Chapter 58 Azalea
Azalea
There’s a bitter taste filling my dry mouth as I pry my heavy eyelids open.
My body aches in a way that my mind can’t remember hurting it as I peel my cheek off the stone floor.
It takes a minute for me to realize I have no idea whose floor this is or where I am.
Iron bars are the only thing I see in front of me, as everything else seems to be shrouded in an almost purposeful darkness.
Pushing myself up on wobbly arms, I rub at my throbbing temples, trying to remember what happened.
I had told the coachman to turn around. I was heading back to the castle, to Braxton.
The blurry memories slowly become clear in my mind.
The carriage stopped with such force that it practically shot me into Rhoden’s lap.
By the time we collected ourselves, the door was being pulled open, and I came face to face with one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.
Something about her seemed ethereal in a wicked sort of way.
A type of beauty that was dangerously alluring.
Her golden hair whipped around her from the howling wind that seemingly picked up out of nowhere.
I recall the feeling of dread that began to climb along my skin when she told me it was good to see me again, even though I was positive I had never seen her before in my life.
Rhoden’s nails dug into me as she clung to me in fear.
Simply thinking about the malicious smile that stretched the stranger’s lips has me shivering in the dampened cell I’m sitting in.
She had yanked me from the carriage despite my protests, and wrenched my head back before pouring a burning liquid down my throat.
I can still hear Rhoden’s shrill shriek as she jumped after me, right before a lavender spark erupted from the woman’s hand and sent her careening back into the carriage.
After that, everything went black, so I assume my throbbing temples and fuzzy memory have to do with whatever horrible concoction she forced down my throat, but at the memory of Rhoden’s body hitting the floor of the carriage with a dull thud my eyes shoot open and I sit upright.
I rub the back of my head as if only now remembering the pain from her forceful grip as she nearly ripped my hair from my scalp.
I scan the cell desperately looking for Rhoden. When I realize I’m alone in here, I can’t decide if that’s a good or a bad thing. Taking a deep breath, I do my best to calm my worries, telling myself that it must mean Rhoden got out safely.
I feel a breeze whip through the barred window in the upper corner of the small dungeon cell I’m in, causing goosebumps to rise on my flesh.
My bare flesh. Looking down, I realize the dress I had been wearing is gone, leaving me in nothing except the slightly sheer, cream slip that was underneath it.
My hand flies to my neck, and I’m relieved when I realize the necklace Braxton gave me is still clasped around my neck.
I let the feeling of the cool metal ground me as I try to calm my racing heart and steady my shallow breaths.
Even though I’m alone in this cell, I feel agonizingly exposed, so I quickly cross my arms over my chest before getting to my feet.
My head spins momentarily, causing me to all but fall into the bars to steady myself.
The frigid metal send another chill racing through my body as it presses into my bare skin.
Wrapping my fingers around the bars, I give them a firm shake, but they don’t budge in the slightest.
“You’re awake.” I turn toward the shrilling coo from the woman who imprisoned me here.
She steps into focus from across the room, carrying a tray with a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese, and some kind of slimy meat resting on top of it. My stomach rumbles and churns at the sight of the food.
“I’m so sorry about that little sleep potion. I know it can make you devastatingly hungry.”
“Where’s Rhoden?”
“Who?”
My eyes narrow. “The woman I was traveling with.”
“Oh that little pest. I don’t know. Sleeping in the carriage if I had to guess.”
Sleeping. Relief washes through me.
“If she’s lucky though she was able to find help before she bled out.”
All the color drains from my face, and my mind doesn’t know which part of what she said to focus on first.
“Bled out?”
“What I can tell you is that I gave her a better chance than you gave poor Gravesley. You have no idea the amount of power you cost me in sending a sword straight through him. My magic worked tirelessly for hours trying to get him to stitch himself back together before it realized he was dead. He was such a good henchman to me.” My kidnapper continues, barely giving me any time to digest what she revealed to me.
“Now I may be powerful, but I can’t very well go bringing people back from the dead.
Still the little protection incantation I had him under exhausted me after you took his life.
” She claps her hands together and sighs.
“So really, the payback I did to… what was her name Ronan?”
“Rhoden,” I correct through gritted teeth.
“Right, yes. Well, mine at least gave her a fighting chance. Granted, that’s if she made it back to the castle in time.”
“Back to the castle?” I clarify, my voice wavering.
“Oh yes. That’s the whole point, you see. I need Braxton to know that you’re here, or else it’s all a waste of my time.”
Not bothering to direct me away from the bars, she unlocks them and opens my cell door. I try to lunge for the door, but I’m rooted to the spot.
“Oh, don’t mind the little immobilizer spell I’ve got you under while you’re in here. That’s just until I know whether I can trust you or if you’re going to be a problem like Braxton.”
The moment the door is locked again, I collapse forward as my body finally does what I was screaming at it to do and lunges forward.
I ball my hands into fists on the ground as I lift my head and look up at the witch.
At least, I’m assuming she’s a witch based on the potion and spell she’s subjected me to thus far.
As much as I want to defy this woman and fight the rising hunger in me, I know it’s futile.
So when she sets the tray in front of me, I hastily grab the food, shoving it in my mouth.
“Good girl,” the witch praises, and the hairs on the backs of my arms rise.
I’m tempted to spit the half-chewed bread in my mouth at her feet, but a stronger side of me feels half-possessed. I couldn’t make myself stop eating if I wanted to, and that realization makes me nauseous to the point where I fear I might lose every bite of food I’m hastily gorging myself on.
“You know, when given too much, I’ve actually had a few people eat their cellmates when they wake up from that sleep potion.
It can be nasty, the hunger side effect.
” There’s a joyous lilt in her voice that directly contrasts that atrocity in the statement she made.
“Perhaps that’s what I should have done with your precious Ronan, make you eat her. ”
My eyes jump to hers, horrified. This is the only thing that seems to be able to stop me from chewing. The woman leans closer to my face, wiping a stray crumb from the corner of my mouth.
“What I’m telling you is that I could have brought in live rats and watched you devour them, but I gave you food. Good food at that. Wasn’t that nice of me?” She gives me a warm smile that somehow still feels cold.
The churning in my stomach intensifies, and to my horror, my hand lifts the wedge of cheese to my mouth of its own accord. I scream internally at myself to stop, but instead, I unwillingly take another bite of food. My stomach cramps as I feel the hastily chewed item slide down my throat.
“Now, I’m sure you’re very confused and have a lot of questions. I’m happy to tell you everything. To start, my name is Dianthus—”
“Where are my clothes?”
Dianthus’s eye twitches at my interjection to what I assume was going to be a long and senseless monologue.
“Please don’t interrupt me,” she squawks before smoothing her hands over her sleek, golden hair.
“That hideous dress you were wearing has been discarded.”
I balk at her.
“You expect me to wear only this?” I question, a bite in my tone.
“I expect you to do as you’re told!” Dianthus stands to her full height, hovering over me, but I refuse to be intimidated, even though I’m fairly certain she could kill me with a snap of her fingers.
I lift my chin at her defiantly, watching as she smothers her impatience.
“I did away with your garments because I had no way of knowing if you had any weapons on you. This way, you can’t pull any tricks on me or hide something sharp in the countless ruffles of your skirt.
I remember you were always a very clever girl. ”
I don’t say anything, but fix her with an acrimonious glare.
Unperturbed by my scowl, she continues. “Let’s start over, shall we?” She clears her throat dramatically. “I’m the witch who cursed Braxton.”
I refuse to let my mouth fall open, but I know my shock is painted across my face. A gloating smile tips her lips.
“And yes, before you ask, that does mean that technically, I’m also responsible for your curse.
But, your curse is not what you think it is.
Now, unfortunately, I’m bound by magic to not be able to share the exact parameters of either of your curses, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways for you to discover the truth. ”
My head is winding up with questions, but I do my best to keep my expression neutral.
“Soon you’ll remember everything. Even the things Braxton doesn’t want you to remember.”
My teeth snag and pull at the dry skin on the bottom of my lip. When the hint of copper coats my tongue, I realize I’ve ripped some of the skin clean off. Dianthus claps loudly, and I can’t help the jolt that shoots through my body.
“But before we can get to any of that, we have to wait for our guest of honor, of course. Braxton should be here within the hour. Then, the fun can really begin.”
I practically choke, and my hand instinctively reaches for the rose quartz resting against my sternum. Dianthus tracks the movement with rapt glee. Her smile becomes as twisted as the gnarled branches of a rotted tree.
“Try to rest, Azalea. I have a feeling you’re going to need your strength.”