Chapter 14

14

REYA

W hen I enter the commander's suite, Nyra informs me that she has packed everything away in my bag. I thank her for looking after me and she assures me it was an honour to serve a Shadow Kissed and something she will always remember. She leaves me alone and I walk to the window and, opening it, lean on the frame and peer out into the night. I had hoped I'd get to see a little more of Brinwood and maybe even meet a fellow Shadow Kissed, but it wasn't to be. I feel a mixture of excitement and fear at travelling to Shadow Valley. I have heard so much about it from the men in the inn; I've built an image in my head of a dark and foreboding place, surrounded by the onyx crystal mountains. It will also be the last place I see before the reaping. Possibly the last place on Asen that I'll visit. What will the other girls be like? Will they have had similar experiences to those I had growing up or not? Maybe for the first time in my life, I won't feel different. I'll be surrounded by other girls with the same fate as mine.

Raegal returns to the suite, and I inform him everything is packed. He has me place my bag beside his on the floor and then he holds out his hand to me. I gaze at his hand, then up at him.

"I'm afraid you'll need to hold on to me for this next part."

Clearing my throat, I step into his personal space. He takes my hands in his and I don't miss the tingle of electricity that travels across my skin where we touch. He places my arms around his neck and wraps his around my waist.

"Ready?"

"No," I admit, shaking my head and worrying at my bottom lip. He makes me flinch when he gently grips the bottom of my chin.

"I promise you are safe with me." His pale grey eyes hold me prisoner. Grey eyes are a distinctive feature of the Shadow Borne. There is something about the colour that draws me in. In certain lighting, they look silver.

I jump slightly when his shadows leak from his body and grow, wrapping us in a cocoon. They move faster and faster until I can't see any of the surrounding room. His shadows fully encase us, and then there's a sharp blast of cold air and the deafening sound of his shadows whirring around us. I gaze up at him and his eyes are pure black as he uses his magic. He looks like a beautiful monster. Capable of tearing down the world and obliterating everything. His dark eyes stare down at me, and I can't tear my gaze away from him. He is both terrifying and magnificent all at once. A strand of his shadows reaches out and cups my face and I can't help but want to lean into it. His magic should repel me, but instead, I am inexplicably drawn to it.

As fast as his shadows appear, they withdraw back into him. The last strand being the one touching my face. It lingers, almost as though the shadow doesn't want to leave.

I blink in surprise when I cast my gaze around us and realise that we are indeed in an entirely different location. Surrounding us on all sides are high black onyx mountains. To the north are stone steps that lead to a large circular stone structure that holds black whirring shadows inside. My head whizzes in all directions, eager to take everything in. This is Shadow Valley. I'm now deep within the confines of my enemy's lair. Grand buildings line either side of a wide pathway. As I glance down at the paving stones beneath my feet, I notice that they are made from moonstone crystals. White and bright and contrasting starkly against the dark bricked buildings. My gaze is irresistibly pulled down the long promenade to the very end, where I catch my first glimpse of the gateway to the shadow realm. Even from this distance, you can feel the energy emanating from the strange structure. Wide onyx steps lead up to it. It hovers as if suspended in the air, circular in shape and surrounded by what appears to be thick black vines and thorns. I shudder at the realisation that one day I will walk through that gateway and never return.

"Welcome to Shadow Valley," Raegal says, watching my reaction to our new surroundings. I realise I still have my arms tightly wrapped around his neck and I flush, clearing my throat as I casually withdraw from him, taking a step back.

"Woah!" I groan as I almost lose my balance. Is the floor moving? Raegal reaches out and grabs my waist.

"Easy now. I think you're a little lightheaded after travelling here."

I close my eyes and shake my head, trying to clear the dizziness. "Yeah, hopefully I won't be doing that again anytime soon."

He gives me a few minutes to settle, and then gestures with his hand for us to walk across the promenade. I am drawn to a large dome-shaped building that resembles a temple. "What is that building?" Once again made from onyx infused bricks, that almost look like glass with the moonlight bouncing off them. Standing in the centre of the enormous building is a statue almost as tall as the pillars that sit on either side of it. A godly male, with deep-set eyes and a strong angular jaw, he looks out across the valley with a dominant glare.

Raegal follows my line of sight. "That is the temple of our god, Arawn. It's where we worship and make offerings."

My eyebrows shoot heavenward. "What offerings?"

He grins at me. "No Asen's, you'll be pleased to know. We make offerings made from shadow dust or onyx crystal carved into his likeness."

I nod my head, listening, all the while my eyes are concentrated on the large glistening crystal statue of their god. "We're not barbaric like the Ignis, who sacrifice their people to their god, Aelius."

I don't miss the bite in his tone when he refers to the Flame Borne. The two realms have been in a bitter war for centuries, with no end in sight. I've never seen a Flame Borne, no one on Asen has. Rumour has it that when you gaze into their eyes, you can see an actual ring of fire around their pupils, and they ride dragons. Actual dragons. I think it all sounds far-fetched. I tag along behind Raegal as he guides us through the valley towards the large imposing mansion. Its four turrets at each corner dominate the night sky. The mansion, built from bricks containing onyx, sparkles against the moonlight, giving it an eerie appearance. I find my eyes being drawn back towards the portal. I'm drawn in by its magnetic pull as the black shadows whirl inside the circular stone arch.

"Frown at the portal any harder and you'll likely decimate it," Raegal says in front of me, not bothering to turn around when he addresses me.

"Can someone decimate it?"

He looks over his shoulder to address me now. "If they could, I wouldn't tell you, would I? You have made your feelings about my kind abundantly clear," he says dryly.

"As have you about mine," I remind him, continuing to trail behind him. "What do you expect me to be? Grateful?" I ask him, sarcasm lacing my words. "Am I supposed to be grateful that you've taken me from the only home I've ever known, to a fate I hear terrifying rumours about, and never to see my family again?"

I jerk in surprise when he's suddenly standing right in front of me. How the hell did he move so fast?

He glowers down at me. "You really are a pain in my ass, ascian. I expect you to know that the gods chose you for a reason and that by giving yourself up to your fate, you are ensuring your town prospers and has access to crops for the next fifty years."

I snicker, trying not to appear intimidated by his nearness and the anger I feel rolling off him. "Please! We were fine until your kind came along bringing those mutts with you."

He shakes his head and smirks at me. "You're naive and clueless. Your crops were dying, your people beginning to starve, when we entered your realm. Kid yourself all you want, but without us, your kind would likely be extinct by now. Our co-existence serves both our realms, and you'd do well to remember that."

"Your insufferable, you know that? Standing here preaching to me about what I should think. You know nothing about me!" I tip my chin up and stare defiantly at him, my chest heaving with the anger that burns within me for this dark beast before me.

"I am preaching to you because I think your opinions are misplaced. I know more about you than you think, my angry little ascian."

I don't like the smug grin on his face, and I cross my arms and glare back at him. "You know nothing. How could you? We met like a few days ago."

He smirks again and grips my chin, forcing my head back as he leans in, so close I can feel his icy breath on my face. "I know you lost your father when you were twelve years old to the mining disaster. I know you taught yourself to hunt and fight so that if you ever needed to, you could protect your family. I know that there's something different about you, and I think your mother has done her best to hide whatever that is from the world. I also know you are the most annoying Ascian woman I've ever met!"

I blink, shocked by the tirade of his angry words. He's stunned me to silence.

He scoffs. "So, you do know how to stay silent sometimes."

"Kiss my Ascian ass," I hiss at him. He makes me so bloody angry! I clench my fists, fighting the urge to shove him and beat my fists on his chest. This man stands for everything I hate, and he is a constant reminder of the fact that my life is not my own.

He leans in even closer, stealing my breath and I gasp when one of his shadows wraps around my neck and lightly squeezes. "I wouldn't kiss your ass if you paid me. I am a busy man; I don't have time for your dramatic woe is me drama." He's gone in a blink, walking about ten strides ahead of me. His shadows linger against my throat and softly caress my skin, leaving a warm tingling sensation. I shudder and brush it away, and it slithers after its master and disappears back to where it came.

We don't speak the rest of our walk towards the mansion. Anger radiates between us. We are the epitome of mutual hatred. The two imposing large doors, that stand at around eight feet tall, begin to open at our approach. Two guards in full military attire bow their heads as we pass them. Gods, being a Lord Commander really means something important to them if they bow to him!

My thoughts disappear when I see the inside of the mansion. Seeing the mansion's interior, my eyes are instantly captivated. The entrance has an arched ceiling depicting a beautiful mural of two lovers surrounded by shadows and stars. The female's eyes are closed as her lovers kisses her neck; I blink in surprise when I realise the stars in the mural twinkle as if they are real. Large foreboding pillars support the vast ceiling, and elegant black candelabras light the entire space. The floor is stark white in stark contrast to the ceiling and when I study it beneath my feet; I realise that the floor is opalite, a crystal that provides a sense of peace and purity and I notice that the sensation washes through me the further we move through the room. Perhaps they designed it that way to deceive the Shadow Kissed into thinking they are safe.

"Ah, I was wondering when you might arrive." A female voice pulls my attention from the glistening floor beneath my feet. A middle-aged woman, who looks to be in her late thirties, stands at the top of the grand black stone staircase that sweeps up either side of the entrance hallway. She's wearing a long black dress that looks like silk, the sleeves long and bell shaped at the bottom, her crimson red nails peeking out. She wears her hair in a perfect twist at the nape of her neck. She fixes her pale grey eyes on me. I watch her study me, looking me over from head to toe, and I shuffle under her gaze. "You've brought with you one of my protegee's," she says referencing me, as she glides down the stairs. She moves so effortlessly that it is almost as if she floats down.

I wrongly assumed all Shadow Borne women had black hair, unless she uses herbs to colour hers. When she reaches the bottom of the staircase, she walks straight over to me and lifts my face with a single taloned finger. "She's a beauty, and that hair is stunning, but she's defiant and angry." I blink at her direct words, and she smiles knowingly at me with her plump red lips. "It radiates off you. You need to learn to control your emotions, otherwise you will make rash decisions that could cost you." She releases my face and spins on her heels to address Raegal. He smiles warmly at her, which shocks me.

"Moryen. It is good to see you." He leans in and kisses her forehead. This must be the Shadow Borne way of greeting each other. How strange!

"Jasiel not with you?" she asks, looking behind us.

Raegal shakes his head, still smiling at her. "Sadly, no. He's stayed behind to collect our new recruits."

Her eyes trail back over to me. "This one is a little early, and you brought her by shadow weave."

I avert my eyes, feeling uncomfortable having them both looking at me. "I will fill you in on everything shortly. Can someone escort Eretreya to her room? She's been travelling all day and will likely be ready for her bed."

Moryen nods her head and calls out. "Orna!" Two seconds later a young Asen girl appears at the top of the stairs, her eyes widen when she sees Raegal. It's understandable, he is a sight for sore eyes in his full military uniform. Orna hurries down the stairs and she bobs her head to Raegal before giving her mistress her full attention. "Orna will be your hand maid during your time with us. She will show you to your rooms now." She turns away from me and wraps her hand around Raegal's arm. "Come, fill me in on everything," she says, guiding him off into a room to our right. Raegal turns briefly to look at me before he disappears inside the room. He looks at me as if he wants to say something to me. I watch them leave and stare after the closed door.

"Ah-hem."

Orna stands waiting for me. She's petite, possibly only around five foot two, and has a tiny waist. Her brown hair is worn in a bun on top of her head, and she wears a mid-length dress of navy blue, resembling the colour of the military uniforms worn by their soldiers. To complete her outfit, she wears practical black sturdy boots.

"Sorry. I'm Eretreya Lockwood." I offer her my hand and she looks at it then back up at me, but she doesn't take it.

"Pleased to meet you, miss. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to your room." She turns away and makes for the stairs, and I follow her. My eyes study the various framed paintings as we climb the ornate staircase to the upper levels. All of them—Shadow Borne—regally dressed and incredibly beautiful. When we get to the next floor, we continue our climb up another grand staircase and by the time we reach the fourth floor, I'm out of breath. Which is saying something because I do think I am quite fit. Orna veers off to her left and down a long corridor until we reach a grand, black door. She pushes it gently, and the door opens to reveal a large sitting room, with a cosy roaring fire over by the right side of the room. The left wall is adorned with bookshelves filled with books and inviting sofas and armchairs are scattered about the place.

"This is the west wing. This is where you'll live during your time here," Orna explains as she moves through the room and I hurry to catch up with her, still attempting to take in as much of the place as I can. We pass into another hallway at the end of the room and three doors grace either side of the space. She moves to the end one and pushes the door open.

"This is your suite. You may add your own touches to it. Your bathroom is over there. Your closet, there." She gestures to the two doors over to my right. "Breakfast is at seven sun dials, so make sure you are down in time."

I walk into the room and turn in a circle as I take it all in. The room is gorgeous, with high ceilings and a tiled white stone floor. The large black wooden bed dominates the room and looks big enough to fit a party of four in there. A beautiful black wooden dressing table sits below long pale purple curtains, and a large ornate black mirror stands by its side. The room is enormous! You could fit most of our house into this one space. Over by the right corner, there is a purple velvet sofa and armchair, and a small but cosy fire is burning inside the black Gothic-looking fireplace.

"Is it too your liking?" Orna asks me, watching me as I study my new room.

I nod my head and smile at her. "It's stunning and so big. Is all this room just for me? I mean, I won't be sharing with anyone?"

Orna giggles and shakes her head. "No, miss. All chosen ones have their own suites. There are five wings within the mansion, one each for each district of Asen. You are in the west wing and the other chosen ones from the west district will eventually join you." I nod my head, taking it all in. Asen is divided into five states named, north, east, south, west and central. Each district provided five shadow kissed females, making us twenty-five in total.

"Am I the only one here in the west wing?" I ask. It is strange to have this vast space all to myself.

"No. You're not the only one to have arrived early," Orna tells me as she stokes up the fire and turns on the light beside my bed. "There is one other chosen one here. Saveya. You'll meet her in the morning at breakfast."

I nod my head, yawning. I am tired. It has been a long and eventful day and it's hard to believe that just this morning I was saying farewell to my family.

"If there is nothing else, miss, I'll leave you to retire for the night." She gestures over to a bellpull beside the large bed. "If you need me for anything, just call and I'll come."

"Okay, thank you, and Orna, it's nice to meet you," I say, and she smiles warmly at me.

"You too, miss. It is an honour to serve you during your time here. I'll see you in the morning to dress you."

I frown and shake my head. "Oh, I can dress myself, thank you."

She looks at me wide eyed. "It is my job, miss. Mistress Saurthorn will expect me to dress you and prepare you for each day suitably. You must allow me to, or she will think I'm not serving you adequately."

I don't miss the fear in her eyes at the thought that her mistress will think she is failing in her duties. "Okay then, I won't protest."

She releases the breath she has been holding. "Thank you, miss. See you in the morn."

"In the morn," I reply. I hear the door click shut behind her and now I'm alone I can properly explore this place. I walk over to the large imposing bed and run my hand over the plush and expensive looking bedding. I'll likely never want to leave this bed once I get in it. I pop my head into the bathroom, and my mouth hangs open. The room has glistening white tiles from floor to ceiling. I wince, thinking of coming back in here after sparring or when I've been out running in the rain. A large sunken bath sits in the centre of the room. It's big enough to fit around four or five people. It's more like a small pool than a bath. A large ornate, freestanding mirror sits to its right. I frown when I notice what looks like a massage table. Mother Crystal, this place is like a five-star inn!

I venture into my dressing room and stop in my tracks at what I see before me! It's a large space with wall to wall hanging racks and shelving, a plush grey carpet and a large expensive looking quilted pouffe in the middle. What shocks me even more is that the room already contains a lot of clothes. I step inside and walk along, examining the garments. One section has what looks to be day dresses, another section has posh looking evening dresses. Where were all the trousers and boots? Apart from some training leggings and tunics, there was nothing like the clothes I usually wear. This would not do at all. If that she-devil looking woman thinks I'm gliding around in dresses all day, she can think again.

Yawning, I stretch out and decide the lack of suitable clothing will need to be addressed tomorrow, because right now that enormous bed is calling to me. I grab my bag pack and pull out Arkynn's shirt. I should throw it away, but I've worn it to bed for so long now and it provides me with the comfort of home that I need right now. I pull back the covers and sink inside.

"Mother Goddess, this is amazing!" I say out loud. The mattress feels like it's made from clouds. I adjust the pillows and get comfy. At least I will get a good night's sleep in this place.