MistyIt’s been two hours since I left the apartment I share with Georgia. I creep around another corner, sketching the sharp angles of what I believe might be the fourth floor of this Goddess-forsaken fortress, and I’m no closer to finding a way out than I was when I left my rooms. Another foyer stretches ahead of me, followed by another staircase leading both up and down, splitting down the center. I sigh, tapping my pen on my lip as I ponder whether to take the stairs or keep walking to the exterior bridge that connects this area to another tower, I think. Whoever built this place was a glutton for punishment. My legs are burning from the effort of navigating at least a dozen staircases already. I lean against the wall for a moment to catch my breath, flipping through the four pages of notes and examining the crudely sketched map. I can get back to my room from here. I believe we’re on the sixth or seventh floor up there, if my estimate about where I am now is correct. I haven’t
MistyCole rises, turns his chair to face the bed, and sits, his eyes holding mine. “I am still the king. The rest is out of my control.”“Including using me as a breeder? It wasn't your decision, was it? You were being forced–”“I’m doing what's necessary.” He has no plans to elaborate based on the look on his face.“You hated it, though. You looked… disgusted by me.”His steely, carefully crafted expression of neutrality cracks. “No–”“But you were.”“Misty, I wasn’t disgusted by you at all. The opposite.” His eyes glow with emotion. I’m sure if I knew him better, I’d be able to see the pain there, the regret. “I didn’t know you were a virgin and I was rough.”“You coulda been rougher.” I arch a brow, and to my relief, the corner of his mouth ticks into a smile before it fades away again. He probably has a beautiful smile. He’s probably one of those guys whose laugh lights up a room. I wonder how long it’s been since he’s done either. “That’s not funny.”“You almost smiled.” I shou
Aviva“I have her.”Ryan and I turn to look at Sarah. We’ve been avoiding looking at her because, quite frankly, she looks terrifying right now. Her eyes are glowing and totally, completely violet. Her hair floats around her head as she stands with her hands on either side of what Ryan called a “bird bath.” It’s not a bird bath. It’s some weird bowl that an even stranger, tiny man brought here all the way from Veiled Valley. Apparently, Arthur, the royal historian, has a collection of useful objects in his treasure trove in Veiled Valley’s library, and a scrying bowl hadn’t been hard at all to acquire. Still, Sarah has been bent over this bowl for almost a week, whether it’s snowing, blowing, or sunny and absolutely frigid. The tip of her nose is bright red as her glowing eyes widen and her mouth pulls into a smile. “I have her. Guys, I found her!”Several people rush toward her, but Ryan and I hang back. All around us, a city of tents clogs the Silverhide valley with hundreds of w
ColeI stand in the doorway of the bedroom. Dust hangs in the air, dancing around the absolutely mangled four poster bed and the underturned dresser. Splintered wood coats the floor. It’s a mess. A huge, dusty mess. I first woke up what must’ve been hours ago–face down on the floor, alone. I’d stumbled out of the bedroom thinking something had happened–an attack, perhaps. Maybe Richard had made good on his threats to lash me with his powers again, this time, for good. But three very concerned figures were holding court well into the night. Misty healed my back. The second I made my first appearance after her ministrations, she’d been giddy with delight and pride over ‘breaking my curse,’ and telling me she’d already forgiven me for almost killing her and Declan in the process. I have no recollection of anything past the conversation I had with her… yesterday. Last night? Yeah, it’s morning again. The sun is still rising along the horizon. I’ve been out again for hours… asleep. I ca
MistyEverything that happened over the last forty-eight hours is a blur. One moment, I was sitting on the floor of Cole’s trashed bedroom, talking in low tones as he packed his meager belongings into a worn backpack. The next, he donned his cloak and left, and almost nine hours later, returned to me and Georgia passed out cold in one of the apartment’s guestrooms. Georgia didn’t stir when Declan picked her up and carried her out of the room, but Cole woke me gently, telling me it was time to go. I didn’t have time to ask how he’d managed to get us out of the fortress claimed by the order. The few personal items he’d retrieved from my dorm room were already packed away in a car, he’d said. He offered me a sweatshirt that smelled like him and guided me, Georgia, and Luke–with an entourage of over twenty exhausted order members in their black cloaks, through the fortress I failed to map. There was one way out. Maybe at one point in time it would have been a grand foyer, something beau
MistyI keep my head down as Cole briskly leads Georgia and me into the depths of the castle. I can tell we’re in an area dedicated to maids and servants. The hallways are narrow and connect to a massive kitchen, a huge laundry room, and several rooms I’m sure are used for mending or to house supplies. Maids scurry out of our way as Orion stalks ahead of us. Cole keeps his hand firmly fixed on my upper arm. There’s nothing gentle about his touch. I don’t turn to look into the eyes of the curious staff peeking their heads through doorways, trying to catch a glimpse of the king and his… entourage? No, captives. Still, captives. Especially based on the way he’s dragging me up a flight of stairs. He wants it to look rough. So, I squirm a bit. He doesn’t tell me to stop. If anything, he tightens his grip in encouragement. Orion says under his breath, “We decided it would be best to house her in your rooms. Her friend–”“Mind-link, Orion,” Cole says flatly, ripping me around a sharp corn
MistyCole backs me against the doorframe, his body curling over mine to chase my mouth as I lower my feet to the floor. The memory of our kiss from the party weeks ago clogs my brain for several delicious seconds. He tastes the same. Warm and minty. His lips are soft but demanding as his tongue slides over my lower lip, beckoning for me to open for him. The towel covering my body is holding on by a thread as I wrap my arms around his neck. He lifts me up, pinning me against the doorframe and pressing his body to mine. My hand drags down his back, leaving a trail of my healing powers. He trembles, and the kiss turns to something hungry and… wild. “Stop healing me,” he breathlessly commands. “No,” I counter, but his mouth steals the word from my lips. It doesn’t strike me that we should stop. There’s no reason for this. This attraction, this bone-shattering need I’ve felt since we slept together for the first time–as quick and cold as that was. Maybe it’s morbid curiosity. Maybe i
MistyA freakin’ week has passed in my confinement. To say I’m losing my mind is the least of it. On the first day in Oasia, I lost my mind and body to Cole, spending the night beside him–learning the secrets of his body until the sheets smelled like us, and we slumped into a dead kind of sleep. But that was a week ago. In between, I’ve been pacing the apartment, slowly fading into the wallpaper, watching wolves dart around the courtyard a few stories below. Everyday is the same. I wake up–alone. I eat breakfast by myself. Lavender–a pretty, middle-aged woman–comes to dress me in beautiful dresses that cover nearly every inch of my skin–not that I’m going anywhere, though. She hasn’t spoken a word to me, and she barely looks me in the eye. Yesterday, Georgia finally came to see me. Apparently, she’s been hoarded away as well, but Declan keeps her company. Luke is in the same boat. Alone, well fed and well dressed, but otherwise occupied with a special project Cole bestowed upon him,
MistyI’m dreaming. I know this is a vision–a glimpse into life happening far, far away. I think I love this power the most. I think I’m somewhere on the far northern coast of Crescent Falls, near the border with Celestoria. It’s definitely one of the fog-soaked islands–an obscure, rural pack territory. I stand on a hill overlooking a cottage. Yellow, winter grass hugs the little house, smoke rising from its chimney. A young woman with mousy-brown hair steps outside, bundled in a coat, hiking a messenger bag over her shoulder as she turns back to the door and smiles, saying something to the woman standing just out of view within. Then, I’m following the young woman as she walks toward the village. She smiles at a few people and wolves she passes. Her eyes are a soft gray–Cole’s eyes. This is his sister, Annabel. This is where she lives now. I watch as she steps into the yard of a single story stone building. Children dart in the brisk, cool winter air, chasing a ball around. Othe
ColeMisty shivers in my arms as I stare at Lavender. “What did you just say?”“The Umbra Mortis just arrived,” she says slowly, her eyes wide with panic. “He’s coming here–to the castle. Any minute now.”My life flashes before my eyes. He can’t see Misty like this. He can’t find out Misty just broke the curse in Lacey, either. “Fuck. Fuck, fuck–” It takes all of my strength to lay Misty in the bed gently instead of tossing her like a rag doll. Lavender quickly takes over redressing her in a nightgown while I run around the room, opening closets and pulling drawers from the dresser, searching for anything to throw over her nearly frozen body. I rush into the bathroom and swiftly change into dry clothes.“What happened?” Lavender hisses as we hurriedly tuck several blankets around Misty. Misty shivers uncontrollably, her teeth chattering so loud I’m worried they’ll break. I fish in the blankets for her arm and take a deep breath before going completely still, my fingers locked on her
MistyThe room is dark but clean. In fact, the curtains are drawn against the sun, and Orion has to turn on a lamp, which barely floods the room in muted light. There’s a single bed in the corner, the blankets bunched around a… woman. Chains rustle as she sits up, turning sightless green eyes in my direction, and I…I turn away, bracing my hands on the wall as nausea drags me under. Cole’s behind me, leaning down as his hand rests on my lower belly, splayed wide. “You don’t have to do this.”“Why is she wearing a muzzle?” I bite out, my eyes watering from the effort of trying to stop myself from throwing up out of rage. The chains rattle as the woman begins to keen. “Lacey, it’s all right. I’ve brought a friend to see you. She might make you feel better.” Orion’s footsteps sound somewhere behind us. Lacey cries out in a mutated voice that sounds like talons being dragged across a chalkboard. My body lurches with nausea again, my healing powers already buzzing over my skin, sensin
ColeOrion paces across the row of windows overlooking the city. Sun bathes the blue roofs, but in the distance, storm clouds gather on the horizon. Storms aren’t uncommon this time of year. They’re vicious, though. Flooding is common–something we need to count on. So on top of… on top of pretending to be a war lord while simultaneously trying to force the Alphas in my kingdom to get their people out, and to the border, before I start a real war with Richard… I have to deal with the people who won’t leave and ensure they’re safe when the rain starts. “I want warriors in the city center ready to rescue those who’re ignoring the warnings to evacuate to higher ground tonight,” I murmur, running my hand down my face. Orion watches the storm, sighing, “It might not be as bad as we’re anticipating.”“It always is,” Commander Abernathy, Luke’s father, says from his perch on a couch nearby. “Maybe the flood will wash away Richard’s forces lingering in the city. You know none of those men h
MistyA freakin’ week has passed in my confinement. To say I’m losing my mind is the least of it. On the first day in Oasia, I lost my mind and body to Cole, spending the night beside him–learning the secrets of his body until the sheets smelled like us, and we slumped into a dead kind of sleep. But that was a week ago. In between, I’ve been pacing the apartment, slowly fading into the wallpaper, watching wolves dart around the courtyard a few stories below. Everyday is the same. I wake up–alone. I eat breakfast by myself. Lavender–a pretty, middle-aged woman–comes to dress me in beautiful dresses that cover nearly every inch of my skin–not that I’m going anywhere, though. She hasn’t spoken a word to me, and she barely looks me in the eye. Yesterday, Georgia finally came to see me. Apparently, she’s been hoarded away as well, but Declan keeps her company. Luke is in the same boat. Alone, well fed and well dressed, but otherwise occupied with a special project Cole bestowed upon him,
MistyCole backs me against the doorframe, his body curling over mine to chase my mouth as I lower my feet to the floor. The memory of our kiss from the party weeks ago clogs my brain for several delicious seconds. He tastes the same. Warm and minty. His lips are soft but demanding as his tongue slides over my lower lip, beckoning for me to open for him. The towel covering my body is holding on by a thread as I wrap my arms around his neck. He lifts me up, pinning me against the doorframe and pressing his body to mine. My hand drags down his back, leaving a trail of my healing powers. He trembles, and the kiss turns to something hungry and… wild. “Stop healing me,” he breathlessly commands. “No,” I counter, but his mouth steals the word from my lips. It doesn’t strike me that we should stop. There’s no reason for this. This attraction, this bone-shattering need I’ve felt since we slept together for the first time–as quick and cold as that was. Maybe it’s morbid curiosity. Maybe i
MistyI keep my head down as Cole briskly leads Georgia and me into the depths of the castle. I can tell we’re in an area dedicated to maids and servants. The hallways are narrow and connect to a massive kitchen, a huge laundry room, and several rooms I’m sure are used for mending or to house supplies. Maids scurry out of our way as Orion stalks ahead of us. Cole keeps his hand firmly fixed on my upper arm. There’s nothing gentle about his touch. I don’t turn to look into the eyes of the curious staff peeking their heads through doorways, trying to catch a glimpse of the king and his… entourage? No, captives. Still, captives. Especially based on the way he’s dragging me up a flight of stairs. He wants it to look rough. So, I squirm a bit. He doesn’t tell me to stop. If anything, he tightens his grip in encouragement. Orion says under his breath, “We decided it would be best to house her in your rooms. Her friend–”“Mind-link, Orion,” Cole says flatly, ripping me around a sharp corn
MistyEverything that happened over the last forty-eight hours is a blur. One moment, I was sitting on the floor of Cole’s trashed bedroom, talking in low tones as he packed his meager belongings into a worn backpack. The next, he donned his cloak and left, and almost nine hours later, returned to me and Georgia passed out cold in one of the apartment’s guestrooms. Georgia didn’t stir when Declan picked her up and carried her out of the room, but Cole woke me gently, telling me it was time to go. I didn’t have time to ask how he’d managed to get us out of the fortress claimed by the order. The few personal items he’d retrieved from my dorm room were already packed away in a car, he’d said. He offered me a sweatshirt that smelled like him and guided me, Georgia, and Luke–with an entourage of over twenty exhausted order members in their black cloaks, through the fortress I failed to map. There was one way out. Maybe at one point in time it would have been a grand foyer, something beau
ColeI stand in the doorway of the bedroom. Dust hangs in the air, dancing around the absolutely mangled four poster bed and the underturned dresser. Splintered wood coats the floor. It’s a mess. A huge, dusty mess. I first woke up what must’ve been hours ago–face down on the floor, alone. I’d stumbled out of the bedroom thinking something had happened–an attack, perhaps. Maybe Richard had made good on his threats to lash me with his powers again, this time, for good. But three very concerned figures were holding court well into the night. Misty healed my back. The second I made my first appearance after her ministrations, she’d been giddy with delight and pride over ‘breaking my curse,’ and telling me she’d already forgiven me for almost killing her and Declan in the process. I have no recollection of anything past the conversation I had with her… yesterday. Last night? Yeah, it’s morning again. The sun is still rising along the horizon. I’ve been out again for hours… asleep. I ca