“You didn’t marry Elora to unite your people,” I said, sizing Oren up. “You did it because you couldn’t have kids with a member of your own tribe. You needed an heir to the throne.”
“You are my daughter.” He raised his voice, not so he was shouting, but enough to make it boom through the room. “Elora has no more right to you than I do. And you will stay here because you are the Princess, and it is your duty.”
“Oren. Your Majesty,” Sara said, imploring him. “She has been through a tremendous amount today. She needs to rest and recuperate. It’s impossible to have a reasonable conversation when she hasn’t fully healed.”
“Why hasn’t she fully healed?” Oren gave her an icy glare, and she lowered her gaze.
“I did everything I could for her,” Sara said quietly. “And it was not my fault she was injured in the first place.”
“If Loki could keep the damn trackers in line,” Oren growled. His temper didn’t come as a surprise. I’d sensed it lying just below the surface.
“Loki did you a favor, Your Majesty,” Sara argued politely. “This is far beyond what his title dictates. If he hadn’t been there, I’m certain things would’ve gone much worse.”
“I’m done arguing with you about that idiot,” he said. “If the Princess needs to rest, then show her to her room and leave me be.”
“Thank you, sire.” Sara stood up, doing a curtsy before him, and turned her attention to me. “Come, Princess. I’ll show you to your room.”
I wanted to protest, but I knew this wasn’t the best time. Oren was ready to strike out against someone simply because he could, and I didn’t want to give him any reason for it to be me.
Once we left the King’s chambers and the doors were safely shut behind us, Sara began making apologies for him. All of this had been so trying for him. He’d spent nearly eighteen years trying to reach me, and Elora had made it as hard on him as she could. It had all come to a head tonight.
Sara wanted me to believe that he wasn’t always this way, but I had a feeling that couldn’t be further from the truth. Oren had given me the impression that this was him in a good mood.
When we reached a room nearer to hers, Sara let me in. It was a smaller, more sparsely furnished version of hers, and she expressed regret for the lack of clothing. So their home wasn’t stocked the way Förening had been for me. Not that I minded. Clothing and accommodations weren’t my priority.
“You don’t really expect me to stay here, do you?” I asked. She went about my room, turning on the lights and showing me where things were. “Not when my friends are being held prisoner in the dungeon.”
“I expect that you don’t have a choice,” Sara said carefully. Her words didn’t carry the same threat as Oren’s. Rather, she was stating a fact.
“You have to help me.” I went over to her, appealing to her obvious maternal instinct. “They’re down there without food or water. I can’t let them stay that way.”
“I can assure you that they are safe and will be taken care of.” She met my eyes, impressing upon me that she told the truth. “As long as you are here, they will be fed and clothed.”
“That’s not good enough.” I shook my head. “They don’t have a bed or a bathroom.” I didn’t mention that Rhys couldn’t sit, and I had no clue how to break the spell I’d accidentally put him under.
“I am sorry,” Sara said sincerely. “I can promise you that I will check on them myself to ensure they are being properly cared for, but that’s the best I can do.”
“Can’t you put them in another room or something? Lock them in a spare bedroom.” I wasn’t thrilled about them being captive no matter what, but getting them out of the dungeon would be a step in the right direction.
“Oren would never allow it.” She shook her head. “It’d pose too great a risk. I’m sorry.” She looked helplessly at me, and I realized that was the best I could get from her. “I’ll get you some appropriate clothing to sleep in.”
I sighed and sat on the bed. Once she left, I let my body sag from exhaustion. The emotional roller coaster I’d been on had left me depleted and worn out.
But as tired as I was, I knew I couldn’t sleep. Not until I knew that Matt and Rhys were safe.
SEVEN
dungeons & heroes
It’s not as if I had a plan or even knew where I was going. Sara had brought me clothes—yoga pants and a tank top, both in black. I changed because sneaking around in a dress didn’t sound like much fun, and then I crept out into the hall.
I tried to remember the way Loki had led me up here, but they had dimmed the lights, making it even harder for me to recognize my unfamiliar surroundings. As I recalled, we didn’t take that many turns. It should be fairly simple.
The hardest part would be figuring out what to do once I found the dungeon. Maybe I could use persuasion on the guard. Or if it was another hobgoblin, I could overpower him and get him to open the door.
I found the winding staircase. It only led down to the main floor, so I still had to find the rest of the route to the dungeon.
When I reached the bottom of the steps, I heard voices. I froze, debating whether I should run or hide, before deciding that staying in the shadows would be the way to go. I hurried behind the staircase and crouched down, making myself as small as possible.
The voices got louder as they came closer, and they appeared to be arguing about how to make the best squash. My heart pounded so loudly I was certain they could hear it, and I held my breath. Moments later, I saw the feet of two hobgoblins walking past.
One of them appeared to be female, with long ratty hair in a braid down her back. They really were unattractive creatures, but based on the way they talked, they seemed harmless. They sounded more human and normal than some of the Trylle I’d encountered in Förening.
I waited a few minutes until I was sure that the hobgoblins had disappeared down the hall before I started breathing again. I figured I could take them, but I didn’t want to beat up random strangers. Besides that, they could make noise and alert everyone else in the palace, including Oren.
I stepped out from underneath the staircase and almost ran into Loki. He leaned casually against the stairs, his elbow resting on the railing and his legs crossed at the ankles. I nearly screamed, but I caught myself, knowing that drawing further attention would only make things worse.
“Hello, Princess.” Loki grinned at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
He and Ludlow had been calling me “Princess” from the beginning, and I thought they were taunting me about my standing with the Trylle. But I realized I was their Princess too, and he was actually giving me some form of reverence.
Unfortunately, I knew that my title pulled no weight with him. Right now I was a prisoner too.
“Yeah, I just . . . I needed something to eat,” I fumbled.
“A likely story,” he said, and his expression became skeptical. “If only I could believe you.”
“I haven’t had anything to eat all day.” While that was actually the truth, my nerves had my stomach too racked to even think about eating.
“What do you plan to do?” Loki asked, ignoring my feeble excuse. “Even if you find the dungeon, how will you get them out?”
“I won’t, now. You’re gonna run and tell on me, aren’t you?” I studied his eyes, trying to get a read on him, but he looked as amused as he always did.
“Maybe.” He shrugged as if he hadn’t decided yet. “Let me hear your plan. It’s probably not even worth bothering anyone with.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“You seem like a self-saboteur,” he said. I opened my mouth to protest, and he laughed at my obvious indignation. “Don’t take it personally, Princess. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m not going to stop until I get my friends out of here.”
“Now that I believe.” He leaned in toward me. “This all goes so much easier when you’re honest.”
“Like I’m the on
e being devious,” I scoffed.
“I haven’t lied to you yet,” he said, sounding oddly serious.
“All right, then,” I said. “How do I break my friends out of the dungeon?”
“Just because I don’t lie doesn’t mean I’ll answer you.” Loki smiled.
“Fine. I’ll find them myself.”
I felt con dent he wouldn’t stop me, although I didn’t know why he wouldn’t. If Oren found out that he was even indulging my plans for escape, I’m sure it wouldn’t bode well for him.
When I brushed past him, walking down the corridor to where I thought the main hall was, he followed me. I tried to walk quickly, but he matched my pace with ease.
“You think it’s this way, do you?” Loki asked, a teasing lilt in his voice.
“Don’t try to confuse me. I know my directions. I don’t get lost,” I lied. I got lost a lot. “Isn’t that a Trylle affinity or something?”
“I don’t know. I’m not Trylle,” he replied. “And neither are you.”
“I’m half Trylle,” I said defensively.
Why was I defending it? I didn’t even want to be Trylle, or Vittra, or anything. Plain ordinary human had suited me just fine my whole life. Now that I found myself in this ethnic quagmire, I felt strangely protective of the Trylle and Förening. Apparently, I cared more than I thought I did.
“You’re rather feisty for a Princess,” Loki remarked, watching me as I walked purposefully down the hallway.
“How many Princesses have you met?” I countered.
“None.” He tilted his head thoughtfully. “I suppose I thought you’d be more like Sara. She isn’t feisty at all.”
“Sara’s not my mother,” I said.
When we reached the main hall, I wanted to jump up and down, but it didn’t seem appropriate. Besides, I’d only found the doorway to the dungeon. I still had to actually rescue Matt and Rhys.
“Now what?” Loki asked, pausing in the center of the hall.
“I go down and get them.” I pointed to the large doors leading down to the basement.
“No, I don’t very much care for that idea.” He shook his head.
“Of course you don’t. You don’t want me to get them out,” I said. My heart beat rapidly, and I wondered exactly how far Loki would let me take this.
“That’s not why. It just doesn’t seem very interesting.” He pushed up the sleeves of his sweater, revealing his tanned forearms. “In fact, I’m rather bored with the whole thing. Why don’t we do something else?”
“No, I’m getting them out,” I said. “I won’t let you keep us prisoner here.”
He laughed darkly at that and shook his head.
“Why is that funny?” I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.
“You say that as if I’m the one holding you captive.” He’d glanced away from me, but when he looked back, he smiled bitterly and his eyes were sad. “This is Ondarike. We’re all prisoners here.”
“You expect me to believe that you’re being held against your will?” I raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re roaming around the castle freely.”
“As are you.” He turned away from me then. “Not all prisons have bars. You should know that better than anyone, Princess.”
“So you’re not the King’s head henchman?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that either.” Loki shrugged, apparently tiring of the conversation. “I’m saying that since I can’t help you with your friends, we ought to find something else to do.”
“I’m not doing anything else until I get them,” I insisted.
“But you haven’t heard what I’d like to do instead.” His expression changed from morose to playful, and there was something in his eyes that made me feel funny.
Not bad, and not the same as when he made me pass out. It wasn’t a magic Vittra power or anything. It was just a look that made me feel sort of . . . fluttery inside.
Before I had time to analyze what I felt or what he meant, a loud banging at the main doors interrupted us. The hall where we stood contained two sets of doors—the ones leading to the lower level, and the massive ones leading outside. These dwarfed the ones in the King’s and Queen’s chambers.
The banging came again, making me jump, and Loki moved in front of me. Was he protecting me? Or hiding me?
The doors flew open, and joy surged through me.
Tove had blown the doors open with his abilities, and he stood on the other side of them, looking astonishingly badass. Tove was a rather foxy and very powerful Trylle I’d known in Förening. His quirky, antisocial personality had endeared him to me, but he was also the last person I’d expected to see here. His abilities did allow him to move objects with his mind, though, so he was a very powerful ally to have.
Then I caught sight of who he had with him. Duncan and Finn stood behind him, letting him throw open the doors while they waited to rush in. As soon as I saw Finn, my heart wanted to explode.
I’d been so afraid he had been hurt or I might never see him again, and there he was.
“Finn! You’re okay!” I rushed past Loki and ran to Finn.
I threw my arms around him, and for a brief second he hugged me. The strength of his embrace let me know how worried he had been about me. But almost as soon as I felt it, he cut it short, and pushed me away.
“Wendy, we have to get out of here,” Finn said, as if I’d suggested that we vacation here.
“Matt and Rhys are here. We have to get them first.”
I turned to start telling Finn about the dungeon, and I saw that Tove had Loki pinned up high on the wall. Tove stood several feet back, holding his hand out at Loki, and Loki hung suspended in the air, his face grimacing in pain.
“No, Tove! Don’t hurt him!” I yelled.
Tove glanced at me but didn’t question my command. He lowered Loki to the floor and released him, leaving Loki gasping for breath. Loki held his side, bending over.
Tove wasn’t a violent guy by nature, but after the horrible battle he’d had with the Vittra a few days ago, I didn’t blame him for being a little preemptive.
“Let’s get you out of here,” Duncan said, grabbing my arm as if he meant to drag me out. I glared at him, and he instantly dropped his hand. “Sorry, Princess. But we need to hurry.”
“I’m not leaving without Matt and Rhys,” I reiterated, and turned to Loki. “Will you help me get them?”
His eyes met mine, and his cocky demeanor had completely disappeared. He looked conflicted and pained, and I knew it wasn’t just from Tove hurting him. A few moments ago, he’d seemed to understand what I was going through, but he’d felt unable to help. Now he had a chance, an excuse, and I hoped he would take it.
“We can come back for them,” Finn said.
Nobody had rushed to the hall yet to investigate the commotion, but it was only a matter of time before someone did. And I knew it would serve us well not to tangle with Oren.
“No. We can’t leave. If we do, he’ll kill them.” I kept my eyes on Loki, pleading with him. “Loki, please.”
“Princess . . .” Loki let his voice trail off.
“Tell the King we overpowered you. Blame it all on us,” I said. “He never needs to know you helped us.”
Loki didn’t answer immediately, and that was too long for Finn. He left my side and went over to Loki, grabbing his arm roughly.
“Where are they?” Finn demanded, but Loki didn’t respond.
Knowing we had to hurry, I ran toward the dungeon and everyone followed, Finn dragging Loki along with us. “This way,” I said with anxious fervor.
I threw open the basement door and almost tumbled down the stairs in my hurry, but Finn caught my arm before I fell. Duncan actually did trip, thanks to his shoelaces, and I rolled my eyes as I waited for him to catch up.
“What the heck is that?” Duncan asked when he saw the hobgoblin guarding Matt and Rhys’s cell. It wasn’t Ludlow, but a hobgoblin just like him.
They all stopped short at t
he sight of him. The shocked reaction of Duncan, Finn, and Tove pleased me. Apparently I wasn’t the only one unfamiliar with this particular type of Vittra. I wasn’t sure if that meant Oren was very good at keeping secrets or if Elora was, but I had a feeling it was probably both.
“Never mind him.” I walked over to the door, pushing the troll out of my way easily.
He didn’t put up much of a fight. At the sight of the four of us, with Loki as a hostage, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. He started to take off, but Tove stopped him, pinning him against a wall and preventing him from alarming anyone.
“This is pretty weak security,” Duncan said. He watched the hobgoblin wiggle against the wall, while I went over to unlock the door.
“We didn’t really expect anyone to break in,” Loki said. He enunciated his words more than he needed to, as if he were in pain or talking to a small child, but he made no attempt to free himself from Finn’s grip.
“Well, that was pretty stupid.” Duncan laughed. “I mean, she’s the Princess. It’s not rocket science that we’d come after her.”
“No, I suppose not,” Loki said tightly.
“I don’t understand this!” I said after futilely twisting at things that did nothing. It had to be the most labyrinthine system of locks I’d ever encountered. I looked to Loki. “Can you do this?”
He sighed, and Finn jerked on his arm. Both Loki and I glared at him, but Finn only acknowledged mine.
“Just help her,” Finn said, reluctantly releasing him.
Wordlessly, Loki went over to the door and began unlocking it. I watched him, and I still didn’t completely understand what he did. The bolts clicked loudly, and I could hear Rhys shouting something from inside the cell. Finn kept his eyes on Loki, watching for a wrong move, and Duncan looked around, commenting on the dankness of the dungeon.
As soon as the door opened, Matt and Rhys shot out, nearly knocking over Loki in the process. Rhys hugged me in his enthusiasm, and while I couldn’t see the angry look I’m sure Finn gave him over that, I could see the way Matt glared at Finn.
Trylle Page 30