The Unseen Threat

She was underestimated, with only a single guard assigned to her. It made sense, given her state: imprisoned, heavily pregnant, and without any physical means of defense. Her only weapons were her Diablon lineage and her cunning.

Mandalay had been absent for two days. His absence was unsettling. He was her only beacon of hope, aside from the possibility of Mateus and Damon breaking into the dungeon.

Thoughts of Silus, and the image of the two alphas enduring the same fate, their horns brutally removed in front of her, made her throat parched. She clutched her belly, a deep ache resonating in her chest. If that were to happen, she’d rather die, taking her unborn child with her.

The tears were so close that she had to tilt her head back to keep them at bay. The sound of a chair scraping against the floor broke her thoughts. Light footsteps followed.

She looked up to see a woman peering at her through the bars.

“I’m okay,” she assured the woman. “I’m just…sad.”

Relief washed over the woman’s face as she returned to her seat, her small hands folded in her lap. She was so pale that she seemed to glow in the dungeon’s gloom.

Dressed in a wimple and long skirts, a bag sat next to her chair: a midwife. Patiently waiting for the moment Lilitha would go into labor. There were two of them, one for the day and one for the night.

Always sitting, watching, waiting. Lilitha wondered what drove her to be here. Was it money? Fear?

It certainly wasn’t out of kindness. Neither midwife spoke. They hardly looked at Lilitha. Did they know what she was?

She could have tormented her, said cruel things—the urge was there. But the midwife’s presence offered a sense of safety; she wouldn’t be alone when the time came. Kind of safe.

Once the baby was born, what would the humans do? Would they deem her useless and kill her? What would become of her baby? The thought made her grimace.

She couldn’t let that happen. Mandalay. She gripped the bars.

They provided her with food and water. There was a bucket for her to relieve herself. The food—it was human flesh.

Old, almost rotten, as if it had been taken from a corpse. Every day, three men would enter. The guard would unlock the door.

Two men would corner her against the wall while the third would replace her tray. That was it. For the last two days.

The captain had visited once. He spoke quietly to the midwife who shook her head. His gaze lingered on Lilitha.

She glared back. “They’ll kill you. They’ll find me and kill you. We’ll kill you all. And eat your fucking brains.”

He left without a word.

It was only hours later when she realized her mistake. They. She’d said they. Until then, they’d only known of one alpha.

Whether her slip-up would have consequences was yet to be seen. It would not have consequences. Her clan couldn’t attack. They couldn’t!

The dungeon was impenetrable. Indestructible. She was sure there were plenty of Southerners and Champions outside and within, heavily armed.

She remembered their armor and their heavy swords. It wasn’t smart. She took a shaky breath, clutching her belly. Even to save their baby.

Sleeping on the hard floor was uncomfortable. Despite the blankets and thin pillow, the ground was too hard and the air was stuffy. Plus, it still smelled of Silus, a scent so strong that it made her cry herself to sleep.

It was hard to tell night from day. Without the men bringing her food, she wouldn’t have known when one day ended and another began. She would chew on the meat.

The guard would watch her in disgust. The midwife would sneak a wide-eyed look. The meat was barely edible. It tasted sick. Soon, she wouldn’t be able to stomach it.

She knew she was close to giving birth. She could feel it. Sometimes the baby would press so low in her pelvis that it was hard to stand, hard to sit.

It was hard to find a comfortable position to sleep in. And the baby was always moving! Kicking her diaphragm or her bladder. Sometimes it would position itself under her ribs, making it hard to breathe.

She hated that Carmella couldn’t share this experience, that Mateus and Damon couldn’t tease her. It made her feel very alone. It made her feel very sad for her child.

The darkness, usually a comforting time of day, felt oppressive. Then, one day, things took a turn for the better. The three men came in to deliver her meal as usual.

But this time, there was a change of guards. The three men left and Lilitha tried not to stare, wary of arousing suspicion. Instead, she finished her meal and retreated to the rear corner of her cell as usual.

The midwife watched her for several long moments before leaning back into her seat and closing her eyes. She was the older one, with long gray hair pulled back into a bun and soft, wrinkled hands.

Lilitha turned her gaze back to the new guard. Mandalay met her gaze. He looked well-rested, strong, as he leaned against the wall, arms folded, studying her. Deciding.

“Midwife,” he called out.

The woman jerked upright, her eyes darting to Mandalay.

“Why don’t you go rest? There’s a bed in the back. I’ll call you if I need you.”

“I’m not supposed to.” She yawned, rubbing her eyes.

“You won’t be any good when the time comes. Go. I’ll call you.”

The old woman looked at him in surprise. She glanced at Lilitha, then stood, smoothing her skirt. “Thank you. But you must call me. For any reason. If she grimaces or makes a sound, you call me.”

“Understood.”

The woman gave Lilitha one last uncertain look before walking past Mandalay and disappearing into the back room.

Mandalay stood there for what seemed like forever, studying Lilitha with his arms crossed and one boot propped against the wall. His hair was loose, cascading over his shoulders, and his eyes sparkled in the firelight.

“I can’t trust you,” he said, his voice echoing in the silence.

“But what if you’re wrong?” Lilitha countered, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’ll wait until the baby is born. Then we’ll see,” Mandalay replied, his gaze never leaving her.

“Do you really think this ‘Captain Gavron’ will let you see the baby if he’s lying?” Lilitha asked, her voice laced with doubt.

“Why would he lie?” Mandalay retorted, his brow furrowing in confusion.

“To cover up his mistake,” Lilitha replied, her voice barely audible.

Mandalay’s frown deepened. “You left willingly with that monster. Back in Mainstry,” he accused, his voice filled with hurt.

Lilitha sighed heavily. “I was ensorcelled, Mandalay. They…they did things.”

She turned her face away, wincing at the memory.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mandalay grimace.

“Do you want to touch it?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Mandalay jerked in surprise.

Slowly, Lilitha rolled onto her side and pushed herself to her feet. She pressed herself against the bars of the cell.

“Do you want to touch your baby?” she asked, her voice filled with hope.

Mandalay’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. He glanced over his shoulder toward the room where the midwife had disappeared, then moved closer.

Lilitha could hear his ragged breathing as he stood over her. Hesitantly, he reached his hand through the bars.

Lilitha took it and pressed it against her belly.

Mandalay let out a breath. “It’s really mine?” he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

Lilitha looked back into his eyes. “What do you think?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

His hand trembled as he reached through the bars to touch Lilitha’s cheek. He stroked it tenderly with his fingertips.

“I’ve missed you,” he confessed. “The house is lonely without you. I don’t like Esteria so much.”

He pulled back. “I’ll sort everything out and we’ll go back to Mainstry.”

“Sort everything out?” Lilitha echoed, her voice filled with doubt.

“I’ll speak to Captain Gavron,” Mandalay assured her.

“But you can’t! Haven’t you been listening to me? He will not admit his mistake. Surely, you can see that. He has too much to lose!” Lilitha protested, her voice filled with desperation.

Mandalay hesitated. “He’s a good man. I wouldn’t have asked him to help otherwise,” he said, his voice filled with conviction.

“H-help? What do you mean?” Lilitha asked, her voice filled with confusion.

“I asked him to come soon after your kidnap. The men from the south—they arrived quicker than I thought. Quick enough to save you,” Mandalay explained, his voice filled with regret.

Lilitha blinked at him, her heart sinking. Something inside her felt like it was shriveling up and turning black.

Staggering, she gripped onto the iron bars.

Mandalay grabbed her arm. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

“I’m—I’m fine,” Lilitha lied, forcing a smile. It felt like the blood was rushing to her head. Her cheeks were hot. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

“I just—I just need to sit down.” She slid heavily to the floor.

“You’re sick,” Mandalay observed, his voice filled with worry.

Lilitha shook her head. Mandalay glanced toward where the midwife was sleeping.

“I’ll come back for you. I have a plan,” he promised.

He crouched down beside her and gripped her shoulder. It took all Lilitha’s strength not to pull away.

“A plan?” she croaked, her voice filled with disbelief.

“Captain Gavron trusts me. They all trust me. Be prepared,” Mandalay said, standing up.

Lilitha glared up at him. “That’s all you’re going to tell me?” she asked, her voice filled with frustration.

He returned to his place at the back of the dungeon, his hands folded in front of him, his eyes filled with warning.

Lilitha leaned back against the bars, biting down hard on her lip. She couldn’t cry. She wouldn’t cry. Not in front of him.

Even though it felt like her heart was being ripped in two.