As he was dragged into the great hall, Shwaan leaned forward to keep the shackles from digging further into his wrists. The fetters at his ankles were already leaving dark, swollen welts that chafed painfully with every step.

Still, the large stone chamber – the architectural centerpiece of the castle – was warmer and better lit than any place he’d been in, recently. It was also crowded. Shwaan spotted no less than eight new faces before his wiry, muscle-bound captor spun him around and pushed him roughly up against the nearest wall.

Shwaan groaned, but allowed himself to be maneuvered. If he’d learned anything over the past few weeks, it was that resistance never ended well in these situations.

His head throbbed from the impact with the unforgiving stone wall. His wings twinged as rough fingers grabbed at them and carded callously through the feathers.

Appreciative murmurs filled the air behind him. Janak’s voice rose above the rest, holding forth in a deep and commanding baritone.

Shwaan closed his eyes, blocking it all out as his mind slipped into the blankness that had preserved his sanity during his stay at the castle. There’d be no escaping the physical pain, but he would spare himself the humiliation of absorbing the words that accompanied the blows. Sometimes, they stung worse than the sif.

The sound of distant gunshots, followed by a disgruntled shout, yanked him out of his hard-won trance. That first shout was followed by others, each a little louder and more panicked than the last.

Finally, Janak’s thunderous roar of fury cut through the din.

Shwaan blinked – his lashes grazing the cold, gray wall – and forced himself to focus.

“It’s Ruban Kinoh.” Kaheen spoke softly, but her tone was triumphant. “I told you he’d come to find her. And here he is, ripe for the picking.” Her voice softened further as she continued. “I’d never let you down, Janak. You know that, don’t you?”

Shwaan wished he could turn around and see the expression on her face. But one of Janak’s minions had shackled him to the wall, and the chains weren’t long enough to allow for much movement.

Janak grunted. “If it is him – and I’ll believe that when I see it – we need to get the guards into position. Rally the Aeriels. Spread out! I can’t risk the deal–”

Two more gunshots rang out in the distance.

“What’re you talking about?” Kaheen hissed, her voice growing strained. “We can’t apprehend him now. We need to lure him in.”

“He’s killing my men–”

“There’ll be more men where those came from,” she snapped. “But there’s only one castle that wasn’t stolen by your damned human government. If Kinoh has any other associates – any Hunters lurking about the premises in disguise – they’ll flee the moment he’s captured. And the authorities will know where we’ve been hiding out. Every Hunter in Vandram will be down here by tomorrow morning, if that happens.”

“So, what’s the alternative? What do you suggest?” Janak’s voice was smooth and calculating. It sent a chill down Shwaan’s spine.

“Like I said, we need to lure him in here. Let him think he’s winning, that we’re too weak to defend ourselves. I can’t believe he came here all alone, so there must be somebody else he’s working with. Probably more than one person, if you ask me.” The tension was back in Kaheen’s voice. “And if that’s the case, we can’t give them the opportunity to flee. Once they’ve breached the castle, they can’t be allowed to leave it.”

“You believe Kinoh’s associates will reveal themselves once they’re confident of their victory,” Janak said slowly.

“Of course. They’ll have to follow him inside, just in case he needs their help. And that’s when we take them down.” Grim satisfaction colored her voice. “Bleed them out, nice and slowly. Make them pay for all the trouble they’ve caused. But first, we need to make sure we’ve found every last one of them. No Hunter must leave these premises alive.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

Janak made an indistinct noise that seemed to originate at the back of his throat.

There was a sudden flap of wings, and Shwaan wondered if Kaheen had taken off. Instead, a third voice, this one high-pitched and slightly adenoidal, joined the conversation.

“You should have warned me beforehand,” the newcomer said, irritation evident in his tone. “You said you’d–”

“Well, it’s better late than never, isn’t it?” Janak snapped dismissively. “Now go. We don’t have much time.”

A moment passed. Then, a rustle of feathers and a sudden rush of humid air told Shwaan that the Aeriel had departed.

“Take the guests inside and bring the Hunter out here.” Janak’s voice was louder, more commanding. Shwaan guessed he was speaking to the guards. “She’s our leverage. I don’t want Kinoh getting any ideas. Hell, I want him in chains the moment he sets foot in the hall.”

“And having his partner here will help us win his cooperation.” Kaheen chortled. “Curb any rebellious thoughts he might’ve otherwise entertained. Good thinking. I’ll get her here myself.” With that, she flew out of the room, the soft rustle of her wings reverberating in Shwaan’s overtaxed mind.

A haze of shouts, explosions, and gunshots filled up the next few minutes. The frequency of the detonations told him that some of the Qawirsin’s pet Aeriels had joined in the fray.

Shwaan sighed, hoping Ruban had thought to bring backup. Surely, even he couldn’t be arrogant enough to think he’d be able to subdue the entire castle on his own.

Soon, he heard Kaheen re-enter the great hall, a gasping Simani in tow. Shwaan struggled instinctively against his bonds. The shackles jangled as he strained against them, but held fast, digging further into his skin with every tug of the wrists.

“Quiet!” Kaheen snarled, taking the back of his neck in a painful grip. “You’ve played the hero long enough.” Her voice was icy as she pressed his face into the wall. With her other hand, she twisted one of his shackled wrists behind his back, eliciting a cry of pain.

“You’re not a prince any more, Shwaan,” she hissed into his ear, pressing up behind him. “You’re a pawn, and not a very useful one at that.” Something sharp and metallic was pressed into the palm of the hand she’d wrenched painfully behind his back. A key. No, a set of keys attached to a key ring. “Hell, now that Kinoh’s here, you may’ve just outlived your usefulness altogether.”

She let him go and stepped away, leaving him with less than a second to push the keys up his sleeve.

Moments later, a guard shackled Simani to the wall, a few feet away from him. Shwaan forced himself not to look at her, not to try and offer comfort or reassurance. She didn’t need it. And for now, the best thing he could do for her – for any of them – was to fly under the radar until Ruban found his way to this part of the castle.

He breathed out, closed his eyes, and allowed the noise and confusion of the room to wash over him. Janak was shouting once again, several guns were being loaded, and people muttered nervously all around him – their words a garbled mix of various Vandran and Zainian dialects.

Shwaan kept his forehead pressed to the wall, repressing the desire to turn around. He had to trust Kaheen. They’d come too far to let doubt and distrust undo them now. She hadn’t let him down so far, and the least he could do was return the favor.

Eventually, Janak left the room, followed by a stampede of footsteps and a chorus of raised voices. It seemed the Qawirsin’s high command were having some disagreements.

Shwaan felt Kaheen step up behind him. Her bony fingers dug painfully into his scalp as she pulled his head back by the hair. Her knee drove into the small of his back, keeping him pressed to the wall. “Well, this might be the last chance I’ll get to have some fun with you,” she sneered, curling a fist into his long, unkempt hair.

He bit back a whimper as his neck was wrenched further back from his body, the awkward angle growing increasingly painful. His wings jerked involuntarily at his sides, in a futile attempt to get away from his assailant.

“It’s no good,” Kaheen hissed. The barely suppressed glee in her voice raised the hair on the back of his neck. “You won’t get away from me, now. So you might as well just shut up and listen.”

The words were barely above a whisper, but the sadistic sneer never left Kaheen’s voice as she spoke.

Ruban had killed four of the castle guards and one Aeriel. He’d entered the castle through the old tunnels, with Vikram’s help, but Kaheen had told him to leave Vikram hiding in the tunnel system before venturing further inside. It was safer, and he’d be a liability in combat, anyway. Ruban had a blueprint of the passageways, so he shouldn’t have too much trouble avoiding the guards on his way to the main hall.

Shwaan held his breath as she spoke, hardly daring to believe what he heard.

Finally, at the sound of approaching footsteps, Kaheen stepped back, shoving his head into the wall for good measure. Janak’s voice floated to his ears, but he was too dazed to make out the words. Kaheen said something in reply, then flew away with a grunt and a rustle of feathers.

Shwaan breathed out slowly, forcing himself into stillness. There was nothing to do now but wait.