Prison Princess (Paranormal Prison) - CoraLee June Page 0,38
her frail arms around me. I stiffened when our skin touched.
Maylea? I didn’t recognize that name. “My name is Layne,” I replied lamely while pulling away.
She wiped her eyes of moisture. “Of course. Layne Montgomery. That’s the name the prison gave you, yes?”
I nodded awkwardly. This reunion wasn’t going the way I thought it would. Already I had to correct my mother on my name. “That’s me.”
“Your given name was Maylea Pendilor. We shall call you whatever you wish though,” the man replied.
“Well...thank you. I...I might be able to get used to Maylea. Maybe. I don’t know.” I couldn’t be making a great impression right now, and I wasn’t sure that I cared. Could they outright reject me? I hadn’t asked that question. This was terrible, though it felt like there was a giant concrete wall between me and my feelings. One thing I had learned being in the prison and then in my very botched but unforgettable rescue was that I was a survivor. The world could continue to beat at me, and I’d keep beating it back. Just as long as there was breath in my body.
My mother cleared her throat. “We’ll work on Layne. You look...you look so much like my sister.”
“Really? I was thinking that I resemble you.” I pointed to my hair.
“Yes. But my sister even more so. Come,” she said, indicating the palace. “Let’s go inside.”
Okay. This was happening. It really was. I whirled around and met Cypress’s gaze. “Come? Please?”
Every gaze shot to him. I hadn’t wanted to make things hard on him, and I had to try to fix this before it went askew. “He’s kept me safe even against the assassins who tried to kill me. I don’t know this place or you. I’m sorry. I’d like there to be fireworks or just some sort of recognition, but everyone is a stranger. Except him.”
“Ah. Assassin. I didn’t even see you there,” said my father—gosh, that term was foreign to my mind. “I suppose there is the issue of your payment. And thank-yous are in order. The Druid Kingdom of Gantrick is indebted to you. Tonight we will have a banquet in your honor to celebrate the return of our lost daughter.”
He clapped to accentuate his proclamation, and my cheeks flushed. This was all so much to take in. I didn’t want a banquet. I wanted to get to know these virtual strangers. “A banquet isn’t necessary,” Cypress grumbled while marching up to join me at my side. “But I would like to discuss Layne’s safety moving forward and what you plan to do about retaliation from the guild. Your wards are effective but not impenetrable. Bhaltair is still out there.”
My chest bloomed with warmth for my protective assassin. Even if he was only mine temporarily, I reveled in having him on my side during the turbulent times.
“I’m more than capable of protecting my daughter and kingdom. I’m not paying you to coordinate her safety moving forward. I’m paying you to bring her home—which you did. Tonight, we celebrate.”
“Please.” I looked between them. “Couldn’t he help stay and coordinate it? I mean...that couldn’t hurt, right? That man after me is terrifying. I think anything that Cypress can do to prevent that would be wonderful. Please.”
There, I’d said please twice. Didn’t kids do that with their parents? They said please like that was some kind of magic word, and it gave them what they wanted. That’s what I’d been told, what I’d learned. I’d had no one to try the trick on, but maybe it would work now. I could hope.
My father nodded. “Okay. I suppose I can see the logic. An assassin stopping an assassin. Everyone with me. Now.”
His tone brooked no refusal. I wouldn’t have dared try. Instead, I hustled to keep up with them. My mother kept looking over her shoulder at me as though I might take off running and disappear. Honestly, the idea was sort of appealing. I could make a run for it. Surely I could get out of the border. It must keep people out, not in. That was something I needed to check on.
Cypress leaned over to whisper in my ear. “You’re brave. You can do this.”
How did he know? “Am I being that obvious?”
“I’ve had days to study you. I doubt anyone else knows you were thinking about making a run for it.”
My father looked over his shoulder. “Everything okay?”
Cypress and I both nodded, practically in unison. I almost cracked up. He’d been studying