8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

“ Y our majesty, can I get you anything else?” Emilia was sitting next to me, looking completely uncomfortable.

I had decided to have breakfast outside today because everyone needed the fresh air, especially Emilia. She would still be locked in her chambers if I hadn’t ordered her to come outside. I worried about her and at the very least wanted to keep a better eye on her. I didn’t want what happened to ever happen again and her staying locked in her room was a recipe for disaster.

I leaned forward to pluck a grape off of the small table next to my chaise lounge that I made Callum bring outside. From the back, one could see for miles and miles and miles. Sometimes I loved to sit out here and pretend that everything was normal and that I could venture out into those rolling green hills to see what lies beyond.

But I couldn’t.

I plopped another grape into my mouth. “Just relax for a moment, Emilia. There is no one to impress by keeping the castle clean. No royals to entertain. No musicians to play my favorite songs as I dance the night away with different males vying for my attention. No one. So sit back and relax.”

She quieted down after that. I think my tone may have come out too harshly, but she was ruining the joyous mood I was trying to create. I sighed as I pinched off a piece of freshly baked kouign amann and ate it, savoring its sugary taste.

I settled my attention back on the scenery as my mind wandered to the hunter in the tower. He was not what I expected, though I didn’t know what to expect.

That’s not true.

You’re right. I did know what to expect. I was going to kill him and be done with it and now, I replied.

Then kill him.

You know I can’t. I was growing more agitated.

Your sister is dead.

Don’t speak of her. Not you.

She continued as if she didn’t hear me. Your promise to her means nothing.

“I have grown tired of you. Leave.” I could hear rustling beside me, and found Emilia standing to leave.

I must have spoken the words aloud and calmed my tone, “I didn’t mean you. Sit.”

I could see that she was conflicted about what to do. Whenever I began to talk to myself both Callum and Emilia would leave me to my thoughts. They had no idea that I was speaking with my dead governess, and I’d never tell them. It was devastating enough knowing I’d never be able to fully get rid of her.

Even in death, she was a constant companion, no matter how much I loathed her.

A constant companion? How sweet. I think we deserve each other, don’t you? I could hear the disdain in her tone.

I took another bite of the cake and ignored her as I sat straight up at the sight before me. I must have been truly distracted by Circe to not have heard the commotion because a blonde-haired male was being hauled over to me with his hands tied behind his back and a blade to his throat. His nose was bleeding, and I could see discoloration peppering his skin that would soon turn into bruises.

“Callum, what is this?” I stood, alert.

“Your grace, forgive the intrusion, but I found him staring up at the castle as I was out gathering berries for tonight’s dinner.” The blonde one was squirming in Callum’s arms, still not looking at me. “Bow to her majesty!”

Callum whipped him around and pushed him to his knees. Our eyes met. I stared at the boy for longer than necessary, studied him just as hard as he seemed to be studying me. His eyes were a bright blue, brighter than the sky on the sunniest day from what I could remember. So bright that they were almost transparent.

His eyes widened in amazement, no , recognition. “It’s you.”

I was taken aback by his comment. “I have never seen you in my entire existence. Who are you?” I demanded.

“How do you look exactly the same?” He was speaking more to himself than to me.

“Show a little respect when speaking to her.” The blade bit into his skin and blood trickled down as he stilled.

“Please. Help her,” he said desperately.

Now he had my attention.

“Stop.” Callum stilled but didn’t let go of the boy. I descended the stairs and walked up to them. “What are you talking about?”

I needed answers because nothing this boy said was making any sense. The only thing I did know about him, something I could perceive quite rapidly, was that he was harmless. He wasn’t here to hurt anyone. No, he needed me. But for what?

I had to look down as Callum had him on his knees, but his head still came up to right under Callum’s chest.

The boy was panting and didn’t say anything for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

“I need you to save my sister, your, erm, majesty.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose in raw annoyance. “Who is your sister, and why would I have anything to do with that?”

“I know that you save the children who are sacrificed in the Reaping, and I need you to save my sister.”

I took another good look at him, and a shudder ran through me. I knew exactly who this boy was, but I needed confirmation.

“Is your sister’s name, Joséphine?”

“How did you know that?”

I chastised myself until I remembered that his father said no one would be coming to look for him if he didn’t return. That was the entire reason I decided to keep him here and not allow him to leave.

Was it all for nothing? Did I now have two of them to consider?

Though he had yet to ask about his brother. Was he even aware that Bastian was here? Were there others?

I tried not to let the panic break my voice. “Callum, did you see anyone else?”

“No, your grace, just him.”

We would see about that. I reached out both of my hands and dove into his mind. I could faintly hear him screaming, but I didn’t have any time to waste. I couldn’t take my time like I did with his brother.

I quickly went through his memories of the last twenty-four hours to see if he had rallied anyone together to come join this little escapade of his. I was thrown into the middle of a room as he hurriedly ran around, throwing varying possessions into his satchel. A few weapons, a couple of apples, cheese and bread, and a leather-bound book with a quill and ink. A strange combination.

“Please, don’t weave me.”

The boy and I both straightened and turned. A little girl around the age of five was standing in the now open doorway in a pink nightgown with white lace that stopped at her ankles. Her brown hair cascaded down her back and pieces were tied back in white ribbons to match the lace. Her eyes were filled with tears.

The boy gripped his satchel tightly against his shoulder and walked over to Joséphine, kneeling in front of her. “I have to leave.”

“Bast is gone. If you leave, I’ll be all alone.”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead, squeezing his eyes together. Then looked back into her wide eyes, eyes that had yet to understand the horrors of the world she was bred into.

How I envied her naivete.

Though she was about to learn about those horrors if her father got his wish. It was just another reason to detest that vile human. They were all the same, or maybe not. So far, the hunter had proven himself to be a better human than I had met so far. And I had met quite a few over the years.

I focused back on the siblings as he was finishing his goodbye.

“Be strong. Everything will be alright, Jo. I love you.” He left without another glance back.

I followed him out of the house. Disappointment ran through me as I realized the sun had just set and I missed it. I hated to admit it, but I missed the sun. I pushed past the feeling of displeasure and continued to follow him down the street and into the woods. His steps were hurried and he didn’t falter as if he knew exactly where he was going. As if he had walked this path before, many times.

I took a chance to look around because I realized that it was my first time being outside the barriers of my land. Yes, I had been outside in Bastian’s mind, but I didn’t think about it until now, didn’t take the time to bask in how it felt. This was my first time feeling free of the constraints of my curse. I looked over to him as he started talking to himself.

“She has to be here. I don’t know what I will do if she isn’t. But if she isn’t then hopefully someone else will be able to help me.” He took a breath and then rolled his eyes. “And where the fuck did Bast go? What if he got himself killed after he stormed out of the house?” He paused and seemed to ponder what he said, then shook his head. “Oh, he’s not dead, certainly the world would quake once the great Bastian perishes and all father’s hopes and dreams for the family die with him.”

Interesting… Did they not get along?

He kept trudging along, and after a while, I sped up the memory to right before he got to the castle.

I could tell that it was getting closer to morning as the sky had slightly lightened.

He paused right at the gates, just like his brother, took a breath to gather his courage, and then took a step over it. He walked up the dirt pathway, past the trees, over the stone bridge, and stopped walking when he was in the middle of the rose garden right in front of the stone steps.

He wasn’t there long before I saw Callum silently walking up behind him, placing his blade into his side, and said in a lethal voice, “State your business.”

The boy straightened. “I am here to see the woman with dark brown wavy hair, and she was standing next to an older woman. Are either one of them here? I need to—”

Callum hit him in the side of the head with the blunt end of the blade, and the boy fell to the side. “What do you want with her grace?”

He groaned from the pain. “I told you, I just want to speak to her.”

Callum had tried to get answers from him and punched him a few times to make a point, but the boy didn’t fight back once. Interesting. The boy kept reiterating that he would only speak to the dark-haired woman. Me.

I exited his memories because I knew the rest.

“Let him go.”

“But—”

“I said ‘let him go’.” I narrowed my eyes at Callum and dared him to defy an order. He dropped the boy immediately.

“What was that? Why do I feel lightheaded? My body heavy?”

I ignored his questions and commanded, “Tell me your name.”

“Soren Corleone and I came with no one. I am here to ask, no, to beg for your assistance.” He flinched at the pain in his head and body after I assaulted his mind.

I squatted in front of him, an elbow resting on my knee, chin on my palm as I drummed my other hand against my arm. I tilted my head. “I already saw what happened in your brother’s mind. I know that your father has condemned your baby sister to be sacrificed to the beast.”

His eyes blinked with recognition. “Bast is here?”

“Is that the only thing you took out of what I just said?”

“Wait.” I could see that everything I was saying overwhelmed him, and I wasn’t giving him a chance to process anything. “Saw everything? Were you there?”

“Nevermind that. If I allow you to survive, then we can go into specifics. But, for now, you came to ask me to save your sister from dying, did you not?”

He looked relieved and nodded his head, his tense shoulders eased. It was so odd, being a relief to a stranger. He wasn’t hunting me, he needed me. My stomach grew lighter, but I ignored the feeling.

“Why would I do such an act of kindness when I have no reason to?”

He blanched. That was not what he expected me to say.

“I saw you. Is this not what you do? You save the children.”

“Says who?”

“You,” he whispered. What was he talking about?

He tossed a sharp gaze between Callum and I.

“My best friend was sacrificed when I was nine years old.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but no words came out. That was not what I was expecting him to say.

“I followed her into the forest later that night as soon as I could sneak off. I wanted to save her. I was going to run away from everything with her. I tracked her to this castle and hid in the shadows as I saw you and an older woman talking to each other with her standing off to the side with a blanket around her shoulders. I heard you both talking.”

How could I have missed a boy spying on me? A young, inexperienced boy at that. I must have been so engrossed in Mariam’s conversation that I simply didn’t notice. How many others had also penetrated these walls without me knowing? A dread ran through me at the possibilities, but it was something that I could think of at a later date.

I tried to deflect. “I am not sure what you are talking about.”

He looked tired, his eyes were rimmed in red and he started to sweat. “I remember that night clearly. You told her you were tired of the sacrifices and hated humans. You were so passionate about your disdain for what was happening in my village that I—” He cleared his throat. “That isn’t relevant. You instructed the woman to take her and that you would see her the following year for the next Reaping. I left my best friend in your care because I knew she would be safe. I have not worried once during the Reaping because I believed that you would protect them.”

My breathing hitched, and I crossed my arms over my chest. “If you believe wholeheartedly that I would protect them then why come now? Are you lying? Or did you really come to save your brother?”

“I didn’t know Bast was here. I needed to make sure that you were still here, and that you would help her.”

I heard his heart beat faster. He lied. But why lie about something like this? I’d believed everything he said until this point, which meant I couldn’t trust him. Either way, I’d get the truth out of him soon enough.

I noticed that he had yet to ask about his brother.

“Come. This will be fun.”

The moment we stepped inside, Bastian raised his head and went white as a sheet.

“Nonononononono… No! Soren, what are you doing here?” Soren was looking at his brothers' haggard appearance. In his short time here, he had lost a little bit of weight, his cheeks were more pronounced and hollow, and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep.

“Well, what the hell are you doing here?” Soren retorted.

I knew this was going to be fun, so I sat down to watch and Callum came to stand next to me.

Soren walked over to his brother, brows knit together. He lightly ran his fingers over his brother’s bruises which were still a deep purple and tried his best not to flinch when Soren poked too hard. I could explain why he was heavily bruised, but I didn’t care to.

This boy, Soren, already knew too much about me. More than I’d ever want him to. He didn’t also need to know I felt some remorse over the unfair fight, or that in too many sick and twisted ways, I wanted to make his brother’s cock stir again.

Soren stared at his brother in disbelief. “What did she do to you?”

He was surprised by this, and I felt a tinge of discomfort at his shame in me. And that pissed me off.

When they both looked my way, I smiled and waved at both of them.

“Be careful. She has magic flowing in her veins. She is not to be trusted,” Bastian warned.

Soren set his satchel down on the ground and began to rifle through it. Callum tensed beside me, ready to strike, but the boy surprised us by bringing out that notebook, ink, and quill. He dipped the quill in the ink and began to write.

The room was silent as we watched him write, ignoring everyone, lost in his world.

“Oh no, don’t let us interrupt you.”

He looked up and asked me, “Is that what you meant earlier by seeing everything? Did you somehow go into my mind? Does it always hurt when you do that?”

Bastian gave him a patronizing look. “Is that truly what is pertinent, Ren?”

He set his notebook down before trying to pull at the rope.

“I wouldn’t do that, the more you pull, the tighter they get.”

He turned his head swiftly toward me and asked in an exasperated tone, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I said. If you continue you will end up cutting his hands off and that would be a shame. I have plans for those hands.”

“Does that mean they are spelled?” He stopped trying to free his brother and reached down to write in that notebook again.

Was he taking notes about me? What a curiously weird human.

I wasn’t struck speechless often, but I didn’t understand how this boy could not care that his brother was strapped to a chair, practically nude.

The hunter must have been thinking the same thing because he said through his teeth, “Soren, put that fucking notebook down and pay attention!”

He lifted his finger, finished whatever it was he was writing, and then said, “From my calculations,” he pushed the brim of his round glasses back up his nose, “you came out here to kill the beast to placate father and end the Reaping, but instead you found her and pissed her off enough to land yourself in this situation.”

This boy was quicker than I thought, and far more intelligent than his brother.

“Wait, if you’re here then who is looking out for Joséphine?” Bastian panicked and started struggling against the ropes. “You can’t leave her alone with him! He is going to sacrifice her! You have to go back and stop it! Take her away! I don’t care, but get her away from him.”

“Stop moving.” He was going to injure himself even more if he didn’t calm down.

“Why do you think I’m here?”

Bastian stopped struggling. “What are you saying?”

“I told you she was real.”

The hunter widened his eyes as they fell back onto mine. “ This is the woman you were talking about when we were kids?”

Soren nodded his head. “I came to beg for her to help, Jo.”

“And he has yet to explain why,” I interjected. “Why would I help you when you lied to me?”

“I didn’t lie.”

“Oh, yes you did. Well, not all of the truth. Your sister is not the only reason why you came to see me after all these years. So, why?”

I saw the ball in his throat bob as he carefully thought about what to say next. “I came here for you. I have been wanting to return since the day I saw you.” Soren walked to me and knelt, bowing his head. “I will do anything to save my little sister, but I wanted to see you again.”

“Me?”

“I’ve wanted to see you and this place since I was a boy.”

I gave him a smile that I hoped felt condescending. “Am I supposed to be flattered by finding out I’ve had a child stalker for years?”

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do, be whoever you want me to be, if you save my sister.”

A slow smile spread across my face as my eyes met Bastian’s, who was devastated by the turn of events. I put my eyes back on the bowed head before me, just like his brother yesterday. However, this one was way more submissive. I loved seeing a man on his knees.

I leaned forward, grabbed his chin between two fingers, and raised his face to mine. His eyes were so transparent that I could read him so easily. He meant every single word he said.

“And if I asked you to kill yourself for her, would you?”

I raised my hand without looking at the boy, indicating to Callum that I wanted his blade. He handed it to me, and I presented it to Soren. Without hesitation, Soren grabbed the blade and brought it up to his neck. Bastian was screaming behind him, a stream of incoherent sentences.

“As you wish.” He sat there waiting for me to give him a signal to do it, but I just sat there contemplating.

What are you going to do, Callie?

What was I going to do? I focused on the facts.

This boy was innocent, more than innocent. He was going to sacrifice himself to save his sister. That was something that I could empathize with. It was almost comical that any of this was happening. Here were Joséphine’s older brothers ready to give up their lives to protect her. What a lucky girl. If either brother had left well enough alone, their sister would have been spared regardless. Though they didn’t need to know any of those details, not when I had them in my clutches.

I was wet just seeing Soren on his knees, so willing to do as he was told. A good boy. I loved a good fight, but there was something about a man giving himself fully over to me. That was why Callum and I had such a fun time together. Could I handle the two of them?

“There is no need to kill yourself when I think you would be of more use to me alive.” I sat back. “You came here for me? Fine. I will save her life for yours. You have my word.”

I could see his throat bob. I had him. And so did Bastian.

He yelled, “Do not listen to her, Soren! She will do anything to keep you here!”

“I wasn’t talking to you. Actually,” I waved my hand and unbound him. I smirked at the stunned expression on his face, speechless for once. “I set you free.”

Bastian stood on shaky legs. His strength still had not returned fully.

I clapped my hands together and said gleefully, “What fun we are going to have.”

Soren swallowed, not completely understanding what he happily walked himself into.

I flicked my finger at the door, flinging it open. “Get out,” I said, still staring at Soren.

“I am staying.” Bastian was stubborn as a bull.

“I don’t remember offering that option to you,” I teased. “You and I both know what our arrangement is.”

“I am your slave in exchange for Joséphine’s protection.”

“Actually, the deal was that you would do whatever I said and I am telling you to leave.”

Bastian wasn’t backing down.

“Then why offer this to me?” Soren questioned.

I slid my eyes to Bastian and gave him a sly smile as he answered, “Because she wants me and she knows that I would never leave you alone with her.”

I didn’t deny it.

“She loves her games.” Bastian stood on shaky legs and walked over to us. “You think you are so smart. That you are the only one who sees everything, but you’re not. I see how much you enjoy it when I defy you. How much it turns you on when I threaten to kill you,” Bastian seethed.

I narrowed my eyes. Maybe he was smarter than I gave him credit for. He scoffed and looked down at his brother. “I will be home soon. It won’t take long for me to find a way to kill her.”

I looked over at Bastian. “If I wanted to play games, I would have asked if you wanted to make a wager. Then I would have asked how long you think it would take until your little brother’s heart gave out from lack of oxygen.”

I shot my shadows toward Soren’s throat, wrapped around it, and squeezed lightly as his eyes widened. He was too stunned to move and while inflicting pain on others always brought an immeasurable amount of joy to me, this felt wrong. I felt nothing but disgust for harming an innocent, but I was quickly learning that they were the same. They would do anything to protect the ones closest to them. Predictable. I just needed to hold out a little bit longer until…

“Let him go!” Bastian roared.

He took a step forward, ready to charge me, knowing full well that he was outmatched.

I let go of my grip on Soren as he crumpled to the ground and stared up at me. He looked up at me with not a trace of anger in him. No, that look in his eyes was awe. I ignored him as I looked back at Bastian.

“I said, if I was in the mood to play games. Luckily for you, I am not.”

“I will stay,” Soren said defiantly.

Bastian raged. “No, you won’t.”

“You don’t own me. I can make my own choices.”

“You don’t understand!” Bastian exclaimed.

“You heard your brother.” I turned my attention to the fiery blonde. A thought came to me and I ripped his shirt open while maintaining eye contact and ran a nail down the length of his breast then sliced the bed of my finger and pressed it against his wound.

I winked as I brought my bloody finger up to my lips and sucked his blood, and faced Bastian. “And now he is spelled to stay with me until I die or if I give permission.”

Bastian cursed and punched the top of the chair that he had been strapped to. His hands were pulling at the little hairs on the nape of his neck.

“Beg me to stay.”

He wasn’t looking at me, but at his brother behind me, his eyes pleading. Whatever silent fight they were having with their eyes ended with Bastian sighing.

“Well, pet, what is your choice?”

He hung his head and said, “Please, allow me the honor of serving you until I become a shell of the man I once was until the reaper takes pity on my soul.”

He was so dramatic.

“Don’t want to leave him with the big, bad beast?”

“No.”

“No, what?”

He sighed. “No, your grace.”

I moved closer to him, whispering into his ear, running my hands through his chest hair, allowing myself this small reprieve from the growing heat between my legs. “This will be a lot more fun. Don’t you think?” He had fought me at every turn. Throughout all of the torture, he always had a witty retort. “You will behave yourself. Do You. Understand. Me.”

He nodded. His chest was already exposed, so I ran a finger down the same spot as his brother, pressing down as he hissed. I sliced my finger back open, and placed it over his chest.

“This cut will ensure that neither one of you leaves these lands ever again.”

I could tell by his expression that he regretted ever coming here. I could also tell that he would keep his word in trying his best to kill me the first chance he got. He would fail, but it would be fun to watch.

I stood back and said, “Oh, and since we are going to be living together for the foreseeable future, I suppose I will let you in on a little secret.” I smiled down at him. “You could have escaped if you were to make it out of the tower. There was no spell binding you to my lands.”

“What?” His skin paled.

The only answer I gave him was a simple shrug.

I walked to the middle of the room so I could address them both. “If you are starting to hesitate and regret your life decisions, it no longer matters. You both belong to me.”

I turned to walk out of the room when Bastian spoke up. “I will stay up here and continue upholding our end of the deal. I will never complain, and I will never try to escape. I am yours to do with whatever you please. Just…let my idiotic brother go.”

He is quite persistent, isn’t he?

“No.”

I ignored Circe, and continued staring down into the eyes that wanted to murder me in the most gruesome of ways. There was a twitch in his jaw that gave him away, despite trying his best to speak to my human side. They would learn that the human side of me died out long ago. All I had left were two humans to protect, and now both brothers stood to jeopardize the sliver of peace I’d managed to obtain.

He took a few deep breaths and said, “Then please, I beg you, don’t torture my brother. Whatever you have planned for us—I will take both punishments.”

Soren was confused by his brother’s actions.

“No need for dramatics, yet. If you both are useful to me, obey me, then there’s no need for torture.”