there is nothing to say that he would be able to protect me. I’ve seen him fight, I know how strong he is, but if it was him against an army? If I was asked to choose between being a slave again to save his life, or to be free and watch him die, I know what I would do.
That thought strikes a bell within me. Taking a small step backwards to put some space between us, I clasp one of his hands from my shoulder, holding it. He looks from our joined hands and back to my face, his frown deepening.
“Vaeril, I won’t be a slave again.” I take a deep breath, watching his face darken. We hadn’t discussed this before when we were escaping, but it’s something that has been growing inside me, and I know it would destroy me to be a slave once more. “If they get me—”
“They won’t,” he interrupts angrily, his voice so deep now it’s practically a growl as he closes the distance between us.
“But if they do, Vaeril, I want you to kill me,” I demand, shaking him slightly, needing him to hear what I’m saying and not just blindly ignoring the fact that this could happen. “I won’t go back to that life.”
He falls silent, feeling the truth of my words. I feel a slight tug in my chest, and I know he’s reaching for the connection between us. He nods, obviously finding what he was looking for. “Only if you promise the same to me.”
I stare at him. Could I ever kill him if the situation was reversed? My first instinct is to say no, insist that I would find a way to get him back, but a smile devoid of humour spreads across his face and I realise how he felt when I ask that same question.
“Okay,” I finally reply, even though my mind is screaming no.
We stare at each other for a couple more moments until Kaelir coughs awkwardly behind us, reminding us we have company.
“Let’s get you out of here.” Turning, he walks through the open door and holds out his hand to me. I place my hand in his, trying to ignore the feeling it produces, blaming the flipping of my stomach on hunger instead of Vaeril’s touch.
Kaelir walks ahead of us, pretending not to listen as he opens the door to the courtyard for us. As we pass him, I look over my shoulder and smile at him, vowing that I will return to see him if I get the chance.
Closing my eyes for a second as we step outside, I enjoy the feeling of the sun on my skin, making me feel stronger already. I knew Vaeril would come find me and release me from the prison as soon as he was healed, but there was a part of me that feared I was too late, that the poison had spread too far.
“You really messed up my grand gesture, you know,” Vaeril comments, and I open my eyes to peer at him. He’s got a small smile turning up the corner of his lips, so I know whatever he’s talking about, he’s not mad at me. He leads me through the backyard of the castle, past the stables and busy workers I walked by on my journey into the dungeons. Reaching the gate, he releases my hand, gesturing for me to go through. Immediately, I miss the casual touch, and I don’t miss the fact he crosses his arms over his chest to avoid touching me again.
“What do you mean?” I keep my tone light, hoping he doesn’t notice the hitch in my voice or feel my disappointment through our link.
“You unlocked your cell!” His smile is bigger now, but I can feel his eyes flickering over my face, as if trying to decide something. We walk along the side of the castle until we come to the circular paved area in front of the main palace entrance that overlooks the river. “I was going to storm in and force the guard to unlock you, to rescue you. But you had already rescued yourself and made a friend in the process,” he says wryly, strolling over to the observation point that faces the water.
“Oh!” I laugh, following him, leaning against the fence as I take in the beauty of this kingdom. Thinking over what he just said, a thought comes to me. “Why didn’t you just try to unlock it yourself?”
“Ah. The magic in