Fire ripped through me. It knotted my veins. It tore my muscles from the walls of my body. It turned my bones to ash. And just when I thought it would melt through my flesh, it turned to ice.
Beads of sweat froze on my skin. My bones hardened, and then repeatedly cracked as the ice spread through them. Splinters broke off and threatened to ram through my flesh.
Everything began to itch. I could feel the scorpions crawling on me, burrowing into me. I screamed for someone to get them off me.
And I heard voices.
“Remarkable she’s still alive.”
“More strength than I thought possible.”
They faded. I returned to a world of darkness, too tired to fight off the scorpions any longer.
When I woke, light streamed in through a high window.
I bolted upright. Everything in the room spun. I tried to put my hand to my head to steady it, but shackles prevented me.
“You’re awake,” Rodric said, sliding into the room. “It only took you three days. Although, really, I’m surprised you’re alive at all.”
I tried to lunge for him. The chains held me back.
“Save that for the arena,” he said. “Your birthday will be here soon.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I spat.
“You can try,” he said. “But you and Cion have already failed more times than I can count.”
“What did you do to Cion?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and a self-satisfied smile spread across his lips. “I have big plans for him. And for you.” He gestured to the practically empty room around us. “I hope you like your new chamber. After we’re married, it’ll be yours. Your father has his tigers as his pets. I’m going to have you. But,” he continued, mock sadness marring his voice, “in your weakened state, it won’t be a surprise if you succumb to the ailments the Desert Boys will give you mere hours after bearing me a son.”
I glared at him. My fingernails dug into my palms. If I wasn’t chained, I would’ve gouged his eyes out.
“But that will come later. For now, you should rest,” he said. “You’re going to have a big decision to make tomorrow.”
“What do you mean?” I hated the glint in his eye.
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
I pulled against the chains.
He laughed and left.
“I’ll kill you,” I screamed until the door opened a few minutes later.
A portly older maid walked in carrying a bowl of soup and a glass of water.
“Latia,” I said. “Where’s Latia?” I couldn’t have lost everyone.
But for once, I couldn’t blame the desert. I’d done this. I’d put them all in danger.
The woman ignored me. She placed the bowl and glass on the small table next to my bed. She then sat in the chair next to it, dipped a spoon into the soup, and then cradled it gently toward my mouth.
“Please,” I said, “you have to help me.”
She instead tried to force the soup into my mouth. I jerked my head away.
“Please, I have to get out of here.”
She tried again.
“No,” I shouted. “I have to stop Rodric. He’s going to bleed this town dry. Whatever he’s promised you, he’s lying. It was all lies—the drought, everything.”
Again, she tried to get the spoon into my mouth. Soup spilled down my chin as I clamped my lips shut.
“Rodric is going to cut off water to the wells unless everyone obeys his every command. He’s going to be worse than my father. I can stop him, but I have to get out of here. I have to find the Desert Boys.”
She silently refilled the spoon and tried again.
“Aren’t you listening?” I pleaded. “Don’t you have people out there who are dying without water? I can help them. I can help you. I’ll protect you from him.”
She leaned forward with a cross look on her face, like I was child that needed to behave, and when she did, her hair shifted. Where her ears should’ve been, two long, puffy scars lay. They were fresh.
“No,” I said, gasping.
Her eyes pleaded with me just to eat the soup. And while my mouth hung agape looking at her scars, she slid the spoon into my mouth.
I gagged and swallowed.
The soup settled like sand in my stomach.
I silently let her feed me the rest and pour the water down my throat. It should’ve felt good after so long without it, but I had to fight not to gag on every mouthful.
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I tried to hold them back because I was going to need my strength. Because no matter how long it took, I was going to kill Rodric.