“No,” I coldly answer. “I was just getting a drink—”
“Please allow me. Let me get a drink with you, and we can—”
I jump as Emyr’s arm wraps tightly around my waist, his fingertips digging into my stomach where the bites are, and I wince as he makes them open for more blood to flow into the dress. I barely hold in my cry. “She can get a drink from her room. She is tired now.”
“Of course, your highness.” The vampyre bows his head, watching us as Prince Emyr escorts me out of the busy ballroom, down the corridors, back to my room. I barely step through the door before he grabs me around the throat and throws me in the air. I slam into the mirror on the wall, shards of glass raining down, cutting into my arm. I scream as I fall, crying as he walks over to me and kicks me hard in the stomach. Time stops as he hits me again and again, and I feel all my ribs crack before he grabs me by the chin, lifting me up into the air. “You don’t talk to another male vampyre, stupid whore. You are mine to feed on, to fuck when you’re a little older, and you will love me. Do you understand me?”
I sob, wheezing out every word. “Y-yes. I’m sorry.”
“Good. Good. I will feel better when you turn nineteen and we can fully be together. You will want me more when pleasure is involved.” He softly strokes my hair even as I cry. “You belong to me. Get cleaned up and wait for me in my room. It’s about time I show you how I like my females to behave. I will bring one back.”
He leaves the door open as everything spins and pain threatens to make me pass out. I barely see Kyrell shutting the door behind him before running over to me, dropping his helmet with a clank. He takes my hand, and instantly the pain ebbs away. “I’m so sorry, Story. Fuck, stay awake.”
“Don’t heal me,” I plead, but it’s too late. The pain is nearly gone, and he looks so pale. Even the stars can’t make this night bright. It is all dark and it will never stop.
“I can’t. I wish I could…but I will always heal you.”
I blink out of the memory, the horror of that night and how it was just the beginning. As for the rest of that night—I wish I could forget it. There’s a rustle behind me, and I swing to look where it came from. On the brick wall is a massive, empty picture frame. I noticed it when I came in here, and I saw a few of them in the corridors outside. The picture’s empty, just a wooden frame on the brick. The bricks slide across, clicking as each one disappears. Henrietta appears on the other side, holding a lantern, and she is in a pink nightdress. “Hello, can I come in?”
“Is that a secret door?” I mutter. “And yes, but—”
“Ziven doesn’t know I can use the frames to move about, or that I’m missing from my room, or he never would have put you in this room,” she answers with a grin. “But don’t worry, because only people from the royal Moon Dynasty line can use them. It’s part of our magic.”
She really is a cheeky child. “I don’t think you should be in here speaking to me. Ziven thinks I’m a spy.”
“You’re not,” she confidently replies, walking in and sitting on the end of the bed. “And you look sad. You didn’t even get to try the cakes. They bring them out after Ziven leaves because Ziven never eats the cakes, and he thinks they are bad for your teeth. He can be boring.” She offers me a small cupcake covered in yellow frosting. “It’s actually chocolate cake with yellow lemon frosting on top. The cook makes them for me because she knows they’re my favourite. Everyone else says they’re disgusting, but I really like them.”
I smile at her. She is sweet. “I love chocolate cake, but I’ve never tried it with lemon before.”
As I take the cake from her, she looks down at her feet. “I’m sorry you have to spend all your days in here. I know it’s not nice not being able to leave.”
“Does he really keep you trapped in here?” I question, concerned for her. There is being trapped in a magic mansion, and there is being trapped in a room. One is not okay. Well, neither of them is, but she can at least explore this place.
Hettie grins. “I was just annoying him. No, he lets me go outside with my guards. After what happened to my mother, his sister, he doesn’t want me to get hurt. He’s already lost everyone else.”
My heart clenches. “Oh, so you’re his niece. I’m sorry you lost your mother. Is your father alive?”
“I’m not allowed to talk about it all,” she quickly answers, like she just remembered I’m not in their dynasty and Ziven has likely told her I’m terrible or something close to it. Her features, so much about her doesn’t look a thing like Ziven. I can see a little bit of Ziven when she frowns though. Hettie looks like she belongs in the Sun Dynasty, and she reminds me of Daegan. With how much Ziven didn’t want me to talk about Hettie with Daegan, could he be her father? Is that why they hate each other? “Don’t cry.” She touches my hand. I barely even notice the tear on my cheek, and it’s from earlier, held in place.
“It’s not being here that made me cry, it’s just memories of the past,” I softly tell her. She nods, and I bite into the cupcake to change the subject. It’s strange to have the sweetness of the chocolate and the tang of the lemon together, but it’s actually really nice. I eat it all before grinning at her. “That’s probably the nicest cupcake I’ve ever had.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen. “I knew I liked you! Uncle Ziven was wrong about you, and he will figure that out soon. I can’t stay long. Grandmother is going to notice I’m missing and get really mad.”
It’s cute that our similar taste in cupcakes seems to decide if I’m a good person or not. “I didn’t think she was Ziven’s mother,” I enquire. I just didn’t get that vibe from them.
She wrinkles her nose. “No, she isn’t, but we call her that because she acts like one to us all. She is the oldest person alive in here. The dragons are older, but they can’t bake cookies and teach you how to fight with a sword… Don’t tell her I said that she’s old.”
I barely hold in my laugh. “I won’t.”
Hettie goes to the frame, and the bricks move for her, opening the door. “By the way, the shower is the same as the bath. The water in this mansion heals us from most things. Just in case Ziven forgets to tell you.”
She disappears behind the bricks, and I head straight for the shower as quickly as my sore body will take me.
Chapter Eleven
Page Eleven.
Would he even notice if I ran away to the sea and prayed for the deities to hide me from the world?
My people need me, but I need him.
“Tell me about your week.”
I glance at the handsome Sun king at my side, who is kind and sweet, and we are on a date…and yet something doesn’t feel right. I push the feeling down. It’s just nerves. I’m on a date! Kyrell, you’d be so proud of me. “Come on, you’ve been quiet since you got back. Did Ziven take out your tongue?”
I look at Daegan and stick my tongue out at him, making him laugh. “No, it was… I’m just exhausted.”
“You’re training?” he questions, raising an eyebrow. “I have people around here. They watch everything and tell me. Did you ask to be trained by him?”
“No, it’s a part of…well, if I don’t train, I don’t eat there, so…” I mutter.
“That’s unacceptable. I will—”
“Don’t, it’s fine. I actually feel stronger, especially with the Decidere tomorrow. He doesn’t hurt me.” Much. “I don’t like conflict and arguments, and I know Ziven will make one if you try to tell him what to do. He definitely would make my training harder if you did.”
He doesn’t look like he’s going to drop it. “I’m the king—”
