The silence consumed her, the gentle tapping of water hitting the tile floor the only sound she could hear. The noise grew louder in her mind with each passing drip, until it seemed to pound against her skull like a hammer.
Her legs felt weak as she stood. She reached for a towel, wrapped it around herself, and took her first brave step out of the shower.
She slowly made her way to the bedroom on shaky legs, her hair still wet, and the towel securely wrapped around her body. She placed her necklace on her dresser, then lay down on Cahir’s bed, her damp hair soaking into his pillow. The towel, tightly wrapped, felt like her only protection.
She fell asleep to the scent of cedar on his pillows, sinking deeper into her loneliness.
Dark images of slithering snakes haunted her dreams. The same snakes she often dreamt about.
Chapter 8
The Monster King
The Monster King sat back on his burgundy velvet chair and looked at the paperwork stacked on his desk in front of him. The gold-stamped, sealed envelopes were a never-ending irritation. He had a problem that needed to be dealt with quickly.
He had spent the last few days in the sun, and his skin had developed a reddish tint, something he despised. Sunburns were for those beneath him. He took a sip of blood-enriched wine from his crystal goblet, the taste metallic and fruity. A knock came on his office door, and the Monster King growled.
A Dragor peered past the doorway, his hand still on the golden knob. “We have collected an additional twenty children, Your Highness,” the Dragor, who annoyingly invaded his presence, said with ahiss as he entered the room. His blue, scaled skin glittered in the candlelight, which cast faint light on the Monster King’s desk.
“It’s not enough! We have to deliver one hundred to Somnium soon!” the Monster King shouted and threw his goblet across the room. It hit the opposite wall and shattered the crystal, spilling the liquid over the wallpaper.
The Dragor shrank back into the dark corner of the room, too scared to move or say anything more. His long tail, tipped with spikes, shifted to cover his face for protection, and his crimson eyes peeked over the top.
“Incite more hostility. Increase the watch. We aren’t producing enough to deliver. We need to collect from the city.”
“It shall be done.” He nervously clicked his claws together and shifted his feet. “But… There is more, Sire.”
The Monster King sneered and stared at him, waiting for him to continue. The Dragor took a tentative step forward, emerging from the corner.
“The Fae are back. Two tried to intercept the collection. We caught one, but she disappeared.” He knelt and presented the ruby sword, its blade coated with darkened Fae blood that crusted on the surface.
The Monster King shot up from his desk and slammed his palms upon it. “What did you say?” His voice came out low and dangerous.
“The Fae, Your Highness.” His head remained low with the sword presented.
The Monster King reached for the sword’s handle and ran his tongue over the flaky green blood. The Fae shouldn’t be here; the Fae were banished, exiled to the very edges of the planet. The monsters were supposed to break through Joro’s dome during the last attack. They had been working on these plans for nearly a thousand years, with the barrier expected to weaken significantly by the year 970 and be nearly fully ready by 999. Research showed that the barrier hadbeen gradually weakening since its creation. Why hadn’t it cracked this last time? They had been trying to break the dome for years with this knowledge, and it had never failed. And now the Fae are back? He feared that things were reaching a breaking point, and they needed to act on their plans as quickly as possible.
The Jotnar were powerful beings, throwing everything they had into destroying the dome. Their ongoing failure infuriated the Monster King. The only creatures that couldn’t come and go freely from the dome were his monsters. The magical barrier was a fucking annoying creation.
“Go find someone to clean that mess.” He pointed to the broken goblet and spilled wine. The Dragor quickly exited the room, shutting the heavy, metal door behind him.
He growled and slammed his fist on his desk, causing papers to scatter. The window was open, a gentle breeze drifting in, blending the cool desert air with the subtle scent of the candle. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, still savoring the rich taste of the Fae blood, a flavor he hadn’t had in a long time. The Monster King reached into his pocket and grabbed the stone he always carried, watching its dark shimmer.
It will happen soon.The Monster King twirled the stone around his finger.It’s almost time.
Chapter 9
Seda
Two more days passed without any sign or word from anyone about her father or Cahir. Seda felt lonely and worried for them. She barely ate, drank very little water, and kept fixating on the mandarin on the floor or watching the clock and doors, which made it hard for her to focus on her work.
Benny and her mom visited daily to spend time together as a family. Her mother was struggling deeply with the loss of their father, and she worried about her just as much as she worried about him. Her mother had become increasingly dependent on Jason over the past few years, and with him gone, Seda wasn’t sure how to help her, especially because she was finding herself in a similar situation with Cahir. How had she become this way?
Seda sat back at her desk, sighed deeply, and forced herself to take a drink of water. Her workload doubled in Cahir’s absence, but shesomehow managed to stay ahead. Without any word from the Palatium about Cahir, she still held onto hope that he would return, so she continued her workload and only discussed his absence with her immediate family.
Her heart ached when she thought about her father.
Rumors circulated about the Camp, fueling speculation and suspicion, but no solid proof ever surfaced to clarify how individuals were truly treated inside.
