Chapter 9 Without Choice
Without Choice
Siralaine
“Get changed, then we’re leaving.”
“We’re leaving?” I ask.
“Yeah, you will be accompanying me to Varindor. I have unfinished business, and since you’re from there, you’re going to help show me the way.”
“I can’t go back there! I told you that.”
How dare he act like he can make those choices for me?!
He walks over to me, grabbing my face in his hand as he looks down at me, his molten amber eyes cutting into me. “You’re pretty brave for someone who’s bound and at my mercy…” he murmurs. He oozes danger. My heart thumps as I stare defiantly back at him. “You will listen.”
He leaves the threat open, fear twisting in the pit of my stomach. I have no doubt he’s capable of following up on his threats, and I am not about to test him, not when I’m bound and have nowhere to go.
“And what if they find me and try to kill me?”
He smirks coldly, one perfect brow arching. “So, you’re on the run for your life? That was something you left out.”
Oh fuck…
He brushes his thumb over my lip before pushing me back onto the bed. Reaching behind me, he unties the rope and walks to his wardrobe, takes out some clothes and tosses them to me.
“Wear these for now; we’ll grab some that fit you better on the way. Move.”
I obey. Grabbing the clothes, I hurry to the bathroom. I won’t have time to shift now, but I should be ok for another day or so. As long as I can get away from him before then, he’ll never learn my truth. He can’t.
An hour later, we’ve set out, and I notice the damage to his car, caused by him protecting me from that other car last night. It gives me a little comfort knowing that at least he has some humanity in him.
I don’t know where he’s taking me, or how he plans to get us back into Varindor, but with each passing moment, the fear in the pit of my stomach is growing.
“So, what’s your name?” I ask, trying to distract myself.
He looks at me, and I can’t help but admire the angle of his jaw. I have to admit I have never seen a man more gorgeous than he is, and I have seen many men.
“Kai.”
I nod, that’s not much to go on… “How’d you get the scar on your face?” I ask, sounding far braver than I feel right now.
He glances at me as if looking straight into my soul. “In one of many battles.” He doesn’t explain further, and I fall silent too. “So, want to tell me exactly why you’re on the run?”
I frown slightly. “My sisters accused me of having an affair with a married man. A lie. My father has a temper, and he always believed them over me, and he said he’ll arrange my hand in marriage to the first person who asks, so… I ran away,” I scoff bitterly.
When he doesn’t respond, I glance over at him, seeing the frown on his face. Did I piss him off again?
“I didn’t have an affair, but I’m also not letting him choose my future,” I add.
“Why would your sisters lie?”
“We have different mothers, and my mother didn’t fit the standards of his family.” Or kingdom… “And they’ve always hated me for it, even though their mothers came after mine.”
An ache settles in my heart, and I rest my head back against the leather seat.
“What are you?” he asks, making my stomach coil with fear.
“Will you kill me if I tell you?” I ask. He doesn’t answer, and I look down. I can’t tell him. I have to lie. “I’m a water fae.”
“I see.” I glance at him; he seems ok with those answers. “That explains the nobility. The water fae are extremely close to the sea sirens. I think you’ll definitely be able to help me.”
Oh fuck, I had only chosen water because it’s the element I do actually possess, but it’s fine, I don’t plan to stay that long anyway.
“They’ll kill me if they see me with you. You’re a sky siren; you’re hated in Varindor.”
“That really doesn’t bother me, but I promise you, help me, and I will guarantee your safety and freedom from whatever you are running from.”
Sure, until you realise what I am and try to behead me yourself… but if I can’t get away, I’ll need a Plan B. I could work my sea siren magic on him, little by little. A risk I will have to take. Then there’s the problem of me needing to shift… Worry begins to grow inside of me.
Plan A – escape as soon as possible. If it fails, then I’ll think of Plan B.
I wrap my arms around myself, rubbing them. “You promise?” I ask.
This time, when his eyes flick to mine, he holds my gaze and nods. “There is no one else you could possibly be safer with.”
Yeah, right.
I take a deep breath. “Then, let’s do it.”
“Great, so how about we make a stop to get you some proper clothes?”
“Sounds good. Let’s go shopping.”
Blood splatters the ground before me, and my stomach churns. The strong beating of Kai’s wings above me only adds to the immense power that surges around him.
It took us two nights to get into Varindor, and we are now at the entrance as he slayed through the guards with no mercy. Dead fae litter the ground. There were twelve of them, and he took them on single-handedly.
He lands silently on the ground, his wings brushing the bloody ground as he wipes his sword on the cloak of one of the dead. His eyes flicker up, meeting mine. His hair is slick with sweat, but aside from that, he doesn’t even appear to be out of breath.
“Let’s move,” he commands, reaching for me with a blood-covered hand. I step away, and he narrows his eyes and takes hold of my wrist, regardless. “We’ll get changed to blend in and then take up our new identities. If anyone asks, we’re a married couple, remember that.”
“Like they’ll believe that,” I mutter. He had already told me this, but I don’t see anyone falling for that. He isn’t marriage material with that arrogance and tone.
I feel weaker, I need to shift, I won’t be able to hide from him much longer, and I might be the next one that his sword slices through.
We travel for a while until we reach a small inn, and he motions for me to stay outside while he goes in alone.
I wait, feeling on edge, what if someone recognises me? We aren’t too far from the sea, and my father has spies everywhere.
It’s a few moments later when Kai reappears and motions for me to follow. We head inside, and he leads me past the men drinking beer in the dingy, smoke-filled room. We head up the stairs, and he guides me ahead of him, his hands skimming my waist.
“Please tell me there’s a hot bath?” I ask.
“Yeah, there is,” he replies, his voice curt. He opens the door to the small, yet cosy room, lit with a low ceiling light. There’s a small bedside stand with a lamp on it. But there’s one big problem.
“Why is there only one bed?” I ask. There’s not even enough space for one of us to crash on the floor.
“We’re a couple, and couples share a bed, or do you need me to fill you in on what a couple does and doesn’t do?” he mocks sarcastically.
“We aren’t a real couple; you could have gotten a bigger room at least.”
He grips my face, forcing me to turn and face him. “Is the thought of sharing a bed with me that terrifying? I assure you, I could satisfy you.”
My core knots, and I feel the heat surge through me. “I have no doubt…” Wait, what? I frown. “Right now, I just want a long bath, so you should go first because I will take some time.”
He smirks. “Sure, don’t try to run, darling, you won’t get far.” He looks at me from under the hood of the cloak he’s wearing. The stains of blood remain, and I swallow.
I know…
Twenty minutes later, he steps out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, water dripping down his perfectly tanned, chiselled body. Damn those muscles. “Go bathe. I asked for food to be brought up.”
I wouldn’t mind just having him for dinner. My cheeks heat up, and I remind myself that he is the enemy.
“Can I at least have an hour to have a soak in the tub? With the injury and all the walking, I don’t feel great,” I lie, hoping he believes it.
He shrugs. “The window in there is extremely small.”
“I am not going to run.” I frown.
“Sure, but the door stays open a crack.”
My stomach sinks. “I promise I won’t run. You can talk to me while I’m in there. I just need this,” I say softly, batting my lashes as I pout. He’ll listen… no one can evade a sea siren’s charm, even if it’s not as effective when in this form. His gaze dips to my lips before he looks away.
“Fine.” He frowns but walks over to the bed where he had dumped the bag of his belongings.
Feeling relieved at his consent, I hurry to the bathroom and shut the door. I hesitate, debating if I should lock it, but that might make him change his mind.
“I’m not locking the door if that helps!” I call out.
“Like a locked door could stop me from getting to you.”
I roll my eyes at his response before I quickly begin running the bath and get in. I don’t have time to waste. My heart thumps in fear as I glance at the door. If he does open it, it will be game over.
Taking a deep breath, I shift, and my legs dissolve into nothing, melting away like mist. In their place, a tail unfurls, enormous and impossible to ignore.
The scales catch the light, shimmering with an iridescent shine.
Fuchsia pink at the base, burning bright and fierce, before darkening, shade by shade, until the colour drowns into the blackest midnight.
It’s sleek, dangerous, and beautiful in a way that is unique compared to other sea sirens.
Just shifting makes a wave of relief wash over me, as if a weight has been lifted. I exhale, relaxing my head back, as water pours over me.
“This feels great,” I say out loud, remembering the danger that is just on the other side of that door.
I wash my hair, running my fingers through my dark locks, massaging my scalp before I examine the injury to my tail. It’s healing, and with shifting, it should help the process.
Now that I’m here in Varindor, danger will be lurking around every corner, and I’m already far closer to danger than I ever wanted to be.
Beyond his ever-burning gaze is a mind sharper than a blade, one that I fear might connect the dots…