Page 65 of Memory of Ashes

She should have shattered under his power, but she stood there entirely untouched.

He fled, storming out of the room. He needed to figure out what the hell had just happened before he could question her any further.

*

“What is it?” Ruven asked Casyl.

He wanted to tell him what had happened. He wanted to discuss it with someone he trusted, but he knew that even then it could be used against him. It was better to keep it to himself than risk it.

If he didn’t find a way to get the information from the human, his father would do it, and he was trying to spare her from that.

Casyl shuddered. He had experienced his father’s intrusion firsthand. No fae or human deserved such an invasion of mind or body. Memory reading was a perverse form of magic, stripping away every private moment and exposing everything a person had ever done.

At least they couldn’t read his thoughts.

Later, when Casyl reported to the hall, the king asked, “How’s the interrogation of the human going?”

“Slowly, but I’m making progress. Her mind is fragile and I don’t want to toast it before we get all the information from her.”

“Do it quicker,” he ordered. “I want her brought to me.”

“I will bring her once she’s recovered,” Casyl said, bordering on defiance. He changed the subject. “Do you think they know we have her?”

“Of course they do. They just can’t directly accuse us of lying without risking a war. We’ve bought some more time.”

Casyl left the hall to fetch the girl. It was growing dark. He still hadn’t figured out what had happened to his abilities.

He reached her cell and looked in through the small window.

She was gone.

He opened the cell door and rushed to the window. Dangling from the bars was a makeshift rope made from the bedsheet.

He could have laughed.

How had she managed that? He didn’t expect a mere human to have the intelligence or ability to escape from the fortress. He had clearly underestimated her.

She must have slid through the bars easily. He hadn’t even considered that a possibility.

He was grudgingly impressed, but mostly irritated. Now he had to inform his father that she’d escaped and face his wrath. She couldn’t have gone far.

He raced to the hall. “The girl has escaped.”

“What do you mean, escaped?” the king asked. “How could she have escaped? Where were the guards?” His voice became louder with each question. Casyl flinched at the sharpness in his tone. “Go and find her, now!”

He’d not underestimate her again.

*

“Ah, you’ve returned. I assume that means you found her,” the king said.

He knew better than to return without her. “Yes, but we lost one of our men to a Feltooth. I’ve put her in a more secure room that’s guarded,” Casyl replied.

“Do not lose her again, Casyl. I will not have my plans ruined by your incompetence. We are short on time, and I need to find out how she got here before those from the High City and their blasted kingdom try to stop us.”

“Why do you want to go back so badly?” Casyl asked. It had been a long time since fae had been in that world. No one was sure what had happened or how they’d ended up in the Wildlands.

The king merely looked at him. He knew that look. It was dangerous territory. He would not be questioned, and he only ever told you what he wanted you to know.