She wasn’t sure she could go back there. Not after everything. Not even with Ryker by her side.
“No, not there.” He moved, taking her hands in his. His touch calmed her, but the tremors remained. “I promise I’ll keep you safe. No one will ever take you from me again. You are under my protection.”
Brynleigh’s heart raced as Ryker’s words settled upon her, his vow ringing with truth.
“Okay, thank you.” She dipped her head. “So, if it’s not The Pit, where are we going?”
As soon as he told her, she knew he was right.
This was a bad idea.
CHAPTER 22
The Tenth Rule is the Most Important
Ryker’s fingers tightened around Brynleigh’s as he led her up the concrete front steps of Moonwater Prison.
From the outside, the red-bricked, three-story building looked like a boarding school. A scary one that promised nightmarish headmasters, rods across the backs of legs, and agonizing punishments, but still, a school.
It was all a lie, though. The interior of this building was anything but scholarly.
Ryker hated that he was bringing Brynleigh here, but she’d insisted on coming with him. She was so strong, this wife of his, but sometimes she made him want to tear his hair out. It had taken two days for Ryker to receive the necessary permissions to come to Moonwater Prison, but they were finally here.
“This is where they’re keeping Zanri?” she murmured as they climbed the last steps.
He nodded, squeezing her hand once in affirmation.
A week and a half ago, Zanri Olyt had been transferred here for continued interrogation. He would remain here until he was released… or he died.
The latter was far more likely than the former. Most of the Republic’s prisoners were never released. Not after they entered the depths of the justice system.
“I’ve got you,” Ryker reminded Brynleigh as their feet hit the landing. A ward crawled over his skin, buzzing like a bee. Not only would the ward protect the prison, but it would alert the wardens of their presence. “I promise.”
“Thank you.” Brynleigh tugged the sleeve of her oversized black sweater, her outfit looking more like she was going out for a night on the town than into a prison.
“Of course.” He would protect her until his dying breath.
Placing his palm on the scanner embedded in the wall by the front door, he smiled reassuringly at her. A red light flashed as the scanner read his handprint, and locks tumbled.
The massive black door swung open on its own volition.
Ryker squeezed Brynleigh’s hand, a silent reminder that he was here. She was strong, but even the strongest people felt afraid sometimes.
He walked slightly ahead of her as they entered the expansive lobby. Black marble tiles complemented dark walls stretching two stories high. Two tall, leafy green plants stood sentinel on either side of the door. The only other furnishing was the expansive desk in the middle of the space.
Green eyes were trained on them. An Earth Elf dressed in military gear sat behind the desk, his appearance incongruous with their faux-academic surroundings. His sleeves were rolled up, displaying the green Maturation mark running up his left arm like a vine. The soldier’s black hair was cropped short, and he sat perfectly straight in his chair. Though Ryker couldn’t see it, he was certain a gun was strapped to the man’s belt.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
The air in this space was heavy, and Brynleigh’s icy fingers twitched in Ryker’s as she pressed against him. He wasn’t sure she knew she was doing it, but his chest swelled with masculine pride. She was seeking safety in him, and by the Black Sands, it made him feel something he had thought was forever lost.
He wouldn’t let her down.
“Captain Ryker Waterborn?” The elf behind the desk finally spoke.
“Yes,” Ryker replied. “We’rehere to see Prisoner 07562.”
The Earth Elf’s gaze swung over to Brynleigh, and he frowned. “It’s highly unusual to bring visitors here, Captain.”