Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

I freeze when Grazen’s gaze locks onto mine, his eyes growing wide. A cold sweat breaks out over the back of my neck as I attempt to control my thoughts, desperately preventing memories of Grazen from surfacing in my mind. Instead, I focus on Amaros and carry on walking.

Grazen quickly composes himself as I struggle to do the same, praying to the gods Amaros hasn’t noticed anything.

My heart thumps fast in my chest while I glance at Amaros and try to read his expression, which appears neutral, thank the gods. Breathing a sigh of relief, I remember how I blocked Finlay out, and I attempt to do the same with Amaros. I mentally try to close my mind off from thoughts of Grazen and how I know him. I’m unsure if it will work, but it’s worth a shot.

Grazen shifts his gaze away from me while I walk toward the table where Amaros still waits, none the wiser that his guard and I know each other well.

I haven’t seen Grazen in a long time, but I will never forget the kindness he showed and how much he helped and looked out for me in Galespo when I went there in search of my father.

The shingle crunches beneath my heels as I move across it toward Amaros. The soft glow from the fairy lights in the trees highlights his cheekbones and jaw in a way that would make most females swoon. But not me. Not after everything this male has put me through. What I once found almost irresistible, I now find arrogant and distasteful.

“You look beautiful, my Queen.”

I am not your Queen, I think, knowing he will hear it in my mind.

Amaros presses a kiss to the back of my hand, and I risk a glance at Grazen as he does. His eyes are on me, and his brows pinch together ever so slightly, unmasking the confusion I know he must be feeling at the situation.

Amaros pulls my chair out, and I take a seat. He sits in the one opposite mine, pulls a bottle of bubbles out of an ice bucket next to the table, and fills two glasses. He hands me one, and I drink the entire thing in one go. He shoots me a disapproving glare, and I roll my eyes. If he expects me to play along in this “forced mating” game of his, then I’m going to need it.

He raises his brows then takes a sip from his glass. “Thirsty I see.”

“Parched.”

He sets his glass down with a hint of amusement in his expression.

Shoot, he’s enjoying this.

“Are you hungry?”

I reach for the bottle and refill my own glass. “I guess so.”

Leaning back in his chair, he studies me, narrowing his eyes slightly as if deep in concentration.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he finally says, the flickering of the candle’s flame lighting up his face.

I frown at him. “Did I have a choice?”

Grazen looks my way and then quickly composes himself. Perhaps that answered the questions he was no doubt wanting to ask. What in the gods am I doing here with Amaros, and why aren’t I in Zarquon with Kyle? Now he knows, if he didn’t before. I don’t have a choice in the matter.

Amaros takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes for a moment. When he reopens them, his patience seems to be wearing thin. I’m pushing him toward the edge of a cliff, but he may just shove me over it.

Good.

Is it good? Push me much farther, and you may not like my response.

“Get out of my head!” I push up out of my chair, and it topples over.

Amaros carefully stands. “Leave us,” he tells Grazen.

Grazen shoots me a brief look, and there’s hesitation in his eyes, as if he doesn’t want to leave me alone with Amaros. He has no choice, though, and he knows it. He dips his head in acknowledgement, releases his invisible wings, and flies off the rooftop, leaving Amaros and me alone.

Great.

“Just the way I want it to be,” he says as he moves around the table toward me.

I back up, but there’s not much space to do so.

He stops before me and gently takes my chin in his fingers, tilting my head up as he looks down at me. “Rebellious, as always. Shouldn’t expect much less from you, I suppose.”

I turn my head, forcing him to drop his hand away, and he chuckles.

“I know this isn’t what you want, but in time, it will be. For now, can we just enjoy this dinner together?”

I snort. “Enjoy it? How in the gods am I supposed to enjoy it? Do you have any idea how I feel? What you’ve done to me? You should, considering you’re in my mind now. You’ve taken everything from me! I don’t want to be here! I want to be with Kyle, where I belong!”

His anger seeps into me as if it were my own. I should’ve seen it coming, considering I’m in his head, too. But I don’t.

He flips the table over, and everything crashes to the ground in a broken mess. Then he grips my throat, and I can’t breathe. He shoves me until the cool stone wall surrounding the rooftop presses harshly into my back.

He’s going to kill me.

“No, I’m not going to kill you. You won’t escape me that easily. You are mine. You will obey me, or there will be consequences.”

The stone cuts into my back, but I can’t cry out. The pain is all I can focus on, until he punches me in the face, and I drop to the ground. I thought the pain from the stone was bad, but now my head throbs in a way I haven’t felt in a while. A crackly sob escapes my lips, and before I can catch my breath, Amaros kicks me hard in my side.

I’ve never wished for death before, but I do now, in this moment. Anything to take me away from the relentless brutality of this male who pretends to love me. He doesn’t know what love is, and he never will. Least of all from me.

I do know. And so would you if you allowed me to give it to you.

I curl up on my side, ignoring his voice in my mind while I attempt to protect my head as he kicks me in my back, again and again. When I feel myself slipping away, he stops and waits a moment, knowing through our bond when my body has healed itself enough that he can start up again without killing me.

To escape my agony, I dip into his mind, but I wish I hadn’t. It’s a dark place, full of venom. He wants to hurt me more than anything. Anger consumes him.

But he knows it’s enough now, so he stops. His anger slowly dissipates, and he sinks back into himself.

“I don’t enjoy hurting you. It’s the last thing I want to do, but you just keep pushing me until I see no other option. Is this what you want?”

I roll onto my back and look up at him, coughing a little as blood spurts from my mouth. My body has already started to heal. I can feel it, my bones fusing, the tears in my organs knitting back together. But it doesn’t stop the immense pain radiating up my spine where I no doubt have broken ribs, if not other bones, yet to heal.

“You think this is what I want?” I whisper, and even when speaking quietly, my throat burns.

He runs a hand through his dark hair and takes a seat in the one chair that hasn’t been broken. “It would seem so, yes. You continue to defy me. Things will only get worse if you keep this up.”

He pushes up out of the chair, crouches down next to me, then scoops me into his arms. I flinch, but it doesn’t stop him. He stands, and I wince at the pain that shoots down my side. My body is still healing, but it shouldn’t take much longer now.

Knowing I don’t have much of a choice, I know what I must do. “I will behave.”

He smiles, pleased I am finally coming around, and brushes his fingers over my cheek while effortlessly holding me in one arm. He then leans toward me, and I panic, knowing what he’s going to do and wishing he wouldn’t. His lips brush against mine so softly I barely even feel it. The way he can be so cruel and rough one moment, and then so gentle and kind the next, is astonishing.

“I am glad to hear it,” he tells me.

He sets me down, and I ready myself for the pain, but it never comes. I am healed.

“May I ask you something?” I decide to go with the softer approach rather than demanding anything of him.

He smirks at this, seemingly pleased at my rapid turn in behaviour, and nods.

“Where’s Keva? I miss him.” I haven’t seen my Zelon in a long time, and I hope he’s been released back into the wild to be with his family. Although that’s probably wishful thinking at this point.

He slips his hands into the pockets of his pants and stares at me, his face void of emotion.

“If you continue with this new behaviour, and do as you are told, I will show you.” He spreads his arms wide and gestures to the toppled table. “Looks like dinner’s off. I will have my watchers escort you back to my quarters and bring you some food there.”

He releases his wings and takes off, leaving me on the rooftop. I allow my wings to spring free and consider making my next attempt at an escape, when a watcher lands with a thud on the rooftop, followed by another. They don’t say a word. They simply stare at me. They rarely speak to me, other than Slater, of course, who seems to despise me for some unknown reason.

Perhaps it’s because Amaros had them all think I killed Harlum, their King.

“Finally, my babysitters have arrived,” I say mockingly.

Their expressions don’t change, as if etched in stone, and they’re apparently immune to jokes.

Rolling my eyes, I run and dive off the castle roof. The loud swooshing of their wings alerts me to the fact they have followed me. No surprises there. I glide down to Amaros’s balcony, my heels gently clicking on the tiles as I land, followed by two thuds.

“We will be out here if you need us,” one male says, and I know it’s more of a warning than a kind gesture to comfort me.

Ignoring them, I step into his quarters, close the door behind me with a little more force than necessary, and let out a long breath, finally able to relax. I am totally and utterly drained from this mental dance with Amaros, trying to keep him out of my mind.

And I have to keep it that way. This part of my mind I seem to have successfully sectioned off from his grasp is my only independence from his cruel invasion into my life.

Kicking off my heels, I step into the bathroom and gasp when I catch my reflection in the mirror. Speckles of blood cover my cheeks and forehead, and there are several blotches and streaks of blood over my lip and eyebrow. If it weren’t for my healing abilities, I wouldn’t recognise myself. The female staring back at me looks as hollow as a dead tree.

I flick the shower on and allow my dress to drop to the floor in a puddle of fabric before I step under the hot spray. Steam fills the air as the water washes over me, turning crimson at my feet. I watch the bloody water flow down the drain, disappearing from sight, but the trauma of the last two nights remains like a stain on my soul, reminding me always of the prison I find myself in. A stain that cannot be washed away, despite how hard I try.

Finding Keva is my priority. If I can’t escape my prison, I can at least help him to escape his. Amaros has him somewhere, and I’m going to find him.

Although I usually fight the urge to sleep when I am in his quarters, I know I need to. My body craves the rest, despite being healed, and I know I won’t be able to fight it tonight. I slip under the covers, tucking my mother’s two daggers under my pillow for easy access if needed.

Sleep claims me almost instantly, and images of red eyes haunt my dreams. The creature that watches me like a predator does its prey, every night, like a broken record on repeat. I cannot escape it, no matter how fast I run or how hard I fly. It always catches me, this beast. But then I wake before it has a chance to harm me.

Sweat beads on my forehead, and I wipe it away as I lie still and try to calm myself with deep breaths.

Keva.

I need to find him.

I throw the covers back and dress in my leathers, thankful Amaros has avoided his quarters for yet another night. I’m unsure if he is trying to ease me into his life, getting me used to it before he decides to join me in his bed, or whether he is afraid. I tend to think the latter may be true. Although there is a third possibility, one that doesn’t bother me in the slightest, and in fact, could be my saving grace.

He is in the bed of another.

I attempt to open the door to the corridor, but it’s locked. Of course it is. I press my ear up against the cool wood, and it’s silent on the other side. I’m sure watchers guard the corridors outside, though, and as soon as I step out there, they’ll restrain me. If I can get this damn door open, that is. I hurry across the room and peek out onto the balcony, and sure enough, there are two guards out there.

Considering my options and weighing up the risks, I pad across the room and snatch my daggers from under the pillow. I have to at least try. What’s the worst that can happen? The watchers lock me in this room? I’m already locked in here.

I gulp, knowing full well there are worse things that Amaros can do to me, but I brush them aside.

Using my blade, I slip it into the lock and jimmy it around until I hear a click. I freeze, waiting for the watchers to barge in, but they don’t. With shaking hands, I open the door a fraction and peek through the crack. One watcher stands out there. I startle and close the door again as I wait, but there’s no sign that he saw me.

I peek out to find the watcher leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and his head slumped to the side.

Is he asleep? The corridor is dimly lit, so it’s hard to tell.

Taking a deep breath, I gently pull the door all the way open and step out of the room, carefully closing it behind me. The watcher grunts, moving his arms, and then stills once more. He is asleep. I let out a slow breath, relaxing just a little, and creep past him.

I slink down the corridor, careful with my movements. Keva is around here somewhere, and I have a feeling he may be below the castle. Having played here as a child, I know my way around. And I know the best spots to hide.

There are vast underground tunnels below the castle and cells to lock those up who have done something so bad that even the Kingdom’s own cells aren’t punishment enough. The ones below the castle are ghastly, cold, and damp. They do not care for their prisoners down there. They are not fed. They are left in darkness to die a frightening and lonely, drawn-out death.

The corridors are mostly empty at this time of night, but I move with caution, gripping my daggers firmly in my hands, knowing I could bump into a watcher or another guard at any moment. If I do, I’ll be ready.

I’m almost at the stone steps that lead below the castle when voices echo. I tuck myself behind a pillar in the shadows and wait as two watchers walk past.

Once they’re gone, I let out a breath and carry on. Lanterns dot the stone walls as I make my descent, casting the stairs in a soft glow. It’s still dark, but my angel sight is strong, so it’s enough to prevent me from falling down.

The lower I go, the cooler the air grows, and I shudder as the chill bites at my skin. I didn’t bother with my cloak, although now I wish I had.

The air down here is damp and thick with the stench of death. I don’t know if they have anyone locked up down here, but I’m about to find out.

I slip my daggers into my hip holster and attempt to create a ball of light between my hands, but it doesn’t work. The magical wire around my wrists prevents it. So instead, I slip a lantern out of the rusty metal holder on the stone wall and use that to light my way. There are no lanterns farther down, so mine is the only source of light now.

I scour the tunnels until I reach the cells, and then I carefully hold the lantern up to each one as I pass by. They are all empty.

A groan vibrates through the air and into my chest, a sound I would recognise anywhere.

Keva.

I hurry to the end of the corridor, to the last few cells down here, and hold my lantern up to the bars. Sure enough, Keva is chained up inside one of the cells. His eyes find mine, and he lets out a strained moan that’s almost more than I can bear. He’s in pain.

“Keva! What have they done to you?”

There’s another moan, only this time, it isn’t coming from Keva. I check the next cell, but it’s empty. Then I check the third one and gasp.

“Alaron…” The God of Death is hunched up in the back corner of the cell, his body thin and frail.

His red eyes find mine, and he struggles to keep them open. “Zarla?” he whispers.

I set the lantern down and grip the cool metal bars as I stare at the male, who is nothing more than a shell of his former self. Is this what Amaros taking his powers has done to him? Amaros still holds the power of the orbs. Alaron’s powers.

“Help me, little angel…” His voice is weak and coarse, and it cuts deep into my soul.

“Did Amaros do this to you?” I ask, despite knowing the answer already.

He attempts to stand, loses his balance, and falls down. He crawls on all fours over to me and then hauls himself up using the cell bars.

“He took my powers. He used them to control the realms. He still has them, and he grows stronger still.”

I touch his hand and flinch as his icy skin prickles mine. “I’m going to get you out of here, and I will get your powers back. I promise.”

His gaze is intense as he stares at me, and I see the trust in his red eyes.

“I know you will, little angel.” He lets go of the bars, dropping to the ground, and crawls to the back of the cell.

Keva groans, and I reluctantly leave Alaron to go to him.

“It’s okay, boy. I’m here. I’m going to get you out, too, okay? I promise.”

He yelps, and I shush him.

I clench my fists, imagining all the ways in which I plan to get Amaros back for this. The male is cruel, and he gets worse with every passing day. Playing his little game is the only way I’m going to get us all out of this. I’ve got to find him and somehow take Alaron’s powers back.

Closing my eyes, I home in on our bond. Bingo. I can feel him so clearly, as if I am with him. I know where he is.

“I’ll be back, Keva. I’m going to save you, I promise.”

He tugs on the chains around his neck, but he can’t quite reach me. A whimper sounds in his chest, and he lies down with a thud. Although it pains me to leave, I must. Amaros is asleep, and I can’t think of a better time than now to take back Alaron’s powers.

I make my way back up the stone steps and through the castle corridors, following my bond to him. It takes me to unfamiliar quarters, and I can only hope he is alone in there, or things may get messy.

The door creaks ever so slightly as I ease it open, and I squeeze my eyes closed and freeze for a moment. He snorts and moves before he goes still again.

Phew.

I close the door carefully behind me and slip off my boots before padding across the room to the bed. The soft glow of the moonlight shines through the windows.

He’s on his own. Unsure of the best way to go about this, I carefully crawl on top of him then reach my hands down to his chest.

As soon as I touch him, I realise this stupid wire around my wrists may well prevent me from taking back these powers, but I’ve come this far. I may as well give it a shot. Closing my eyes, I focus on drawing the power out of him.

It’s working. Blue smoke-like powers slowly drift up out of his chest and into my palms.

And then his hands grip my wrists, and he flips me over, pinning me down beneath him.

“What are you doing?”