As I came to, my head pounded like all known realms were colliding into me. My vision was blurry, but I could see the tall, vast sky overhead, I could feel the rough cobblestone beneath my back as a gloved hand dragged me across the street.
I groaned, and I swear it, I only blinked—but when I opened my eyes again, I was staring up at a cold, stone ceiling. As I struggled to sit up, my body screamed in protest. My head felt as if it had been bashed in by a hammer, and my side throbbed with every breath I took. The room was small, and I could barely make out the shadowy figures of two men at either end of the cell. One was tall and thin, and the other was stout and squat. Both of them were dressed in dark robes, and neither of them spoke.
As I gingerously pushed myself to my feet, I noticed that my arms and legs were chained to the wall, leaving me no room to move. My heart raced as panic set in. I had been captured. Gods, damnit. I never got captured. Not like this—and the damned wizard didn’t count.
The door between the two men opened, bleeding white light blanketing the room. I jerked my arms to cover my eyes, but they didn’t lift that high. I was left cursing, squinting at the silhouette that sauntered into the room.
“Hello, dear,” a dark voice muttered. “Thank you for delivering the necklace. Truly grateful—shame you had to kill the guys who were filling in while I was away.”
I snarled, spit flying from my lips as I glared at the figure. “You bastard. I didn't kill them, they tried to kill me!”
He stopped a few paces away from me, my eyes adjusting to the darkness to catch sight of him. He had silvery blond hair, tan skin, and these hazel eyes that almost looked golden. When he smiled, his teeth glittered, too. And, to top it off, he had these terrible fucking elf ears that I’d most definitely saw off.
“Name is Alistair. You were a joy to work with, truly, and I really, honestly, genuinely don’t blame you for stabbing a dagger through the poor saps eye. I’ve thought about doing much the same many times.”
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“And why should that matter to me?” I hissed. “Give me my coin and let me go. I did what you asked.”
“Did you, though?” He winced, giving me a once over. “Did you really?”
I jolted forward, but the chains went taut and pulled me right back. He cackled and clapped his hands. “What do you want?”Alistair cocked his head and smirked. Slipping a hand onto one of the large pockets, he took out the dragonbone. My face fell, and this time when I lunged at him, the chains reverberated into the air and made my bones vibrate as they held me back. I howled out and stumbled back a few steps.
“Funny, though. I don’t recall the necklace being this…ugly.”
Alistair waved the dragonbone in front of my face. “Now, now, don’t be so melodramatic, dear! It’ll do just fine when I melt this glorified, magical rock down and use it to hang you in the city center. That is, unless…”
I scowled. I wanted to beat his head in with my boot. Tie him up by those pointy fucking ears—with my shoelaces. He’d hang in the city center, not me!
“Unless you help me out. You see, I know the necklace is in this wretched little thing,” he said and shook it around like it was hollow, “but I can’t seem to get it out.” After a moment of shaking, he offered it with an outstretched hand. Almost as if he were scared of touching me. I glared.
This was a trap.
But that was my dragonstone. I stole it. I managed to keep it safe all these years. It was mine.
So I snatched it and held it in my hands. “I get you the fucking necklace, and you let me go?”
“Oh, yes, dear.”
“And what about the coin?”
His grin only widened in response. I glanced down at my chains and winced. If I didn’t do this, I’d be stuck here until I turned to ash. Damn the coin. I needed out.
So I placed my palm over the runes, as I’d done hundreds of times before, and closed my eyes. The stone turned hot, and when it was almost unbearable, I reached into the heat and pulled out the necklace. I opened my eyes, the cool silver chain and opulent gem glistening in the dull light. I pinched it at the clasp and swung it around in the air before tossing it at his face.
“Now, let me go.”
Alistair let the necklace clatter onto the ground.
Again, he grinned.
“Oh, no. I don’t think I can do that.” He took a step forward and leaned in to whisper. “You’ve got a key, dear. I don’t think I can afford to let you go just yet.”
I gasped, but before I could move to take advantage of his proximity and tear off his ear, as I’d silently promised myself, he whistled. It was a sweet tune, and as soon as it hit my ears, everything went black.
Not AGAIN.