CHAPTER 6
Rondel thought his heart might jump out of his chest as the beats matched the flickering torchlight dancing off the limestone walls of Horus's dungeons.
Twice the guards struck him across the back of his head, threatening far worse. His head throbbed from the blows, but the pain was nothing compared to the fear gripping him. He tried to remain calm, taking deep breaths, but he could not inhale or exhale slowly enough to ease his anxiety. Each echoing footfall along the walls of the cool, underground dungeon brought back jolting memories from the hell he had once known.
"Gods, look how scared he is. Is he going to make it?" one of the guards asked.
"Who cares if he doesn't? They're bringing the other one behind us," said another.
"She's tough though," whispered the first.
"They all think they're tough."
Rondel's tongue felt as thick as a pillow and as dry as a harsh desert. The meaty hand squeezing his arm urged him to take a right at a fork in the dim corridor. It looked darker that way and Rondel's feet refused to move.
A curse sounded from behind at his hesitation. Something struck him across the shoulder. He cried out while being yanked in the intended direction.
Gods, I can't live like this again. I'll kill myself first.
The guards stopped in front of iron bars. One fumbled with a set of keys until the tumbler turned. The cell door creaked open.
They threw Rondel inside. It smelled of mildew and piss.
He careened to the floor, turning his shoulder so it took the brunt of the fall. Andrasta followed him in.
Guards dragged them to opposite walls of the cell. They were chained to thick, metal rings hammered into the rough limestone.
"You're not going to loosen these?" asked Andrasta.
Head down and staring at the floor, Rondel didn't see the slap that struck his partner, but he heard it. Andrasta spat and cursed. He looked up as a guard backhanded her again.
Andrasta clamped her mouth shut over her bloody lip, but could not wipe away her venomous expression.
The guards left, locking the cell. "You better pray to the gods that the king doesn't die."
Footsteps faded away and with it the torchlight that had illuminated the space.
Lyrics from one of the darker songs embedded in his memory pushed to the forefront of his mind.
Lost again in nightmares
Even in the company of others, I feel alone
There is no escape from these horrors
Hell is now my home
* * *
Andrasta's hand clenched in anger as the welt on her face throbbed. She used that anger to flare and flex her chest, arms, and back. She pulled and twisted, joints screaming for her to stop. She didn't stop until her head spun with dizziness. The manacles were too strong for her to break.
She rested her head back against the cool, limestone wall, allowing her burning muscles to relax. Blood pumped in her ears as she caught her breath.
Why did I ever agree to this partnership? I always worked alone.
Something about Rondel had caught her attention. It was the same something that had stopped her from leaving him behind in the city after they escaped the prison.
