My eyes darted to the side as a chill went down my spine. He had a point. We were alone—the two of us. He could do unimaginable things to me if he so chose. No one would stop him—no one could stop him. As small as it was, this barrel was the only barrier I had from him right now. He could dump me out of it if he wanted. Kick me to the floor and beat me. He had magic—magic that was far more powerful than mine. I shivered as he stared at me, his eyes somehow seeming even darker in the dim light of the bathing chambers. The singular torch on the wall flickered, growing weaker as if he willed it to do so. I shrank down even more as his hand cupped the top of the barrel. If I let him, he could snuff out all of the hope I had placed in the guys. I swallowed roughly.
"Someone will figure out what you've done and you'll be punished for it,” I said. I wanted to sound strong and intimidating, but even to my own ears, my voice didn’t hold the same strength his had.
"That day will never come,” he said as he finally released the top of the barrel and stepped back. “For now, I’m the King's advisor. He listens to me above all others. As for the Fae, I am untouchable. The first heir to the Court of Midnight. I will have my war, little Changeling, and when it is over—the ruins of this world will be mine. I intend to build my people up from the graves I save them from. This ridiculous charade won't be needed much longer, especially after your death tomorrow. Roan and Orion will be devastated. The Crimson Prince will lose himself and my brother, my dear, sweet, weak brother will go mad—it’s in the family, after all. Everything is going perfectly.” Tyr circled the barrel and moved back towards the door and as he did, I turned, following him with my gaze.
“You’re wrong,” I said. “They will stop you—even if I die.” Though I knew they wouldn’t let that happen.
Tyr paused and glanced back. “Oh darling, they won’t even have a chance. You are simply the match that will light the flame that will set fire to this world. Without you, those two will fall apart.”
“What about Sorrell?” I demanded.
Tyr shook his head. “You should know by now,” he said. “All I need to do to ruin the Prince of Frost is tear apart his friends. Your death will kill them and killing them will kill him. Now, be a good girl and die prettily tomorrow."
He banged on the door and it opened a second later, allowing for his graceful exit, but even as he stepped from the room a dark laugh echoed back to me. After his departure, I didn’t even care if the guards saw me anymore. It was far too damn cold. As they stepped inside, I hurried to scramble out of the barrel. One of the guards tossed something my way—a threadbare towel. I snatched it up from the ground where it had landed and used it to quickly dry myself off.
No sooner had I yanked my dirty dress up from the floor and slipped it over my head, and one of the guards stepped forward and grasped my upper arm. “Time to go back to your cell,” he said.
I didn’t make another sound; I didn’t even ask another question as they led me back to my original cell and shoved me inside. They shackled me back the same way I had been and as soon as the door locked behind me, I collapsed onto my cot. I clasped my hands together and prayed that the guys wouldn’t be too late. I’d given Orion all the information I could. They had to be on their way by now.
The light in the room waned over the next few hours and as it did, night fell. Each minute, I realized was yet another closer to my potential death. I trusted the Princes of the Crimson Court. That was all I could do now—give them my trust and hope that they would come through.
Death wasn't something I'd ever spent much time thinking about before now. I always assumed that I could survive whatever life threw at me. I had survived the nuns. I’d survived nearly dying after Ariana had shoved me off of