A City of Starlight and Ash

Chapter 26

Bryce

The first thing the guard did once they left Rhys's home was put enchanted shackles on Bryce.

 Bryce didn't see him pull them out of thin air, and put them on her wrists, nullifying her magic immediately.

Bryce didn't say anything as the guard gripped her arm and took her through an iron door right behind them.

There was a long hallway, with iron cells on either side. Bryce's eyes went immediately to the cell that was on her right.

 A human man with chestnut brown hair looked up to see who had entered the room. He was shackled to the ground, and shirtless, covered in his own dried blood.

He didn't really seem surprised to see her here. His brown eyes just studied Bryce as Bryce studied him.

A human.

A human man is a prisoner here too, covered in his own blood.

The cell that was across from his was empty, with only some chains on the ground.

He didn't say anything as the guard walked past his cell, with Bryce in tow. 

To the cell next to the man's there was a young human woman. 

She was beautiful, with shoulder length brown hair and emerald green eyes. 

She just looked at Bryce with guilt and pity as she too was chained to the ground. 

Her clothes were a mess, but she looked untouched, just worried and anxious. 

There also wasn't anyone in the cell across from hers. But Bryce could tell that someone had been in there recently, as there was a lingering scent in and chains laid on the ground. 

The next set of cells also had someone. On the left hand side there sat a black haired human who's head was leaning against the concrete wall behind him. 

He looked to have been sleeping, as his eyes cracked open to show sapphire blue eyes.

But there was something else in those eyes. Exhaustion. 

He didn't even lift his head at the sight of Bryce, as his eyes seemed to close again.

Bryce didn't object as the guard opened the cell to her right, shoving, and chaining her to the ground. The guard didn't say anything as he went to the cell to Brcye's left--where the human woman was. 

"Let's go," he growled as he opened the door to her cell, and released her chains. 

"Where are you taking her?" the brown haired human man growled from a couple of cells down. 

The human man across from Bryce, did crack his eyes open at the commotion, as the iron door to her cell closed. 

"Just tell Aedion that I love him," the woman said before the door to the room closed behind him. 

The human man mumbled, "Shit," but didn't say anything else. 

Bryce looked across her to see the human man staring at her.

 There was pure fatigue and exhaustion written all over his face. 

Like all he wanted to do was sleep. 

The same kind of tiredness as Aelin, after she blew up a mountain. 

Except so much worse.

"Are you Dorian?" Bryce asked quietly, himself being chained to the ground.