21. Faye

21

FAYE

I wake with a start, my head throbbing and vision blurry. Cold, damp stone presses against my cheek, and the musty scent of earth fills my nostrils. As my eyes adjust to the dim light, panic claws at my chest. This isn't my forest. This isn't my cave.

I try to move, but my wrists and ankles are bound tight. The rough rope bites into my skin as I struggle, heart pounding. Where am I? What happened?

A low chuckle echoes through the darkness, sending ice down my spine. I freeze, every muscle tense as I strain to see into the shadows.

"Well, well. The little forest rodan is awake."

A figure emerges from the gloom, and my breath catches in my throat. It's her - the woman who attacked me on the beach. Pale skin, platinum hair, eyes like shards of ice. Darana, I think she said.

She crouches before me, lips curled in a cruel smile. "Not so tough now, are we?"

I want to spit in her face, to show her I'm not afraid. But terror grips me, memories of my time in Liiandor flooding back. The chains, the pain, the helplessness.

No. Not again.

Never again.

"What do you want?" I manage to croak out, hating how weak my voice sounds.

She reaches out, trailing a finger along my jaw. I flinch away, skin crawling at her touch.

"Oh, it's not about what I want. It's about what Cassius wants. And he'll come for you, make no mistake."

Cassius. My heart leaps at his name, then plummets. This is a trap. For him.

"He won't," I lie, praying it's true. "He doesn't care about me."

Darana's eyes flash with rage. Her hand shoots out, gripping my throat. "Liar," she hisses. "You reek of him. I don't know what you did to seduce him. But he's mine. Do you understand? Mine!"

I gasp for air, spots dancing in my vision. Just as darkness starts to close in, she releases me. I gulp in desperate breaths, shaking.

"Don't worry, little rodan," Darana purrs, standing. "I'll make sure you're still breathing when he gets here. After that?" Her smile widens, all teeth and malice. "Well, we'll see how much he really cares about you."

I grit my teeth as Darana circles me, her eyes gleaming with malice. My body aches from the ropes digging into my skin, but I refuse to show weakness.

"Tell me, little rodan," she purrs, running a sharp nail down my cheek. "What exactly did you do to bewitch my Cassius?"

I turn my face away, staying silent. Her hand suddenly grips my jaw, forcing me to look at her.

"Answer me!" she snarls, her nails digging into my skin.

"Nothing," I spit out. "He's not yours. He doesn't want you."

Pain explodes across my face as she backhands me. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth.

"Liar!" Darana shrieks, her composure cracking. She grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Did you bleed for him, you filthy human? Is that how you messed with him? You're using his hunger against him?"

Shame and anger burn through me. I want to scream that it wasn't like that, that what Cassius and I shared was... different. Special. But I won't give her the satisfaction.

"Fuck off," I growl.

Her eyes narrow. "Not wise."

Darana's hand wraps around my throat, squeezing. I gasp, struggling for air as spots dance in my vision. Just as darkness starts to close in, she releases me. I slump forward, coughing and gulping in desperate breaths.

"Now," she says, voice deceptively soft. "Let's try this again. Tell me about your relationship with Cassius."

I stay silent, bracing for more pain. Instead, Darana laughs, the sound chilling me to the bone.

"You know," she muses, trailing her fingers along my arm. "Cassius and I have quite the history. Decades of passion, of pleasure." Her grip suddenly tightens, nails digging into my flesh. "What could you possibly offer him that I can't?"

The words cut deeper than her nails, doubt creeping in. What am I to Cassius, really? Just a momentary distraction?

I have to fight to keep the fear and worry off my face. Since she showed up, I've wondered who she is to him. I can tell myself she's crazy, that he cares about me. But…how much do I really know?

"He doesn't care about you," Darana hisses in my ear. "Once he's done using you, he'll toss you aside. Just like he did to me."

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out her poisonous words. But they seep in, feeding the insecurities I've been fighting since I met Cassius.

"You're wrong," I whisper, as much to convince myself as her.

Darana's laugh is cruel. "Oh, you poor, naive little thing. Do you actually believe he could love you?"

But when I don't respond, her eyes darken, her nails breaking skin and her magic lashing out at me. I gasp, my body shuddering as it takes the brunt of the impact. I swear I can feel muscle tearing, bruises forming, blood spilling down my skin. Pain overtakes me until it's all I can think of.

I grit my teeth, fighting against the waves of pain washing over me. Darana's magic tears through my body, leaving fire in its wake. But I won't break. I can't.

"He cares about me," I spit out, tasting blood. "More than he ever cared about you."

Darana's eyes flash with fury. Her magic strikes out, and this time bones snap. My muscles tear apart, and I gasp, trying not to vomit at the way my body is breaking, still bound with these harsh ropes.

"Liar!" she shrieks, grabbing my hair and yanking my head back. "You're nothing to him. Just a pathetic human plaything."

I close my eyes, focusing on memories of Cassius. His rare smile, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me. The gentleness in his touch, so at odds with his fearsome strength.

"You're wrong," I whisper, opening my eyes to glare at her. "He's changed. With me, he feels-"

Her magic slams into me again, stealing my breath. It feels like my insides are being shredded, my bones splintering. I bite my lip to keep from screaming, refusing to give her the satisfaction.

"Feels?" Darana laughs, the sound sharp and bitter. "You fool. Vrakken don't feel. Especially not Cassius."

She leans in close, her breath hot on my ear. "Do you know how many times he's fucked me? How many ways he's made me scream his name?"

The words cut deeper than her physical attacks, doubt creeping in despite my best efforts. What if she's right? What if I'm just another in a long line of conquests?

No. I shake my head, remembering the vulnerability in Cassius's eyes when he opened up to me. The way he protected me, cared for me.

"You're lying," I growl, meeting her gaze. "He might not have felt with you, but he does with me."

Rage contorts Darana's features. Her magic flares again, and another bone snaps. My ribs start to crack, pushing into my abdomen, and bile and blood teases at the back of my throat. "I'll make you regret those words, you little bitch."

Blood splatters over my lips as I cough, fighting the way she's ripping me apart. But there is nothing I can do as she slowly dismantles me, making sure I feel every second.

"He'll come for me," I rasp, clinging to that belief. "And when he does, you'll see."

Darana's eyes narrow. "Oh, I'm counting on it. And when he does..." Her lips curl into a cruel smile. "I'll make him watch as I tear you apart, piece by piece."

Another rib snaps. Another cough spills blood down my chest. And all the while she stands there, grinning as she watches.

"I said I'd make sure you were still breathing when he got here…" Something slams into the side of my head, nearly blacking me out. My eye throbs, already swelling, and my throat is raw and sore from the choking as I cough up more blood. "But that doesn't mean you won't be on the brink of death."

I can barely keep my eyes open as Darana circles me, her magic crackling in the air. Every breath is agony, my broken ribs stabbing into my lungs. Blood trickles from my lips, metallic and warm.

"Time for the grand finale, little rodan," Darana purrs, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Let's see how much more you can take before Cassius arrives."

She raises her hand, magic swirling around her fingers like smoke. I brace myself, knowing whatever comes next will be excruciating. Part of me hopes I'll pass out, find some escape from the pain. But a stronger part refuses to give in. I won't let her break me.

"Any last words?" Darana asks, her lips curled in a cruel smile.

I gather what little strength I have left, glaring up at her through my one good eye. "Fuck you."

Her face twists with rage. "You fucking wish."

The magic builds, crackling and hissing. I can feel its heat on my skin, promising agony beyond anything I've experienced. I close my eyes, thinking of Cassius. But my mind is so muddled, I can barely cling on.

Suddenly, a deafening roar shakes the cave. My eyes snap open as a gust of wind whips through the chamber, extinguishing the torches. Darana whirls around, her spell dissipating as she stares wide-eyed at the cave entrance.

There, silhouetted against the fading light, stands Cassius. His wings are fully extended, filling the opening. His eyes blaze with an otherworldly fury, more terrifying than anything I've ever seen.

"Cassius," Darana breathes, a mixture of fear and excitement in her voice.

He steps into the cave, shadows clinging to him like a second skin. The air crackles with power, making my hair stand on end. His gaze locks onto me, and for a moment, I see anguish flash across his features.

Then his eyes narrow, focusing on Darana. The temperature in the cave plummets, frost creeping across the stone floor.

"You shouldn't have touched her," Cassius growls, his voice low and deadly.

His eyes cut to me, softening just a little, and it's all I need. He's here. I'm safe. I'm not alone or helpless. I'm not going to die.

And good. Because I don't know how much longer I could have held on.

Cassius opens his mouth like he's going to say something…

But everything goes black.