Page 39 of Nocturn

“I will return to collect you.”

He released me, and his heavy steps retreated with the slam of the cabin door. I burst back toward the cage, my hands shaking as I gripped the bars, searching for the latch. They did not have a lock. That would aid me when I could leave this place.

Piper fully came out from under the chips, pressing her little face against the bars. It took a bit of twisting to undo the latch with all the divots I had to navigate it out of.

‘You should leave now before he returns!’

She did not know that Lord Draven had the place well guarded, but even if I could escape, I would never leave her behind. Finally, I wiggled the little metal clasp up, and the cage was open.

She burst out, and I caught her, hugging her to my chest as she squeaked with excitement. Small particles of dust clung to her fur.

‘I missed you so much. What has been happening? Did those bastards hurt you?’

“You are the one locked in a cage. Have they fed you?” I held her up in front of me, bracing her long body with both my hands.

‘Nasty little pebble things.’ She sniffed, lifting her snout. I snorted and hugged her to my chest, where I felt her most keenly. Warmth spilled from my breastbone the moment I held her—the bond mended, the moon rotation we could bear apart restarting. I let out a steady breath.

‘What are we going to do? The workers who come in here talk a lot. They say horrid things about you, Amara.’

“Like what?”

‘That you will be consumed and it will hurt.’ Her little claws pressed into my arm. ‘I am scared.’

“Nothing will happen to us, Piper,” I whispered, hugging her tighter to my chest so I could be as quiet as possible. “I have a plan.”

‘Of course you do. You always do.’ The confidence in her tone should have made me feel better. “Amara . . . are those bites on your neck?”

I closed my eyes and held myself very still.

The door creaked open, and I whirled toward it.

A dark-haired man with wide shoulders and a broad nose entered. He wore a linen shirt stained with dirt in a few areas, his sleeves rolled up to show his bulging arms. Trousers hugged his legs and were tucked into his leather boots. He wiped his hands on a cloth, eyebrows lifted as he hummed and closed the door.

“Oh, that’s why Officer rod-up-his-back is standing guard.” He clicked his tongue. “Usually it’s Billy watching the creature.”

He jerked his chin at Piper.

I stiffened my arms around her, narrowing my eyes.

‘This one never says anything really.’ Piper’s voice filled my head. ‘But I did watch him doing all manner of indecent things with a maid.’

I snorted, but studied him.

The stable boy had to be a few annum rotations younger than me, despite his size. He passed the linen piece to one hand and tucked it into his belt. The loamy smell of horses and musk reached my nose as he approached.

“Name’s Damien Rinx.”

I slowly reached my hand out to touch his. “Mr. Rinx, I am⁠—”

“I know who you are, Miss Nadien. Call me Damien.” He lifted the tips of my fingers up until his lips touched the back of my hand. “No time for niceties when you do not have much time.”

I pursed my lips. The words were blunt and brash, but not false.

“Damien—”

A shadowed form entered so fast it was a blur, then Damien went flying into the wall, falling into a mass of linen and sprawled limbs. One of the saddles fell off and smashed him over the head, rendering him unconscious.

Lord Draven’s wide frame loomed before me, his shoulders heaving.