Chapter 119: DARK COLD WALLS
KEISHA’S POV
The smile on my face disappeared and she noticed.
"I promised I wasn’t going to push you," she said gently. "I’m keeping that promise."
"I know."
"I’m not asking because I want to fight." She hesitated before continuing. "I just... I don’t understand."
Her fingers remained wrapped around mine. "I’ve spent the last day remembering every conversation we’ve had since I arrived. Every look the two of you exchanged. Every time I thought something felt different." She managed a faint smile. "Maybe the signs were there all along and I simply didn’t see them."
I lowered my eyes to our joined hands.
She deserved the truth more than anyone but I couldn’t.
"I didn’t plan for it to happen," I said quietly. "It just... happened."
The lie tasted bitter before it had even fully left my mouth.
We sat quietly for another minute, listening to the wind rustle through the trees.
"I still don’t like it," Lyra admitted after a while. "Everything you’ve told me about you and Dane... I’m trying, Keisha. I really am."
"I know."
"I don’t want to hate you." The words hurt far more than if she had shouted.
I turned to look at her and saw that she wasn’t angry anymore. She just looked tired.
"I could never hate you," she continued quietly. "You’re my sister. I practically raised you. But every time I look at him, I remember how things ended between us. Then I look at you, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to feel."
"I understand."
"No." She shook her head. "I don’t think you do."
She drew her knees closer to herself and stared ahead. "I keep telling myself people move on. Relationships end. Life doesn’t stop because someone got their heart broken." She laughed softly without any humour. "I know all of that. I’m not a child anymore."
She looked back at me. "But knowing something and accepting it are two different things."
I lowered my eyes. "I know I hurt you."
"You didn’t."
"I still did."
"You fell in love." She sighed. "I’m angry about who it happened to be. That’s different."
Silence settled between us.
"I’ll get there eventually," she said after another moment. "I don’t know when, but I will."
"Thank you."
She nudged my shoulder lightly. "Don’t thank me yet. I’m still deciding whether Dane deserves to suffer a little longer."
A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "I’ll make sure he knows."
"Oh, he already knows." For the first time since she had arrived, the conversation felt almost normal.
I wanted to believe we were finally climbing out of everything that had happened.
But alas, I should have known better.
The sound of approaching footsteps reached us before I saw anyone.
Lyra frowned first.
I turned and found four estate guards walking directly toward us.
At first, I assumed they were simply passing through. Then they stopped in front of us, their expressions unreadable.
The oldest among them inclined his head politely. "Miss Keisha."
"Yes?"
"You’ll need to come with us."
I blinked. "What?"
"We’ve been ordered to escort you."
Lyra immediately stood. "Escort her where?"
The guard looked at her respectfully. "I’m afraid we cannot disclose that."
My stomach tightened. "Has something happened?"
"I’m not permitted to say."
I exchanged a confused glance with Lyra before looking back at them. "Who gave the order?"
Again, the same answer. "I’m not permitted to say."
None of them looked hostile and none of them had drawn their weapons. But they had spread out just enough that I realised this wasn’t really a request. They expected me to come.
Lyra stepped forward. "There has to be some mistake."
"There isn’t."
"What has she done?"
"I’m not authorised to discuss that."
I felt my pulse beginning to race. Every possibility flashed through my head at once. Had something happened to Callum? To Dane? Had Eliora escaped? Was Rhett an issue again? Was Vanessa discovered?
None of it explained why guards had come for me.
"I’ll come," I said quietly.
Lyra turned sharply. "Keisha."
"It’s alright."
"No, it isn’t."
I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. "If this were something dangerous, they wouldn’t have come this politely."
I hoped that was true.
The guards gave me enough space to stand before surrounding me without making it obvious.
Lyra noticed and so did I.
She reached for my wrist. "I’m coming with you."
"I’m sorry," the guard said. "Only Miss Keisha."
"You can’t just take my sister somewhere without telling me why."
"I’m carrying out orders."
Lyra looked ready to argue again but I squeezed her hand. "It’ll be fine."
"You don’t know that."
"I’ll come back."
She searched my face for a long moment. Finally, she let go. "I’ll find Dane." The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The guards exchanged almost invisible glances and she frowned. "What?"
Nobody answered. The oldest guard gestured toward the path. "This way."
I followed. The further we walked, the more wrong everything felt.
We passed the administration building. Then the training grounds. Then the council hall.
None of those surprised me.
But when we continued beyond them instead of stopping, my stomach churned with unease.
I knew this path. I had walked it before.
The dungeon.
No.
Surely not.
I slowed and the guards slowed with me. "Why are we going this way?"
There was no answer.
"I asked you a question."
One of the younger guards looked as though he wanted to respond but the older one shook his head almost imperceptibly. "We’ve been instructed not to discuss the matter."
My heartbeat grew louder. "This has to be a mistake."
Nobody replied.
The dungeon entrance came into view.
The familiar guards were standing outside and they all looked at me with expressions I couldn’t read.
One unlocked the gate and another stepped aside.
Only then did the truth finally settle inside me. They weren’t bringing me here to question me. They were bringing me here to stay.
I stopped walking completely. "There has to be some misunderstanding."
The older guard met my eyes. "I’m sorry."
That frightened me more than anything else. He sounded sincere.
I looked from one face to another. "What have I done?"
Nothing.
My voice came out smaller this time. "Please."
Still nothing.
The iron gate creaked open and I walked inside because I had no choice.
The corridors were colder than I remembered. Some of the occupied cells remained empty now after recent events, while others held prisoners who barely looked up as we passed.
Finally, we stopped at one of the empty cells.
The guard unlocked it and I stared at him.
He couldn’t even meet my eyes anymore. "Inside."
I didn’t move. "There must be some explanation."
"I’m sorry." He said again.
I stepped into the cell and the door slammed shut behind me before the lock clicked.
And just like that, I was a prisoner.
I stood there for several seconds, staring through the bars as though someone would immediately laugh and explain it had all been some terrible misunderstanding but nobody did and the guards dispersed.
Only one remained seated several metres away.
I walked to the bars. "Can you at least tell me what this is about?"
He shook his head. "I don’t know."
"You don’t know?"
"We were given orders."
"By who?"
He said nothing.
I sat slowly on the narrow wooden bench against the wall.
Had someone accused me of something? Had evidence been fabricated? Was this connected to Callum? To Dane?
I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the wall, trying not to let panic take over.
I didn’t know how long I had been sitting there when another set of footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Whoever it was wasn’t in a hurry. The footsteps were slow and purposeful.
The footsteps stopped outside my cell and I lifted my head.
Elder Osric stood on the other side of the bars with both hands resting on the top of his walking cane.
A rueful smile pulled at his lips. "Hello Keisha. Sorry I had to resort to this."
What? He had me arrested? But why?