CHAPTER 173: IN THE DUNGEON

The dungeon was cold and dark, with only a single flickering torch casting shadows on the stone walls. Lumina and Ashen walked in, their steps echoing softly.

Cyres was chained to the wall, his eyes narrowing as he saw them.

"What do you want?" he spat, he is so weak yet he isn’t still letting the weakness win him.

Lumina stood with her arms wrapped around Ashen as he guided her closer to him.

"Cyres, we meet again but it seems this time I have the upper hand."

"You wish! You have all the time to do whatever you want to do to me now until my master is ready for both of you."

"Well you don’t have the choice but to tell us that he had been the one who made you do that."

Cyres sneered. "I will never betray him."

Ashen stepped forward, this time. "You will. Because if you don’t, things will get very painful for you."

Cyres glanced at Lumina, then back at Ashen. "You think you can scare me?"

Lumina smiled gently. "It’s not about scaring you. It’s about making sure you understand the consequences. If you don’t tell us the truth, the pain will only get worse."

Cyres clenched his fists. "I won’t do it!"

Ashen’s voice grew colder. " I am very sure you are bold because you know he will save you, but trust me we will make sure to destroy you before he saves you if you don’t speak the truth."

Cyres’ eyes widened. "You wouldn’t..."

Lumina’s voice was calm but firm. "I would and you know I don’t make empty threats."

Ashen placed a reassuring hand on Lumina’s shoulder. "You have one chance, Cyres, just mention his name and we will make sure you get a lighter punishment."

Cyres spat blood from his mouth and glared at them. "I will never.."

Lumina moved before he could finish. She could not see, but she moved with sure steps, guided by Ashen’s words in her ear.

A guard pushed a small brazier into the cell. Hot coals glowed like angry eyes. The scent of smoke filled the stone room.

Ashen stood behind Lumina and kept his hand at the small of her back. He spoke softly so only she could hear. "Put your hand on mine," he said. "I will guide you. Tell me where to press if you want him to feel it."

Her fingers found his. He closed his palm over hers and guided it. Lumina’s face was calm.

"We told you to speak," she said to Cyres. "You chose to stay silent. Now choose again."

Ashen stepped to the brazier and took a poker by the ring. He did not heat it further. He let the coals do their work. The poker glowed at the tip. Heat rolled up the metal like a living thing. Ashen held the shaft steady, and he let Lumina’s hand rest on his, so she could feel every move.

"Feel the heat," Ashen said to her, voice low. "I am allowing you to hurt him"

Lumina lifted her guided hand. Her fingers tightened on the poker’s cool end.

She listened to Cyres’s breathing, to the crackle of coal, to the small sounds in the cell. Then she moved the poker forward.

The glowing tip hovered close to Cyres’s forearm. Heat washed his skin. He jerked, a short, sharp sound breaking from his throat. He had not expected the pain to be so immediate.

"Name him," Lumina said. Her words were soft, patient but there was no pity in them. "Say the name. Save what you have left."

Cyres bit his lip so hard his teeth clicked. Sweat ran down his face. Ashen’s face did not change. Of course, this was the opportunity for Adam to feel what he always did to him.

"Ashen! Stop this at once!"

Adam’s voice barked out as he stood in the doorway, his cloak thrown back and his eyes wide.

He looked at Cyres, at the brazier, at Lumina holding the smoky poker and then he looked at Ashen. Fury and something like shock flashed across his face.

"You cannot do this," Adam said, voice tight. "Do you know what you are doing at all... this isn’t the punishment you are supposed to give to him."

Ashen did not let go of Lumina’s hand at first. He kept his palm warm against hers. Then he turned slowly to face his brother.

"We are asking questions," Ashen said. "He chose silence... and I needed to investigate."

Adam’s gaze flicked back to Cyres, and in that moment everything in the cell seemed to hang for a breath.

He is a living soul, how could you hurt him this much?

"I should be asking you why you came here," Ashen said, voice hard.

Adam stepped forward, the crown prince’s command in every move.

"Because the Queen asked for his release. The dragon blessed the flame so no more harsh punishment tonight. I order you to let him go."

Ashen’s jaw tightened. "Are you saying you will ignore the laws of this realm?"

Adam’s hand was steady as he reached into his cloak and drew out a small bottle. "If you are so worried about poison," he said, coldly, "then take this. It’s the antidote, so release him."

Before Ashen could answer, Lumina put a hand up. Her voice was quiet, but it cut through the room. "Stop."

"Fine," Lumina said after a breath. "Let him go."

Ashen stared at her. "Lumina...what are you doing?"

She did not look at him. She only listened, the small noises in the cell, Cyres wet breathing, and the scrape of iron. Ashen moved close and lowered his hand to her back.

"I want to drink this now.."

"You can’t trust him that way," but Lumina smirked, "That is why I want to take it here, please help me."

Ashen sighed and uncorked the bottle, she did it in a way that she was about to drink it but everything worked so fast that everyone was left speechless.

One minute they are waiting for alumina to drink the contents the next moment the bottle is flying straight into Cyres mouth.