Chapter 22 We Eloped!
*Ciana*
Darkness surrounded me as I sat there on the dingy dungeon floor-waiting.
Waiting for what, I wasn’t sure. My mouth was so dry, my tongue was practically stuck to the roof of my mouth. My stomach was so empty, it had given up rumbling long ago and now just consisted of a dull ache deep within me.
My dreams, when I managed to doze off, usually consisted of me standing next to a beautiful lake full of water that I couldn’ t get to, no matter how hard I tried, and a feast full of all kinds of my favorite foods that I simply couldn’t taste.
I wanted to tell Jake the truth. In fact, I had told him the truth.
But he couldn’t release me.
At this point, if I had been a spy for that Luther person, I probably would’ve confessed. But I had nothing to tell Jake or Theo or anyone other than the truth.
I had been hoping to find out more information about the state of things in my own pack, and that’s why I’d gone to look for that man who had kidnapped Brook, and nothing more….
Brook. The thought of her made me sad, not because I missed her so much, though it was true that I did, but because I felt so sorry for her. She had to be worried sick about me.
“Ciana!”
Why, even now, I was hallucinating that I could hear the sound of her voice. Goodness, how I missed her.
“Ciana? Are you in there? It’s so dark.”
288 Vouchers.
As quickly as I could get up off of the floor, I rose, stumbling on unsteady legs as I went to the unguarded, but locked, bars that made up a cell door.
“Brook?” I questioned; reaching through to touch her hand. It felt so warm compared to my cold one. “Are you really here?”
She pulled me to the bars, hugging me tightly. “Oh, thank goodness you’re all right. I’ve been so worried about you!” Her tears landed on my cheek, and my tongue darted out to lick them up without me even thinking simply because it was moisture.
She let me go. “Here, I brought you some water.”
“Brook, you’re my angel!”
gulped down an entire bottle of water. Thank heavens! I hoped that amount of liquid could last me a couple more days
you
Jake is not as
last few days while I was a
need to find a way out of here,” I whispered to her. As I rehydrated, I
Brook said. I looked at her surprisingly as she offered me her analysis, “otherwise there was no way Beta Jake would allow me to sneak
or maybe that he could be kind when he wanted to be,
I really didn’t care if he never managed to grow another one after the way he’d
my good friend when she was taking
get you out,” Brook signed, and I could see fresh tears welling up in her eyes, even though it was so dark. “But not very many people
and sneak the key away from Jake
me. “Brook!” I said, grasping her arms tightly in my grip. “I know who you
at me as what I was sure
grin crested
do was chuckle with delirium as
kind of you to come to my aid, Your Highness,” I said, stili slurping on a canteen full of water. I’d already eaten a few pieces of fruit, some dried beef, and
run away.
want others to find out our identity, right?” Prince Warren said as he walked along beside me and gave
and finally I gave him a nod. We’d run at first, once we got outside of the castle, but then, I’d gotten tired, probably because of a
why my brother would be so unreasonable as to lock you up as a spy when all you’ve ever
prince. All I’d asked him to do was unlock the cell door and look away as I did my best to sneak
Warren. Someone so good and kind had insisted on coming along with me to make sure that I
as we were actually walking
we walked along together through the woods, memories of the last time I’d been alone in the woods with
certain now that it had
of this with him when he’d first
keep me safe, no
who knows what I did,” he told me again. “And there’s no way that she would tell anyone. Besides, it isn’t like we eloped or something. Even if they do find out, what is
determined to punish someone. I didn’t want to see Prince Warren be the
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C9n4v8LXXu6830XP1b2SG1Xma1SdJYSz8lToXRi892TeS3+5aUYfGkchkJCE8otQNG1T895f0l4u1bd8bug5NsI=
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