Capture (16 page)

“Lie to him, Nykin. Tell him something, anything that will make him think it’s the truth.”

Nykin shook his head, too far gone to stop himself. His arm throbbed in a steady rhythm, and Nykin heard the faint drip of his blood onto the stone floor.
“Can’t think… tried.”

Nykin screamed again as Hatak slowly drew the knife out, twisting it slightly and opening up the wound.

Fimor’s voice was urgent this time, dragging Nykin back from the edge of blacking out.
“Tell Hatak that you and Ryneq are lovers. Tell him you needed to try and rescue him, no matter how impossible it was.”

Strong fingers fisted Nykin’s short hair and yanked his head up so he was staring at Hatak’s face. “Last chance.”

Nykin licked his lips, wincing as he tasted the blood from his split lip. “Rescue the king….”

Hatak tightened his grip, pulling on Nykin’s hair so hard that Nykin expected it to rip out of his scalp at any moment.

“He’s… my lover,” Nykin whispered softly, and Hatak let him go immediately. His head fell forward again, and Nykin felt Hatak’s warm breath against his ear as he leaned in closer.

“Far be it from me to keep you two apart, then.” Hatak laughed as he stepped away from him and headed toward the door. “I’ll go inform our royal guest that he has a visitor.”

Nykin barely had time to wonder if he’d just made a terrible mistake before the blackness finally claimed him.

N
YKIN
CAME
to as he was being dragged along the stone passageway. His head hurt—a dull ache spreading out from his jaw up to his cheekbone—and his arm throbbed painfully from the knife wound. But at least his hands were no longer tied.

The two soldiers holding him up weren’t the least bit gentle, and he hissed as they jostled him again and again. Nykin could only see the ground, his head too heavy to lift up, and he could only watch through bleary eyes as they carried him over the smooth stone floor. He tried to recall what had happened before he’d blacked out, and his breath hitched as he suddenly remembered what Hatak had said to him.

They were taking him to see Ryneq.
Fuck.
He’d told Hatak that he and Ryneq were lovers, and now they were bringing him to Ryneq’s cell, and Ryneq had no idea what Nykin had done. Nykin didn’t doubt for one second that the two guards with him knew all about it and were probably under orders to report back on their reunion. Nykin would somehow have to warn Ryneq before he had a chance to say or act like he didn’t know him, which was more than probable since Ryneq might not actually recognize Nykin with his new haircut.

They turned a corner at the end of the passageway, and Nykin’s heart sank as he heard Hatak’s voice coming out of an open doorway up ahead.

“We’ve got a surprise for you, Ryneq,” Hatak said, amusement clear in his tone. “Maybe this will get you to talk.”

There was a grunt from inside the cell, and Nykin prayed that Ryneq wouldn’t say anything to make Hatak suspicious. The two guards threw Nykin through the door, laughing loudly as he stumbled and fell to his knees.

Hatak’s feet came into Nykin’s line of vision, and his head was roughly pulled up, forcing him to face Ryneq.

“Look, Ryneq.” Ryneq sat on a narrow bed, and his head snapped up at Hatak’s words. Nykin swallowed thickly as their eyes met. “Lover boy’s come to rescue you.” Hatak shoved Nykin forward so he was now kneeling right in front of Ryneq.

The guards laughed again, and Nykin watched in horror as a confused look passed over Ryneq’s face. He quickly glanced back at Hatak, but he was busy gesturing to the guards and hadn’t seen.

Nykin surged forward and wrapped his arms around Ryneq, watchful of the heavy bandage across his shoulder. “Sire!” he whispered urgently in his ear, tightening his hold as Ryneq’s body immediately tensed. “It’s me, Nykin. I’ll explain later. Just trust me and go with it.” He felt the barest movement against his shoulder as Ryneq nodded, and Nykin slowly drew back a little.

He stared into Ryneq’s dark eyes and tentatively ran his fingers over the bruises on Ryneq’s face. “Fuck,” Nykin breathed, and he didn’t even have to pretend to be upset. His heart clenched at the bandages covering Ryneq’s body and the marks on his face. Nykin licked his lips, hardly noticing the pull on his cut, and slowly inched closer. The smell of sweat and leather filled his senses, and Nykin breathed deeply, taking in Ryneq’s scent and letting it wash over him.

He felt the rough stubble catch on his palms as he cupped Ryneq’s cheeks and leaned in. Ryneq’s eyes widened, and Nykin looked at him with what he hoped was a
just please trust me
expression before softly fitting their mouths together. The kiss was quick and relatively chaste at first—Nykin was mindful of their cuts and uncomfortably aware of their audience. He started to pull back, but Ryneq’s hands darted up and curled around his shoulders to draw him back in.

Nykin tilted his head and parted his lips, letting the kiss deepen. He got lost in the feel of Ryneq’s mouth on his and almost forgot where they were for a moment, until Hatak’s voice cut through the air with a harsh reminder.

“Well, well,” he began, and both Nykin and Ryneq jumped a little at the interruption. Nykin slumped back onto the floor and turned to lean back against Ryneq’s bed so he could face Hatak. “I didn’t actually believe you were telling the truth, Nykin,” Hatak continued. “Looks like I was mistaken.”

He tapped his finger against his chin as he looked between the two of them. Nykin waited anxiously to see what Hatak would do next. His plan was sort of working, but he still needed to convince either Hatak or Seran to let them escape, under the pretense of Ryneq unknowingly leading them to Cerylea. He couldn’t attempt that yet because it would look too suspicious, but Nykin really wasn’t looking forward to any more sessions with Hatak. He glanced down at his arm—it appeared to have been cleaned and dressed—and tried to ignore the throbbing ache as best he could.

Hatak turned to the soldiers behind him. “Bring them some food.” He watched one of them leave before eyeing Ryneq again. “You have the rest of the day to consider your choices,
Your Highness
.” Hatak stepped forward and drew his knife out. Nykin hardly registered that Hatak had moved before he felt the cold edge of Hatak’s blade pressed against his throat once more. “You either start talking, or….” Hatak slid the blade over Nykin’s neck, and Nykin hissed as it broke through the skin. “I take it out on your boy.”

Hatak leered as he straightened and stared at the fresh blood marring his knife. “We had such fun today, Nykin.” His eyes flicked down to the bandage on Nykin’s arm. “I hope we get to do it tomorrow too.” He wiped the knife on his sleeve again, and Nykin grimaced as he saw all the dried blood there from earlier.

Hatak watched them for a few more tense moments before spinning on his heel and marching out of the door. The remaining soldier followed after him and slammed the door shut behind them, and suddenly they were alone.

They sat in silence until they could no longer hear the echoing footsteps along the passageways. Nykin’s whole body tensed in anticipation as Ryneq cleared his throat behind him and put a firm hand on Nykin’s shoulder to turn him around.

Nykin shifted his position slightly until he was sitting sideways to the bed and could easily see Ryneq’s face. He looked decidedly less than pleased to see Nykin now everyone had left.

Ryneq pushed himself up off the bed and strode over to the door, indicating for Nykin to be quiet. Nykin watched as Ryneq listened for anyone outside and winced as he saw spots of blood soaking through the bandages covering Ryneq’s shoulder.

“Nykin?” Ryneq hissed under his breath, and Nykin’s eyes snapped up to meet his. “What the fuck was that all about?”

“The kiss?” Nykin asked, wondering where exactly to start explaining. “I’ll get to that, but first I need to tell you everything else.”

Ryneq narrowed his eyes and stared at Nykin, as though it was the first time he’d actually noticed what Nykin was wearing. “And what”—he gestured angrily to Nykin’s hair and tattered uniform—“was Eldin thinking sending you here like this?”

Nykin had been expecting Ryneq to be mad, and he had his argument all prepared, but Ryneq wasn’t finished. “Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you now? I can’t… I won’t tell them where she is, Nykin.” Ryneq walked back over and sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. He looked at Nykin for a long time, his gaze lingering over all his injuries.

“Fuck, Nykin.” Ryneq reached out to skate his fingers over Nykin’s bruised cheek. “Why did you come?”

Nykin took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly as he decided which question he should answer first. It had all seemed so straightforward when he’d been planning it out with Eldin and the others, but he’d forgotten the effect Ryneq had on him, and the whole thing was threatening to overwhelm him. “We have a plan,” Nykin said.

Ryneq ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He looked tired and resigned, and Nykin hated seeing him like that. “Tell me.”

So Nykin did. In hushed tones, he detailed the rescue plan they’d come up with. Ryneq stayed silent while Nykin talked, his expression remaining unreadable throughout. “So….” Nykin finished and stared down at his hands. “I just need to convince Seran and Hatak that you’ll lead them to Cerylea if we escape.”

“What makes you think they’ll let us both escape? If they believe I’ll lead them to Cerylea anyway, why would they need you?”

Nykin swallowed thickly, finally lifting his head back up. “I’ll tell them you won’t leave me here.”

Ryneq looked like he already knew the answer, but he still asked the question anyway. “And why would they believe that?”

“Because I told Hatak we’re lovers.”

The air was thick with tension, and Nykin resisted the urge to lower his gaze and look away.

“I guess that explains the kiss, then.” Ryneq cocked an eyebrow and, if Nykin wasn’t mistaken, smirked at him. “As surprises go in this place, that was one of the most pleasant so far.”

Nykin was powerless to prevent the blush that crept over his cheeks. He’d just survived an interrogation with one of the most ruthless soldiers he’d ever met, and yet he couldn’t handle a little gentle teasing from his own King. He looked down at his injured arm and focused on wiggling his stiff fingers back and forth. “It was Fimor’s suggestion,” Nykin muttered.

“Of course it was.” Ryneq shook his head and then stopped as if something suddenly occurred to him. “Wait, you can still connect with him?” Nykin nodded and Ryneq’s eyes immediately settled on the cuff around Nykin’s wrist. He raised his eyebrows but didn’t comment further.

“What now?” Nykin managed to ask without sounding as unnerved as he felt.

“We wait.” Ryneq stood and walked over to the window again, staring out of the small opening with his back to Nykin. “You shouldn’t have come here. I gave Eldin strict orders not to risk anyone’s life for mine. And this plan”—he whirled around to glare at Nykin and looked pointedly at his bandaged arm—“for fuck’s sake, Nykin! This plan depends on you getting tortured so badly that Hatak will believe you’re willing to turn traitor!”

Nykin struggled to his feet, pushing back the sudden wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. He understood why Ryneq didn’t like it, but this was the only chance they had of getting him out safely. “I can do it… I
want
to do it.”

“You could die,” Ryneq whispered. “I would never ask that of you.”

Nykin took a small step closer, the gravity of their situation making him bold. “I know that.” He looked up at Ryneq from under his lashes, his heart beating rapidly as he watched Ryneq lick his lips. “And I—”

Footsteps outside in the passageway cut Nykin off midsentence, dissolving the tension between them, and he shuffled back away from Ryneq as the door swung open. “Here.” One of the guards from before shoved a plate of food at them, while another stood behind him with his sword drawn. Ryneq hastily grabbed the food before it was dropped onto the floor. The guards backed out of the room and locked the door again without another word.

“You should eat.” Ryneq gestured at the food. “You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

There wasn’t much—a chunk of stale bread and a small bowl of fruit—but Nykin was starving, so anything was welcome at this point. Ryneq steadfastly refused to take any of it at first, until Nykin all but forced it into his hands. They ate in silence, Ryneq studying his food and Nykin watching the darkening sky as the sun began to set.

Nykin startled, his skin tingling as the warmth of his connection spread out over his wrist, and his eyes automatically drifted closed.
“Fimor?”

“Are you all right, Nykin? You’ve been quiet for too long. I was worried.”

Nykin smiled.
“Yes, I’m okay. I’m with Ryneq.”

“And how is he?”

“A little roughed up but still in one piece
.
”
Nykin paused as a throat cleared beside him, and his eyes snapped open to see Ryneq staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Are you talking to Fimor?”

“Um… yes. Sorry.” Nykin looked appropriately apologetic.
“Ryneq knows I’m talking to you. He doesn’t look very impressed.”

Nykin felt the rumble of Fimor’s laughter
. “No, I imagine he doesn’t. He’s not keen on being kept in the dark. It’s reassuring to know he’s still in good spirits, though. I will tell Eldin’s dragon that you are with Ryneq. Try and get some rest, Nykin. I fear the worst is yet to come for you. We’ll talk again in the morning.”

“Good night, Fimor,” Nykin whispered it out loud this time, for Ryneq’s benefit.

“Well?”

“He’s going to let them know that I’m with you and that so far the plan is working.”

Ryneq hummed an acknowledgement and then stretched out on the bed and turned onto his side to face Nykin. “We should try and get some sleep. They’ll come early tomorrow.”

Nykin paused, not sure where he was supposed to sleep since they hadn’t brought an extra bed in.