Realizing I might be alone for several more days, I became increasingly restless and agitated… There were plenty of books to read, but I couldn’t focus. My mind was only capable of descending deeper into darkness. Rafael had been holding me together more than I wanted to admit. Without him, I felt like a shipwreck slowly sinking into a deep abyss. I began to obsess over worst-case scenarios. What if Rafael and Louis had been captured? What if they were dead? How long should I stay here before I went to find them?
By the fourth day, I was itching to leave the room and search for them. Raf’s scent was probably lost to the storm, especially since he’d flown, but something told me I’d still be able to find him.
My spiraling was disrupted when a flicker of magic pulsed down my spine. Frost formed on my fingers as I sensed danger. Someone was approaching. My ears pricked when I heard footsteps down the hallway, and then my eyes darted to the rattling doorknob.
Rafael? I braced myself as the bedroom door swung open and a silhouette appeared before me. My heart leapt, before it crashed to the ground.
fifty
Galen. I stumbled backwards in disbelief, nearly falling to the floor as he prowled towards me. He was still shining bright with my magic, but as I studied his twisting, shifting soul, the gold burn away, until only a dark red glow remained. His mask was off. And he wasangry.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you? You are mine. We'refated, Marigold.” He spoke like a snake charmer, continuing to stalk closer. Pausing, his eyes fell upon the emerald ring sitting on Rafael’s nightstand.
By the time his focus was back on me, I was ready. He darted towards me, but I’d already slammed a wind shield between us. I sent ice towards his feet, freezing him in place as I scrambled past him, out the door—only to meet Robert and Alaric blocking my exit to the stairs.
“We don’t want to hurt you, Lady. Don’t resist,” Robert said, having the gall to look guilty. I whipped wind at them and they both tumbled down the stairs. They hadn’t bothered to shield themselves against me. I was getting used to being underestimated. I raced after them, using wind to propel me over their somersaulting bodies, landing on the ground floor below. I looked back to see Galen sauntering down the stairs, curling his lip in disgust at his two guards laying in a heap.
I ran towards the front door, past screaming prostitutes. There were only a few scattered customers left. I readied to shift into my animal form, but was stopped by Galen’s shadow-wielding trainer, Frederick, blocking the exit. Before I had time to strategize, he’d shadowedinsidemy shield—like Rafael so often did during our training—restraining me with little effort.
I fought back; jabbing him with my elbow, stomping on his feet, then sending out frozen wind that swirled through the room, knocking over furniture and people. He was too strong, too quick, as he pinned my hands firmly behind my back. He stayed in a state of partial shadow that made my attacks as useful as an arrow trying to pierce mist.
Galen took measured strides towards me with a satisfied smile on his face. “Well, this was easier than I expected. Where’s my brother? Did he already grow bored of you?” Galen gripped my chin in his hands, looking into my eyes. I lurched away from his touch and refused to answer him.
“Fine, keep his secrets. He’ll come looking for you eventually and then I’ll get my revenge. I’ll teach him to take things that belong to me.” He pulled out a pair of stone cuffs and the magic in my veins shuddered.
“Please don’t, Galen. I’ll come willingly. Please, don’t cuff me.” I sobbed, terrified of the numbing feeling that came with losing access to my magic.
“It’s just temporary, little dove. Once you submit to me—once you’re my blood-bonded—this chapter can be buried in the past. I don’t want to hurt you more than necessary, so don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.”
I bucked and screamed as Galen passed the cuffs to his shadow wielder, continuing to thrash even as they clicked around my wrists. I felt the eternal light inside in me blink out. The ice in my veins dissolved intonothing;my restless wind grew stagnant. I was hollow. Everything that had blossomed within me shriveled and died. I wanted to crumple to the ground and cry, but I couldn’t give him the satisfaction.
He was amonster. He’d burned Rafael—his own brother…What would he do to me?The male that I thought I knew was ash in the wind. Our love had been a beautiful illusion, like the moon on the water—all it had taken was a few storm clouds to show me that it had never been real.
The shock of my predicament made me complacent as he gripped me by the arm and led me to the carriage that waited for us. Once he’d shoved me in, I sat in silence, drenched from the short walk, while he sat across from me. The rain clung to my clothes and a chill settled over my skin, penetrating deep into my bones.
“Rafael was stupid to leave you alone,” Galen drawled. “I suppose he didn’t know Robert was a bloodhound shifter, capable of finding anyone, anywhere. Especiallyyourscent that he’s studied for months.
“My brother must’ve grown too comfortable, assuming he's still the most powerful faerie in this world. Fortunately, for me,your magic—soon to bemy magic—is flowing through me. And it appears it outranks his. His wards crumbled under my flames once Robert found out where you were. Not many can track past wards so strong, but Robert isexceptionallygifted. Did you think I kept him around for the conversation?” He laughed and I began shivering with a deep loathing. It was a laugh that I’d adored until recently. I didn't know that heartbreak and grief were one in the same until now. Every word spoken was another shovel of dirt, burying the male I'd cared for, killing the love we'd created.
“You’ll learn to forgive me with time. We’re well-matched. We’ll breed powerful children and be capable rulers. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you’ll gain your freedom back.” He stroked my cheek with the back of his hand and I jerked away. He sighed and pulled out a flask of something—whiskey, by the smell of it. He took a swig before offering me some. I refused.
“Drink,” he ordered. A flame appeared in his other hand. He weaved it between his fingers, taunting me, while bringing the flask to my mouth.
I took a sip, glaring at him. And another. And another. Until I was sputtering and coughing. "To the death of any affection I once held for you," I said, spitting the words.
He caught the whiskey trailing down my chin with his thumb and chuckled. “I’m going to teach you manners. Soon you’ll be begging foranythingI offer you, including myaffection.”
The alcohol quickly warmed my limbs and I fell back in silence. I settled my head against the carriage window as it bounced along. It was heart-wrenching to look at him and remember what we’d shared—how much I’d thought he cared. We’d shattered so quickly, so spectacularly.
Galen peered out the window before announcing that we were almost to the castle gates. “It’d best if my mother doesn’t find out I have you. As cruel as you might find me, I promise you, I’m the closest thing you have to a friend now. My brothers will not rescue you, so behave yourself or things will get much worse.”
He cloaked me before leading me to a familiar door towards the back of the castle. We were going to the dungeons. I began trembling as we descended. Instead of turning towards the open arena where he trained,he took me down a narrow hallway, into a small room that flickered with soft light from a single candle.
I spied something across the hall in the adjacent room. It appeared to be the innards of a dead animal, encased in a large glass tube. It hung from the ceiling like dry-aged meat, making my stomach churn uneasily.
My chest pounded with a deep primal fear. Whatever it was, it was unnatural. I could feel magic oozing from it like thick tar. Galen slammed the door when he noticed me staring. “Wha-what was that?” I stammered. The remains of something—someone?
“A project the Elders have been working on. You’re right to be scared. Humans will soon be obsolete in Nymera. The Elders have found a way to harvest magic from human hearts. The blood continues to pump, even when their souls are gone. They plan to kill every last human and make countless devices like that. Soon the Kingdom will control the entire magic supply. We’ll have total and complete power—and enough blood to take care of allloyalcitizens.” He looked smug, but I saw fear in the whites of his eyes.
