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“If we don’t explain some of this, our sweet Raine is going to get herself killed trying to escape,” Darian said, sipping from a goblet. “She doesn’t understand the severity of her situation. And ours.”
Kade grunted, and I wasn’t sure if it was him voicing his agreement.
Locke lifted his chin. “Ash, will you do the honors?”
The horned male grinned and turned his attention to me. “Story time, Sharachi.”
I forced myself not to roll my eyes, but really, I was nervous. What horrible things would they tell me about my fate? About Cara’s fate?
“Starts over two hundred years ago, when our charmin’ King Adrien married a fae princess,” Asher began.
“Fae?” I moved a step closer.
“Magical bein’s from another world,” Asher explained, as if knowing of other worlds was common knowledge.Ass.“The marriage was supposed to unite our kingdoms, but King Adrien was greedy. On a trip to the fae world, he killed their king, breakin’ the treaty and dooming our people, effectively declaring war. The princess was heartbroken to hear of her father’s murder, and she confronted King Adrien, her husband. It didn’ go well, to say the least.” He let out a dark chuckle.
“She cursed the king to become a monster, as that’s what he called the fae people, monsters. He was bound to this land, unable to die, but unable to really live. Problem was, the curse didn’ just affect the king. No, the queen’s fae magic affected the whole city, turning everyone into all manner of monsters. No one with human blood was spared.”
My jaw dropped.These males, these monsters…they used to be human?
“Every human that comes here turns within nights,” Darian finished for him. “The curse has remained the same until now. Until you, that is.”
I blinked slowly as I processed their words, feeling both small and too big for my skin at the same time.Me?I was a nobody. Just a girl from a village, who was stupid enough to get her sister selected for the offering before her time. Who’d practiced fighting every day since in the hopes she could one day fight against the monsters.
“The higher a human’s heart rate, the more in distress they are, the faster they change,” Locke spoke, his voice cold. “So for the next few nights, we’ll be testing you at every opportunity. Anything we can think of, we’ll be throwing your way. And you’d better hope you change soon.”
“But if I don’t turn, doesn’t that mean the curse is broken? Won’t your people be…happy?”
Asher laughed. “Some may see it that way. Others…” he trailed off before continuing, “they like living in the darkness. The immortality. The strength. Either way, you’ll become a target.”
I nodded, though his words hadn’t really sunk in yet. All I needed to know was, “What happens to the ones who turn? Where are the others from my village?”Where is Cara?I needed answers.
“Well, ya see,” Asher began, but Locke cut him off.
“They become part of our society, our world,” Locke said sharply.
Become part of their world?When Locke didn’t elaborate, my brows slammed down. There were unspoken words in his gaze, and I would find out what the hell he was keeping from me, but for now, only one thought went through my mind.That means Cara could be alive.
The thought sent a surge of hope through me, and tears pricked at my eyes. I’d suspected Cara might be alive, but it was only now that they’d admitted they didn’t kill the newbloods. My sister hadn’t been tortured to death. She was likely somewhere in this damned place, and I was going to find her. A little of the guilt that haunted me began to lift.
I forced myself to process the other bits of information the monsters had given away. “If the fact I’m still human could mean an end to the curse, shouldn’t you want to turn me over to this Taratun council you keep speaking about?” From the sounds of it, I definitely did not want that to happen, but I needed to understand their motivations. Why were they keeping me here?
“You’ve bonded with us,” Kade said.
“So you’ve said, but no one is explaining what that means.”
“The first time you touched each of us, did you feel anything?” Darian asked, his eyes sparkling.
I remembered the searing pain that had spread throughout my whole body, and my eyes narrowed in accusation. “Yes, because you guys did something to me.”
Asher shook his head. “Our powers aren’t like that. Somehow, we’re all bonded now, and when your energy weakened—”
“So did ours,” Kade finished.
They didn’t look at all happy about what they were telling me, but I couldn’t find it in myself to feel bad. I hadn’t done anything, so someone else had created this bond, and also, these assholes had just spent the last few nights torturing me and the other villagers. They deserved so much worse.
“So…you think if I die, you might die too?”
“Yes,” Locke said.
