29. Nicolette

Rusted, dank metal screeched as a guard pulled open what appeared to be an iron, grate lid that covered a hole in the floor.

“In you go, princess,” he said.

I peered into the darkened pit, horror filling my veins. Then I jerked back, shaking my head aggressively. “You must be joking.”

There could be any number of things down there, and I had no idea how deep it went. My God, the dungeons at home were a million times more pleasant than this monstrosity.

How could anyone be so inhumane?

“I’m always joking, my lady,” the guard sneered. “And I’ll be laughing your entire trip down, too.” Grabbing me roughly, he shoved me into the hole and let go.

I screamed. Indigo shouted my name from above. And then I landed, slamming into the bottom of the cell so abruptly I wrenched an ankle.

Sucking in a breath as pain seared its way up my leg to my bottom, I winced. “Ouch.”

Cold, black, damp stone entombed me into my new cage. On the other side of a row of vertical bars, Indigo appeared, landi