Chapter 11

Chapter

Eleven

SAGE

S leep still clings to me as I rush down the corridor at an ungodly morning hour.

"Hurry up, girl," the lanky monster grunts, his skin the color of faded purple, almost bruise-like in the dim corridor light. "We can't be late to the Veil Ritual." The monster moves fast on his spindly legs, every now and then glancing back at me as though worried I've fallen behind.

"It's Sage," I correct him, stumbling down the corridor after being woken up by a loud banging on my door. "And did we have to do this so early? I've never slept so soundly in my life." For the first time in forever, I experienced no nightmares—no world ending, no falling to my death—and I wanted that to last.

"Grimm," the monster states as he turns a corner, staring at me with a face that has no nose. It's rather disturbing to look at, but I don't want him to see me cringing, so I smile at him. "Grimm's my name, and you shouldn't grin so much. It will make others think you are weak."

"Oh," I murmur, almost tripping over my own feet in our hurry. For some reason, everyone's always rushing on this vessel. "Grimm," I ask. "Can you tell me what exactly happens at a Veil Ritual?"

He curves around a corner, and I rush after him down the dark corridor with the occasional light fixture on the wall that resembles some kind of shell creature with tentacles. Its cone-like shell shines with bluish light.

"It's a test," he finally answers. "To ascertain if you truly belong to your mate."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I go silent, trying to process his words. "I'm certain I don't," I answer almost instantly. I'm a human; he's a monster.

I follow him up a set of spiral metal stairs, where he pauses halfway and waits for me to catch up. "Human, I understand you are frightened, but being afraid will kill you faster. Once a Shadowfen has laid claim to you, your fate is sealed."

My heart stutters, hating the sound of that.

"Then why bother with a stupid ritual?" I groan, my hand on the metal railing as I drag myself upstairs behind him.

"Because there's something about you that Lord Killian doubts."

He doubts me? Why? My shoulders pull back. "Am I in danger?"

"You should be worried," he continues. "Those who aren't of interest to our Lords don't remain with us for long. The best way to hide a body out here is in the ocean."

I gasp, leaning in closer. "They kill brides?" How many other brides came to this world or other monster realms and died? Fear spreads through my chest at what I'm getting myself into.

He shrugs, and the space on his face where there should be a nose scrunches up. "It's been known to happen."

My legs weaken beneath me as I force myself to keep moving. Suddenly, I don't want to be here or attend the ritual. An overwhelming panic tightens around my chest because so much remains confusing, like why he selected me as his Bride Offering in the first place.

A suspicious side of me tells me his decision has nothing to do with making me his bride. Why else would they all keep saying they've been waiting for my arrival?

And now, this ritual terrifies me.

Breathless, I rush after Grimm, and soon, we're standing near a set of double metal doors that look large enough for a giant to fit through. My thoughts fly to Killian in his monster form, and terrifying concerns pop into my mind that this ritual involves me and actual monsters.

Grimm claps, and the doors swing outward. I'm left breathless at the sight before us.

How is a jungle growing on a ship?

We're on the top floor, the cool breeze wrapping around me, tugging on my dress and hair.

Tall, lush greenery stretches upward, disappearing into the sky. Trees I don't recognize, in shades of blues and violets, have leaves as large as my face. The forest stretches outward as far as the eye can see, and by the looks of it, it takes up an entire floor on the vessel.

Stepping inside, I take in the expansive forest that somehow exists on a ship. In front of us runs a stone walkway with exotic flowers blooming in vibrant colors that pulse in the dim light, dotting the land, along with grass up ahead of us in an open area easily large enough to fit over two hundred people. To my right is an explosion of woodland.

I draw in the refreshing, crisp air. As we step along the path, I start to realize there are so many monsters to my left, staring at me. It's startling at first to see the wide array of creatures living on this vessel. Most are built as if made for war. Round, tall bodies appear to have armor as skin. Tusks, horns, claws…

Glancing around frantically, I have a horrible thought that these monsters are somehow involved in the ritual with the woods.

Then I spot the three monsters from last night's dinner. Killian's already marching up to me, dressed in a pair of loose black pants. No shoes, no shirt, and I'm unsure where to look when I'm drowning in the sheer number of muscles he has. His stomach is ripped, his biceps bulging, and his pants sit dangerously low on his hips.

"Good, you're finally here," he says, as if whatever is going on is ordinary.

"Wh-why are you dressed like that? All of this is really scaring me."

He glances down at me, his hands cupping my face. "Deep breath, Sage. I promise this isn't a means to torture. The Veil Ritual is a rite of passage that will confirm we are destined to be together."

The chatter around me seems to escalate, and I feel like all eyes are on me, the human, the person who doesn't belong here.

"Come, let's get ready."

I'm glued to his side as I make my way across the stone path, heading to where females are either going into small capsules or coming out. They are in human form and appear to be around my age. They all wear similar white dresses that hang loosely from their shoulders, cinched in at their waists, and fall to mid-thigh. They're wearing white enclosed shoes.

Before I know it, Killian is ushering me into a booth, too, handing me clothes and shoes. "Quickly, get changed so we can begin." He's in the doorway, grinning, offering me a smile that melts me.

Then he shuts the door, and for a moment, I just stand there, trying to catch my breath.

I keep going over Grimm's words that if I don't fit in with my monster mate, I could end up dead. That terrifies me when I promised my mom I would return to her.

So, death is out of the picture.

I change my clothes, and by the time I'm out, I'm collected by Killian and brought to stand next to him and Nyko. He's glancing over at me, his lips curling.

"I'll give you a hint," he whispers as Killian speaks with Wolfe.

"What do you mean?"

"When it starts, run. Don't lose one precious second. Make Killian work for you because you are the one with power over him."

My head hurts as confusion comes over me.

Run . Nyko said to run. I glance at the other girls, who are all stretching and smiling. They keep taking glances at a group of men dressed like Killian, also in human forms.

I'm no fool… we're going to be chased, aren't we? This isn't about seeing who runs fastest in the woods…

"Welcome, everyone," Wolfe announces abruptly, his voice projecting across the open space.

The murmurs from the gathered crowd fade as Wolfe steps forward to face everyone. He's wearing a warrior outfit similar to the one Killian wore when he found me in the garden in Nightingale Village… a memory that feels like a lifetime ago.

"Bringing together true mates has been crucial to our lives, and the Veil Ritual has been the foundation of our society for generations." He pauses, ensuring the full attention of every monster present. "True mates are rare, but there are times when destiny generously provides us with a pulsing star in the sky. It's a bond that brings forth strength, unity, and sometimes, the salvation of our kind."

Wolfe's eyes gleam as he looks around, his stare pausing on me a few seconds too long before he continues.

"Today, we gather to celebrate the possibility of such an occasion. May the participants find their true mates today and reveal the path that destiny has laid out for us."

Everyone breaks out into a hooting sound, the noise loud and warming to see their people uniting.

"May the ritual commence."

In a flash, the girls, half a dozen of them, hurry forward, taking a line in front of the woods, facing them.

Behind them, the men move in, standing in a row.

Killian ushers me forward while Nyko calls out, "Don't make it easy for him."

I glance back, unsure what he means, and suddenly, I'm in the line with the other girls, all of us dressed similarly. Killian steps back and joins the men, all bare-chested, looking ready to wrestle bears, except their eyes are all on us.

Killian winks at me, and my stomach twists.

"Rules are simple," Wolfe begins. "Brides get a head start. The moment you are captured by your mate, you are his, and the true magic of the ritual will reveal itself if destiny has blessed you."

I lean in next to the girl near me, who's trembling, appearing as shaken as me. "I'm so nervous I could cry."

She grins at me, her yellow eyes squinting, and it's nice to have a friendly face. "It's all theatrics, really. We'll each get selected, but there's an off chance that the ritual magic will awaken our true mate connection. My mother told me that it's so powerful, once established, they will die for one another."

"That's intense." The more she tells me, the more this ritual frightens me. "And once they catch us?" I glance over my shoulder at Killian, who's watching me like a hawk.

"I'm Joa. You're Sage, right? Everyone's been talking about the new girl."

"That's me," I say, nervously.

"Hey, it's not too bad here. The males love it when you're rough with them in the ritual."

"Rough?" I must have sounded panicked.

She grins at me, leaning in closer, and slips into my hand a short blade.

"Here, I have three on me. You can take one. Maybe cut them a bit, be fierce."

I swallow hard, and I half choke on a laugh. "You've just described the complete opposite of me."

But she's already glancing back at the line of men farther behind us, blushing as she stares at a man with wild blue hair and matching reptile eyes. "That's the fun part, refusing them at first," she whispers. "They mark you."

I stiffen. "Wait, mark us… how?"

An abrupt hissing noise grabs my attention, and I twist toward the woods, watching as pink mist unfurls from nozzles mounted on the sides of the rooftop walls, pumping it into the forest. It seeps between the branches and trees, weaving through the woodland.

"What's that?" I murmur, shaking and struggling to pretend I'm not panicking.

"The Essence of Ethros, a flower grown only on our vessel and known for its potent scent that will draw out the true nature from us and our mates. You have to inhale a lot of it to be effective."

A piercing siren instantly goes off, loud and deafening, and I flinch.

The girls bolt into the woods.

"Run, Sage," Wolfe's yelling.

Ritual.

Mating.

Potent mist.

Fuck!

This is not going to end well, is it?

I throw myself into the woods, running like a mad woman.