Chapter Seventeen
B ellamy’s entire body lit up in those black flames as the knife sliced into his chest. His clothes burned away, leaving him naked and revealing dark ink snaking across his skin. The wind blew fiercely through my hair, making it hard to see. I felt the chill of the snow hitting my cheeks and stinging my eyes. Below, the ground still shook as he ripped the blade free, tossing it to the floor.
Without allowing myself to consider the consequences of my powers failing, I latched onto Bellamy’s mind. I knew it worked when the rage I anticipated was invading my senses. Unmanageable sorrow fell upon me next, taking me by surprise. The pain he felt was so excruciating that I cried out at the weight of it, but I did not let go of his mind.
Flashes of what I assumed were his memories flooded my vision. A castle atop a hill. An aged male with kind eyes. Lian laughing with another fae female. A gray cat licking its paw.
Then I saw myself, alone, reading a book in the grass outside the palace. Quickly it switched to Sterling and I sitting on the shore of a lake, he was talking about something as I stared off in the distance. The image morphed into me making my way through The Capital market, nearby fae giving me a wide berth.
All of a sudden, my back came into view. My head was tilted up towards the star filled night as my hands gripped the balcony of the palace, the music from my introductory ball coming to a crescendo in the background. In the same setting, I saw Bellamy reach his foot out and…trip me, catching me before I fell.
After, I saw as I walked through the palace hallways, my golden gown swaying. I sped up in the memory, and I knew this was when I had sensed someone watching me walk to my chambers. Then it was me, standing in the red dress, my hands behind my back. My face appeared again, here in this room, on his bed, asleep.
Memories that he could not possibly have, but somehow did. He had been watching me, spying on me for who knew how long. I panicked at the images, gripping his mind and pressing on it. Every element winking out at my attack, and he nearly collapsed to the floor, the glass doors slamming shut with a loud bang.
Just when I stood, bracing my feet to end him, to shatter his mind and make a run for it, a wave of black fire pushed me towards the edges of his mental walls. I could nearly feel the burn of it, scorching my powers out of his mind and leaving me gasping.
“You are blocking me,” I said, trying to remain calm. To act as if I was not slipping into a violent hysteria. Without a word, his eyes bore into me, and I knew he saw through the fa?ade. “How do you do it?” I asked.
He gave me no response.
“Are there so many secrets in there that you must keep me out?” My words came out harsh, clipped. I tried to relax to avoid him spiraling again, but I was not sure if I could.
“My secrets are not public information for a reason, Asher.” I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at him. He could abduct me from my wedding but I could not ask a question? Figures.
“You will not try anything like that again. Ever,” he growled. I assumed he meant attempt to kill him, though I would neither ask nor agree. I would try again, we both knew it. “There is a bath waiting for you through that door if you need it.”
Without another word he got up, unfazed by his own nudity, covering only his wound as he left the room, slamming the door on his way out.
I stood there for a few minutes, unsure of what he meant or how I should react. When I finally snapped out of the daze, I moved to the door. Locked. I figured as much, but it still enraged me.
I walked over to the glass doors that went outside. I saw the soft sand of the beach and assumed we were likely wherever he had brought me earlier today. Wait, was it today? How long was I asleep?
Pushing back those thoughts to avoid more panic, I reached for the doorknobs. Also locked. As if I could somehow escape over the sea. My anger seemed to bubble inside of me. I tried to calm down by pacing the room, hoping it would right my mind.
When that did not work I took Bellamy up on the offer of the bath. I smelled wretched, like I was left out in the hot sun for days on end to rot. My heart felt corroded and decayed, so there was definitely some truth to that.
To no surprise, the bathing chamber was entirely black and red, mirroring the bed chamber. The only difference was that candles lit the room rather than fae fire, or whatever that was floating near the ceiling.
I could smell Bellamy in the air. I cringed at the way my heart leapt when the scent of cinnamon and smoke enveloped me, as if my emotions were not totally in line with my common sense.
I reached down to pull off my clothes, only to find that the thin silk hid very little, which made my cheeks blaze in embarrassment. More than that, I was furious at the fact that someone changed me without my knowledge.
Ripping the flimsy material off, I lowered my body down into the deliciously warm water, a moan escaping my lips. Even the relaxing and soothing bath with hints of vanilla could not hold back the dark and brooding thoughts for long.
How was I ever fooled? How did I think him to be a regular fae? I recalled only sensing fire within him, but he also somehow blocked me on multiple occasions. I had never met anyone capable of that, not even Mia could stop me from breaking into her mind—not that I had since the day my powers manifested. Even without the blocking, I was still drawn to him in a way that would have convinced me to ignore all caution.
He was a wicked temptation, and he knew it. Every smile, touch, and word were calculated from that moment we bumped into one another on the balcony of the palace. Fooling me a second time would not be so easy. I began washing my hair and body with the products laid out on the small table near the bath, once again being hit with the scent of the demon fae.
My memories of that first night when we danced, laughed, walked, and kissed were triggered by the strength of the smell. Every moment had felt so right, like a piece of me had been reunited with the whole. I risked not only my future, but also the lives of every fae in the realm just to spend one more day with him. Like he was a sweet wine and I was a long-time addict. Even so, it had seemed as if he was inherently good, like the wine was healing a sickness. Looking back, I knew that I was being manipulated, used.
My anger forced me out of the bath, needing me to move, to act. I grabbed onto a nearby towel, which was, of course, black. The soft fabric felt better than the ones at the palace, which were stiff and left balls of lint on my body. Another tactic to reel me in most likely. I would not submit, I would not give in. No matter what I had to do, I would find my way back home. That was a promise.
“Stupid, murderous demon!” I shouted.
“He is definitely something,” I heard from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Lian standing by the door, her hands on her hips. She was dressed in all black, her blue hair pulled back. She had a large sword strapped to her waist that shone even in the dull fae light. Black lined her eyes, looking much more lethal than the last time I saw her.
“Why are you here?” I asked, not attempting to be kind when I knew it would get me nowhere. Lian did not seem to care, plopping down on the large bed. She pointed at the chair Bellamy had been sitting in, where a small pile of black fabric sat.
“Figured you would want some clothes. Pino made them for you, he based the measurements off the dress you got. There are more items in the wardrobe, but Bellamy picked those ones out. I helped Pino make this set.” I looked from the clothes, to her, then back at the clothes again. Suspicion rose within me, and I glared over at her as I walked to the chair.
Lian turned away to give me some privacy, a small mercy. The undergarments were a perfect fit, sliding up my thighs with little effort but holding snugly enough not to slip. The trousers were a bit loose, but in a way that felt intentional. The tunic had enough space for my breasts, allowing room to breathe. The comfort the soft, clean fabric brought was a bright side to an otherwise horrifying situation. “He made all of these? In a day?” I asked, suspicious once again. How long had they been planning to take me?
“You have been in and out for three and a half days. You peed the bed twice. It was funny.” She snorted. My cheeks heated in embarrassment. For reasons I was unsure of, I hoped that it was not Bellamy watching over me when I relieved myself in his bed. That explained the smell though.
“How long will I remain a prisoner of The Elemental?” I questioned when I finished pulling on the socks, hoping to gain any information I could from the Air.
She sat up straight and folded her arms across her chest.
“Why would you assume yourself a prisoner? Perhaps he saved you from a prison disguised as a sanctuary.” Her vague response only served to annoy me, causing me to tighten the thick boots too much. I unthreaded them and began again, letting out an exasperated sigh.
“The doors are locked and I have yet to be told where I am. I was also brought here against my will and knowledge. Again. I imagine being a prisoner is fairly similar to that,” I said.
Lian scoffed.
I stood up, walking towards her. She backed into the bed frame, brows furrowed.
“Are you afraid of me?” I asked, not at all surprised.
“Last I checked, you were able to control minds. I would prefer you did not make me jump off a cliff or forget who I am. Fear can be healthy,” she responded, her nonchalant tone a stark contrast to her shaking body.
“Well, I prefer not to do any of those things, so perhaps you should speak to your demon master about what he tells his subjects,” I retorted. “Now move over.”
To Lian’s credit, she did not hesitate to drag her small frame to the right side of the bed. Making rather slow movements to ease her discomfort, I sat next to her. When I first woke up, I was unable to focus too much on the details of my surroundings, but now I had an unknown amount of time on my hands to lay idle.
Near the glass double doors sat a large wardrobe, black as night with red detailing that looked like bloody vines. The dark chair Bellamy had sat in was paired with a sleek black desk that had nothing on it, as if it were rarely used. No lanterns sat on any of the tables, instead the light somehow danced midair. The light itself was different than the fae fire that lit the palace, it had a sun-like glow to it and seemed to radiate energy.
Above the large black bed hung red silk curtains that draped down to conceal the mattress, allowing for privacy if needed. The ground was also black, feeling similar to marble. Both colors dominated the room, ominous and heavy. The black floors made the four walls seem as if they expanded forever, an endless vortex of darkness and blood.
Similar to being at the mercy of The Elemental. I had no idea what his plan was for me, why he so desperately needed me here. As I sat there with Lian, I thought of ways that I might try to find out.