Dawn of the White Witch (Kingdoms of Light and Shadow Book 1) by C. R. Lee

Author:C. R. Lee [Lee, C. R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: C. R. Lee Books
Published: 2024-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

I don’t have long to recover. The guard, who up until now was utterly useless, hollers at my savior to “Get back to work,” before I even have a chance to thank her. With Aemon’s help, I manage to stand and after quite a bit more yelling from the guard, I pick up my ax.

Aemon is going to talk to the king. You’re going to get out of here. I glance down the line, spotting the brown-eyed female who just helped me hard at work on the other end.

But what about them?

I raise the ax and, using what little strength I have left after that episode, hack at the precious stone. It only takes a few minutes for my arms to start aching, then shaking. After what is probably thirty minutes, but feels like a lifetime, I think I might die. Actually, I’m kind of hoping for it. How do these people keep going all day, especially when they aren’t getting enough to eat?

Luckily for me, work is called to an end for the day soon after, but I don’t know how I’m going to make it through tomorrow. I just want to go home, lie down in my nice fluffy bed and fall asleep, but I don’t have a bed, and I’m far away from home. We hand over our bucket of gems as we exit, and a guard gives us a bit of metal with a number one stamped on it. “What is this?” I ask Aemon.

He shrugs. “Dinner token, probably.”

“Oh, because we can’t eat—”

“—if we don’t work,” he finishes. “Exactly.”

Legs still locked to the long chain, the whole group is led back to the clearing where we first came in. The guard finally unlocks us from the long chain but leaves our feet manacled. The moment I’m free, I drop at the first bit of open space I see beside the wall. I lean my head against the cool stone and close my eyes. I’ll figure out something better tomorrow. For now, I just need to rest.

“What are you doing?” Aemon asks.

I open one eye to peek up at him. “I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

He turns his head up toward the ceilings, his lips moving as if in prayer. I wonder if he’s praying for the strength not to kill me right now? I definitely don’t have the strength to fight back if he tries. “They’re not going to wait for you to have a nap to serve food, Katya.” He spits my name out like a curse. “You have to get it now or never.”

“I’m alright with that,” I reply, closing my eyes.

“Fine. I’ll see if I can get something for both of us.” He holds out his palm, and I drop my token into it. “But don’t expect this to become an everyday thing.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

He spins around in a huff and marches off. I don’t know what’s got him all in a tizzy, but I’m way too busy with my own pity party to deal with his issues right now.

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