was cool and controlled.
“But mam—” Maddox argued.
“I am plenty capable of handling this girl and my guards will be right outside.” Her honey eyes were cold despite their naturally warm tone. I smiled vindictively as he was put in his place.
He nodded once and removed himself with one last longing glance at me.
“You look like her you know.”
I snapped my eyes back to the stern woman.
“I almost didn’t see it at first, but now with your hair long you look like her.”
“Who?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re stubborn like her too. Your mother.”
I staggered back a step, as if she had just pulled a weapon on me. “You have no idea who my mother was.”
“On the contrary child, I knew her better than you did. She is the reason I am trapped in this god-forsaken city.” Heat blazed in her eyes. “So forgive me that I don’t trust her offspring either.”
I choked on my words. How could this woman know anything about me, about my family? She had to be lying.
“Funny how things come full circle sometimes.” She tilted her head, appraising me. “It has become apparent to me that you are not going to be cooperative.”
“Why should I be when you have done nothing for me in return?” I spat back.
“We saved your life.”
I scoffed. “For what? To keep me prisoner in this hellhole? To make me suffer by living a longer life in this shitty city? If you wanted to do me a favor you would have let me die.”
“I had a feeling you might say that.” She stepped aside and I noticed my bag sitting on the cot behind her.
I made a move to grab for it but she blocked me. “We have removed anything that could be deemed a weapon. If you are willing to cooperate then you may keep your belongings.”
Crossing my arms I gauged her. “What about my questions?”
She took a calculated breath before answering me. “Some things will be answered in time, if you uphold your end of the deal, but for now… WEAVER!”
A handsome young man appeared in the doorway. At first I didn’t even see the small body that clung to his side. As soon as he pressed his hand to the panel and it beeped, the tiny frame dislodged herself from his side and ran to me. A host of different emotions tore though my body as I watched the small child crash into my side, shock being the most prevalent. I stood frozen as her tiny arms wrapped around my waist. She buried her face in my shirt before turning her large doe eyes upwards to mine. Tears shimmered on her cheeks, but the look on her face was pure joy.
Hesitantly my arms wrapped around her. She was alive… she was here…
“She refuses to speak to us and has proven nearly as difficult as you. I am hoping that by reuniting you two, you will begin to be a little more cooperative. My name is Arstid. If you decide there is something imperative that you have not yet shared with us, ask for me personally.”
Arstid turned to leave, but paused at the door.
“Jutta only had one child I knew of, so I assume this is not your sister.”
The blow of hearing my mother’s name hit harder than I expected. I nodded.
“Then why did you risk your life for this child?”
I turned my gaze down at the girl in my arms. “I don’t know... I guess… because no one else was going to.”
The truth was I didn’t really know what made me save her. Arstid raised a white eyebrow before turning to leave. The moment she was gone I pulled the child away from me and knelt to her level.
“They haven’t hurt you, have they?”
Tears still glistened on her round cheeks, but she shook her head no. I pulled my sleeve down and wiped her face dry.
“Have they been treating you okay?”
She shrugged and nodded.
“And feeding you?”
She nodded again. I sighed with relief as I gazed at the little stranger who had come so unexpectedly into my life.
“How old are you?”
She held up ten fingers, looking at each of them in turn. My heart felt like it was splintering. She was younger than I had
“But mam—” Maddox argued.
“I am plenty capable of handling this girl and my guards will be right outside.” Her honey eyes were cold despite their naturally warm tone. I smiled vindictively as he was put in his place.
He nodded once and removed himself with one last longing glance at me.
“You look like her you know.”
I snapped my eyes back to the stern woman.
“I almost didn’t see it at first, but now with your hair long you look like her.”
“Who?” I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re stubborn like her too. Your mother.”
I staggered back a step, as if she had just pulled a weapon on me. “You have no idea who my mother was.”
“On the contrary child, I knew her better than you did. She is the reason I am trapped in this god-forsaken city.” Heat blazed in her eyes. “So forgive me that I don’t trust her offspring either.”
I choked on my words. How could this woman know anything about me, about my family? She had to be lying.
“Funny how things come full circle sometimes.” She tilted her head, appraising me. “It has become apparent to me that you are not going to be cooperative.”
“Why should I be when you have done nothing for me in return?” I spat back.
“We saved your life.”
I scoffed. “For what? To keep me prisoner in this hellhole? To make me suffer by living a longer life in this shitty city? If you wanted to do me a favor you would have let me die.”
“I had a feeling you might say that.” She stepped aside and I noticed my bag sitting on the cot behind her.
I made a move to grab for it but she blocked me. “We have removed anything that could be deemed a weapon. If you are willing to cooperate then you may keep your belongings.”
Crossing my arms I gauged her. “What about my questions?”
She took a calculated breath before answering me. “Some things will be answered in time, if you uphold your end of the deal, but for now… WEAVER!”
A handsome young man appeared in the doorway. At first I didn’t even see the small body that clung to his side. As soon as he pressed his hand to the panel and it beeped, the tiny frame dislodged herself from his side and ran to me. A host of different emotions tore though my body as I watched the small child crash into my side, shock being the most prevalent. I stood frozen as her tiny arms wrapped around my waist. She buried her face in my shirt before turning her large doe eyes upwards to mine. Tears shimmered on her cheeks, but the look on her face was pure joy.
Hesitantly my arms wrapped around her. She was alive… she was here…
“She refuses to speak to us and has proven nearly as difficult as you. I am hoping that by reuniting you two, you will begin to be a little more cooperative. My name is Arstid. If you decide there is something imperative that you have not yet shared with us, ask for me personally.”
Arstid turned to leave, but paused at the door.
“Jutta only had one child I knew of, so I assume this is not your sister.”
The blow of hearing my mother’s name hit harder than I expected. I nodded.
“Then why did you risk your life for this child?”
I turned my gaze down at the girl in my arms. “I don’t know... I guess… because no one else was going to.”
The truth was I didn’t really know what made me save her. Arstid raised a white eyebrow before turning to leave. The moment she was gone I pulled the child away from me and knelt to her level.
“They haven’t hurt you, have they?”
Tears still glistened on her round cheeks, but she shook her head no. I pulled my sleeve down and wiped her face dry.
“Have they been treating you okay?”
She shrugged and nodded.
“And feeding you?”
She nodded again. I sighed with relief as I gazed at the little stranger who had come so unexpectedly into my life.
“How old are you?”
She held up ten fingers, looking at each of them in turn. My heart felt like it was splintering. She was younger than I had
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