Chapter 18
Electrified [Autumn Kings]
All it took was one elemny who wanted to have sex with someone on the job to ruin the high-tech security of a castle.
Where the king lives.
He may not wake up from his slumber. Once word gets out and the dots connect to him, Prince Reen will make a spectacle of him like the innocent elemny King Ragan tortured earlier this morning.
It’s dark down here, with just a hint of light every fifteen steps.
Shadows disappear quickly, unable to maintain more than a faint outline.
Cobwebs in corners, and spiders dangle low on silky, sticky threads.
Bones disintegrate beneath black leather shoes.
Ashen bone dust floats upward, suffocating the already thick air.
As I head down the narrow, red-brick hallway, maids pass by without a second glance at me.
The cover of shadows shades my face, making it hard for them to see I’m a wolf among sheep.
Doors remain shut as I pass them, and a yellow light slithers under the gaps of many, accompanied by murmured, trembling voices of workers conversing quietly.
At the end of the hallway, the main door flies open as I reach for it with my key card.
I step aside for the air elemny with silver hair.
Her wavering grey eyes burn red from bloodshot.
She wears the same outfit as mine, but there are rips across her shoulders and chest, and she reeks of burnt clothing and stale sex.
My gaze lingers on her as she walks down the hallway.
Muffled sniffles echo in the quiet corridor.
Once she’s out of sight, I head towards the foyer.
Light filters through tall, arched windows, casting across ash-covered floors.
It rests on two guards stationed at the entrance of the foyer, and my throat tightens at the sight of them, yet they keep their eyes ahead, overlooking the smoke-filled world.
I breathe easier when they don’t flinch as I move past. As I weave around the fountain, my gaze lands on the Throne Room doors, and I catch the murmurs from the foyer. “Prince Reen,” the guards say.
My focus drills into the crimson doors, and my hands flex, itching for the nail file. But with a deep breath, my body relaxes, and I walk as naturally as I can.
“I suggest you bring a body bag,” Prince Reen growls. “I am in no mood for that wretched fucking maid.” His footsteps are light but fleeting with every step. My tense back eases as I hear the fading footsteps up the stairs.
There’s the maids’ closet next to the throne room, and I grab the trolley for cleaning—since King Ragan makes the room bleed—and wait like a robot in front of the doors. The satchel bag I have is hidden inside the rubbish bin attached to the trolley.
I’m a few feet away from seeing the enemy I have imagined killing since that night.
Inside, loud moaning and giggling of women playing a role.
And if they don’t, everyone knows what will happen to them.
If I were in their place, I would too. Knowing they are close to a mad king and that their lives are at stake, it must be terrifying for them to think they must satisfy him perfectly or else.
The minutes tick by as I wait, slipping the gloves over my hands and flexing them. As I do, I hear a door open and close within. The moaning I heard a moment ago disappears, replaced by an overwhelming silence that hangs in the air.
With a deep breath, I push the door open. It swings silently, and as I move the trolley through, it closes with a deafening rumble. The familiar stench of sex hit my nostrils. My stomach knots, and my throat constricts, trying to keep me from retching at the smell.
When I’m ready to look, my focus moves to the steps leading to the throne.
His foot taps away impatiently, and the more my focus rises, the more rage flourishes inside me until it’s about to rupture.
I try to control it when I stand outside the doors, but the simmer throbs, burning into utter chaos at the thought of putting a bullet in his head.
King Ragan leans against the throne, his hand pressing against his cheek while those red, suffocating eyes bore into my soul.
The king dresses in delicate garments of red silk and the colour of flesh. He watches with disinterest as I open the black leather bag and slap clean cloths onto the ground to remove the gunky, thick white substance staining the ashen floor.
“You’re new around here, aren’t you?” he says, his voice as deep as the blue sea.
“The maid went on leave with Caleb,” I say as I scrub at the ground.
“What type?”
“Earth.”
King Ragan snorts with laughter. “If it’s not my son stealing my dolls, it’s my guards stealing my maids.”
I toss the towel into the bin attached to the trolley and bow.
“Forgive me. If I’m not to your liking, I can get someone else.
” As I rise, my brow furrows. King Ragan is no longer on the throne.
Shifting my gaze, a sudden heat hit me from behind.
My arm twists behind my back, and he shoves me forward until I’m bent over, glaring at the mess on the ground.
“There is a certain trial you must undertake to be my maid, Doll.” He separates my legs. “Let me see if you will break as I did to Layla.”
His hands move between my legs as I rise, turn toward him, pull the gun out from where I tucked it behind my back, and shoot him in the neck. Blood spurts out, and wide, surprised eyes reach for the wound—heat ripples as he tries to seal the wound shut.
I shoot him again. This time I seethe, “I wanted this to be memorable, but it seems I’m running out of fucking time. My name is Pandora Hart. Because of you, those fire elemny tortured and nearly raped me!”
I fire three rounds into his head. One wasn’t enough, and my finger kept pulling the trigger because his fading life satisfied me the more I did it. However, I fucked up. This doesn’t look like a suicide. Far from it.
This was murder.
His fleshy brain spools out of his head.
As I wipe my arm across my sweaty upper lip, adrenaline pumps through me, pounding in my chest until the artery clogs, and I’m about to combust. I grab the trolley and place it through the right door with the others. Afterwards, I drag my hand down my face, but can’t stop shaking.
Deep breaths, Pandora. You need to get the fuck out of here before you’re caught.
I take off the blue wig, crouch beside the trolley, and pull out the satchel bag I hid among the rubbish bags.
Putting the green wig back on, I brush myself off and slip out through the door the maids often use.
A trembling, resounding sound rumbles through the castle as soon as I close the door.
After a glance at the ceiling, I head down the hallway and take the back route to the tunnels.
My movements are graceful, effortless, and calm.
The cameras in the corners of the castle likely see a maid, just like any other, roaming the castle grounds.
The man is still unconscious behind the wall. After I wipe down the key card, I pop it back into his pocket. Then, I head out of the castle grounds before the fire element returns and notices the commotion.
When I’m well away from the castle, I take off the wig, put my dress back on, pack everything into the satchel, and then walk towards the Dragonfire Bar.
Elemny are too focused on the castle and the chaos likely spilling out from within.
To avoid standing out, I turn to look. My eyes widen at the blackened flames and thick smoke billowing from Queen Ji-Sun’s high tower walls.
The sky darkens, swirling above until it reminds me of night.
Dark shadows drip down, and the ash flutters with heat as it falls onto my hair and shoulders.
Elemny record the ordeal on video, whispering among themselves, while some run towards the castle, curious about what’s happening. Rumours of Prince Reen’s rampage are once again circulating. I stay resolute for a few minutes until the first few leave and get back to their day.
My stomach churns with sickly cramps. Worry seeps through me at the thought of Prince Reen knowing exactly who might have done it.
Nancy’s words echo in my mind. Realisation dawns that the best hunter in Eraminia may find me, and when that happens, I will have to confront him.
One of us will die, and I don’t intend for it to be me.
I round the corner and away from the crowding elemny.
Nancy said the bar should be around… My eyes widen, and my tense shoulders relax at the sight.
Black smoke and flames curl around the front entrance, licking upwards until they engulf the dragon’s head.
It melts gold, oozing down into a messy puddle.
It seems Prince Reen is already onto the smugglers’ organisation.
Already onto me.
Shit. I guess I won’t be seeing Xavier’s awakening tonight.