Page 4

Chapter 2

Another voice cuts through the night.

“Enough,” bellows the Dragon Lord, watching over the crowd of women. His command comes too late.

I flinch at the swish of the whip, bracing for the impact—it never comes.

The sharp crack splits the air, the sound of flesh tearing echoing around me. Only it isn’t mine.

I take a chance and look up when I hear a collective gasp from the crowd. Lifting my eyes slightly, I find the Dragon Lord standing beside me and can see his muscular arm outstretched above me. The whip is wrapped tightly around his arm. He wraps his hand around the whip, yanking the man holding it toward him. The man stumbles, falling at his feet, his terrified eyes peering up at us.

“I’m sorry, my Lord. I didn’t hear you,” he sputters out.

I hear a predator’s growl rumbling deep within the Dragon Lord’s chest and see his foot come down on the Vampire’s head. Blood sprays out as his head is crushed into the ground. I fight the urge to throw up, seeing his brains splattered on the ground at my feet. I feel the bile burn the back of my throat as I tear my eyes away from him.

Deafening silence falls over the crowd, and I can feel everyone’s eyes on me in shock at what just happened. The Dragon King turns around and I avert my gaze back to the ground, I can feel his eye penetrating into me.

His deep husky voice follows. “Look at me,” he demands, and I flinch away from the anger in his words. He grabs my hair, pulling my head back. I close my eyes breathing through the pain searing through my skull as I feel my hair being ripped out.

“I said look at me,” he growls again. I feel the little girl shaking, clinging on to my leg. I slowly open my eyes to be met with the same hypnotic gold snake eyes of the man I ran into on the street. He scrutinizes my face, letting my hair go. My eyes instantly snap back to the ground.

“Remove them,” he says, his voice daring me to disobey.

“What?” I whisper, confused.

“The contact lenses; remove them, now.” I shake my head in a pleading sort of way, knowing if I do, I will be killed instantly.

“Remove them or I will,” he grumbles, grabbing my arm. I whimper at his rough voice echoing into the darkness, making me shiver. I slowly lift my fingers, and one by one, I take out the contact lenses to reveal my sparkling violet eyes. He grabs my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his.

I hear everyone gasp, then the murmur of whispers throughout the crowd. “Fae.”

“She is a Fae.” Everyone’s eyes are on mine, which I know are glowing fluorescently into the night. Burning brightly like an amethyst beacon.

“Silence,” the man yells out to the crowd. The chatter instantly dies down at his words.

“I knew I sensed a Fae when you bumped into me.” His lips were next to my ear, his cool breath sending shivers down my spine as he moves closer. He leans in inhaling my scent and I can feel his lips barely touching the skin in the crook of my neck.

“You’re coming with me,” he whispers, grabbing me and pulling me toward the old sandstone castle. It is huge, and something right out of a fairy tale, only dark and covered in snow, the vines growing along the sides look like snakes, dying from the cold and the high sandstone walls tarnished from not being maintained properly. I struggle, trying to free myself from his grip. He glances at one of the guards we pass.

“Kill the rest,” he commands, and chaos ensues. All the women’s voices start screaming, echoing through the night at his words. Fear so pungent I can smell and taste it, as the guards move closer, circling around and trapping them, leaving them nowhere to run.

“No please, they didn’t do anything,” I beg as I fight against him. He stops and peers down at me and I cower away from his gaze, knowing I shouldn’t speak out of turn, especially to a Dragon King.

He grabs my face, making me look at him.

“Please, I will do anything you want, just don’t hurt them,” I beg. Tears roll down my face as I glance at the women behind me, begging for their lives. All staring at me, fear in their eyes as all the guards freeze waiting for his answer. His thumb rubs over my bottom lip, and a smirk forms on his lips.

“Anything?” he asks, his thumb pulling on my bottom lip softly. My eyes move back to the crowd behind him. Staring down at the little girl still clinging onto my shirt. The fear in their eyes makes a tear slip from mine, all begging me to agree with whatever it is he wants from me.

“Yes, anything,” I whisper, feeling defeated. He smiles, and I can see all his perfectly straight pearly white teeth gleaming back at me. I study his face. He has an evil glint in his eye, like he is looking at his prey. Nice full lips and high cheekbones with a firm jaw. He looks like the reincarnation of a god, built strong and beautiful, only I know he is the devil in disguise.

“Let them go,” he commands, raising his voice, his eyes not leaving mine. I shudder at the thought of being alone with this big brooding man. I hear the little girl sob beside me, which makes the man focus his gaze on her. Pushing her behind me with my hand, his eyes snap back to mine with a devious smile.

“She is coming too,” he says, leaving no room for argument—not that I would dare.

Footsteps echo as everyone rushes through the gates before he can change his mind. The metal groans, the lock clicking into place behind them.

He tugs my arm, pulling me toward the castle. Torches flicker along the path, the only light coming from the lanterns beside the massive double doors ahead.