Death Wind (Elven Alliance #3) - Tara Grayce Page 0,49
with a short length of stone chain, Prince Rharreth lifted his hand from the wall, and the flow of his magic cut off. “I will return this evening.”
He spun on his heel and strode from the dungeon cell. The door clanked shut behind him, the locking bar grating into place.
Melantha held up her smile as she listened to the sound of his footsteps fading down the corridor. She had done it. Somehow, she had talked him into not only allowing her to help Farrendel, but also letting her stay with Farrendel for several hours. Progress.
When the sounds of footsteps faded, Melantha turned back to Farrendel.
He was studying her, his gaze less hard and angry than it had been on her previous visits, though the wariness remained.
“Here, lift your head.” Melantha gathered the handful of straw. When Farrendel lifted his head, she tucked the straw beneath for a pillow. “There.” The back of his head must be sore from lying against the hard stone. He probably had bruises all along his back from lying in the same position against rock for so long.
Melantha settled beside him, tucking her legs beneath her to keep her own toes warm. The stone chain rattled as she moved, the shackle cold against her skin. She rested her hand on Farrendel’s shoulder again, pouring more of her magic into him. A headache formed at her temples, but it was not as bad as the one the day before. “Are you staying warm enough?”
“Yes.” His gaze flicked from her to the ceiling. But at least he had answered her.
“I am sorry the water was so cold.” Perhaps it would have been better to skip sluicing him off with icy water. But she remembered how Farrendel could not stand to be dirty. Even as a child, he had not liked to leave his hands dirty after playing.
Silence fell. Melantha stared upward at the ceiling, a circular pattern of stones. It was interesting, but not something she would wish to stare at day in and day out.
If only there was more she could do. If she could help Farrendel escape, perhaps it would in some way make up for the fact that she had gotten him captured in the first place. It would not exonerate her. It could never earn back her place in her family. But perhaps a small measure of forgiveness could be gained.
But how could she help him escape? Her healing magic was powerful, but it could not break stone. Perhaps she could risk breaking her oath and kill with her magic. But if she died in the attempt, she could gain Farrendel nothing.
She drew her knees up and hugged them to her chest. So much pain and guilt now joining the ever-present anger. If she did not think of a way to release the storm building inside of her, then she was not sure what would happen when she could no longer suppress all of it.
Farrendel released a breath, and he turned his head toward her. “Why did you do it?”
One of the shortened strands of his hair had fallen across his forehead, but Melantha resisted the urge to sweep it behind his ear as she had done when he had been a toddler and his hair had been barely longer than it was now. But Farrendel would not appreciate such a gesture. Instead, she rubbed at one of the forming blisters on her fingers. “I know how you like to be clean. I know it is not much, but it was something I could do to make you more comfortable.” She grimaced at the slight shiver that still ran through him. “More comfortable once you dry off and warm back up.”
Farrendel shook his head. “Not that. Why did you betray me? Betray our kingdom?”
She had told him, back when he had been captured, that she had betrayed him for the good of the kingdom. That she had believed the trolls when they had promised that all they wanted was to avenge the old king, and they would leave Tarenhiel in peace once Farrendel was dead.
But that was not the reason, she knew that now. That was the excuse she had talked herself into believing. It was the delusion she had used to quell her conscience, telling herself it was better to sacrifice one elf to save the entire kingdom, when, underneath, her real reason had been that she had wanted a convenient way to get rid of her own brother.