“Helping me infiltrate the castle.”
5
SERENA
Iused to be able to tell when I was dreaming. But now that the nightmares look, feel, and taste the same as reality, my guess is as good as anyone’s.
I fight sleep, drifting in and out like a lightbulb on its last leg, even though I want nothing more than to sink into it for days.
It’s when my eyes close that I see them. My friends. I see Jace’s haunting eyes, Zadyn’s warming smile. I hear Sorscha’s laugh. I feel Furi nuzzling against my mind. Mar squeezing my hand in solidarity.
I need them to be alive. And I need them to stay away. Because if Kylian gets his hands on them, I will lose everyone I care about. No matter how hard my mind screams for them to just let me go, I know I’m shouting into a void.
They can’t hear me. I can’t warn them. I can’t protect them. Fuck, I can’t even protect myself. There is absolutely nothing I can do.
Nothing except for watch as Mal strips Kai nearly naked in front of me and draws a long dagger coated in rust. Kai wrestles with the chains stretching his arms out to a “T”. Our eyes link.
I’m so sorry.
Mal grabs a fistful of his dark hair and yanks his head back.
“Keep moving, and this will hurt a lot worse,” he murmurs in a chilling voice.
I glance around at what looks like a medieval torture chamber—dim torchlight, a multitude of chains and restraints hanging from the walls, and racks of objects I can only guess were made with a thirst for blood and suffering.
I’m bolted to one of those walls with a chain linked to the back of my choker.
Yes, I am on an actual leash.
“Morning, gorgeous.” Kylian breezes in looking bright-eyed and well-slept, his skin luminous and that ever-present ironic smirk pinned to the corner of his mouth. “Sleep well?”
I glower at him. “Not particularly.”
“I’d offer you my bed, but seeing how—oppositional—you are, I wouldn’t expect my invitation to be well received.”
Understatement of the year.
He stops above me, hands stuffed into his pockets. “Is today the day?” When I don’t answer, he prompts, “The day you finally say yes to me?”
“She’s not fucking marrying you,” Kai grits, baring his teeth. Kylian turns toward him, chuckling.
“Feeling chatty today, are we? Congratulations, you’ve just earned a letter.” He claps his hands once.
My friend’s anguished cries echo through the chamber as Mal lifts the blade to his chest. I bite my lip to keep from howling along with him.
I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.
I will not give these bastards what they want. Mal steps back, and I can see the singular letter etched on Kai’s chest—the beads of blood forming a jagged “W”.
“Speak out of turn again, and you’ll earn a second. Now,” Kylian says, directing his attention back to me. “Seeing as I just can’t seem to resist you, I’ll give you the choice of what you do first. Either you tell me where your dragon is, or you marry me. Tonight.”
I don’t know what he wants with Furi, but I know it can’t be good.Just like I know he doesn’t want to marry me for my devastating looks and scathing wit.
“I will do no such thing.”
“What was that, darling?” Kylian cups a hand against his ear and makes a show of leaning in to listen.
“I said I will dono such thing!”
