10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

M y eyes fluttered open slowly. Fragments of what had happened came crashing down around me, and I sat up quickly. I gasped when I realized I was in Cassius’ bed and immediately tried to stand up. The weight of the chain around my wrists is what I noticed first. This prick kidnapped me and chained me to his bed like some kind of ogre. I growled in anger and pulled as hard as I could, but they were attached too strongly. Frustrated, I gave up pulling, and instead, I tested to see how far I could go. The chains let me roam the room freely, but I couldn’t go any farther than that.

My darkness sat inside of me, seemingly content despite the predicament we found ourselves in. I couldn’t fathom why it was not full of the white-hot rage I was used to. A noise by the bedroom door startled me. Cassius was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, and watching me.

“You’re awake.”

“And you’re a dead man walking,” I sneered.

Cassius smiled brightly at me.

“I’ve missed your bad attitude, my love.”

I said nothing. Whatever his plan was here, I would not engage with it. Turning from him, I sat on the edge of the bed. I hoped he came closer so I could snap his neck.

“Food is being prepared for you. Do you need anything else?”

I ignored him, and after a moment of silence, his soft chuckle disappeared down the hallway. My mind was calm as I sat in a room that felt both comforting and familiar.

That pissed me off. I should be raging. I stood and started pacing around the space. What was he planning on doing with me?

It wasn’t long until Cassius appeared in the doorway again, this time with a large tray of food. He used his shadows to move it to the bed, like he knew I would attack him if he stepped foot in here.

“What are you doing?” I snapped. “Planning on killing me once and for all?”

My words made him flinch, as if I had slapped him. Cassius rubbed the back of his neck.

“I didn’t really think. I was just thinking of you leaving and going back to Cerithia. It was too much to bear. So, I don’t know, I took you.” He shrugged.

My eyes flickered at Wisp floating by him in her happy, dark green flames. I didn’t say anything to him for a moment.

“You know I am going to kill you the first chance I get, right?”

“I would expect nothing less,” he said, giving me a sad smile. “Call for me if you need anything.”

“You are the last fae I would call for anything.”

Cassius’ golden eyes dimmed, but he left me alone. Wisp floated outside of the room. I picked up the bread from my tray and threw it at her.

“Glad to know that you were never on my side.”

Her flames turned white, but I turned my back to her and sat down on the bed.

Did my family know that Cassius had me? I’m sure they would find out once they reached the border and I was gone. Shit. The guards were in Falgon uniforms. They would probably send guards to Falgon to rescue me, not Crimson. I pushed the plate of food off the bed, making a mess on the floor, before crawling under the covers.

I hated how the blankets smelled of Cassius, yet I wanted nothing more than to breathe in his scent. Flustered, I sighed heavily and sat up in the bed, glancing at the doorway. No one was there, but I could hear faint talking from somewhere close by. I stood and walked toward the doorway, trying to hear the conversation, but it was useless.

I tried to clear my mind but couldn’t move my gaze from the bed. Flashes of Cassius and I together plagued me. Gods, this was fucking torture. Tearing my gaze away, I started pacing around the room, wondering what Cassius wanted from me.

“I see you didn’t want the food.” His voice stopped me in my tracks. I turned to see him standing at the doorway, just out of reach. His eyes glanced over me as if he were looking for wounds before they found my own. My chest ached at the sight of him. This was not how I expected to see him for the first time after his betrayal. A flash of stabbing him back made me flinch and look away.

“So, you did plan the kidnapping,” I sighed.

“No. I told you I was tipped off by a friend.”

I forced myself to look at him again because I didn’t want him to know that he held any power over me. Would he enchant me again, or would he use whatever dark magic he had to trick me?

“You haven’t come to kill me yet; why?” His question confused me.

“It isn’t because I didn’t want to. My father didn’t think I was ready,” I sighed. “I can kill you now if you’d unchain me and let my magic free.”

Cassius glanced at the chains and smiled, like he knew something I didn’t. Gods, he was too handsome for a man who murdered me.

“Maybe your father is scared to have you close to me," he smirked.

“Why would that scare him?” Would he admit that he would enchant me?

“Because you might remember me and decide you made the wrong choice in the clearing.”

“I didn’t.” I crossed my arms and watched him closely. My darkness still couldn’t feel any fear from him, and I couldn’t understand why. “My father knows my loyalties lie with him.”

Cassius’ eyes flashed black as he straightened up, clenching his fists.

“I’m more interested in knowing if you let that little weasel, Jesper, manipulate you into having feelings for him.”

It was my turn to stand tall and glare.

“Fuck you.”

“You have, many times, my love.” Cassius gave me a smug smile.

“You are a bastard!”

“So I’ve been told.” He took a step toward me.

I stepped back away from him. He watched me move away and kept coming closer, but I matched each forward step of his with a back step of my own, causing him to pause and frown.

“Have you had more memories of us?”

“No,” I lied. “Even if I did, I know none of it was true. I know the truth of what happened.”

Cassius chuckled loudly before looking at me.

“No, you don’t.” He stepped forward again, but I had nowhere else to go. I was pushed against the wall. “You want to know how I know you don’t know the truth?” Another step forward. My heart raced as he stalked me like prey. “Because you would be here, in Crimson and with me, if you knew the truth. You would be sleeping in our bed tonight. You would be begging me to touch you just how you like. You would be calling out my name to the stars to let them know who owns your body, Thea.”

I pressed my thighs together, refusing to let him see the effects his dirty mouth had on me.

“You are fucking delusional.”

“And your breathing is heavy, and your eyes are turning black, Thea. You like when I say things like this to you.”

I snapped my mouth shut. He stepped forward again, so he was only about a foot from me.

“Do you really think you can stay away from me?” he demanded an answer. He leaned down so we were eye level, his arms caging me against the wall. “If you want me, you can have me,” his voice dripped like honey in my ears.

My eyes bounced between his. All the words he spoke in the clearing that day crashed down around me, and I burst into tears. He was tricking me again, or was he? My overwhelmed mind and heart couldn’t tell the difference anymore. My heart thought he might mean these words, but my brain told me he didn’t.

“My love…” Cassius tilted my chin up to meet his eyes.

I tore my face from his grasp, crying out, “I know you enchanted me into believing that you actually loved me, and I know that is what you are doing now. I know why you want the bloodstone, and I will never give it to you. I would rather die with no memories than remember what you did to me.”

Cassius stumbled back, as if my words slapped him.

“Why do you think I want your bloodstone?”

My bloodstone? It belonged to my father.

“To free you from your curse.”

Cassius’ eyes widened.

“My curse,” he muttered. “Who told you that?” His brows furrowed.

“My father.”

“I see.” He looked at me again, although now with no emotion. “And you believe everything the King of Cerithia tells you?”

“I believe him more than I believe you.”

Cassius stared at me for a long moment before he turned and left the room without a word. I waited for him to come back, but he didn’t. Hours went by, and I lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Late into the night, I turned to my side, trying to stay awake. I let out a startled scream, jumping up from the bed. The woman with star-colored eyes was standing in the room, watching me. Her dress was a dark crimson red this time. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“You aren’t real,” I whispered. “What is wrong with me?”

"Well, for starters, you talk to yourself a lot.” The woman’s voice was soft, like a melody. My eyes snapped open, and I looked at her.

“You’ve been watching me; why?” I looked at the woman closely. “If Cassius sent you, then you can fuck off.”

She smiled. Gods, she was beautiful. Her black hair was in loose waves, and her star-colored eyes shone brightly against her dark skin.

“Cassius doesn’t know I’m here.”

“So, he knows who you are?” I questioned.

“Yes,” she sighed.

“What do you want?” I stood straight to show her I wasn’t scared of her. Her eyes took in my new stance, and she gave me a small smile.

“I want you to break your curse, so I’m here.”

“Do I know you? Why would you care about me?”

The woman watched me carefully before taking a hesitant step away from me. I couldn’t sense fear from her, but I was wearing magic-binding cuffs, so I couldn't tell. After studying her face for a moment, though, I realized that she looked... scared of me.

“My name is Ardella, but you may call me Della if you’d like.” Her name sounded familiar, but I could not remember why. I could tell she was watching me for any sort of reaction to her name. When I didn’t give one, she continued. “I’m the goddess who is responsible for your curse.”

Her confession had me frozen in my spot. Everything around me seemed to stop as her words sank into me.

“You’re the goddess who cursed me?”

“Well, my brother did, but it was my fault,” she said with a frown.

It didn’t matter that she was a goddess; I charged at her. All the anger I had been harboring about my life escaped me. How could she be so fucking cruel to me? I launched at her, but she disappeared a moment before I would have tackled her. Instead, I hit the floor, knocking the wind from myself. Fuck. I groaned as I stared at the ceiling from my back. Della peered over me.

“Cassius warned me that you would try to kick my ass if I told you who I was. I guess I should have listened.” She smiled. “I see why you and Cassius work so well together.”

“How could you do this to me? Why did I deserve such a cruel fate?”

Her smile disappeared.

“It was not intentional,” she said, reaching out to help me up. I grabbed her hand and sat on the bed with her. “I’m trying to right my wrongs, but unfortunately, my brother tied my tongue with magic. I cannot tell you anything directly.”

I sat silent for a moment, allowing this news to slowly sink in. “What did I do to your brother to make him do this?”

“Nothing. He was only taking his anger out on you. It is me he is angry with. I did an unforgivable thing, and I fear I destroyed anything compassionate about Mikel.” Della glanced around the room. “What Cassius did in the clearing that day triggered Mikel, and he refused to look at the situation without thinking of his own trauma. His emotions overwhelmed him, and he reacted by making stupid decisions,” she sighed before continuing. “And now there is no way to take it back.”

“I’m guessing you won’t be telling me who I should believe among all of these liars.”

“I wish I could, but part of breaking your curse is you making that choice freely.” Della glanced over at me again. “If I could go back in time and change what happened that day, I would.”

“Well, I don’t feel close to understanding anything. Every interaction I have with my family and Cassius only confuses me more.”

“I can’t imagine,” she frowned. We sat in silence, both of us seeming to be lost in our own minds. Della glanced at me.

“You have a prophecy to fulfill; do you know what side you are fighting for?”

Her star-colored eyes stared into me, like she was trying to communicate some unspoken words with me.

“Obviously Cerithia.” I held up the chains on my wrists. “Why did you come here?”

She frowned. “Cassius was not supposed to take you, and I wanted to make sure you knew you needed to return to Cerithia.”

“So, Cerithia is the right choice?” I found this truth disappointing, but I refused to acknowledge why I felt that way.

“I did not say that. You must go back so that the prophecy will happen. Cassius wants to explain things, but you are not in a space where you will listen, and you won't be until you are in Cerithia learning the truth of all of this.” As the words left her mouth, there was a sadness that filled her face.

Della reached over and gripped my hand tightly in hers.

I felt tears at the corners of my eyes as I told her, “But I feel so confused about everything. Nothing makes sense.”

“I can’t tell you anything except that Cerithia holds truths that you have not discovered yet. The pieces will start falling into place, I promise. But I don't think you will truly make the right choice until you learn what secrets Cerithia holds.” She stood up, like she was about to leave. “I must go before my brother knows I’m meddling. I will continue to try and get memories through, but it’s difficult. You can head back to Cerithia anytime you want.”

I held up my chains.

“Kind of hard to do that.”

Della chuckled, which confused me.

“You haven’t even tried to escape, have you? Cassius would never lock you up. The chains you’re wearing are not magic-binding. You can leave as soon as you decide to.”

My cheeks heated at this truth. I hadn’t tried to leave.

Della turned around but paused. The air filled with thick tension as she turned back toward me.

“I am sorry for the pain you will endure, but I have no doubt that you will succeed no matter how hard the circumstances are. You are strong, like your mother.”

I opened my mouth, but she disappeared.

I was left alone, staring blankly at the wall. When I shifted on the bed, the chains rattled, and I held up my hands. I could feel my darkness swirling inside of me alongside my fire magic, but it did not feel suffocated.

I brought forth my inner heat, causing the chains to slowly melt from my skin and drip onto the bed, leaving molten pools of metal behind to harden. I kept my mind on the task at hand and refused to explore the idea of why I hadn’t thought to try using my magic. Slowly, I stood up and cautiously walked out of the room, expecting to see guards watching me. Surprisingly, there were none. It was going to be incredibly easy to escape. I knew that guards lined the horse stables, so escaping on foot was my only option. My heart pounded, and anxiety laced my insides as I made my way out of the castle and into the surrounding wilderness. My lungs burned with determination to get back to Cerithia, but not because I missed it. No, I wanted to break my curse. And Cerithia was the first step to doing that. I needed to fulfill the prophecy so I could make sense of my life.

Flashes of Cassius’ sad gaze earlier entered my mind unbidden, which made my feet slow down. I couldn’t understand why he took me or why he wouldn’t bind my magic. Was he not scared of me at all? Suddenly, Wisp appeared in front of me as if she were trying to stop me, but I ran right through her vaporous form.

In the distance, I heard Cassius yelling for me. I could feel my darkness suffering as it begged for me to turn around, but Della’s words swarmed my mind. I needed to go back to Cerithia and learn the truths I missed. So, I kept running.