Prince of Magic by Linda Winstead Jones Read Free Book Online Page A

understood what was penned there too well. Ariana Varden should live the life her mother wanted for her. A husband, babies, laughter. Safety.
    She would have none of those in what remained of her short life.
    Finally her eyes flew open and she gasped. "Of course." With those two inadequate words, she turned and ran from the room.
    Sian followed, stalking after her, refusing to run as she did, since he had no idea where she was headed, or why. "Where are you going?"
    Ariana cast him a bright smile over her shoulder, and at that moment she looked much too young and innocent to take up this fight. "Level Thirteen!"
     
    "There is no Level Thirteen."
    With a newfound energy, Ariana moved down the stairwell as quickly as she could. Sian was able to keep up with her easily.
    "Yes, there is," she responded.
    "Level One is the top floor, Level Ten is the ground floor, Level Eleven houses lowly positioned soldiers and servants, and Level Twelve is a prison. There
is no
Level Thirteen."
    Ariana stopped on the landing at Level Five, and turned to face her tutor as he came to a halt close beside her. Her face was overly warm, and she was breathless. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it pounding in her chest. "My Aunt Isadora was imprisoned in Level Thirteen for a time, twenty-five years ago. It might not have been in use during Emperor Arik's reign, but that doesn't mean it no longer exists."
    Sian's stern expression was that of a man who was rarely wrong, and who didn't like to admit it when he was. "Perhaps your aunt spun a tale for your amusement."
    "Unlikely." A part of Ariana wanted to continue running downward, but in truth she needed to catch her breath. Besides, she wasn't sure she was ready to face the reality of Level Thirteen. Aunt Isadora had not spoken much of her time in the pit beneath the palace, and if a few of the elder cousins had not heard a portion of a conversation that had not been meant for their ears, she might never have known of its existence.
    Nothing in life happened entirely by chance. If her days as a healer had taught her nothing else, she knew there were no accidents. Every small moment, every choice, led to something. Perhaps she had been guided to a position where she might overhear that long-ago conversation solely so she could understand what was happening now.
    Perhaps it was her turn to do a bit of teaching. Ariana sat on the top step, looking down at the winding stair she'd be taking in a few moments, and patted the stone beside her. Sian was hesitant, but he did eventually sit beside her. His expression was as stony as the walls of the palace, and she had to wonder if he had ever been young and carefree, like her brother Duran or her Anwyn cousins. He did not look like a man who had ever been a boy without cares.
    "When Sebestyen was in power, he thought nothing of tossing his enemies into the prison on Level Twelve."
    "This I know," Sian said dryly.
    "But for some, prison was not sufficient." Ariana leaned back, resting on her hands. "Have you heard of the drug Panwyr?"
    That question elicited a response. Sian's long black-clad body twitched. "Yes, of course. Nasty stuff. Dreadfully addictive."
    "So I hear. Emperor Sebestyen would drug his enemies, as well as the wives who had lost their appeal, and then he'd toss them into this hole beneath Level Twelve. Every day or two the guards would toss down Panwyr and food, but not enough for everyone. The prisoners fought and killed one another for the drug or their food. They lived in the dark, like animals, and eventually became little more than animals."
    "And yet your aunt survived this place?" Sian sounded as if he did not believe her, and in truth she couldn't blame him. Level Thirteen sounded very much like a tale whispered to children to make them do as they were told.
Eat all of your peas, or the ghost of Emperor Sebestyen will snatch you up while you sleep and drop you into Level Thirteen
…
    "There was a wizard, Thayne," Ariana