As night has fallen, Marek has left me with guards outside my door, not telling me much about what he intends to do from now.
At this point, I'm incessantly pacing through the room, checking to find the window is locked - it's not as if it would be worth it to escape now anyway, not with the guards swarming the grounds. I need information to go back with anyway, otherwise this black eye isn't going to be worth it.
But how am I going to get information when I'm stuck in here?"
Tonight, my door isn't locked, and no one is guarding it.Which means sinful ideas have crept mercilessly into my mind, all of which seem to lead back to me leaving here. Vaia told me that tomorrow morning I will be allowed to leave, which is an opportunity I plan on taking without much protest.But I have a bad feeling about the sudden lack of guards outside of my room. Either Vaia truly doesn't see me as a threat, or she does plan on actually letting me go tomorrow. It's going to mean she will come at me with all the more force when she finds out I betrayed her trust.
Tonight, my door isn't locked, and no one is guarding it.Which means sinful ideas have crept mercilessly into my mind, all of which seem to lead back to me leaving here. Vaia told me that tomorrow morning I will be allowed to leave, which is an opportunity I plan on taking without much protest.But I have a bad feeling about the sudden lack of guards outside of my room. Either Vaia truly doesn't see me as a threat, or she does plan on actually letting me go tomorrow. It's going to mean she will come at me with all the more force when she finds out I betrayed her trust.
Tonight, my door isn't locked, and no one is guarding it.Which means sinful ideas have crept mercilessly into my mind, all of which seem to lead back to me leaving here. Vaia told me that tomorrow morning I will be allowed to leave, which is an opportunity I plan on taking without much protest.But I have a bad feeling about the sudden lack of guards outside of my room. Either Vaia truly doesn't see me as a threat, or she does plan on actually letting me go tomorrow. It's going to mean she will come at me with all the more force when she finds out I betrayed her trust.
Even with Tai by my side at almost every waking moment of my day, I still can’t escape the lingering thoughts that haunt me.Today I sit out in the garden on a little wooden bench, staring out across the formal lawn, bordered by the forest. As sheltered as this place is, I still get a flutter of nervousness at the idea that Vaia and her rebels could storm in here at any moment. Since leaving their stronghold a week ago, I haven’t spent a moment each day not thinking about them.I’ve been thinking about Vaia and her plan to have me drink from the Forbidden River. I would surely die, or worse, become some horrifying Tani. And I’ve been thinking about Marek as well, about whether he was truthful when he told me he still cares abo
I don’t remember falling unconscious, so when I wake, shrouded in darkness, I’m seized with panic.Something woke me. I’m in the infirmary, the shadows of nearby empty beds telling me that. The window near my bed allows creamy beams of moonlight to flood in, alighting the area so I can see the dried blood on my skin and on the sheets.Attempting to sit up, I wince, a harsh feeling rattling on the inside of my head, my vision erupting with bright colours and spots of black. A sharp pain in my stomach causes me to lay back down, my hands resting on the tender spot as I breathe the pain, trying not to let it overcome me. I’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m not even sure I should be alive right now.
The moment the morning sun hits my skin, I feel immediately better.Tai and I walk hand in hand through the formal lawn, and into the forest. The silence between us is comfortable, even if I can sense that Tai has a lot to say to me. We continue our walk through an unfamiliar part of the woods, before we emerge from the thickness of the trees and into a field, a stream running right through the centre of it. I nearly have to pause to look around, surprised a place like this exists out here, in the Jade Province."You know all the most beautiful places around here,” I whisper, the suns gentle rays warming my cheeks, the slight breeze that weaves t
Time feels as though it’s passing at a strange rate.Over the past few weeks, I haven’t had anymore bleeding. I’ve spent every night being walked to my room by Tai, who would linger at the door frame, ensuring my safety, then return in the morning. The healers still have no idea how I’ve managed to escape death, and I’ve avoided sharing how with Tai. He’s got enough on his plate recently, he doesn’t need this as well.I lean against the window sill in my room, noting the gloomy weather outside. Low cloud lingers across the top of the forest, crawling through the foliage toward the estate. Somewhere in the distance, Vaia and Marek are living their lives oblivious to what is happening with me.
I stare at myself in the mirror, hating what I have to do.I’ve come to the conclusion that my best bet is to seduce Marek, to hopefully convince him to let his guard down before injecting him to make him weak enough to be apprehended. First, I want to read the room, to see how he reacts to me first. He may laugh at me, refuse to be impressed by what I’m wearing right now, how I’m planning to act with him. It’s a likely reaction, but at this point, it’s all I can do.My nightdress is short, covering only what is needed, letting my legs stand bare to his eyes. The white material is slightly sheer in certain lights, yet I’ve cast the room into shadow by leaving only one lamp light on, wanting it to look like I was just pre
~AkaraVaia is merciless, shoving us into carriages, three security guards squeezing in next to us, giving us no chance to escape.Evolet's gaze is trained directly onto the floor the entire journey there, lost in her thoughts. Strangely, I don't fear my imminent doom. I'm more concerned about Tai's fate, once I drink from the river and die. And what about Marek? For all I know, he could have already been killed, or worse...Captured by Vaia to be tortured.It takes over an hour for us to make it to the river. There's only one way in, through a parting in the dense forest. People are usually prohibited in this area, although it seems this part of the P
~AkaraMy body is propped up against a concrete wall when I wake.Wincing, I shift, tilting my head back and forth. I'm presuming Vaia is the reason for my sudden blackout that has led to a throbbing headache. As I lift my arms, I realise they are pinned down, my wrists cuffed with metal attached to chains pinned to the ground. No matter how much I tug, I'm trapped.And to make matters worse, I'm in a cell. This is in the prison section, rather than the room where Tai is locked up. It seems Vaia doesn't want to allow me a single mercy in her demented plot to destroy all of us.
~AkaraMarek's grip is tight on my shoulders, gaze intense."I'm going to make you look like some random girl off the street," Marek explains calmly, as if I'm not about to step back into the hell I've escaped from twice now. I can only hope for a third time, accompanied by Tai. "Vaia doesn't care much for her guards, so as long as you have the uniform, she won't question it."We stand near an overgrown entrance to the tunnel that leads close to the estate. We can't get close enough that we would be spotted by any of Vaia's guards, who I'm hopefully going to blend into with Marek's powers controlling my appearance.
~AkaraI stare at the cottage, quiet.Beyond the faded doors, are my parents, as Marek has assured me. The place is nice, perfect for them. With father no longer going to the war, they needed a place like this to settle down, and once this is all over, I doubt they will want to move back to the Jade Province."Are you okay?" Marek asks softly from beside me. I turn to look at him, noting the wariness in his eyes. He has been almost too gentle with me since we arrived, probably trying not to crowd me after everything has been revealed. I'm grateful for that, as I don't think I have it in me to look at him the same yet.
~AkaraI stare at the cottage, quiet.Beyond the faded doors, are my parents, as Marek has assured me. The place is nice, perfect for them. With father no longer going to the war, they needed a place like this to settle down, and once this is all over, I doubt they will want to move back to the Jade Province."Are you okay?" Marek asks softly from beside me. I turn to look at him, noting the wariness in his eyes. He has been almost too gentle with me since we arrived, probably trying not to crowd me after everything has been revealed. I'm grateful for that, as I don't think I have it in me to look at him the same yet.
~AkaraSurprisingly, Tyrien stood and listened to me explain the entire situation, not interrupting once.With the last words of my recount passing my lips, I settle back into myself. I've done everything but go back and get Tai myself, and if this doesn't work, then I'm going to be left with only one choice. Even so, I'm just grateful Tyrien is willing to even hear me blurt out my struggles, essentially on the verge of tears at this point."I wish there was something I could do to help you, Akara," Tyrien responds carefully. I know he means it, that he can't just go marching into territories, resolving conflicts on behalf of people. It would create a
~AkaraI don't remember dozing off."Akara...Wake up." I jolt up, pressing my back against the wall of the carriage, staring back at Marek, startled. He removes his hand from my arm, successfully having shaken me awake."What's going on?" I ask, rubbing my bleary eyes. The carriage rattles uneasily, suggesting we are on uneven terrain. The flimsy curtain has been pulled over the small window of the carriage, watery light stream through it's sheer fabric."You fell asleep." Marek doesn't look as though he has slept, his clothing unrumpled and hair in relatively undisturbed condition. "We
~AkaraThe sound of wheels grating along a gravelled surface roused me from sleep.Jolting up, my heart patters violently in my chest as I look around at my surroundings, memories struggling to come back to me. I'm in a carriage that sways back and forth, moving quickly, and sitting opposite me is Marek, with a solemn expression on his face.My mind tumbles back into a dark memory. Almost a year ago, when Marek first kidnapped me from the Inn, and I woke in a carriage just like this one, as confused as I am now with a man in front of me who was basically a stranger.
~AkaraA dark, cold feeling of dread trickles through me."Jessa...You're here," I say slowly, my mouth feeling like it's stuffed with cotton. I haven't seen Jessa in months, but she looks no different. Maybe a little more haunted than usual, her dark eyes roving over me quietly."I am." The edge of her lips quirk up. "You look horrible."I release a long breath. "I'm sick."I'm not sure if I expect her to feel sorry to me, to pity us and let us go, b