17. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Astaroth
I nside, I fumed. Outwardly, I appeared calm and reserved, waiting for Jessandra to deliver Calista. The servants lined the walls wearing their pristine uniforms. Their squat shadows stretched and wavered on the silk drapes behind them from the flickering flames of the candles littering the Hall. It made them appear taller than they were. The tallest ones stood around four feet, while the shortest were around two. Height was an indicator of how long they had been in the realm before I arrived and fed it a steady stream of nourishment.
I stood behind my chair, hands clenched at the small of my back, willing them to appear in the archway. I cleared my throat when one of the servants glanced around nervously. Their spine and gaze straightened with a quickness.
After what felt like an eternity, Jessandra stepped into the room and positioned herself against the wall. A moment later, the soft swish of the deep purple gown I handpicked for her pricked my ears. Pride swelled inside me and almost made me smile, until I saw Calista’s tear-stained face and glistening eyes when she hesitantly entered. Tonight would be a challenge, much like everything that had to do with her. I should have never accosted Jessandra in the hall outside her room. How was I to change Calista’s mind when all my actions scared and angered her?
I stepped to the side of the table and said with a slight bow, “I am honored you joined me tonight, Calista.”
She looked about the room, and one of the female goblins grabbed their apron by the edges and inclined their head.
“Oh,” she mumbled, and raised her skirt in an awkward curtsy. I smirked when I saw her dirty, beaten, human shoes beneath. They matched her tangled hair and the bruising on her shins. She made her point. Jessandra poked her side, and Calista rolled her eyes. “The honor is mine, Your Highness.”
“Astaroth. Please.”
She released her skirt and folded her hands in front of her. The silk remained wrinkled and damp from her palms. “Yes, Your Highness.”
My mouth formed a tight line, but she couldn’t see it because she refused to look at me.
Two goblins moved forward from each end of the line. They worked in unison to pull out our chairs. As soon as we sat, the others jumped into motion.
While Calista inspected her place setting and the room, I watched for her reactions to my home. Her fear battled with her curiosity that I remembered so well. I hoped that it would win out once again, and she could enjoy her new life here.
“Patience,” Mergle whispered at my side.
I fingered the knife handle next to my plate, and he chuckled before moving to his post by the archway behind me. Jessandra stood in the exact spot across the room guarding the one nearest Calista. She, too, refused to look at me.
“You look lovely tonight. I am delighted you wore the dress I chose.”
She tugged at her sleeve and frowned. “It’s not really my style.”
So long as she put effort into our dinners, I didn’t mind what dress she wore. “Jessandra will escort you to market tomorrow. Get whatever you like and have it delivered here.”
She glanced out of the corner of her eye toward Jessandra. “Okay.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the room again. I tried to tap into the stone to gauge her emotions, but I couldn’t sense anything. I pried harder, and the stone pulsed. A current of energy zapped me square in the chest. Calista’s gasp covered my own, and she jerked the pendant away from her skin. This was problematic.
The staff flowed out of the kitchen with the first course in hand.
“Is something the matter?” I asked, unfurling my napkin and laying it across my lap.
She dropped the pendant against her chest and mirrored my actions with trembling hands. “No.”
Lie. I never thought I’d feel relief hearing one but was thankful I could still sense that.
With every course placed in front of her, Calista remained silent and picked at her food, pushing it around her plate. The cook chose each and every delicacy we had to impress her. I could see him peeking through the tapestry from the kitchen, his face falling as he watched her frown at the food. It was a torturous meal for such a joyous occasion. I should have predicted how rough the transition would be for Calista, but I wanted to show her how wonderful our time together could be if she would allow it.
When the entree was set in front of her, she shrieked and pushed her chair back, almost toppling over. The guards jumped into action, and I met them at her side, sword drawn, ready to impale the snollygoster.
Goblins squatted beneath the table and searched around Calista’s chair. We looked at one another confused. “I don’t see anyone, sire,” Thaddeus said quietly.
A tug on my sleeve drew my attention down. Calista peeked around me and pointed at the table with a delicate finger. “What is that ?”
Draped across her plate in a beautiful arrangement was our greatest delicacy.
“A toddling ninny biter.”
“A whatty what whatter?” She gripped my arm and leaned farther to the side. Her eyes widened as she took in the four-legged, fanged fish with the billowy forked tail. “Why is it looking at me?”
“I assure you, it’s not.” I lifted its tail and dropped it, making a wet slap against the platter. “It is but a dead fish.”
The guards backed away as she stepped up beside me. “That is not a fish.”
I raised a brow at her. “It is. And it is delicious. Try some.”
Her lip curled in disgust. “Absolutely not. It looks disgusting.”
The servants gasped and the room grew quiet.
“Calista.”
“Don’t say my name in a condescending way.”
The servants gasped again. They’d never heard anyone speak to me in such a manner and get away with it. Fear radiated through the room as they awaited if I would punish my chosen.
“You are being rude,” I said under my breath for her benefit, but I knew they could all hear me.
“I don’t care.” Her jaw tightened, and her hands balled into fists. “I’m not eating that!”
I took a breath and let it out easy, reminding myself that all of this was new for her. Otherwise, I’d take her over my knee the way the elders would do to me when I was being an erratic child.
“What would you like to eat, milady?” a gentle voice came from the other side of the table. The defeated cook stood with his head bowed. “I request another chance to make you something of your liking.”
She glanced my way, and I gave a nod of encouragement.
“Um, I would love pizza.”
“Pizza?” he asked, perplexed, tasting the foreign word on his tongue.
Calista covered her face with her hands. “Of course, you don’t know what that is.”
The cook jumped at the chance to try something new. “Explain it to me. I will make it for you.”
“It would be much easier if I showed you. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
“Milady, no! You don’t belong in there.”
“Nonsense.” She waved him off and went to the tapestry where servants’ heads peeked out, watching our disastrous dinner. “I cook my own meals daily.”
“Calista,” I said, stopping her. She surveyed the shocked expressions around the room and stepped back. “Allow Ziggy to do this.”
Sheepishly, she returned to my side and explained to the cook what she wanted. He made a face here and there as she spoke but seemed to understand his assignment.
“Pizza coming right up.” He bowed to her then turned to the servants. “Clear the platters.” They rushed to hide the offending offering.
“Come. Let us walk in the garden while they cook our… pizza.”
Calista
Down the hall from the dining room stood another open archway carved in the stone wall. Astaroth guided me through it onto a dark path. Like the previous nights, not a single star glittered overhead. The only light came from softly glowing orbs interspersed along the path, disappearing in the foliage ahead. Creatures called out to one another in the distance, their songs terrified and enthralled me. Those unique cries struck a chord inside me, triggering a rush of memories that took years to repress. My body went rigid, tense and ready to fight or flee, as my sight adjusted to the darkness. I didn’t realize I had backed up until I bumped into something.
Fists up, I whirled around on the balls of my feet, ready to swing and run back into the safety of the castle. Jessandra stared down at me, unfazed. Astaroth’s companion stood next to her with the same deadpan expression. They had been so quiet that I didn’t hear them behind us.
“Walk. Nothing will enter with the likes of us here.”
I believed her. I’d witnessed what she was capable of, and she was frightening. But him, how could he save me? He was maybe three feet tall and looked to be a hundred with his leathery, wrinkled face and arthritic hands. Trembling, I shuffled backward, thankful that Jessandra was on my side… or at least not my enemy. After our little dispute earlier, I was uncertain how she viewed me, and that made me more wary of her than the creatures baying outside the castle walls. Astaroth would ensure I survived an attack. He wouldn’t let his precious broodmare be maimed or killed.
My younger self would be appalled by my reactions. Standing on the balcony felt safer than being on the ground. It was obvious I needed to grow a backbone if I planned to face my fears and enter the labyrinth again. I noted possible avenues of escape while following Jessandra to dinner. No one else wandered the castle that I saw anyway. Once inside the dining room, I understood why. It seemed all the goblins helped with dinner in some shape or form. Was that a normal occurrence, or was it because it was our first dinner together?
Astaroth waited patiently for me, his attention on the wild, overgrown garden, but his keen eye never missed a beat. He didn’t comment when I joined him again; he only took leisurely steps so I could easily keep pace. When we approached the thicket of strange plants that stood as tall as trees on Earth, I looked over my shoulder. Jessandra and the little man followed ten feet behind, having their own private conversation.
“That is Mergle, my confidante.”
“That makes more sense. I thought he was your guard at first.”
Astaroth laughed. “I don’t need one.”
I quirked a brow and studied the bulbous plant next to me. “That seems a bit cocky.”
“Not cocky. Truthful. I am the strongest being here. The realm protects me when I cannot protect myself.”
Good to know. Don’t try to assassinate the king. Check.
“If I am unavailable, he or Jessandra will assist you.”
I couldn’t picture myself confiding in Mergle. He would run back and tell his king everything. I wasn’t sure I could confide in Jess either. She would spill my secrets to save herself from being further indebted to me or him. I was utterly alone here, and that was a bitter pill to swallow. I wondered how Kaiden and Gina were fairing, and that pill swelled in my throat, threatening to suffocate me. Were they trying to figure out how to save me? I choked down a laugh, imagining Kaiden on the D&D forums, asking questions about goblin kings.
“The past few days have been a bit of a shock for you,” Astaroth said, misinterpreting my laugh for a sob.
“You think?” I took a deep breath to calm myself. I needed my wits about me if I were to figure out how to go home. “Forgive my outbursts,” I said as we entered the heart of the garden. It was Pinterest-worthy with hanging lights that gave the circular patio a soft, romantic glow. “I’m trying to work through it.”
The bricks under our feet resembled the design of a labyrinth. I’d seen these in parks before. Meditation circles. In the center sat a cushioned bench. Astaroth reclined on it while I paced the circle.
“All is already forgiven.”
I glanced at him in disbelief. “You’re not angry with me over dinner?”
He didn’t answer right away, as if he were deciding how to word his answer without upsetting me. “Not angry. Disappointed.”
“Disappointed,” I murmured, surveying one of the glowing lights and wondering how it worked if there was no electricity here.
“Yes. More with myself than with you.”
That was surprising. “Why is that?” I asked and approached a light.
“I wanted your arrival to be exciting and memorable. For you to feel welcomed in your new home. It didn’t happen as I had envisioned.”
His response twisted my emotions like the vines wrapped around the ornately carved wooden poles holding the orbs. On one hand, I was furious he believed I would enjoy any of this after all I’d been through. On the other, I felt guilty for being angry when he was attempting to make me happy instead of locking me in a room until he was ready to use me. I didn’t know how to feel, and that made me angrier. I stared into the light as it flickered. No…. I squinted. Fluttered. There was something trapped inside. I didn’t remember fireflies being here.
“I didn’t take your feelings into consideration while planning. Solely set my expectations.”
A pale face pressed against the glass. My heart clenched. This tiny being was trapped in a smaller cage than I was. How long had it been in there? Was it dying? There were no holes for it to get air. Who knew how long it had been since it had eaten. Would I wake up in the morning to find it dead like the fireflies I trapped in jars as a child? My gaze darted from one orb to the next.
“And for that I will do better, Calista.”
His sorry excuse for an apology was meaningless.
“I will do everything within my power to ensure you a joyful existence.”
“Existence?” My voice rose several octaves with the one word. “As in the rest of my life?”
“Well, yes.” He shifted on the bench and draped his arm along the back. Such a casual movement for a dire conversation. His nonchalance sickened me. “That is what we discussed.”
“It absolutely is not! You said, and I quote, “A life for a life.” Not MY life. You wanted my firstborn child. But as it turns out, even that was twisted and misconstrued. You wanted your child.”
Astaroth watched the rapid rise and fall of my chest as I huffed and puffed and grew frustrated. If he wasn’t careful, his next words may make his house blow down by the time all of this was said and done.
He rose from the bench, back stretched to his full height, and walked toward me. Warning sirens went off in my mind to run and hide and never let him find me. Instead, I stood my ground, spine straight, shoulders back, and chin continuing to rise the closer he came to keep my eye on him.
“Our child.” His hushed voice said it with reverence as his gaze traveled over my face, down my neck, and lingered on my breasts. “I desire our child.”
I felt naked and vulnerable and completely out of my comfort zone. The ball gown offered very little consolation. I didn’t breathe because I felt like if I did, it would be an admission to desires I didn’t feel and didn’t want to feel, a response to his heated gaze he had no right to coax from me.
“One,” I reiterated, fighting the urge to breathe. “That’s not a life sentence.”
His eyes lifted, and I stole a breath when the weight they carried left my chest. “You were tenacious and protective of your brother and refused to leave him in my care. How do you think you would fair with your own babe?”
Every emotion struck at once. I clenched my jaw to keep my chin from quivering and refused to think about it so I wouldn’t cry.
In the blink of an eye, he was nose to nose with me, cupping my face. “Vicious.” His lips nearly brushed mine as he spoke. “I desire that, too.”
I shook my head to dislodge his grip. “If I don’t?”
“You will still owe thousands of debts. Any one of those could last a lifetime.”
“You son of a bitch,” I fumed and shoved him. Astaroth willingly gave me space, backing up until his legs touched the bench. “You never intended to let me go!”
His face hardened. “No.”
“So, you’re going to imprison me here like you did these poor things? If I don’t fall in line, will you put me in a glass bulb, too?”
“You know not of what you speak.”
“Look at it!” I reached up to pull it down. “It’s dying!”
“Do not touch it!” His voice boomed through the garden. The ground shook along with his fisted hands.
I jerked back from his tone, bumping into the pole and grabbing it to steady myself. The glowing ball fell like a setting sun, extinguishing when it hit the bricks. It shattered the deadly silence. A tiny body with beautiful shimmery wings laid prone on the ground.
As Astaroth hurried over to collect it, it pushed off the ground and darted away.
Astaroth
Jessandra entered the inner sanctum first, with Mergle not far behind. They skidded to a halt when they saw the glittering pieces of glass spread over the bricks.
“Sound the alarm!” I shouted.
Jessandra advanced on Calista, anger tightening her features. “What did you do?”
“It… it was an accident,” she pled her case as she backed up behind the wood pole, gripping it as if she’d crumble on her shaky knees if she didn’t.
“Jessandra,” I snapped.
She towered over Calista, ready to throttle her, but heeded my unspoken command.
Mergle ran to the opposite wall, leaping onto it and repelling himself into the air to grab the rope that rang the warning bell. Instantly, bells rang throughout the castle and cascaded outward through the labyrinth in a wave as others joined in.
“Send word one is free. Everyone is to search. We do not stop until it is found.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” He bobbed his head in a subtle bow and disappeared into the garden.
Jessandra wrestled Calista out from behind the pole and held her by her bicep. “What about her?”
Shoulders hunched, Calista squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head. She should be fearful. Who knew what surprises were in store for us now. This took precedence over coddling her for her mistakes.
“Get your pizza and go to your quarters.”
A portal opened behind me as I felt for the escaped prisoner’s energy, whipping my hair about my face. I turned to step through it but stopped when I heard her whisper my name.
After all I had done for her, I couldn’t bear to look at her guilt-ridden face with those sad eyes and forgive her again, only to have her shun me. I stepped through the portal and set out to find a pixie in an ever-changing world.