Zielle
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"Please just pretend like you're tamed."
The words spill from me the moment I step into the taming quarters.
His head lifts at once. Those gold-flecked eyes flicker to me from inside the iron bars. He's pacing again, shoulders taut, jaw set, and despite everything, relief washes through me. At least he has the strength to pace. At least he is getting better.
He snorts. "What's your problem today? Won't you leave me alone until I'm fully recovered?"
"This is serious," I say, stepping closer to the cage. My boots scrape the stone. I can't stand the sight of him boxed in like an animal, waiting for some court to decide whether he'll be broken alive. How could I let them drag him to the Hollow Keep?
"Oh?" He feigns a tremor, mock-fear twisting his mouth. "Should I be scared?"
"They're sending you to the Hollow Keep." My voice comes out sharper than I intend. I lock eyes with him. "At dawn."
He stills mid-step. "What is that?"
