Her Cinder Throne (Completed)

Chapter 34

"Please tell her I'm alive and well. And that I'll find a way to get her out." She knew it was risky telling the son of the man who ran the dungeon that she was planning on breaking a prisoner out, but from what she'd seen today, she had a feeling Bastian didn't care much for keeping his father's stronghold intact.

"All right," Bastian said. "But please go back to bed now. Baerghast is already suspicious of me and he'll no doubt be lurking around waiting to find out who really was in the dungeons this night."

Cole made to head back, but Bastian grabbed her arm one last time.

"Before you go, be careful with your magic. My father has a special crystal that my mother's people gave to him as a present on their wedding night. It rarely works, but sometimes it will glow to show us that magic has been used within its radius. You don't want to risk it working again on you, and leading Baerghast or one of my father's other lackeys straight to you," he said. "So lay low."

Cole nodded, filing the information away to tell Tanwyn next time he appeared. His magic hadn't seemed to trip the Crystal yet, but it was only a matter of time. Hopefully it would keep him away from her when she was in the castle, and she could avoid him if she wanted.

They walked back to the kitchens together, silent and tense. The night hung between them like a wall that made their shoulders bunch and their eyes track the floor. The day was about to begin for the kitchen staff, and so they had very little time to return to their rooms without being seen.

As Cole headed for the door outside, wanting to get back to her dorm and a few minutes sleep, Bastian followed her a few steps. She turned to see what he wanted.

"What was your name?" he asked.

Cole paused, wondering if she should give him the name her mother had given her, or the nickname given to her by Helene and never gotten rid of in the years she spent with that family. She suddenly wanted desperately to let him know that secret hidden name she kept close to her heart, because it was the last remnant she had of her mother. She wanted him to know she wasn't Cole, the filthy Sparkstone rat.

But then the moment passed, and she looked him in the eye.

"Cole," she responded. "Goodnight."

She left him in the kitchen, her heart pounding as she clenched her fists and tried not to remember that very soon she would be spilling his blood and dimming the lights in those strangely sad eyes.