Death's Lethal Embrace

Eighteen: Cinder

Pain drives me back into the living world.

I wake up on the floor of my cell, my body screaming for relief, the aftermath of a particularly ruthless beating from our friendly neighborhood jailer. I groan as I come to, wincing at the sharp ache in my jaw, opening and closing my mouth a few times to make sure it wasn't as broken as it felt. Determining that I was mostly okay, if you could look past the fact that I had spent the better part of last night as a punching bag, I sat myself up, leaning heavily against the cool stone. I breathed through my nose, trying to muffle the whimper as my broken ribs sent barbs of agony into my chest with every inhale. It was early enough that the jailer hadn't started his round for breakfast yet, so almost everyone was still shivering themselves to death. I lick my chapped lips and suck in a breath, forcing myself to my feet, pacing like a caged animal awaiting its next forced carnival act.

It's been four days since Nera pulled me into what Lyra calls a dreamscape, a power only the strongest of beings have control over, and there's been nothing but radio silence ever since. I tried my best to keep myself as occupied as possible, which mostly consisted of doing a shit ton of sit-ups or push-ups until I passed out from dehydration and exhaustion. Was it smart to push my body when I'd been here a month, living off of moldy scraps and water every now and then?

Probably not, but I wanted to feel a little prepared when it was time to run.

"You're awake." Lyra's smooth voice echoed in my mind, and my lips curl up in response.

When I woke from the dreamscape, Lyra had kept watch over my body. I still wasn't a hundred percent I could trust her, but she's been relatively kind to me since she took that beating from Damon, and that has to mean something I suppose. I expected to feel well, something, after completing the mate bond. The king had said that my full potential would be unlocked, but so far I was too busy feeling like shit to notice if anything had changed or was different. The one thing I did notice however, is that the bond was very much present in my mind, more reachable now than ever, and even if I still couldn't talk to her, I knew she was there.

"Unfortunately." I reply in a dry tone, rolling my neck back and forth. "I would hate to see what I look like, though, if the smell is any indication." I wrinkle my nose at the piss and shit bucket in the corner. You'd think after this long, I'd be used to it, but no. She didn't reply, though I got the sense that she was amused.

I braced my hands in front of my face, sucking in a breath, ignoring my screaming ribs, leveling a punch into the brick wall in front of me. I did this every morning, kind of as way to hype myself up for whatever shit they decide to throw at me next. The wiry muscles in my arms and back flexed as I used the wall as a punching bag, feeling light on my feet, the smack of my fists should've hurt, but it actually made me feel stronger. Despite my fondness for a bow, I was rather good with hand to hand combat, when dedicated to learning it. Sweat dripped down my face and back when the telltale screech of metal sounded through the darkness. I stopped and cocked my head, listening closely, hearing the jailers lurching gate as well as two other pairs of footsteps. The dim glow of a lantern cast enough light to make the sensitive eyes of the other prisoners hiss and cower. I have the strangest urge to bare my teeth as they approached, my lips curling the closer to my cell they neared.

"Just gave her a beating myself last night. Shouldn't be any trouble for you." The portly man chortled, displaying far too much glee. His beady gaze landed on me through the darkness, a warning in them. The other people with him were guards, as I suspected. Finely decorated armor glinted at me in the low light, along with the wicked crossbows each of them held.

I narrowed my eyes as he unlocked my door, and the lethal barbs were immediately level with my face when the door swung open.

"Move." The guard on the right growled, jerking his head from the cell. "And don't try anything. I'd hate to have to kill you the night before your wedding."