Because even though I still possessed my human features, I couldfeel myself hollowing, feel my soul decaying, and eventually there would be nothing left ofmefor Dahes to take.
The sentries that escorted me through the halls left the moment we reached the dining room, leaving me alone with Dahes.
Every room in the castle felt eerily similar, at least the rooms I’d been allowed to enter. If there were any windows along the walls, they were open and barred, letting the wind shift through the halls.
Nearly every ceiling was vaulted, made entirely of glass that came to a five-pointed arch toward the top. Not that it mattered, the fog was so thick outside Moriann that all you could ever see was the swirling gray haze. Torches were scattered across the walls in sconces, providing the only light to enter the room.
Everything was dark and cold. Even when I crawled into bed each night and covered myself in the thin blanket, I was still freezing. The stone floors of the palace felt like walking on ice, and whenever I was forced to speak, I could see my breath leave my lips in a puff of air. It felt symbolic—like a visual representation of slowly dying.
“Why the long face, little ghost?” Dahes drawled as I started walking toward my seat. His bone-chilling voice echoed off the alabaster walls, carrying through the tension-filled air.
I forced a smile.Behave, do as I’m told, don’t ask questions—or things will be worse.
Dahes was sitting in his usual seat at the head of the table. The dark resin stone stretched nearly the length of the room, jarring against the palace’s otherwise light aesthetics. If I looked too long, I swore I saw glimpses of ivory underneath, like bones were solidified inside the stone.
The minimal furniture Dahes kept was all oversized, grim, and obscenely heavy. It was as if the castle was built to make its inhabitants feel minuscule and insignificant.
It didn’t have the same effect on Dahes. The table could easily fit fifty people around it, but he never looked small.
It surprised me the first time I truly saw him. When I made my deal, all I saw was his looming figure and masked face, making him look more beast than man. He hid his features until afterhe brought me here, and I couldn’t hide the shock coursing through me. He lookedmortal. Just tall and drained of color, but otherwise his features were the same as any other civilian. I half expected him to have horns, or razor-sharp teeth, or claws the size of my face like the rumors portrayed.
Even if he didn’t look like one, he was still a monster. No one could be as cruel and powerful as he was and not lose themselves along the way.
“You look lovely, Magnolia.” Dahes’ voice broke the silence as his eyes raked over my body, his gaze wrapping around me like a snake before I felt the suffocation.
I was wearing a white slip. Thin straps kept the silky material from falling down, but it did nothing to stop me from feeling exposed. My long brown hair was loose behind my back, just how Dahes liked it, and I had to force myself not to push it in front of my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I said as I slid into my seat to the right of him. Only one chair occupied the head of the table—the one opposite was always left vacant. It ensured healonefaced the door. Another subtle power move, not that I’d ever eaten in here when the table was full. It was only ever us.
A single plate of food sat in front of me. I learned not to question what I was eating. I probably didn’t want to know. Dahes watched me take the first bite as he slowly sipped from his goblet. It was all I ever saw him consume—thick red liquid that stained his lips before he licked it off. It smelled metallic. I also learned not to question what he was drinking.
It took me ten chews before I could swallow the first bite. Whatever I was eating was tough tonight. My stomach stirred, and I had to fight the urge to throw up. But it was the only meal I’d get. I was only allowed dinner if Dahes felt like dining with me. I could only eat with him. If he wasn’t in the mood or if he had prior obligations, I didn’t get food.
“Make sure you finish your plate tonight. You’ll need your strength to bring all three girls back in the morning.”
I nodded, forcing another bite down my throat. Everything alwaysfelt so loud in the dining room. My fork and knife clattered against my plate, and the sound of my own chewing felt deafening to my ears.
I wasn’t worried about bringing them back. Ever since Dahes decided to use me for hunts, he started training me. I could hold my own. I could slip past defenses, get into heavily guarded places without being seen, and I could drag whoever he wanted back with me. I just never did it the moment the exile happened. It made me curious, made me wonder what he wanted with them. They weren’t in Moriann, which meant they didn’t do anything yet to piss him off. So why did he want them?
I realized my mistake the moment Dahes’ goblet echoed off the resin stone as he set it down. He leaned back in his seat, staring at me.
I was thinking too much…
“I want their Token,” Dahes answered, reading my thoughts. It was another thing I hadn’t realized when I made my deal—that Dahes could enter my mind and see whatever I was currently thinking.
It was why I kept myself numb, why I tried so hard not to think. Usually, he used my thoughts against me…
Breathe. One. Two. Three. Four. Exhale.
I waited, even if it killed me. If he wanted me to know more, he’d tell me.
“Together, they can predict the fates. Their Token is the gift of sight.”
It took all my effort to keep my mouth from gaping. A power like that…
“If they can see the future,” I said slowly, trying to figure out how to word what I wanted to say, “won’t they know I’m coming for them?”
Dahes shook his head. “Their powers don’t work on themselves, and even if they did, I want them, Magnolia. The moment they’re dropped into Moriann, you will bring them to me.”
