The air in Aidi's cell was heavy, each breath feeling like an effort against the suffocating darkness. She lay curled in a corner, her wrists raw from the coarse ropes that had been binding her. The scrape of boots against the stone outside her cell jolted her upright.
The door opened with a loud groan. Light spilled into the room, momentarily blinding her. A tall figure stepped inside—Hetri. His presence filled the room, his shadow stretching across the cold floor.
"Still alive, sweetheart?" His tone was laced with mockery, but his expression was unreadable.
Aidi said nothing. Her silence was her armor.
"Not in the mood for small talk? Pity," he said, stepping closer. "I thought you'd have a lot to say after what happened earlier."
She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Ah, silent treatment," Hetri chuckled, crouching in front of her. His voice dropped lower, taking on a sinister edge. "But silence won't save you. You've caused me enough trouble, and now it's time you understand your place."
He motioned to the guards outside. Two of them entered, dragging a battered man between them. His clothes were torn, his face bruised and swollen.
"Recognize him?" Hetri asked, his tone almost playful.
Aidi's heart sank. The man was one of the allies she had managed to gather during her brief freedom—a kind-hearted smuggler who had risked everything to help her escape.
"Leave him alone," she said, her voice hoarse but firm.
Hetri smirked, clearly pleased to have provoked a reaction. "Oh, don't worry. He'll live. For now. But his fate depends entirely on you."
"What do you want?" Aidi spat.
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere," Hetri said, standing and pacing the room. "I want what's in your little locket. I know you've hidden something valuable inside it. A map, perhaps? Coordinates? Whatever it is, it's worth far more than your life."
Aidi's fingers instinctively moved to her neck, where the locket would usually rest. She had hidden it during her earlier capture attempt, burying it under a loose stone in the corner of the cell.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, forcing herself to sound convincing.
Hetri laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. "You're a terrible liar, Aidi. But I admire your spirit. Unfortunately for you, I'm not a patient man."
He snapped his fingers, and one of the guards struck the smuggler across the face.
"Stop it!" Aidi shouted, struggling to her feet.
"Then start talking," Hetri demanded, his voice sharp.
Aidi hesitated. She couldn't let Hetri get his hands on the locket, but she couldn't let the smuggler die either. She needed time to think, to find a way out of this mess.
"You think I'll just hand it over?" she said, stalling.
Hetri grinned. "I think you'll do whatever it takes to keep this man alive. Or are you as heartless as your actions suggest?"
Aidi clenched her fists, anger and fear battling for control. She hated Hetri's smug confidence, the way he manipulated every situation to his advantage. But she couldn't let him see her weakness.
"Fine," she said finally. "I'll tell you where it is. But you have to let him go first."
Hetri's eyes narrowed. "Do you think I'm an idiot? You tell me where it is, and I decide what happens next."
Aidi's mind raced. She needed to find a way to buy more time, to create a distraction.
"It's in the eastern wing," she lied, her voice steady. "In the library."
Hetri raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "The library, huh? Interesting choice."
"Send your men to look," she said. "If I'm lying, you can do whatever you want with me."
Hetri studied her for a moment before nodding to one of the guards. "Go. Check the library."
The guard left, and Hetri turned back to Aidi. "If you're playing games, you'll regret it."
She didn't respond, focusing instead on the loose stone in the corner. She needed to retrieve the locket before Hetri realized she was bluffing.
Minutes passed in tense silence. The smuggler groaned softly, his head lolling to one side. Aidi's heart ached at the sight of him, but she forced herself to stay calm.
The guard returned, shaking his head. "Nothing there, boss."
Hetri's expression darkened. "You lied to me," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.
Aidi braced herself for the blow that never came. Instead, Hetri grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the door.
"You're coming with me," he said.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded, struggling against his grip.
"To the vault," he said, dragging her down the dimly lit hallway. "If you won't talk, maybe seeing what's at stake will change your mind."
The vault was a massive room lined with shelves of priceless artifacts. Hetri shoved Aidi inside and locked the door behind them.
"Let's make a deal," he said, his tone deceptively calm. "You tell me where the locket is, and I'll let your friend go. Refuse, and I'll destroy everything you've ever cared about."
Aidi's mind raced. She couldn't trust Hetri, but she couldn't let him win either. She needed a plan—and fast.