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Chapter 19: Hard Times At Valdis Prison
Zoe was unable to rest despite her exhaustion. Every time her eyes closed, she was brought back to that dreadful moment. She sat in silence for hours.
Suddenly, she heard a door close at the end of the hall, followed by the sound of footsteps echoing as they walked along the stone floor. The noise ceased a good distance from her cell. Though they were not within her line of sight, she could tell that the footsteps belonged to two people. She heard the jingling of keys followed by the distinct sound of a cell door being opened.
After a moment she heard the door close. The footsteps continued toward her end of the cellblock, now accompanied by an extra pair of feet. They came into view: two Knowms. Between them, Roshan. Though she desperately wanted to speak to him, she refrained, knowing it would only cause more trouble for both of them. Though she was unable to get a very good look at him during the brief period he was in sight, she could tell that he was experiencing a lot of pain simply by the deliberate manner of his walk: as though each step were more excruciating than the last.
The doors on the opposite side of the cellblock slammed shut as the Knowms took Roshan to, what Zoe assumed, the room in which Lord Quinn awaited. They’re about to interrogate him. I can’t wait any longer; I need to find some way to get out of here. Zoe inspected the small cell. If there even is a way out of here... She slouched down against the back wall and rested her hands on her stomach as it growled. Who am I kidding? I’m too tired and hungry. I’d be surprised if I could even conjure an orb right now.
Zoe remained quiet as the thoughts swirled through her mind. For reasons which were unclear to her, she had refused to acknowledge the possibility that Alex had lost his life when falling from the cliff side the night before. Though the idea of this bleak circumstance continuously found its way into her consciousness, she had been quickly turning her focus away from it each time it emerged. However, she was now beginning to submit to the likeliness that Alex did not survive the rugged plunge down the mountain. Her heart sank. She gradually lost hope. It’s all my fault...
She quickly wiped away her tears. No. That’s not going to help anything.
Zoe’s heart jumped as a horrific, agonizing scream emanated from the confines of the room Roshan had recently been led to. She quietly gasped in horror at the sound. Then she heard it again, followed by Lord Quinn’s voice, though it was too muffled and distant to tell exactly what he was saying. Again, there was another cry of pain. As the noise hit her ears, she used her remaining strength to hoist herself off of the floor and onto her feet. Something in her snapped, and her face became stone.
She angrily gripped the bars. “Leave him alone!!” she screamed.
Two nearby prison guards hastily approached the cell, “She’s talking!”
“That guy in there must be the one she was coming to break out.”
Zoe backed away from the bars. In that moment, she realized the mistake she had just made.
The guards peered into her cell. “So are you ready to tell us your name?”
Zoe said nothing.
“Come on, if you don’t tell us anything we’re going to assume our suspicions are correct.”
“Are you part of that assassins’ guild?” the other guard asked. “Is that why you’re not telling us anything?”
Zoe’s heart rate increased. She was desperately trying to come up with a way to get out of the situation, but was simultaneously coming to the realization that she was trapped. The only way for her to survive would be to tell them. “I came here to rescue Roshan Portner,” she finally said.
The guards were stunned by this sudden confession. “There, see?” one of them said. “It’s easier when you just work with us. But an attempted prison break carries a hefty sentence. You’re going to be in here for a while. In the meantime, we’ll get you some food and a change of clothes. Sound good?”
Zoe didn’t reply. Her mind was focused on the distant sound of Roshan’s torment in the room down the hall.
“All we need now is your name,” the other guard told her.
Again, there was no response as she tried to hear what was being said in the interrogation room.
“Don’t clam up on us now,” the first guard said sternly. “If you don’t give us a name, we’re not getting you anything. You’ll starve long before the sentence is up.”
Zoe looked at him. Hesitating at first, she at last confessed. “My name is Zoe Quinn. Please, tell my father to stop what he’s doing. I need to talk to him.”