Pushing through the discomfort, I continued down a hedge-lined gravel path. The estate’s beauty was undeniable, and for a moment, I let myself appreciate it. Golden sunlight streamed through the trees, casting shifting patterns on the ground. The occasional birdcall broke the stillness. But the bond wouldn’t let me forget Raffaele.
A sudden wave of longing hit me, sharp and visceral. It wasn’t my own. I knew it wasn’t mine. My pulse quickened as I shoved the feeling down, cursing under my breath.
“Get out of my head,” I snapped, though I knew he couldn’t hear me.
A soft glow emanating through the trees caught my eye. I hesitated for only a second before moving closer, curiosity winning out over caution. As I emerged into a clearing, I gasped.
It was like stepping into a dream.
Bioluminescent plants pulsed with a soft, eerie glow, their colors shifting between deep crimson, electric blue, and soft violet. Flowers opened and closed as I approached, responding to some unseen rhythm. Vines twisted and rearranged themselves, creating pathways that hadn’t been there moments before.
Tiny creatures flitted among the plants, their forms shimmering like dragonflies made of light. One of them hovered close to me, its translucent wings humming softly. I held out a finger, and it landed delicately, its glowing body no larger than a coin.
For the first time in what felt like days, a genuine smile tugged at my lips. The bond’s pull lessened for a moment, and all I felt was simple joy of the creature’s warmth on my skin. I studied it closely, marveling at its delicate beauty, until?—
“Careful,” a voice drawled from behind me, smooth and infuriatingly amused. “Those things bite. And trust me, you don’t want to find out what their venom does.”
I yelped, and the creature darted away as I spun around. Jareth leaned against a tree at the edge of the clearing. He wore a mischievous smirk, and the lazy confidence in his posture made me want to punch him in the face.
“Do you always sneak up on people?” I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Only when they’re somewhere they’re not supposed to be,” he said, pushing off the tree and strolling toward me. His movements were languid, almost feline, and he had the audacity to look utterly unbothered. “The garden’s harmless, mostly. But it’s not exactly on the tour for houseguests.”
“I’m not a houseguest,” I shot back, my glare sharp. “I’m a prisoner.”
Jareth tilted his head, his smirk softening into something that could have been sympathy or mockery. “Prisoner? That’s dramatic. I’d call you more of a reluctant wife. Adds a bit of flair, don’t you think?”
I rolled my eyes, refusing to rise to the bait. “What do you want, Jareth?”
“Me?” he said, circling me with that same lazy confidence. “Nothing. But Raffaele? He’d probably want me to remind you not to wander so far. That pull you’re feeling? It’s not going to let you go much farther without getting… unpleasant.”
I stiffened. “So you’re his spy now? Sent to babysit me?”
He laughed, the sound rich and infuriatingly genuine. “Babysit? No. But if I happened to stumble upon you playing with glowing bugs in the middle of a sentient garden, who am I to waste the opportunity for a chat?”
I glared at him, but the corner of my mouth betrayed me, twitching slightly despite my frustration. Jareth’s golden-browneyes sparkled with amusement, as if he’d caught me in some private joke.
“You’re insufferable,” I muttered, brushing past him.
“True,” he called after me, his grin audible in his tone. “But you like me anyway.”
I didn’t bother responding. The garden pulsed around me, the vines parting as I walked. But even as Jareth’s chuckle faded into the distance, I couldn’t shake the sense that his eyes were still on me.
I sighed, my hand brushing against one of the glowing flowers as I murmured under my breath, “What the hell am I doing here?”
The flower flickered violet, as if in answer, but I had no idea what it meant.
The sound of the waves was faint at first as I continued walking, a soft rhythm blending into the hum of the estate around me. I tilted my head, straining to catch it again. There it was—steady, insistent, pulling me toward it like a siren’s call. The bond with Raffaele hummed in the back of my mind, like a stubborn shadow that refused to be ignored. I pushed it aside and followed the sound, my steps light against the well-trodden path as I made my way toward the sea.
The temperature dropped as I walked, the salty tang of the ocean threading its way through the estate’s intoxicating floral scent. The landscape shifted, the dense trees giving way to rolling grass that sloped toward the edge of a rocky overlook. I climbed the incline slowly, savoring the feeling of freedom that the open sky and endless horizon brought.
When I reached the top, the sight before me took my breath away. The ocean stretched endlessly, a liquid expanse of shimmering blues and greens that glistened under the fading sunlight. Waves crashed against the rocks far below, their soundboth thunderous and soothing, a relentless cadence that seemed to echo in my chest.
I sank down into the grass and closed my eyes. For the first time in days, my mind felt quiet, the noise of fear and frustration replaced by the steady rhythm of the sea. The bond was still there, a faint whisper at the edges of my consciousness, but for now, it was muted.
I opened my eyes and stilled. Far out on the water, something moved. At first, I thought it was a trick of the light, the sun casting playful shadows on the waves, but then it leapt.
The creature arced high above the water, its shimmering form catching the light in a dazzling display of colors. Blues, silvers, and golds danced across its body. Its movement was so fluid, so graceful, it felt as though the ocean itself had come to life. It dived back beneath the surface with barely a splash, only to reappear moments later, spiraling through the air as if it were performing just for me.
