She knew before the shimmer lord answered her that it was a bad place.
Something atrocious and sad. Just really fucking sad.
“My prison house is on the bottom level,” he said, “and the asylum is on the top level.”
She swallowed. “It’s bleak.”
“I don’t want to make such a place inviting, Princess. My people follow the rules and laws of this shimmer, for they know any crime will not be tolerated.” He nodded toward the grim building. “They don’t want to live out their lives inside a dim.”
She pressed her palm to her chest. “Dim?”
He shrugged. “Skyll’s prisons and asylums are collectively known as dims.”
She shuddered as a sudden wave of claustrophobia covered her. “Have my people arrived yet? I need to get out of here.” But her voice was weak and she couldn’t tear her stare away from the dim.
Brasque turned to the guards at their backs. “Has there been any sign of them?”
“No. A runner will announce their arrival.”
The shimmer lord nodded, then looked at Rune apologetically. “I have sent men after them. I’m sure they’ll show themselves soon.”
She glanced back at the guards, and noticed something she hadn’t seen earlier.
They had guns.
Guns.
A young woman, dressed in a green leotard and a knee-high pair of boots, jogged toward them.
“Here is a runner now,” Brasque said. “Perhaps she has news of your people.”
But the woman whispered something to him, and he turned to Rune with a disappointed look on his face. “I’m sorry, my dear. There is business I must attend to. I will leave you in the hands of one of my deputies. She will be happy to entertain you until I am free of my duties.”
Before she could agree or disagree, he lifted his hand and immediately, a woman Rune hadn’t noticed slid from the shadows of the buildings to join them.
“This is Joy,” Brasque said. “Escort her to holding to view the army.” He smiled at Rune, but a line of worry showed between his eyebrows. “I will visit with you this evening. Anything you want, you have only to ask.” He bowed, turned, and then walked swiftly away.
Rune frowned as she watched him walk away, his guards at his back. “You’ll notify me when my friends arrive,” she called.
“Of course, of course.” And then he was gone.
Joy was only slightly taller than Rune, with cropped brown hair, brown eyes, brown clothes. Her face was expressionless. “Princess.”
Rune unscrewed the lid of her container and took a drink of the surprisingly hot coffee. “Joy. Let’s go see my army.”
Joy threw a quick look over her shoulder. “Of course. Anything you wish.”
But she took Rune’s arm and with casual nonchalance, led her a little closer to the dim.
Rune looked at her. “Something in there I need to see?”
Joy shrugged. “Whatever you command, I must obey.”
Rune sighed and took another step closer to the ugly building. “I want to go inside.”
Joy averted her eyes. “You would like a tour of the dim.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I would.” No. Hell no.
But no matter what world she was in, she was Rune Alexander, and she could not walk away from the silent plea in Joy’s face.
Dread made her drag her feet, but responsibility pushed her onward.
She had to make sure no innocents were suffering. Monster or not, that’s who she was. She didn’t trust the shimmer lord to be fair.
She didn’t trust much of anyone.
And she had a bad, bad feeling.
The guards stood straighter when Rune and Joy approached the door to the dim, then moved together to block the door. “No one may enter without the lord’s permission,” one of them said.
Joy curled her lip. “I am the lord’s permission, idiot. And this is the princess. Move your worthless carcass out of her way before I have you arrested.”
He stared at her for a long, tense moment, and Rune was sure he was going to refuse her. Almost wished he would.
But he didn’t.
He tightened his lips, then finally, he nodded. “As you order.”
She started to follow Joy into the building but he stopped her.
“Are you really the princess?”
All the guards stilled, listening for her answer.
She smiled at them. “Yeah. I guess I really am.”
The one who’d asked the question leaned toward her. “Then be careful, Princess.”
“Shut up,” Joy told him, but her voice was more a caution than an angry command. Then, she lowered her voice. “Give me warning if…if the need arises.”
He nodded, then went back to his post beside the door.