Read Hostage for Free Online

sandwiches, they are too heavy. Here….” He put a few small tidbits on a plate and handed it to Astrin, who looked at it suspiciously. Ragnor smiled. “Trust me. Eat slowly and you’ll be fine. Rowan… if you would.”
    He retreated to the door, and Rowan obediently followed. When the door closed behind them, Ragnor rounded on him.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, angry at Rowan’s obvious mistreatment of the captive prince.
    “I don’t know what you mean.”
    “I think you do. I want you to remember what that boy’s been through, and what he will continue to go through.”
    “I’m remembering,” Rowan said with a nasty smile.
    “Rowan,” Ragnor said, turning to face him with sadness replacing the anger. “You are my cousin, and I have always been very fond of you. You have impressed me with your courage and strength of character, and I have considered you to be a good man, a strong man. However, I have to say at the moment, I don’t think you are either. The way you are treating that boy is wrong. You disgust and disappoint me. Every time you torture him, you destroy part of your own soul. Don’t destroy any more of it, Rowan.”
    Leaving a stunned Rowan staring after him, Ragnor stalked off.
     
     
    F OR A moment Rowan remained immobile, then he growled and went back into the room, slamming the door. Astrin looked up, seeming startled. Rowan gave him a dark look and threw himself into the chair.
    Ragnor had helped Astrin get up onto the bed, and he was sitting upright propped on pillows. He looked more normal than before, more…. The black pajamas set off his ash-blond hair and made him look paler, but they covered the tube in his arm and the scars on his belly.
    Astrin chewed thoughtfully, watching him.
    “You’re not my friend, are you?” he said, a deep sadness in his voice and face. “You’re someone who’s been told to take care of me, and you don’t like it. You don’t like me.”
    Rowan scowled at him.
    “Did I do something to you? I mean… did I hurt you?”
    “What?” Rowan snapped, making Astrin blink.
    “You more than don’t like me. You seem to hate me, so I was wondering what I’ve done to make you do that. Did I…? What did I do?”
    Rowan looked into the sincere green eyes, which were far from clear and never would be as long as he was here. If Rowan had been thinking clearly, he would have been impressed that—even though he was drugged, hurt, and ill—Astrin was handling the situation far better than he was. Unfortunately, Rowan was not thinking clearly, and the only thing that crossed his mind was frustration. He was so determined to hate Astrin, no matter what, he’d blinded himself to anything about Astrin that was admirable or likable.
    The things he couldn’t ignore—Astrin’s obvious beauty and calmness of spirit—did nothing more than irritate him enormously. Somewhere deep inside, he knew Astrin was a good person, but Rowan wouldn’t acknowledge it. He couldn’t, because if he did he’d have to stop hating Astrin, and that was simply not going to happen.
    “You didn’t do anything. I just don’t like you.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because you’re self-absorbed, stuck-up, and arrogant.”
    Astrin’s eyes went wide. “Am I? I… I don’t feel like I am.”
    Rowan snorted. “No one who’s truly arrogant ever believes they are.”
    Astrin considered. “I suppose you’re right. I don’t want to be any of those things.” He considered again. “Will you help me?”
    “Help you?”
    “Help me not be anymore.”
    Rowan snorted again. “Yeah right.”
    “No, seriously. I really don’t want to be those things you said I am—any of them. Please help me change.”
    Rowan stared at him, genuinely shocked. “Um… er… okay…. Okay, I will…. At least I’ll do my best.”
    Astrin treated him to a blinding smile that made him feel slightly stunned. Those eyes were powerful weapons. Thank the Gods Astrin wasn’t aware enough to