The Queen's chamber was gigantic. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in thick green moss. Dandelions sprung up in random clumps all around the chamber.My eyes landed on a huge jar right at the back of the room, it's lid reaching the top of the roof. It was filled with deep purple liquid, and my stomach lurched as I saw him. Ben, floating in the liquid, his hair soft and floating and his face so pale it made me sick. In the middle of the room a tall throne made of thick and thin twisting barky roots, it looked as though it was growing right out of the ground.But when my eyes landed on her, I felt as though my pulse was consuming me. She looked around 30, but I knew she was a lot older than that. A few millen isa is older."Your, your majesty?"The queen's head snapped up to look at me, her eyes were black pools, no whites. It was terrifying. Thick green hair fell to her waist and full red lips p
Rent, Dante and I made our way to the cubes with Ben in tow. We had separated from Bonolo. She had gone off to ensure her brother's safety, promising to meet up with us later.She said she would know where we are, and after seeing coming off of her palms I trusted her.It was late when we teleported back to the fairy den, and even later when Jhono showed us a way back to the top. Rent's two guards had set up camp by the opening of the hole and we all stumbled in, exhausted and dishevelled.**********************Pale sunlight painted the sky and I stepped quietly out of my tent, careful not to wake the others as I went into the open to stretch in the cool morning. I walked a little away from the camp and admired the forest in the distance, letting cold morning air blanket me."What the hell were you thinking."I spun around, "Ben! You're awake, I didn't think you would be on your feet until t
DANTE'S POVCarrie was fuming when she came back. Her cat eyes were sparking hot anger and her features were hard."Carrie."She looked up at me and shook her head, warm mahogany chocolate waves cascading down her shoulders and arms as she shook her head."Leave it alone."My wolf whined I reached out for her waist and pulled her to me. Her body melted into my side and she looked up at me, her eyes blazing."Why is it everyone feels the need to pull me around?"I searched her face as she looked up at me, tired and glaring."What does that mean?" I mused, my lips barely moving as I spoke.Her heart sped up, andmy classic smirk pulled at my lips."It means let me go Dante."She sighed a little and suddenly she looked older and exhausted."Let's get out of here
BEN'S POVWe'd been walking for hours. Carrie stayed at the back of the group, keeping her head down as she walked.Dante stayed in front of her, he too was lost in thought, and they didn't speak, much to my relief.Seeing them, laughing the way they did, The way he looked at her, it took everything in me not to rip out his throat as they came up from their swim.Carrie couldn't see it. She was infuriating. Blind, gorgeous and fucking infuriating.The sun was beginning to sink, and we were still walking uphill, near the rocky mountains. A nipping breeze blew against us every now and again, and I wondered if Carrie was cold.Her chocolate waves were blowing into light tangles across her face when the wind blew and I tried to see if she was shivering, but I was too far in front of her.We kept walking, only stopping when the stars sprung
RENT'S POV"Where the hell are they?" I demanded, pacing up and down the cave.My two guards looked at each other, then back at me, then shrugged.I rolled my eyes, it looked like they had rehearsed it."It's been too long, I want you to track them."Dante scrambled up beside me, rolling his eyes, "you're being paranoid.""I didn't ask for your input pretty boy."Dante shook his head, breathing out angrily as he looked away from me.We walked out of the cave, my men began putting their skills to use, leading us up to a dark and deserted Forrest."There was a struggle" Bently, my eldest guard said.I nodded looking around the scuff marks and footprints."They were taken." Said my other guard, Bradly.I ran a hand through my hair, panic rising in my blood."What?" Asked Dante, now co
CARRIE'S POV!we were still flying. It felt like I had been the air for hours. Ben and I had tried to fight the creatures but to no avail. There were just too many. They were tall creatures, with the long rubbery legs of chickens and gigantic dust grey and black wings.One of the creatures was currently holding onto my forearms as it flew over the mountains below us.Ben was being transported in the same sort of way a few meters behind while the rest of the creatures flew around me in a flock formation.Blood was dripping down my cheeks were one of the creatures had scratched me during the fight in the forest and my arms were beginning to hurt where the creature's claws wrapped around my skin.Finally, the gaping entrance of a cave showed itself in the distance. The cave was at the very top of a high, as in look down and you'll be sick high, as in fall and you'll die high cliff.
BEN'S POV!I sighed and a ran a hand through my hair. Carrie wasn't supposed to find out like this. I wanted to tell her slowly, ease her into it. Now, she was absolutely fuming."Yes, I'm a prince. The firstborn males of the alpha's of the three biggest packs every twenty years are technically royalty."Carrie let a puff of disbelief, "so what? All the eldest children of these alphas have some huge battle to decide the new alpha king?"chewed nervously on my lip, "basically, yeah."Carre growled, "did you ever plan on telling me? Or was that thought not able to make it through your thick head?"I sighed, that sharp tongue of hers never failed."I was going to tell you, I just didn't really know-how."She scoffed and I took a step forward in my cell holding onto the bars, and trying to make out her silhouette in the darkness of the cell across
CARRIE'S POV"How did you even get up here?" I asked while Dante clicked the lock on my cell open."Would you believe me if I said buzz lightyear lent a hand?"I raised an eyebrow, "no."Dante sighed, "that would be cool though.""I rolled my eyes and tried to help pull at my lock from the inside."Buzz Lightyear? How old are you six?""And a half." Replied Dante instantlyBen rolled his eyes, huffed and moved Dante over, taking the metal clip Dante had brought to pick the locks from him.Ben's hands, warm and strong, gently lifted mine off the lock. He met my eyes and I stepped back dumbly, looking away. Ben picked my lock in seconds."So, buzz lightyear aside, how the hell did you find us? And what's your escape plan?"Dante grinned and pulled two round pink powdery sweets
I sat on the edge of my bed, trying hard to focus my mind. While both boys were barely on speaking terms, they were both in firm agreement that they would find a way for me to back out of the tournament. I wasn't optimistic.My mind was still racing, it made no sense, what was the queen gaining with me as a competitor? I had a feeling, a gut feeling, this Tornment would end up being a lot more than just a competition. Something darker, deeper and far more important was going on. And I intended to find out what.
For the next half hour, we were too busy sorting through what's been happening, for Ben to yell at Dante and me for making contact. I knew it would come later though. Right now, both boys were furious at mefor keeping the recent attacks on me a secret.Ben called for a handmaiden, and under his orders she got off every scrap of makeup on my body, revealing dozens of nasty wounds, scrapes, and bruises.
I woke up in the bedroom Ben had offered me the day he put the crest on my palm."Bet you never thought you'd sleep in that bed."My eyes snap to my left, Ben is watching rain patter onto the balcony through the glass window in the french doors.
BEN'S POV!!!!!!"This is ridiculous.""I don't care.""Ben!"
I fell onto my bed, gripping my bleeding side. Goblins. They had attacked the house, and they weren't the first. Someone had leaked my location, all kinds of creatures were attacking throughout the week, trying to recapture the "Future Valderian Queen."Rent had called, he still hadn't gotten a confession from his guards. The mole on our team was still unknown.
The alpha gave me the prophecy, but I knew the others were waiting. So I stuffed it into my pocket, and stumbled out to the car, knowing my face was as white as a sheet. Everyone bustled, saying goodbye, and getting into the right cars. I came face to face with Rent, and immediately my eyes welled with tears."Oh Carrie," he breathed fondly, pulling me warmly into his arms, "
BEN'S POVEverything began to happen very quickly. It took us another night and another day before we reached the border.Carrie kept a space between us that was way too big to be natural. Her face was a constant flat stone plate. Her usually sparking eyes, dull and walled over. I'd never seen t
CARRIE'S POVI cried until pale light splattered across the dark sky. I knew Ben wasn't going to change his mind about this. It was over. My sister had lost her fiance, and it was my fault.Ben set out a breakfast of pheasant cooked for my benefit on a small fire. He said nothing, I didn't touch the food, he didn't push me to, and we ignored my red-rimmed eyes.
BEN'S POVTwo days. Two days of walking and camping. But I barely noticed. Time melted, waving around us like soft silk.Carrie's link was still open, her contentment warmed my body, her happiness swirling in my chest.Her chocolate hair was thrown up into a