Page 19

Amber scoffed. “I wish I could be as calm as you. Have you been in prison before?”

She heard a rustle, and Owen suddenly stood before her, tall, golden, and imposing, like an ancient god. “I havena, nae. Have ye?”

A painful knot formed in her throat. “No.”

He studied her with a frown. “Ye should calm down, lass.”

Amber rose to her feet and paced the room. She broke out in a sweat, her chest tense and aching, her feet heavy and cold. She rubbed her forehead with a shaking hand.

“I didn’t do anything, Owen,” she said, and her quiet voice reverberated against the rocky walls. “I shouldn’t be here. I’m not even from—”

She had the sense to cut herself off before she said she wasn’t even from this century.

“Ye’re nae from what?”

There was something in his voice that made her stop and look at him. Something like…

Hope?

No, that couldn’t be right. Why hope? What was he hoping she would say?

“I’m not even from around here,” she finished. “I have nothing to do with your king or your enemies. Or you. And yet I’m the one paying a price.” She shook her head. “It seems injustice and corrupt government is everywhere.”

And in every epoch.

Owen narrowed his eyes. “Did something happen to ye, lass? Some injustice?”

Amber stopped pacing. He watched her coolly. His face, half lit by the light of the torch, was so stoic and calm, as though he were at home and not in the icy cold bowels of an enemy castle. He looked like a demigod, with his perfect, gorgeous face, and his golden hair glowing from the light of the torches. Well, he was a warrior after all, facing death was not new to him.

But it was also not new to her.

And yet, somehow, being in this prison was worse than going out on a mission in Afghanistan. At least she’d signed up for that. She’d been empowered.

Here, she was powerless.

Just like in her childhood.

“What happened to me—”

Was she ready to reveal her deepest secret? The whole reason why she’d ended up here in the first place?

No. She couldn’t trust him. She couldn’t trust anyone. Trusting people, trusting the people who had all the control, had gotten her into this mess.

Never again.

“Injustice is everywhere,” she said. “Happened to me. Happened to you, I bet. We’ve all been there.”

Owen shifted his weight on one leg and crossed his arms on his chest.

“Aye. Happened to me, too, lass. And yet I’m the calm one and ye’re the one losing yer wits.”

“Ah, go to hell. You have no idea.”

She shouldn’t snap at him. She let out a shaky breath. He wasn’t the one from a different time. He was home here.

Feeling like the ground was sinking from under her feet, Amber walked to the wall and leaned on it. The rocks were cool and damp against her hands. Owen came to stand next to her and touched her shoulder. She didn’t mind. In fact, warmth spread where his hand lay on her even through her jacket. His concerned face appeared next to hers.

“Lass, ye need to breathe,” he said. “Come now, let’s do it together. Deep breath in.” He sucked in air. “Hold. Deep breath out.”