DEREK'S POV:I was heading to the training fields when a thin little lad with a weak voice and fretting eyes caught me.He said mildly with an undercurrent of urgency, "Lady Annalise requests your presence,”I followed him through the stone passageways of King Sylvester's fortress, feeling my stomach twist into knots. Although Annalise and I had never had a private meeting, her influence was as strong as it was dangerous. When she talked, the King's council paid attention, and when she walked into a room, something changed. She had asked for me, and I couldn't get rid of the impression that it wasn't just a polite request.The boy came to a halt in front of the sturdy door of Annalise's chamber. He nodded and rushed out of sight, leaving me standing in the dark hallway light. After a brief pause, I gently knocked.She said, "Enter," in a calm yet firm tone.The smell of incense filled the room, strong and confusing. With her back to me, Annalise stood by a window, appearing as a shado
VERA’S POV:My cell's chilly and dank stone walls had grown to feel like an old friend that I had to accept even though I had never asked for it. I was walking down the same wet floor, counting breaths, and following the same lines in the cracks every day. It had been months, not just weeks. I had been disoriented. I still had hope, though. I had persuaded myself, at least, that I hadn't.Then Derek showed there, just as he always did, walking into my small area with firm, steady steps. The creak of the door opened, but it was not the sound of liberation. Not quite yet. It was the sound of someone who was just not quite there, but wanted to think he could grant it. Despite trying to hide it with his normally composed manner, he stood straight in front of me, his face tense with worry. His demeanor hardly fooled me."You're handling everything so well," he said in a quiet voice that seemed almost melancholic, as if he thought I would be more devastated than I actually was.I gave him a
DEREK’S POV:As I swung into the back seat of the convoy, the engine hissed like a beast under the hood. There was already Annalise sitting in the centre with a cigarette hanging between her fingers and her knees crossed. The leather and metal of the armoured vehicle blended with the strong tobacco odour that permeated the inside. Her piercing emerald eyes showed no emotion as she cocked her head slightly, silently accepting my arrival.After a beat, she murmured, "Help yourself," pointing to the little bar embedded at the rear of the exotic car located across from me in a low, nearly humming voice. In the dimly lit space, a variety of spirits bottles gleamed, but my attention was drawn to the crystal decanter she was holding. She was already filling two glasses with something strong and dark.For a moment, I pondered whether it was prudent to drink at this time. Vera was on the line, King Sylvester was breathing down my neck, and every minute that went by only made me feel more and m
The gentle hum of the convoy's engine filled the quiet between Annalise and me as we rode the remainder of the trip. My pulse pounded in my ears, and my hands were still shaking from whatever cocktail she had given me. Sylvester, Vera, and the twisted woodland were all too real and visceral in the hallucination I had just had. I looked to see what she was thinking, but Annalise's eyes were locked on the road ahead, and her demeanour was as unreadable as ever.The convoy soon slowed, and I sensed the car veer slightly off the main road. Outside, the desolate horizon gave way to towering, imposing buildings, their neon lights glimmering in the darkness like beacons. The caravan arrived at a sleek, low-slung structure that appeared to be a club. The pulse of lights flashed sporadically, creating shadows that danced in the darkness like wraiths, as music throbbed softly through the walls.With ease, Annalise glided out as the door opened. Even though the fog in my head had mostly gone, I
DEREK'S POV:My body felt heavy and my muscles ached like I had been dragged through hell when I woke up, confused. My mouth felt as dry as a desert, and my head ached. I looked about, blinking against the faint light coming through heavy curtains. It was a hotel room with cream walls and soft carpets, yet the air had a slight scent and cigarette odour. When I sat up and saw that I was only wearing my boxers, my bewilderment turned to fear.Pushing my way through the club, attempting to get away from the suffocating commotion, the flashing lights, and the tightening embrace of bodies, was the last thing I remembered. Then again, nothing. An empty canvas.I noticed a shadow move close to the window. There stood Annalise, silhouetted against the dim light of the metropolis outside. With a cigarette dangling from her lips and a camera in one hand that flashed menacingly in the low light, she was leaning nonchalantly.I made an effort to collect my thoughts, but the mental haze would not
As though the weight of the world didn't bother him, Ryan Myers entered the room with a chilly, uninterested expression. I kept a careful eye on him, attempting to hide the rage seething in me. He was a few steps from me, and in the dim light of the room, his towering figure was a shadow. He fixed his emotionless gaze on mine."Derek," he uttered, his tone steady but threatening. "Queen Annalise should be avoided. You'll escape any... unpleasant repercussions if you follow instructions.”I said nothing at all and continued to stare at him intently, searching for any hints. The air was different today, even though Ryan had always been one of the more erratic ones. It wasn't your typical bluster. No, it seemed like a far darker event was about to happen.He stepped forward, and I smelt his aroma, a subtle blend of iron and leather. He had no intention of negotiating. He had an ultimatum to deliver."Insubordination is not tolerated by the Luna," he continued, maintaining his cold tone.
DEREK'S POV:With a snarl that echoed around the room, Bowlser sprang out of the shadows. He looked horrific, a hideous hybrid of beast and man. His enormous frame seemed to throb with unadulterated, animalistic strength, and he was at least eight feet tall. His muscles bulged and rippled with each movement, and his skin was a mottled grey. There was a wicked thirst burning in his red-glowing eyes. Sharp fangs glinted in the low light, and clawed claws flexed as if ready to tear flesh.My entire body tensed in anticipation as I tightened my fists. My blood was getting hotter, and I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins. As Bowlser stepped closer, his heavy feet making the floor tremble, the room around us seemed to contract, the walls pressing in. I heard nothing but the thunderous pounding of my own heartbeat for a while, and then he suddenly charged.For something so big, his speed was astounding. In a matter of seconds, he was on me, swinging his huge arm in my directi
I woke up with a nagging discomfort that spread across my entire body and the acute sting of an IV in my arm. The sick bay smelt of antiseptic mixed with something metallic, and the chamber was cold and sterile. I tried to concentrate on the ceiling, but my vision became blurry. Eventually, the fight, the pandemonium, and the pain all returned to me. A nurse was adjusting something on the IV stand while the middle-aged, graying-haired doctor fussed over the machines.I attempted to move, but the tubing—no, the restraints—held me in place, and my arms felt like lead. I wanted to talk, but it took a minute to get any sound out of my throat, which felt like sandpaper."Where am I?"The doctor gave me a quick look before turning back to the screen of the electrocardiogram that bleeped incessantly. “Derek, you're in the sick bay at the castle. You were severely beaten.I blinked many times in an attempt to clear my mind of the haze. "What happened?"With a gentle tone, the nurse remarked,