Destruction’s Desire (Broken Souls Trilogy #2)

Chapter 3

Rule three: If the forest looks like a sanctuary for killer clowns, don’t enter it.

I don’t scream.

There isn’t time.

All I manage is a sharp intake of breath before I hit the ground. The impact knocks the air from my lungs, and my vision goes dark.

I lie there, blinking through the pain, waiting for my eyesight to return. I wasn’t in the market for an upgrade, but now I have the added bonus of bright spots dotting my vision.

Staring up at the sky, I contemplate my life choices. Was climbing down a window with a blanket rope my best idea?

The answer depends on whether I’ve critically injured myself. If I can still escape, then it was a great idea .

Unfortunately, the shock of the fall is making it difficult to know whether I’m about to bleed out and die.

Taking a deep breath, I take stock of my body. The fact that I can breathe at all makes me think I didn’t fall too far. I feel like falling from the third story would probably result in a punctured lung.

Sitting up, I test the rest of my body for any new injuries.

I’m sore but not broken. And honestly, if that isn’t a metaphor for life, then I don’t know what is. I’d probably be more inspired, except I already know I’m broken. But that’s only mentally and emotionally. Physically? I’m going to pull through.

My eyes catch on the cloak, only two feet from where I fell. Landing on something soft would have been nice. But, of course, the universe is in no mood to accommodate my feelings.

I’m on my own. Situation no change.

Picking up the cloak, I take a moment to lean against the castle wall. Standing makes the world spin. Also, the stones are cool, and they soothe my sore back.

Silver lining, at least no one has come running yet.

Other than Sin, I haven’t seen or heard another soul here. It’s adding a lot of fuel to my ‘Morgana and Sin have no friends’ theory.

The spinning in my head starts to slow, but my thoughts still feel a bit fuzzy – likely the result of yet another head injury.

Rubbing at my temples, I try to keep my plan straight in my possibly concussed mind.

Step one was to escape the castle. Nailed it .

Step two, get to the forest, and don’t get caught. Ideally, the forest will eventually lead to a town.

Step three, trade labor for food and a place to sleep.

The Shadow Realm sounds like the kind of place that would have an inn. I’ve worked as a barista and mastered an espresso machine. Working at an inn doesn’t seem like too far of a leap.

It isn’t the best-conceived plan, but it’s better than being a prisoner.

The castle walls stretch on either side of me, barring my view of anything that may be on the other sides. All I can see is the distant forest. But I don’t dare make my way around the walls to look for alternate routes. The longer I stay here, the greater my odds are of getting caught.

With renewed urgency, I start towards the forest.

My escape route isn’t ideal. The open green hills offer nothing in the way of cover. I’m tempted to run or at least jog to my freedom. Instead, I stick to walking, hoping that at least this way, if someone does see me, I won’t look too suspicious.

Nothing to see here, just another Shadow Realm citizen who accidentally got too close to the evil villain’s castle.

Does the Shadow Realm even have citizens?

Leon mentioned the forsaken answer to Morgana. So, I’m assuming there will be some of those. But people? I hope so. Blending in will be easier if I can do it amongst the living. But if push comes to shove, I’m not above living as a hermit with the forsaken souls.

This could be the start of my bog-witch era .

Being barefoot isn’t ideal bog witch attire, but at least the grass is soft. Undoubtedly, I will be in some pain once I’m in the forest. I should have thought to grab the fallen remains of my blanket rope. I could have tied some pieces to my feet.

Hindsight is the worst.

Still, I don’t spare a glance back at the castle. I think surreptitiously sneaking glances behind me would be a dead giveaway that I’m not supposed to be here.

No can do.

It’s killing me not to look. I would love to know I’m not being followed. Instead, I strain to hear every sound. The hyperawareness is making this walk feel much longer than it really is. My adrenaline hasn’t stopped pumping.

The forest looms closer, and that dangerous emotion sneaks back in. I think I’m going to make it. I haven’t heard a sound to hint that my disappearance has been discovered.

But the closer I get to the forest, the more uneasy I start to feel. Not because I think I will get caught and dragged back to the castle, but because there’s something ‘off’ about it. The forest is dark. Even though the sun is up, it’s as if the canopy blocks out all the light, making it almost impossible to see more than a few feet inside. A thick layer of fog sticks to the forest floor, amping up the eerie vibes. There’s an unnatural stillness about the place that sends goosebumps down my arms.

To be fair, I have some forest-related trauma, but even if I didn’t, I think this place would still give me the creeps .

If there was ever a forest that probably doubles as a sanctuary for killer clowns, this is it.

The thought gives me pause, as I reach the forest’s edge.

Am I about to get myself killed?

Something about this place just feels wrong .

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” a soft, melodic voice calls.

I scream.

I also jump about a foot in the air before spinning around. Only, there’s no one behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end as I try to figure out who on earth just spoke to me.

The incident with the forsaken in the parking garage springs to mind and reminds me to look up.

My jaw drops.

I must have hit my head harder than I thought.

It’s a fairy.

With wings.

Only she’s human-sized and quietly hovering over me. Her pink wings move so quickly that I can barely make them out. Their blur reminds me of a hummingbird.

Bright pink eyes watch me warily, and her heart-shaped face is framed by strands of matching pink hair.

I can only imagine the look of utter disbelief I must be wearing because she quickly gives me a small, apologetic smile.

“Oh, sorry about that,” she chirps and lands in front of me. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” Her eyes dart to the forest, and she wrings her hands together before looking back at me. “I’m Rosenthal. But everyone just calls me Rosie.”

She said everyone. That implies there’s more people here. That’s promising.

I give her a tentative smile and hope this isn’t some kind of trap.

I didn’t get a good look at her teeth. Do fairies eat people?

My back is to the forest, and it’s making the back of my neck prickle. The sensation reminds me of when you hang your leg off the bed at night. You can’t help but feel like something is going to grab it. Most likely something of the terrifying monster variety.

I swallow, trying to dismiss my unease. Prioritizing is important. Focusing on the possibly carnivorous fairy seems like a solid strategy.

“Hi Rosie, I’m Vivian. Uhm – were you following me?”

Rosie’s hand wringing becomes more pronounced. “Well – yes. Sorry. I was flying to the garden when I noticed you walking this way, and well, we only just got you patched up, and I really think you should reconsider before going in there .”

Her eyes shift to the forest again, widening. Her feet start to tap lightly on the ground as if they’re unconsciously willing her to move away.

I guess I’m not the only one having a visceral reaction to the forest. Still, something else she said stands out as a much larger red flag. If she was back at the castle, is she here to drag me back ?

I thought there would be big, burly guards, but now I’m kicking myself for my preconceived notions. I’m a feminist. I need to do better.

Frowning, I ask, “You patched me up?”

“Well, it was really Sin who did the patching, but I dressed you. It didn’t seem right for Sin to do it, and we didn’t want to leave you exposed. Do you like your leggings? I have a stash from the human realm. I thought it might be nice to wake up with something familiar.”

At her answer, I realize Rosie is sporting a pair of black leggings and a tank top.

“That’s, uhm, thank you. I appreciate it,” I answer, and I mean it. The thought that they considered who should dress me makes me feel less violated.

Rosie beams. “It’s no problem at all! I am really hoping we can be friends. I live at the castle, and it’s been so long since Morgana let someone new inside. But you’ll see we have so much in common and I would love it if you could maybe come towards me and move away from the forest.”

She’s talking a mile a minute, and I swear I can hear bells tinkling in alarm.

Immediately, I take a step backward instead, towards the forest. Rosie might seem friendly, but she lives at the castle. She is not an ally.

“I can’t do that.”

Rosie’s eyes dart left and right across the trees like she’s expecting something to jump out and eat me at any moment.

Same girl, same.

There’s a branch poking my back. Another step, and I’ll be in the forest .

A chill runs down my back. I really don’t like having my back to the woods right now. I’m only mildly comforted by the thought that, hopefully, Rosie will scream if something pops out to grab me. That might give me enough time to dart away.

On the bright side, I’m ninety-six percent sure that Rosie won’t follow me into the forest if I decide to make a break for it.

“I really think you should reconsider,” she chirps again. The alarm bells are a bit louder this time, the sound travelling as if carried by a light breeze.

“Why?” I ask, crossing my arms.

It’s probably not wise to stay here a moment longer. It’s putting a severe cramp in my escapee lifestyle. But I think I would be remiss in my goal to not die if I didn’t at least get an idea of what’s waiting for me in the forest.

Rosie’s hands twitch like she wants to reach out and pull me away. My eyes narrow on the movement, but she doesn’t try anything. “This is the forest of the forgotten dead. It’s where Morgana keeps all the dark creatures. They’re not friendly. They’ll rip you to pieces the moment they sense living flesh,” she says.

My heart sinks. That’s the kind of thing that would have been noted in a brochure.

I glance on either side of me, hoping that now that I’m far from the castle, I can spot an alternate path. But no such luck. The forest stretches on for what seems like forever.

This escape plan is not going well.

Chewing on my bottom lip, I consider my options. I don’t take my eyes off Rosie – just in case she decides to try and sneak closer. But I think she’s too worried I’ll back up any further.

Realistically, I can only see two ways forward. I either go back to being a prisoner, or I can take my chances in the forest, where I’ll likely be torn apart.

Sighing, I reluctantly accept that I need to go back.

But only to bide my time until a better escape plan comes up.

And I don’t have to be happy about it.

Conceding defeat, my shoulders drop, and I step towards Rosie. She immediately lets out the breath she must have been holding, a look of relief replacing her anxious one.

Is she relieved I didn’t escape? Or relieved I didn’t die? Either of those options would make it more challenging to use me in some kind of trade with Leon.

Rosie seems oblivious to my paranoia as she spins gracefully in the air, turning to walk with me. Her steps are hurried. It’s as if she can’t wait to get as far away from the forest as possible.

Same girl, same.

I keep pace with her, the feeling of dread growing fainter the further we get from the forest. There are definitely some creepy vibes going on there. My money is still on killer clowns.

“I’ve been so excited for you to wake up! Things get rather dull around here.”

I grind my teeth but don’t respond. If kidnapping people is her idea of a good time, then we have nothing left to talk about. We walk in silence, heading back for the castle, until Rosie tries to draw me into conversation again .

“I know Sin is really intimidating, but once you realize none of us will hurt you –”

I cut her off with a glare. “I’m not going to be anyone’s bargaining chip.”

Rosie’s eyebrows shoot skyward. “You aren’t a bargaining chip! Why would you think that?”

Her voice has an undertone of laughter – as if I’m the crazy one. Does she not know how I got here? Or is kidnapping people just a daily occurrence in the Shadow Realm?

“Well, the whole getting kidnapped by the enemy kind of gave me that impression,” I reply dryly.

“Ohhh! Oh, not at all! You can probably go home soon if that’s what you want. Morgana wouldn’t force you into being a bargaining chip,” Rosie answers matter-of-factly.

My glare falters. “What do you mean by – if I want?”

“Oh! Well…” Rosie starts, her cheeks reddening to match her pink eyes, “it’s just that, given the state you came to us in, I thought maybe you wouldn’t be keen on going back any time soon.”

My heart stops. My feet do, too. “I – I could stay here?”

Rosie’s expression softens like she has an idea of what I’ve just been through. I guess the hand-shaped bruises on my skin didn’t make it difficult to connect the dots.

“You’ll have to ask Morgana, of course. It is her castle. But she would never force you to go somewhere you didn’t want to. Other than this time, of course.” She smiles sheepishly at me before waving me on to continue following her .

I don’t respond, and we keep walking. Rosie doesn’t try to draw me into conversation again.

I could stay here, or I could go home.

A pang hits my stomach. I went into this magical bond thinking the mission would only take a few days, and I could just return my key and return to my normal life afterwards. Not that I have a particular career in mind after college, but my friends will be worried sick. They’ll check on my ransacked apartment. That will only make them worry more.

I hate leaving them like that. But I can’t risk going back. Leon would absolutely come back for me and try to exploit our bond to get what he wants.

The grief of losing my friends stabs at me, and I shove it down. Leon was ready to risk my realm, to put my friends in danger. The safest thing I can do for them is to stay far away.

If that means living my life in exile, then so be it. Their safety is worth it.

I’m not particularly keen on staying with Morgana and Sin, either. While I don’t think they’re on the verge of plunging the realms into permanent darkness – because clearly if they wanted to, they would have – who knows what other nefarious deeds they might be plotting?

I don’t know why they want me here, but hopefully, I can bide my time until a better option appears.

We’re almost at the castle now, and my gaze fixes on someone standing at the base of my window, where I took my little tumble.

It’s Sin, and he looks livid.