I clenched the furs in my fists, my knuckles turning white. Now that she’d said it, the resemblance was obvious. They were both beautiful, like a blade drawn in moonlight.Hypnotic, dangerous, and captivating in the most primal way. They had the kind of beauty that lured you in, only to slit your throat. I said nothing, clenching my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would snap. Cerilla assessed me and sighed heavily, throwing dirty gauze to the side.
“Some advice, darling?” she said, mixing a salve in a small stone bowl. “Because I’ve decided I like you.” She didn’t look up as she added more ingredients to the small stone bowl before crushing them. “He needs you. But the Commander is the most powerful being this realm has seen since the Gods fell. The darkness he wields… isn’t always in his control.” She paused, meeting my gaze. “Mercy is not one of his virtues. Do not test the limits of his restraint.”
I swallowed hard, looking anywhere but at her. I had known I was in danger, but her words weighed heavily on my chest. “Thank you for the warning,” I whispered softly. She nodded, pleased with herself and gathered the salve in her hand, smearing it on my wound. I flinched automatically, expecting pain. A relieving coolness spread through my body like waves lapping at the shore. Her hands hovered over my wound, black mist gathered around her fingers. She began quietly chanting in a language I didn’t know. I watched in horror as the black mist enveloped my thigh, but no pain came. A strange pulling sensation nestled against my skin, as if the tissue itself was knitting back together.Healing.The black mist slowly swirled through the air, sinking back into her fingers.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my eyelids feeling heavy.
She gently began wrapping my wound. “Your body will demand rest now, to aid the healing process. I will check on you at sunrise.” My body relaxed back onto the soft furs, my eyes closing against my will.
I walkedaround the small tent, without limping. A tolerable ache spread through my thigh with every step, but I could walk.
“Try to run again, Little Drownling,” a deep voice came from behind me.Hisvoice. My captor. “And you will regret it.”
I whipped around to face him, almost tripping on my feet. When had he come in? I hadn’t heard the rustle of the tent door or the sound of footsteps.
This monster has killed thousands of my kind. He killed Orin. He killed Bohdi. He could easily kill me. He pulled a small dagger from his belt.
“Imbue this,” he grunted as he dropped it onto the furs at my feet with a soft thud. Clearly, he did not see me as a threat if he was giving me a blade.
“Excuse me?” Maybe it was a language barrier, or perhaps I had misheard him.
His head tilted, eyes darkening. “Imbue. The. Dagger,” he repeated slowly, his accent drawing out the words in the rich timber of his voice. My eyebrows drew together and my fists balled at my sides. “Take me back or kill me. Just get on with it,” I demanded, raising my chin slightly. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back. It was Dreya’s spear that had struck me. Did everyone at the barracks know I was a monster now? Perhaps heshouldkill me, it would save everyone a lot of trouble. His eyebrows raised as he stepped closer to me. Too close. But I refused to step back.
“Oh, but Drownling, I have plans for you this time.”
This time?I swallowed hard, hating the way my pulse quickened at his closeness. His muscles shifted as he tookanother step towards me. So close that I could feel the heat rolling off his body. My power stirred in the darkness of my soul.Kill him,it purred. My powers had been healing over the past few days, and I could feel it simmering beneath my skin. Not that it mattered, the male in front of me could snap my neck without lifting a finger.
I took a retreating step back. His eyes tracked the movement, and a smirk tugged at his mouth. I was nothing but prey to him.
“Let me go. I am useless to you,” I whispered.
“No. You will imbue for me.”
“I told you already, I don’t know what that means!” I raised my voice; he merely studied me.
“Let’s make a blood deal then, Little Drownling,” he growled, clearly out of patience. The primal part of my brain told me to run from this predator, not make a deal with it.
“You will find the Soul Relics and imbue my weaponsthenI will give you a chance to run.” His voice had dropped an octave.
“Will you chase me?” I asked, eyeing his predatory smirk.
“Clever girl,” he chuckled, the sound a deep vibration through his chest that made my toes curl in fear.
“After you do as I ask, I will give you a head start.” He leant back, pleased with himself. He obviously didn’t know I was royal blood and had no plans to try to leverage me. Every bone in my body screamed at me not to make a deal with the Commander of Death. But what if I could get something in return?
“I want something else,” I said, squaring my shoulders.
“You’re not in a position to make demands.” His eyes darkened, the whites growing smaller.
“Do you know anything about the Sea Goddess?” I shouldn’t have asked. I was used to dealing with powerful men and I knew what happened to women who did more than aimlessly agree. But I couldn’t help it. Not then. Not now. I was never good at doing what I was meant to do, a fatal flaw I was sure would end my life one day. The Commander was unnaturally still, shadows crawling across his skin as if they wanted to drag him into the darkness.
“Do you?” he countered.
Somehow, I was connected to her. It was what deemed me a monster and I needed to knowwhy.
“No.” The lie was partly convincing, but the way his mouth tugged into an arrogant smirk, I wondered if he had heard my pulse speed up.
He raised his hand to his mouth, dragging a canine against his skin, blood pooling inside his palm.
