Chapter 10 - Ariana
ARIANA
Acouple days of travel did not seem long when the thing waiting for me at the end was a monster. I felt him in the room just beyond the threshold of his mountain castle.
Sorin of the Duns Clan stood at my side, lingering at the entry with me. Like before, he came to the border to escort me through the Sidhe land. However, this time I was alone, apart from Willis’s wolf. She was my tether to everything I knew and loved.
Sorin’s gaze shifted to me while I stared at the massive open door. An inviting warmth seeped out of the castle, yet it offered no oasis. Instead, it threatened to smother me, taking my freedom. For on the other side stood my enemy.
The air around Clause remained as stagnant as I remembered the last time I had the displeasure of interacting with him. Its dark control seeped out of him, making its way towards me before I even saw him. Suffocating.
My entire body stiffened, and I could not bring myself to cross that threshold into his domain.
Desperation clawed at my chest, wanting nothing more than the Sidhe King dead at my feet, or at least to have a healthy distance between us.
The pressure of his presence intensified, and I knew that the space between us shrank even though I did not move.
Clause eventually came into view. His silver-white hair combed back, not a single piece out of place.
He stood dressed in black from head to toe, immaculate and form-fitting.
Gray, cold eyes met with mine and held. There is no warmth there, only a simmering edge, a danger.
Yet I refused to back away. Instead, I squared my shoulders, keeping my head up.
“It’s so good to see you again, Ariana,” he said with a curve of his lips. The smile was void of any surprise. As if he always knew I would come to him. His gaze then dropped to the wolf at my side. “And you brought a friend.”
I forced out a steady breath. “Since I could not bring a Bavadrin, I figured perhaps an animal. A companion from home.” I tried to force my voice to come off warmer than I felt.
Attempting to sound as though I desired his favor in this small matter.
“It would mean a lot to me if you were to allow her to stay with me.”
“Would it now?” That heavy gaze returned to me. The darkness in his eyes sparkled, clearly enjoying that he harbored the power when I asked something of him. That I allowed him to grant me something, to show me some type of favor.
I did what I could to keep from clenching my teeth. “Her name is Shay, and I have known her since she was just a pup. As long as she is allowed out, she can hunt for herself,” I added trying to clarify that she wouldn’t be a burden.
The King’s head tilted. “If having a pet is what you desire, then I see no issue with it.”
“Thank you.” I dipped my head in thanks. The action caused my jaw to tighten.
“Tell me, are you hungry?”
I looked back up at him. “Not quite.” Never would I have an appetite around him. Nausea coiled in my stomach like a snake, tightening around the pain I held within.
“Well then, we shall go explore a bit. I can briefly show you around.” He held out his arm for me to take. An invitation to further enter his space and that dreadfully stagnant air surrounding him.
“Mind if Shay joins?” I inclined my head towards the wolf.
He shrugged. “Not at all.”
Trying not to grit my teeth, I finally crossed the threshold into his home. Shay remained at my side as the door closed behind us. I slid my hand around Clause’s arm, and he brought it closer to his body, pulling me towards him. The Sidhe King became a living shackle attached to me.
My skin crawled at his touch, revulsion twisting my stomach, threatening to have me vomit. And if that happened, I doubted I would turn in any direction other than his. That thought alone brought me a tiny speck of pleasure.
Soren trailed us silently, keeping a respectable distance, though never straying.
“You will be free to explore my home and my city. I will make myself available to you whenever you desire. The only thing I require is for you to break your fast with me in the mornings and to accompany me to dinner every evening.” He informed me as we walked at a leisurely pace.
We moved through the expansive hallways, and I could not even focus on the artistry of the walls, ceiling, and floors. Not when Clause’s touch nearly had me stumbling over myself. His free hand slid over mine while I held onto his arm. His thumb found my wrist and pressed into it.
“Why does your heart race so?” He turned towards me as we strode down the hall. “There is no need to fear me. You will not be harmed here.”
I released a breath. “It is the possibility of my control slipping that I fear.” I gave him a partial truth. A healthy dose of dread indeed ran through me when it came to the Sidhe King, but I refused to announce that.
“You do not have good control of your conjuring?” He inquired, not quite grasping precisely what I meant.
“No. I fear that my sanity may slip, and I may find myself with my hands around your neck. If my conjuring cannot take your breath, I would find another way to do it. But you can see how with your gifts, touching you like that would not be suitable.” We would soon learn just how gracious a King he was, whether he was truthful when stating that I had nothing to fear.
My comment tested boundaries. It also served to remind him that I did not welcome his touch or his control.
A smile curled his lips once more, not at all offended. His feet stilled, halting me beside him. “You harbor such passions for me.”
Disgusted, I released his arm, pulling my hand free. He allowed it, and suddenly I could finally gain a bit of space between us.
“You killed my best friend,” I hissed between clenched teeth. I never planned to bring it up, at least not so soon. But life seemed to have other plans.
His smile faltered then. “You are upset that I freed you from someone who was holding you back?”
Heat burned through my chest at his unapologetic reply. At the indifference in the way Clause spoke of him. “You do not get to make that decision. Landin never held me back. He helped me in every aspect of my life.”
Clause shook his head as though he didn’t believe me. “No. Your love has blinded you, shadowed what that man was to you. He did not help you up. He held you down.”
My body stiffened. “You do not get to make that decision.”
“That boy made his own decisions, which landed him with consequences. I will not be threatened.” Gray eyes held mine, unwavering.
“Didn’t I just threaten you?” I bit out.
He took a deliberate step towards me and paused. “You wish for me to punish you?” The slight upward pull of his lips did nothing to soften the edge of his voice.
I think I stopped breathing.
For whatever reason, the Sidhe King found interest in me.
Even though I hated having his eye, the use of holding it shouldn’t be something overlooked.
I needed to find the Sidhe’s weaknesses, Clause’s weaknesses, if we were ever going to have hope of freeing the stolen Bavadrins and Lysians.
I needed to use him, not push him away, not nudge him towards forcing his hand against me.
Clause reached out, fingertips brushing a strand of my hair.
“Your words may threaten, but they will soften with time when you finally see that I am not your enemy here. You have yet to stand against me physically, but I suppose a warning would serve you well. If you ever draw a weapon against me, you will regret it. I did not bring you here to hurt you, Ariana. I wish for us to learn from one another.”
Learn from one another? He came off as though he believed himself to be the Spirit’s gift to the world. As though there was nothing left for him to possibly learn.
“What can someone like you hope to learn from me?” I asked, for I did not believe he truly expected anything like that. Instead, they were words used to likely try and appease me. But I wouldn’t be so easily controlled or manipulated.
Clause withdrew his hand, hiding it within his pocket. And suddenly, my lungs moved more freely, drawing breath.
“I think there is quite a lot for the both of us to learn. As for your friend, I apologize if the consequences of his actions hurt you. That was not my intent.” He viewed me with a casualness that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand. “I hope that we can be friends.”
My breath nearly left me. Friends? The King was truly mad. “I would caution you of your desires. For it appears my friends have a risk of winding up dead.” My words were meant as another threat, though he simply found amusement in them.
He chuckled. “You have a fearlessly sharp mind.”
“Should I not speak freely?”
“No. By all means, continue. I love hearing what you are thinking. It has been too long since I have had access to such wonderfully unfiltered thoughts.” He then inclined his head towards the hall. “Shall we continue?” He did not try to retake my arm. Instead, he kept his hands in his pockets.
That minor act caused the tension in my shoulders to relax a bit.
We made our way through more of the building before stepping out onto a massive balcony.
The view stole my breath from me.
Mountains surrounded the city. Sharp, gray, snow-covered peaks glistened in the sunlight.
In the center of it stood short stone buildings.
Some looked like shops, others homes. Dirt roads curved around the city, filled with people, young and old, who made their way through the space.
Off to the side was a forest and what looked like possible farmland.
All of it, nestled within the mountain range, out of sight from the rest of the world.
I leaned against the balcony railing as if the view pulled me towards it. The entire thing looked magical. It even felt enchanted.
“This is the capital of the Sidhe territory,” Clause stated, though his gaze remained fastened to me as if gauging my reactions.
“It’s remarkable. Do people live outside of these mountains too?” I asked, turning to the King.
“Some. But you will remain within these mountain walls while you are here, where it is safe.” His tone and face gave nothing away. Though my interest spiked.
“Is it not safe past the walls?”
His attention finally left me, turning towards the mountains surrounding us. “They are not places for someone like you.”
“Someone like me?”
“Gifted.”
Why? It was clear he did not wish to dive into the topic, so I pocketed it for the time being. I had more than enough to start with when collecting information. My attention drifted back over the city below. “May I freely explore down there?”
“Of course.” He turned to me once more. His gaze drift over my face while I kept my focus on the people far below. “This city is my home, and my home is yours.”
“Great. Can I go now?” I turned to him.
It looked as though he suppressed a smile. Though why I hadn’t the slightest. “Do you prefer me or Soren accompany you? Or you wish to go on your own?”
Ideally, on my own, however, that would come later.
“I’ll take Soren,” I stated, figuring having a guide would prove helpful. My gaze slid to the Dune’s Clan member standing a few meters behind us. His eyes met with mine but showed nothing.
“I look forward to hearing about your exploration at dinner,” Clause said, reminding me of his expectation to share meals. Though I could explore, I remained chained to him.
“Can hardly wait.” I didn’t even try to sound pleased as I pushed off the railing and walked towards Soren, leaving the King on his balcony with his pretty view.
Soren turned, falling in step with me. Together, we moved down the hall. I didn’t slow until the Sidhe King was finally out of sight. Only then did I turn to Soren. “I’ll need you to show me the way out of this castle. I have no idea where I am going.”
His response was a grunt, but he picked up his pace, staying a step ahead and leading me into the city.