The dungeon breathed cold.
I had long since learned the rhythm of its silence — the drip of water down stone, the scratch of rats along the corners, the faint rattle of chains when Liam shifted in the cell beside mine. The darkness wasn't empty here; it was full. It pressed, heavy, whispering things I tried not to listen to.
That night, the whispers stilled.
Something else moved through the dark.
I sat upright, the collar chafing against my throat, shadows stirring restlessly. A sound slithered in, softer than chains, sharper than breath. A smile, before I even saw him.
"Little shadow," Lucian's voice purred. "You make this place far too interesting."
He emerged from the dark like he'd always been part of it. Golden eyes, sharp and bright, flickering with hunger. He leaned casually against the bars of my cell, the torchlight from the far corridor catching along his jaw. He wasn't supposed to be here — not without Marcus's leave. Which meant he wanted something.
"What do you want?" My voice cracked, but I kept it steady.
He grinned, crouching until his eyes were level with mine through the iron bars. "Want? Such a simple word. What if I said freedom? Yours. His." His chin tilted toward Liam's cell. "All it takes is one step — and one answer."
The shadows inside me pulsed. Dangerous.
"You'd let us walk out?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "Marcus's golden hound suddenly feels generous?"
Lucian laughed — low, throaty, far too amused. "Generous? No. Practical. Do you think I like watching you bend to Marcus's chain? Do you think I don't see the way he covets you?" His smile sharpened. "It's insulting. He thinks he owns every piece of you. He doesn't."
The words slid against my skin, too smooth. "And you think you do?"
Lucian's grin widened, wolfish. "Not yet. But I could."
I turned away, but the shadows hissed, restless. Liam stirred in the other cell, chains rattling as he shifted closer. His voice was hoarse, but steady. "Don't listen to him."
Lucian's golden eyes flicked past me, narrowing on Liam. "You're still alive because Marcus finds you amusing. But me? I could end you with a thought."
"Then do it," Liam rasped. "Better than letting you toy with her."
Lucian's lips curled. He rose, hand sliding along the iron bars as he paced. "That's the problem with mortals — they think love is noble. It isn't. Love is hunger. Love is chain. Marcus knows this, Kaylan knows this. Even your precious Aria knows it, though she hasn't admitted it yet." His gaze cut back to me, gleaming. "You'll admit it to me. One day."
I forced my voice sharp. "If you're here to play games, leave."
His smile didn't falter. Instead, he crouched again, sliding something through the bars — a key. Small, black iron, glinting faintly.
The air stilled.
I stared. "What is this?"
"A way out," Lucian whispered. "Not forever. Just enough. I can silence the guards. I can slip you past the gates. I can even make Marcus believe you were taken — stolen by Seraphina's spies." His golden eyes burned into mine. "But you'll owe me. Your freedom… bought with my chain."
My chest tightened. "So this is it. Another leash."
"Better my leash than Marcus's," Lucian said softly, almost tenderly. "At least I'd keep you alive."
The shadows writhed inside me, pulling in two directions. One whispering yes — escape, freedom, Liam's safety. The other hissing no — trap, hunger, another prison with a different jailer.
I didn't move. My hand hovered near the key, trembling.
Then: footsteps.
Lucian's grin faltered. He straightened sharply, tucking the key back into his sleeve in one smooth motion. A heartbeat later, Kaylan emerged from the far corridor, torchlight blazing in her hand.
Her storm-gray eyes locked on Lucian immediately. "What are you doing here?"
Lucian's smile returned, too quick. "Visiting."
Kaylan's lips curved into a snarl. "Visiting?" She strode closer, boots ringing against stone, the torch throwing her silver hair into fire. "Marcus didn't summon you. This is his dungeon. Not your playground."
Lucian spread his arms. "Why so hostile, Kaylan? Do you think Marcus doesn't notice how much attention you spend on his pet shadow? I was curious. That's all."
Her gaze flicked to me, sharp as knives. My chest froze. Did she see? Did she know?
Kaylan stepped closer to Lucian, face inches from his, her voice low and venomous. "Stay away from her. You think you can play games under Marcus's nose? I'll enjoy watching him cut out your tongue when he finds out."
Lucian chuckled, unbothered. "Then run to him. Tell him. Let's see if Marcus punishes me… or you, for failing to keep his toy chained."
For a second, the air between them burned, two predators circling. Then Kaylan shoved past him, keys jangling at her belt. She unlocked my cell, yanking me upright by the collar so hard I stumbled.
Her storm-gray eyes pinned me. "He comes here again, you'll tell me. Or Liam bleeds for it."
I swallowed hard but said nothing.
She dragged me down the corridor, away from Lucian's golden stare. I didn't look back, but I could feel his eyes on me, burning, amused, hungry.
Later
The dungeon fell quiet again, but the silence was no longer the same.
Lucian's key burned in my memory, his words coiling like venom. Kaylan's suspicion shadowed every thought. Marcus's threat hung above it all like a blade.
The shadows whispered louder that night, a chorus I couldn't shut out. Chains, chains, chains. Which leash will you choose? Gold or iron? Teeth or blade?
I pressed my forehead to the cold stone wall, trembling.
For the first time, escape seemed possible. For the first time, escape seemed worse than the chains I already wore.