maybe you will give me one." I muse, and the man stays silent, his lips pursing into a thin line.

I sigh, my smile dropping. "Oh, come on. I know you Illyrians are a... brawny bunch, but there had to have been a reason you were snooping around the castle. Your spymaster must be daft to think that you of all people would be able to blend in. I could see your siphons from a mile away. And not to mention your wings." I glide a finger over the edge of his wings, and smile when he flinches back against the wall.

I wait for him to say something, but as expected, he doesn't say a word. I don't remove my hand from his wing, my smile turning deadly as I look at him. "I've heard a great deal about these wings. My favorite little detail though, would have to be how incredibly sensitive they are." The man's eyes widen when he sees the flash of silver, and he buckles and fights against his restraints as my hand nears his precious wings. "Now. You can be cooperative, and I might even let you go back to your spymaster to tell him how much of a dumb ass he is. Or we can do this the fun way, and I'll send your fileted body back to your spymaster to send the message myself. Because honestly, he really should know better."

The man clenches his jaw, but I can see the fear in his eyes when he looks at me. I give him a minute to think the proposal over, casually flipping my knife in the air as I let him contemplate. When I don't receive an answer, I sigh, shrugging my shoulders. "Unfortunately for you, it's been too long since my last encounter with an Illyrian."