Page 74 of How Does It Feel?

My tired eyes flickered at the temperature change as dry heat covered my now damp skin.

Instantly I was back inside the castle. The same twinkling night sky filled my vision but was now surrounded by fancy walls and tapestries.

“I must say, that was quite impressive,” sang the queen as she popped her pretty head into my vision.

I struggled to sit, realizing I was in the middle of the ballroom floor once again. The crowd gathered around me as I fought to stand. I was still in the presence of predators, and it was foolish to lie vulnerable beneath them.

My eyes immediately searched for Mendax, although I’m not sure why. I suppose I was curious to see if he was actually going to hold up his end of the bargain. He was probably stewing angrily in another room.

“Unless you all would also like to die tonight, get away from my pet,” his voice lumbered at my back as the crowd quickly moved away.

“Take her back, but get her cleaned up before she is returned to her cage. I don’t want her soiling my rugs with her red human blood.”

His words were told to someone else, but as he moved in front of me, his eyes held mine with something I couldn’t understand. A look I hadn’t seen from him before. He looked disheveled, his dark hair mussed about as if he had been pulling on it. Likely furious because I hadn’t died like he’d hoped. Why did he hate me so much?

This time elfish-looking lady’s maids came to fetch me instead of guards or the shadow-maids that had bathed me last time.

My body was about to give out, and the acid wounds still burned full of fire. I couldn’t continue with the other trials if I died from my wounds tonight.

“Say it,” I stated, though it came out with more gusto than I could have predicted.

Mendax and I remained standing, eyes locked. He hesitated a moment.

“Callie Peterson of the human realm has won her first trial,” he said, humoring me, as a foreign gleam of respect flashed over his eyes and just as quickly left.

Chapter 21

The Poison of Need

Callie

“Keep your Fae hands off me!” I shouted at the women in front of me.

They had been scrubbing and bathing me for over an hour and, even now, wouldn’t let me rest as they groped my body with their cold, bony hands.

They were attempting to salve and bandage my wounds, but I couldn’t take anymore. My body was still in fight mode, unable to relax. They were all predators to me, no matter how small and innocent they looked.

“Miss, we need to apply the salve, it will heal you and stop the burning that I’m sure you’re still feeling from the nocturneye. Please,” one of the lady’s maids asked sweetly.

So that’s what those dreadful creatures were called, nocturneye.

The small silk nightgown they had put me in rode up my thigh, showing more sunken burns as I kicked her away.

“You will not touch me!” I screamed as I tried hopelessly to clamor off the floor while the others held my arms down.

“Miss! Please stop, or we will have to bathe you once more. You’re bleeding everywhere again!” whined the small elfish woman as she looked to the others for help.

“Leave.”

His voice was like a rumble of thunder breaking through the room.

“She is bleeding again, Your Highness. She will bolt if we let up—her adrenaline is still peaked,” the red-haired maid pleaded.

“Leave,” he repeated, not taking his eyes from me.

The maids didn’t hesitate to follow their master’s order, rising off the floor in front of my cage to sprint out quickly.

I leaped up, finding new panic at being trapped alone in a room with the prince.