Page 113 of The Stolen Crown

Mira’s hand in mine, we released her illusions for a moment and sprinted down the corridor. My voice called for desires, desperation tightening in my chest. The two guards made enough noise, I did not think we’d have long before more mortals found us.

I faced the final door before the corridor ended.

Desires were painful behind this door. Despair, uncertainty, the Ever. All of it collided in multiple waves and snaps of heat through my chest, like I took small sips of boiling water.

“Tait?” Mira pressed her hand to my back. “What is it?”

I pointed one finger at the door. “Here. Gods, they’re desperate. They’re here.”

“They?”

“Swordeater is not the only one.”

“Shit.” Mira crouched in front of the latch. “This is a simple wooden lock.” She dug into her long braid and removed from the plait one of the coral hairpins she’d found in the isle village. “Thank you, Jonas and Sander.”

She jabbed the hairpin into the narrow hole. The two alver princes were thieves more than royals, and it served us tonight that they’d taught their friend well.

Mira maneuvered the pin this way and that until a soft click sounded.

I wasted no time before shoving through the door, drawing out an angry squeak on the hinges. I went still, waiting, watching, to see if anyone in Djur’s household might’ve heard.

Nothing.

“Hurry!” I ushered Mira inside.

A hot cloud of piss and refuse burned the back of my throat. I covered my nose with my elbow.

Mira clapped a palm over her mouth. “All gods.”

Wrists chained overhead, three men from the Sea Void.

Swordeater, Seableeder, Nightseer—my men were alive. Or they would be for another moment.

It was Nightseer who weakly lifted his head. The whites of his eyes were yellow and veiny, his skin dry and crusted with old spittle. How long had it been since the men had been soaked in the tides or even had any water to wet their lips?

“Heart…Heartwalker?” Nightseer’s voice was dry and weak.

“You bleeding sod.” I hurried to his side. He was soaked in his own blood and waste. His knees were weak and bent, as though he’d been forced to remain standing in one place for days. I inspected the chains around his wrists. Each man was tethered to a wooden rod. “What the hells happened to you?”

“Get…get gone.” Nightseer’s eyes were lined with fear. “Ah…gods, not the lovey.” He looked at Mira with even more sorrow. “Take ’er, boy. Take ’er from here. They’ll ne’er let ’er go.”

Panic lanced like a jolt of fire in my chest. Instinct to run out of the room stilled my hands on the chains. Nightseer believed Mira was in more danger than this?

Mira lifted her gaze from where she gently stirred Seableeder awake and moved on to Swordeater.

She cleared her throat and held out a hand. “We’re not leaving without you and the others, Nightseer. Now, knife please.”

Her fingers curled twice, a signal to me. Without much protest, I handed her the knife. Mira began sawing the wooden rod attached to their chains. It would take time, but without a key—

“Wall.” Swordeater’s rough rasp drew my attention. “Wall. Keys.”

“Reading minds, you damn fool.” I moved for the wall, hunting for any sort of key to the chains.

Swordeater grinned, teeth stained in old blood. “Saws you bein’ lost as usual, figured I’d help ye along.”

The walls were bare. A stool and a pail of water were in the corner, enough to keep the men alive but not enough to keep them comfortable. Bastards. I did not see a bleeding key.

“Where?” I pawed at the wall as though a set of keys might appear.