98. Aurelia

Chapter 98

Aurelia

A s I lie on my side, gagged, hands and ankles bound on the floor of the rumbling van, my heart pounding in my head and my cheeks wet with tears, I realise my fate had been leading me here all along.

I'd spent my entire adult life running away from this. And despite every desperate attempt, my well-laid plans had led me right into that very place of nightmares. I'm either a complete madwoman, or a genius. Right now, I feel like the former.

A sneering voice in my head, full of guilt and shame, whispers, "What makes you think this is going to work? What makes you think you can bring the serpent king down as his captive on a breeding table?"

"Faith," I reply. Then more strongly, "And fury."