hand struck armor. Gold armor. When my eyes adjusted to the filtered grey dawn light, I saw there were two guards and one of them had me tight in his grip while the other looked on with a peculiar, disturbed expression.
Desperately, I tried to gather my energy but it was depleted. I only felt the whispered rasp of pinpricks across the back of my neck, followed by a sharp pain, before it was smothered and the energy faded entirely.
No!
I was caught. My power was depleted.
“The Dothikkar,” I bleated desperately, my voice hoarse. “Hanniva.”
Their expressions never changed. They didn’t speak, only exchanged glances. The one who had me in his grip pulled my hood up roughly, almost tearing the material, but it shielded my face from view.
He pushed me forward. I almost fell to my knees with the force.
“You wish to see the Dothikkar?” the guard growled, his eyes hard like steel. “Then it is the Dothikkar you will see, vekkiri.”
Chapter Three
He was right, I thought, huddled in the corner of the dark cell, pressing my forehead against the cool stone.
The Dakkari male had been correct in saying I wouldn’t like the Dothikkar’s dungeons. Then again, I assumed that not many would. I had very limited experience with dungeons.
It was cold. And quiet. And dark. However, all these things worked in my favor as I recovered from pushing into that Dakkari’s mind. The things that didn’t work in my favor were the occasional moans from the other prisoners—whom I didn’t see, only heard, but made me jolt with fright every time one of them cried out—the overpowering stench, the lack of food, and the gritty, rough shackles biting into my wrists, bloodying them. I grew queasy from wondering just how many different creatures’ blood had accumulated under the black cuffs.
I closed my eyes, the cold stone soothing my overheated flesh, and thought of Maman. I thought of Viola, my beautiful older sister. I thought of my brothers, Maxen and Eli. They would tell me to be strong, to be brave. But only Maman understood how hard that was for me. They’d always been brave—like my father had been—whereas I didn’t have a brave bone in my entire body.
Sometimes, though I was over a quarter-century old, I still felt like the small child hiding behind my mother’s legs.
But I am here and they are there, I told myself. And if I don’t deliver the Ghertun’s message, if I come back empty-handed…
I couldn’t think of what the Ghertun would do to my family. I didn’t want to think about the consequences when I was not there to intervene.
I only prayed to all the deities in the universe that my gift would be restored in time. I might need it again soon. I’d been foolish to waste it on that Dakkari male.
And I was running out of time. The Ghertun had given me one month to bring back a token of the Dothikkar’s submission. There was only one thing the Ghertun would accept.
The creaking of hinges echoed through the cavernous space. Keeping huddled against the wall, I craned my neck to see a bloom of light and a long, shadowed figure stretching across the wall in front of the cells. Heavy footsteps approached, followed by the murmurs from the guards that stood on duty, muttered, guttural words in Dakkari I didn’t understand. A deeper, slower voice sounded. Then came the approach of his footsteps.
He stopped in front of my cell, peering at me between the thick bars of the gate. I couldn’t make out his features in the darkness but I had the impression he was older. My breathing went a little shallow in my throat, wondering if this was my chance.
“Dothikkar?” I rasped softly, my voice husky and hoarse. When did I last have water? I’d emptied the skin the Ghertun had given me before they’d dropped me off a day’s walk from Dothik.
The figure made a huffing sound, turned, and bit out an order to the guards. They sprang into motion, opening my cell after fumbling with the keys. Once opened, one of the guards strode forward and unchained my shackles from the wall, though he kept my hands bounds.
He pulled me up, surprisingly gently, and I was thankful for it. My bones ached, my limbs felt heavy. I’d twisted my left leg shortly after I’d snuck into Dothik and it twinged sharply when I walked forward.
As I approached the darkened figure, I saw that I’d been correct in thinking he was