“I’m sorry to say this, my lady, but whatever beast took him left nothing to bury.”
Liora’s words knocked into me so hard, the ground suddenly tilted. My knees hit the dirt. The sob rose sharp and mournful from my chest, and I buried my face in Boots’s rough coat. Boots nudged me with his face as if he couldn’t stand the sight of his momma broken before him.
Did he understand what had happened? Did he wonder what had happened to Crispin?
Liora stood, allowing me this moment to grieve. When the tears finally dried, a fiery anger filled the hollowness within my chest.
This was Kane’s fault.
And I was determined to make him pay.
CHAPTER TEN
Deirdre
The tipsof my toes touched the white handkerchief sitting on the bed in front of me. I replayed the conversation with Liora over in my head even though I didn't want to remember the details of Crispin's death. It broke my heart that we couldn’t have a proper burial and worse that some wild animal probably ate him.
Tugging at the ends of my hair, I wondered what I should do next.
There was no going back to my old life, not without him, and with this collar on my neck, escape seemed impossible. Living without access to my magic would be a cursed life.
What future did I have?
And worse, I got the feeling Kane didn't even want me here. It had been three days since I first arrived and he’d yet to come see me again. What was the point of ruining my life if he had noplans on even speaking with me? Did he plan on just keeping me locked in here as some bizarre pet?
Or was it what I had always feared?
Rubbing my birthmark, a familiar ache bloomed in my chest.
What if my appearance repulsed him? Just like everyone had always said it would. Yes, one could say my eyes were pretty, even doe-like, and my thick, wavy hair had a softness to it that many women coveted, but my face?
At one point, the mark was revered, but as time passed and Kane never showed, the villagers' true opinions became known.
She’s hideous.
If I was the fae king, there’s no way I would marry that thing.
Not that I wanted Kane to find me attractive, but to think all those taunts had been true… Crispin’s voice entered my head, reminding me of my beauty, but I pushed it away. I didn’twantto be reminded of the one person who saw past my face and the prophecy.
Deep down, I didn’tfeelbeautiful. No matter how many times Crispin would tell me, the words never sunk in. They never got past the insecurity of this rosy mark on my face.
Kane saw me and realized what everyone else did. That’s why he hasn’t come to see me again. I’m an embarrassment. A disgrace to my own kind.
Holding on to that shame felt familiar, and I desperately needed something to feel that way.
Each day was the same: wake, eat, visit Boots, see the gardens, eat… sleep.
And most of the time I couldn’t stomach the food. Each colorful dish seemed too wonderful… and I didn’t want to feel anything other than misery.
My stomach grumbled and I regretted refusing to eat.
How long could I torture myself before I would succumb to the gnawing sensation in my belly? A drive to eat, to survive.
Liora had left the door unlocked. Not on purpose, of course.When she went to leave, I sobbed and screamed, making such a ruckus it distracted her enough to leave without paying attention to my prison.
With the collar on and with Kane having the only key, I wouldn't get far if I tried leaving and the thought of running away without my magic frightened me. This place was my prison and I had to figure out a way to keep going until Kane trusted me enough to remove this magical dampener around my neck.
My stomach grumbled again, and I really regretted not eating dinner when Liora had offered. When we visited Boots, she gave me a quick overview of the castle, and I had a fairly good idea where the kitchens were located.
