CHAPTER 23

One thing I hadn't properly realized as I was walked or dragged past Mr. Belvin or even Vian—they were fucking huge. They were the same kind of big as Neff, especially Mr. Belvin. He stood tall and proud and confident, shoulders held back and huge arms dangling at his sides. What must he have looked like before he was imprisoned? Even in the darkness I could see the scars running down his body, not unlike Neff's. He didn't have a powerful bond mate to help him circumvent the pain. His pain tolerance—all of their tolerances—would be incredible.

These guys aren't going to be any fun to tangle with, I thought miserably. Especially in my current state.

Deep breath. Another. My head cleared. Pleasure zinged around my body.

Muffle that bond, I told my dragon.

I did. Start trying a little harder to feel the fucking thing.

I grimaced and sent rage and annoyance through the bond. I felt a command for him to cut it out. I had no idea if he'd understand, but it was the only idea I had as Vian worked closer, awfully slow now. Suddenly he was trying not to make any noise.

He stopped when his fingers touched the first bar of my cell. He lifted his hand until he was grazing the upper bars. He stood tall, about Neff's height, mostly straight-backed now but with a little stoop he'd probably earned from this place and would likely never see the end of.

He wasn't smiling for once. His dark brow was furrowed in focus as he carefully made his way past the bars, working toward the door. I pulled my hands back, but didn't move yet. He was close enough to grab. I could yank him in, turn him, and get hold of his neck before he knew what hit him. I could kill him a moment later.

Though what if it wasn't a key he had, but something to pick locks? I didn't know how to do that. It would be no good to me.

Then again, an attack from a mad dragon wouldn't do me much good either.

He edged along, his fingertips skimming above, his body coming evenly with mine.

I held my breath, taking his measure. From a distance, I'd thought him lanky. I'd expected him to be weak and frail. And, compared to his former self, maybe he was those things. But not compared to me. He might look starved, but he wasn't much smaller than a healthy Jandri, and I knew his prowess and dragon rage would make him explosive in a fight.

Fuckity limp-dicks.

The breath almost went out of me. I'd always been larger than the other women in my village. Larger than many of the men, even. But I had the feeling I was not large for a dragon. Because I knew that Mr. Belvin was bigger still.

Watch, folks, as I very quietly walk with him to the door.

Even my inner commentary was a whisper. My whole body shook with the tension of the moment. They had me fucking trapped in here, and this was a dungeon—there were no rules.

No one in the dungeon made a sound. No one twisted or moved in impatience.

I heard the soft footfalls of Vian, and I prayed he didn't hear mine as I gingerly stepped around the straw. Pain met the softest blossoming of pleasure as it radiated through my body, providing a strange sort of nulling effect.

Neff hadn't just understood the note—he'd done the situation one better. That guy was great in a bind.

I continued along, mostly keeping pace, careful of my step. Good thing Jandri wasn't very good at housecleaning, and I'd never felt drawn to spread out the straw the way it was when we first got here.

Vian reached the door before me and paused, his eyes narrowing, his head cocked. Listening.

I stopped one step away, a little straw between me and the door. The silence hung heavy with expectation.

His eyebrows very slowly drew in together, as though something wasn't quite right. He stood like that for a moment, his brow furrowed, his body still. Then his head slowly turned until his face was pointed my way even though his eyes looked a bit to my right. A smile stretched across his face.

"You are getting ready to kill me, aren't you, Strange Lady?" His voice was filled with held-back laughter. "You are a smart one."

I stayed where I was. This could be a trick. He could be guessing.

He didn't move forward. Neither did I. I wanted to see how he would try to get in.

He rolled his head, then his shoulders. He chuckled to himself before reaching forward again and grazing his fingers against the upper bars. He lowered his hand slowly, stepping back as much as he could while still making contact with the very tips of his fingers. When they reached about the height of my chest, they lingered.

There he stood, seemingly waiting. Testing me, I guessed. He clearly wondered if I'd step forward and grab his wrist through the bars.

Should I? I asked my dragon. He is thin for his particular body type, but he's still bigger than me. Is he stronger?

Not with my help, no, I wouldn't think so. I bet he's wily, though, or why would he be using himself as bait?

Yeah, good point. He'd expect me to grab his wrist and pull him forward. If he was expecting it, he'd have a counter for it.

Finally I decided to take the upfront approach.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice a little subdued.

He lowered his hand, and his gaze slid a little closer to me, the sound of my voice giving him guidance. "I was wondering if you would grab me and try to yank me closer. No, huh?"

"No."

"No…" He paused as though waiting for me to expand my answer. "Just no? No explanation, no cutting remark…just no. I'm not sure what to do with you, Strange Lady. How did you move so quietly? I was listening, and I didn't hear a sound."

"I stepped carefully."

"Which means you either know the exact placement of every last piece of straw in your cell, or you can see in the dark. I am going to guess B. Which means it must be true—you have access to your animal. When you were fighting that first night, a few of us felt the tug of your magic on our dragons before the suppression spell popped them back into place. Then there's the fast healing. Why do you get access to your dragon and a sword? It is such a curiosity. Is that why Govam thinks you are dangerous? Or is he saying those things for our benefit? You never know with those demons. They run hot and cold. Are you working for them…against us?"

"Definitely not. I don't know why he says the things he does."

"Don't you? Hmm. Do you know why they allow you to wear that sword and have access to your dragon?"

"Yes."

"You have not tried to kill anyone with your very pretty, very fine, likely very sharp sword."

I didn't respond. Saying nothing sounded so much better than admitting the demon king was mocking me for all to see.

Another click sounded within the dungeon. Metal tinkled against metal from several other locations simultaneously.

Mr. Belvin turned and walked toward the stairs. Doors swung open and people stepped out. My heart picked up speed. This wasn't right. All these dragons could get out, but they weren't escaping—their focus was on me.

Maybe unmuffle that bond, I thought with shaking legs.

Light washed through the dungeon. Mr. Belvin had clicked them on. He didn't mount the stairs, though. He started walking my way.

Vian squinted and blinked, getting used to the difference. His gaze drifted downward over my body, settling on the sword.

"Open that door, Vian," Mr. Belvin commanded. Although his voice was deep and the command was intentional, it was threaded with none of the power usually carried by an alpha's command.

Vian chuckled again and stepped closer to the cell door. "You haven't even taken it out of the sheath. I was trying to get as far away as possible so that you wouldn't stick me with it, and you haven't even reached for it."

"I could've stuck you with it when you were walking toward the door. You were close enough."

"This is true, Strange Lady, and yet you didn't. Does that mean you like me? I see that mark on your neck. Will you choose me to lay mine on top? I'm sure I could dominate you."

My dragon huffed and didn't even bother to comment. If it had been Neff saying that, she would've purred and preened and tried to kick his ass. I could only assume an alpha of note would at least raise her hackles. Cleary she wasn't worried about this guy.

A sly smile slid across Vian's face. "No, huh? Now I am curious about who made this claim if I am not enough. I wish Micah could scent it. I wonder if he would be driven mad with the desire to force his claim."

"He would die if he tried," I said without thinking.

Vian's onyx eyes darted up, taking my measure. That smile stretched a little wider.

"Hmm" was the only sound he made.

He worked the lock as those who were leaving their cells congregated in the middle of the dungeon. The obice meant no one could escape.

Metal clicked, and Vian extracted his tools, sliding them behind his ears and essentially making them disappear in his mass of tightly curled hair. He grabbed a bar and pulled the door open, filling the doorway so I couldn't get out.

"Now what?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Now we see what you will not show the officers, I think."