Traitor's Crown (Stones of Terrene Book 3) Read online

  Raine caught the blanket in reflexive surprise, but she wasted no time in pulling it around herself. “Thanks.”

  Artemis picked up the handheld contraption and gave Raine a small smile. “No problem. We ladies have to stick together here, you know.” She gently tugged the blanket down, exposing Raine’s left arm to the cool air again. Her warm fingers curled around Raine’s wrist, guiding her arm to the armrest. “Prisoners here get a tattoo to show their ranking,” she explained as she worked. “You’re starting at a level one—black band. You’ll know who’s above you and whom to respect, based off how many rings they have on their left forearm. Anyone with a tattoo on their upper arm is of actual rank here, and you’ll want to obey them no matter what.”

  Raine tensed at the word “tattoo,” and Artemis chuckled. “Relax. It won’t be the end of the world for you.”

  Raine examined Artemis’s bare arms. Each sleeve of work was intricate and so interwoven with vines and designs that she couldn’t tell if Artemis had any of the markings like Raine was about to get. The machine started humming, and she cast about for something, anything, that would distract her from getting her skin permanently marked. “Are you a prisoner too?”

  “Me?” Artemis laughed. “No. I actually work here. But I enjoy it, so I stick around.” Artemis gripped Raine’s wrist firmly but gently. “Breathe out.”

  Raine exhaled and flinched as Artemis started on the black line. Raine blinked down and forced her muscles to relax. It wasn’t as bad as she’d expected, almost like a light scratching that was borderline uncomfortable, but not intolerable. “Are there many other women?”

  Artemis’s lips thinned, and she shook her head slightly, her focus unwavering from her work. “Not many. You’ll want to watch your back, and get on the good side of your pit boss. If he likes you, he may give some protection.”

  “Pit boss?” Raine winced as Artemis reached a less fleshy part of her arm. A thick line of black with reddened skin made a trail that followed the needles.

  “Mmhmm.” Artemis clucked her tongue. “If you’re in the lowest level, your boss is going to be Yorick. He’s the lowest rank of pit bosses, and most of his crew are stationed in the mines.” She lifted the needle long enough to give Raine a solid look in the eye. “If you’re any good in a fight, you may want to consider fighting in the pits. But that can be brutal and not a path I’d recommend lightly. It’s dangerous and a great way to get yourself killed if you aren’t strong enough to face whatever they throw at you.”

  Raine considered that information as calmly as she possible while her heart raced with the pain from a tattoo, the fear of separation from her grandfather, and the choking concern for Ben. Ben. “Have you had a new prisoner come through in the last day? Reddish-brown hair? Beard? Blue eyes? Goes by Ben?”

  Artemis was already shaking her head before Raine finished asking, and Raine tried to not let her heart sink to the bottom of the mine. “No, sorry.” A slight grin twitched Artemis’s full lips. “I take it he’s a friend?”

  “Yes.” The admission slipped from Raine’s mouth in a whisper, and she glanced away, studying how clean the dirt floor was for a doctor’s office in a mine. Deep brown stained the dirt around the medical table, and Raine suppressed a grimace at the realization of it being dried blood.

  Artemis fell silent, concentrating on finishing the circle on Raine’s arm. She set aside the contraption and held a shallow tray under Raine’s arm, rinsing the weeping flesh. Then she grabbed a pot and dabbed a thick ointment on the tattoo. She wiped her fingers off on a clean rag. “Was he also captured in Antius?”

  Raine nodded, examining the tender skin that throbbed under the glop.

  Artemis blew out a breath. “I’m sorry to say this, but if he’s not here, there’s a chance they decided not to waste their time and executed him. They aren’t the type to go out of their way to purposefully antagonize prisoners, and if they split you two up, then they likely wanted to exact vengeance.” Sympathy shimmered in her eyes, and she gave Raine’s shoulder a slight squeeze. “But I could be wrong. Wait a day or two, just in case.”

  The air in the prison felt even harder to breathe, and Raine choked on her breath, barely able to nod. Had Ben been executed during the trip here? Was she truly alone in this place?

  Artemis tied a strip of linen around Raine’s arm, her fingers lingering on the bandage. “Keep it as clean as possible, and try to keep the mine dust and salt off it. Salt’s gonna dry it to death, and not only will it hurt like the Void, but it’ll warp in an ugly way.” Artemis sniffed. “Don’t destroy my art.”

  A slightly choked laugh broke from Raine’s throat, and Artemis gave her a comforting smile. “Just take it day by day here, OK?” She tugged the blanket off Raine’s lap, and Raine shivered as the cool air washed over her. Artemis folded the blanket deftly and nodded back in the direction of the cage. “I’ll take you to your new quarters.” She backtracked and poked her head in the small side room. “I’ll be back in fifteen.” A gruff reply rumbled from beyond, and Artemis returned to Raine’s side with a satisfied look. She grinned at Raine and hitched a thumb over her shoulder, “Doctor Gustro. You’ll see him if you need medical attention that’s not inking. Let’s go.”

  Raine held her arm close to her body, cautious to not touch the tattoo as she followed Artemis out of the medical room and into the mess. Raine glanced to the left and sucked in a sharp breath. A long hallway lie ahead, and beyond that, a vast opening yawned wide, ready to devour whomever entered.

  Artemis nodded toward the hall. “I’m guessing Kevin didn’t show you the prison proper?”

  Raine shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “I’ll show you real fast. Come on.” Artemis set her hand on Raine’s shoulder and steered her through the wide hall, constantly pushing her forward until they stepped out past an open gate and into something that Raine couldn’t even imagine existed.

  A huge, perfectly circular cavern with a wide ramp that spiraled both upward and downward. What appeared to be countless prison cells rimmed the spiral’s edge. Artemis pointed above them. “That’s level one. Level two––here––is where new prisoners are typically housed in the individual cells.” Her expression darkened. “Prisoners here don’t have a pit boss, and no chance at any protection or benefit. A woman by herself here wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  It took little imagination to guess to what Artemis was insinuating. Raine’s memory flashed back to her all-too-brief self-protection training with Ben, and she shivered, hugging herself as well as she could around her aching arm. “Thanks for looking out for me.” She frowned. “What about you?”

  Artemis laughed, her voice ringing out in the mine. “I’m the tattoo artist. Prisoners and guards alike come to me. I’m probably in the safest position here.” She offered Raine a small grin. “So I don’t mind using that on occasion to look out for the rare female who comes through.” Her smile dimmed, and she turned back to the dark hallway to the mess and the cage. “I can’t do much, but I do what I can.”

  Raine followed Artemis with heavy footsteps. After the mind-numbing panic and dullness inboard the Antian airship, this was a whirlwind that tore at her psyche, battering her from all angles, leaving her adrift and floundering for solid ground to stand on. Raine snorted quietly to herself at the mental image. And here she was, essentially buried under solid ground.

  The hole for the cage beckoned in the dark, and Raine slowed as Artemis walked straight up to the dangling chain.

  Artemis clanked the yellow chain together and called up. “Level two to level five!” Two loud clangs echoed down the shaft, then the chains shuddered before starting to move. Artemis whistled to herself as the cage descended into view. She stepped into the cage with no hesitation and turned to offer her hand to Raine. “Don’t worry,” Artemis smiled. “It’s sturdier than it seems.”

  Raine took the hand and stepped cautiously in. Artemis touched a green stone that glowed, and the elevator starte
d down. The air warmed little bit by little bit until it was surprisingly comfortable, and Raine loosened her self-hug.

  They passed a level that had so many luminary crystals that it practically glowed, illuminating the cage just enough to make out the individual welds on the honeycombed grate.

  “I’ll just drop you off on your level,” Artemis said apologetically. “But you’re lucky in that one of the nicer guys is going to be down here too. I sent him down here maybe an hour ago after inking him.” She gestured at Raine’s arm. “You’ll have a full day to rest and recover a bit before they throw you to work. My orders as the artist here.” She smirked. “My work is good enough that they put up with it.”

  Raine nodded, listening absently. A day off to figure her way around the underground prison. A day off to figure out if there was a way to escape. A day off to hopefully not die. A day that would maybe bring Ben back to her side.

  Whales, she didn’t want to be alone here.

  The elevator rumbled to a stop, and Raine jumped out, eager to feel the hard stone underfoot instead of flimsy elevator metal. Artemis dismounted after her and pointed behind the cage, where Raine could see the opening. “Simon is this way.” Artemis paused and looked back at Raine. “While he’s one of the nicer guys here, I still wouldn’t trust him.”

  Raine followed obediently, feeling the pressure of gravity on her lungs, making breathing difficult. Or maybe it was just her imagination telling her how deep she was underground, so far from the surface with the fresh air and sunlight. The carved hallways here were barely lit, the luminary crystals clearly reaching the end of their long-lived charge, but Artemis strode past the empty cells on their left without pause.

  Faint sunlight streamed down from above, but Raine didn’t want to get near the barely there rail to look up and see the roof of the prison cell cavern. Artemis entered a chamber without pause, and Raine took a deep breath as she followed.

  The chamber had to be at least ninety feet across with a ceiling twenty feet high. Piles of blankets lay throughout the room, visible in the dim light. Raine blinked when she realized that Artemis was just cutting through, and heading straight into another room. The only sounds were the scrabble of small rocks, the huff of Raine’s own breathing, and the faint echoes of exertion—maybe pain. Artemis stopped in the middle of the walkway, barring Raine from continuing. She held a hand out until Raine stopped, then Artemis crossed her arms at someone out of Raine’s view. “Make yourself presentable. You have company.”

  “What the—oh. Uh.” The man’s voice sounded slightly aggrieved. After a scuffle of movement, Artemis dropped her arms and signaled Raine forward.

  A mousey-looking man moved within Raine’s line of vision. The dim lighting made nests of blankets around this room visible. He had ash brown hair, and he was either incredibly dirty, or flushed in the face. He stared at Raine and swallowed hard, his gaze roving over her. She crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly remembering the threadbare condition of her clothing. She glared and he snapped his eyes to the ground.

  He coughed. “New prisoner?”

  “Indeed.” Artemis’s tone had cooled some, and she lightly touched Raine’s shoulder. “Find Raine a cell or a corner of her own and a proper set of garb.” Artemis’s eyes flashed. “Furthest from Yorick.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Simon nodded quickly, his gaze darting up to Raine, then away. He coughed again and motioned for her to follow. “This way, Ms Raine.”

  Artemis gave Raine a perfunctory nod. “Good luck.” She turned to go back the way she’d come, and Raine pivoted on her heel, loath to be parted from the one friendly face here.

  “Thank you,” Raine called out.

  “Stay alive,” Artemis called back. She grinned. “And visit anytime for some ink!”

  “That’s cheery,” Raine muttered.

  Simon laughed, a slightly high-pitched, airy sound. “She must’ve taken a shine to you, if she brought you down herself. Normally she just lets the guard on duty do all the explaining.” He waved a hand at the innermost room, then turned toward the only exit. “I don’t know what all she’s told you, so I’ll cover what I can.” He shot her a sheepish look, and this time she could see the flush in his dirt-stained cheeks as they walked under a sconce. “As you’ve probably figured by now, our pit boss for this level is Yorick.” Simon’s voice dropped, and he stepped close to Raine. She reflexively lifted her right arm as if it would shield her, but he stopped just shy of touching her, his voice low. “Yorick has a taste for blood and any flesh he can get. Keep your head down and out of his sight as much as possible.”

  “Noted.” Raine grimaced. Unsurprising to hear, but definitely not comforting.

  “You have options for work,” Simon continued, as if oblivious to her unease. “You can work in the tunnels, blowing out new areas to mine, helping shovel out the scree, and clearing out the new areas. You can work in the mines themselves.” He stopped to stare at her arms, and she hugged herself again. He let out a low whistle. “Yeah, you can work in the mines. Looks like you have what it takes to use a pickaxe, no problem.” Simon led her out of the main chambers and walked past several open-doored cells, then stopped at one, seemingly at random, gesturing grandly. “Your new home, my lady.”

  Raine bristled slightly at his moniker for her. She was no one’s lady here. She surveyed the room. A slab of stone for a bed, a thin blanket, and a corroded pot. No clothes to change into.

  Simon kept talking. “Your other option would be to fight in the pits.” He pointed to the seventy-eight etched above the door. “That’ll make it easier to remember where you are.”

  “What is the room you were in?” Raine clenched her hands, wary of the openness of the cell.

  Simon blinked. “You’re welcome to stay with the rest of us in Yorick’s Domain, but he’d likely take a shine to you—I’m sure you don’t want that. And Artemis told me to put you somewhere far from him.”

  “Oh.” Raine flushed and broke eye contact, trying to steady her breathing. This was going to be a whole new nightmare to get used to.

  He brushed past her, his hand trailing across her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you some new clothes.”

  “Please don’t touch me again.” The words left Raine’s mouth before considering how he’d take her meaning. She didn’t want to alienate the first prisoner she met, nor did she want him to think she someone he could be so casually comfortable with.

  Simon stopped and cocked his head at her, then looked down at his hand. He gave her a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

  She forced a grin of her own. “I’m definitely interested in those clothes,” she prompted. “And what about the pits?”

  “The pits are at the bottom of the prison level,” Simon explained with an airy wave toward the center of the cavernous hole of the mine that she’d avoided thus far. He led her to yet another passage, and Raine’s heart fell again. How was she going to keep all the passages and levels straight?

  This passage actually had a better lighting. Several shelves of folded brown clothes broke the monotony of the gray-brown stone and dirt that sprawled everywhere else.

  He eyed her again, and she tightened her arms defensively. He turned and grabbed a wad of fabric from a top shelf, and then something from the bottom shelf. He shook them out, holding up a long-sleeved shirt and pants. “These are probably around your size, and the pants are drawstring, so you have a chance at making them fit.” He held them out.

  Raine accepted the garments and looked around, the helplessness of her situation sinking in once again. There’d be no changing room here, and she’d already noted the lack of privacy in her cell. She grimaced down at the heavy weight of the clothes. “Turn around.”

  “What?”

  “Turn around,” she repeated, annoyance tinging her words. “If I’m putting these on, you are going to turn around or regret the day you were born.”

  “Sorry, sorry.” Simon turned quickly, covering his eyes with his hands. “I
didn’t understand you at first. No offense meant.”

  Raine stuck her tongue out at him and slipped the shirt over her thin top first, immediately feeling better about the shelter it gave. She minded him, making sure he was still facing away shifting his weight absently from foot to foot. “Tell me about the pits,” she suggested, glancing over her shoulder into the skin-tingling, open-aired hallway before slipping off her thin Antius prison pants and hastily pulling on the thick Hollow uniform pants.

  “It’s probably your best bet at survival if you’re good at fighting,” Simon replied, his tone almost sulky. She chose to ignore that. “If you can fight well and work your way up, you get special privileges, and you can get a new pit boss. Better cells and all that. But you’ll stand out being a female and all.”

  “I have a feeling I’ll stand out no matter what I do,” Raine muttered. She adjusted the tie on her pants and straightened. “You can turn around now.”

  Simon whirled around almost instantly, his expression drooping just a bit at the sight of her in the more modest clothing. She gritted her teeth.

  Simon sighed. “The evening meal will be within the hour. How about I show you the rest of the levels, and we can head that way?”

  “Sounds good. Thank you.” Raine folded her pair of old pants in half, then slung them over her shoulder. They’d serve well enough as a pillow. She followed Simon, her heart beating unsteadily. The pits could be a good place for her, but only as a last-ditch scenario. Drawing attention to herself would be bad. And she desperately hoped that Ben was going to show up soon, and they could figure out how to survive this mess together. She had to get out, somehow. What would Papa do without her? How could she help against the coming war, if she was trapped here?