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My lips curled over my own teeth. Through my lashes I looked at him and snarled, “You know nothing of the knowledge I possess of you, demon.”
He faltered for a moment, head tilting slightly. “Demon. Hm.”
Then the door was slammed in my face. Enough that I flinched, closing my eyes as the wood barrelled towards me.
There was a click. A turning of a key. Then footsteps, sounding off into the corridor beyond the room.
Alone. I was alone.
Countless times I had dreamed about this night. Yet I had not once imagined that this would have ever been the outcome of my first moments within the castle.
I sagged to the floor and unleashed the tears of anger. Far off in the distance of the castle I heard a roar. A feral scream that clawed down my spine.
And deep down I felt Mother’s presence and the disappointment towards me.
Day one and I had already failed.
3
Iwoke to noise. A shuffling of feet mixed with the hushed murmurs of low talking. My entire body ached having slept on the floor beyond the door — where he had left me. But I was rid of all grogginess in a single moment.
Sunlight streamed through the large window in the room, slicing spears of light that exposed bouts of dust that danced once unveiled. After being left last night I had not moved from my squat behind the door. How long had it been? Enough for night to pass into day.
The room had been in the cloaks of night and I feared to explore it. Mother always said that what was hidden in the dark was best left there. So I stayed still, listening for the return of the creature, until I had fallen asleep whilst on guard.
In daylight I saw that there was nothing amiss in this chamber room. All but the impossible noise that sounded beyond the locked door. There were others here, in this castle. It should have been empty as all my teachings had informed me. I was not alone. Which went against everything I was led to believe.
The hairs on my neck stood on end as I listened intently, calming my breathing in hopes to catch some word or string of a sentence.
I pressed a hand against the polished wood of the door, covering the multitude of scratch marks beneath. Vibrations tickled across my skin. Their movement was close and their murmured chattering told me that they too were aware of my presence.
On my knees I reached my hand up for the brass knob, knowing that it would still be locked even before my fingers fully grasped around its cold, rusted handle. I had not woken to the click of the key.
“Shit,” I hissed, pushing myself to standing and dusting the dirt from my trousers. I had hoped the old lock had grown weak over the years.
It had not.
I breathed heavily, examining the marks across the door. Scars of a battle between another Claiming and a locked door. I had not been the only one locked away in this room. The thought sent a stabbing discomfort through my already aching body.
“Hello?” I called out, not caring for subtly. I waited for a response only to find the noise had quietened. “I can hear you! Please let me out…” I forced my voice to sound meek and pathetic. A plea that would tug at the guilt of someone listening. But it fell ondeadears.
I slammed my palm on the door, shaking dust from the frame above. Bang. Bang. Bang. I hit upon it until my wrist ached more than it had when the creature had dragged me into this room.
Fire willed within me, urging to be released. I could burn this door down if I wanted. Devour this entire room until the ancient stones that constructed it broke beneath my heat.
But I couldn’t. I mustn’t. Not yet.
Whomever filled the rooms with candlelight beyond did not want to help. Perhaps they worked for the creature? I thought that seemed both possible and impossible. I called out for them until my throat itched and I worried my annoyance would break through my pleas. If they had heard me, they did not want to reveal themselves.
Giving up, I moved to examine the chamber.
Dust layered every surface of the dark furniture that filled the modest room. The four-poster bed was far greater than anything I had slept in before. Sheer curtains draped between the four posts, held back by thin ties that revealed deep burgundy bedding.
Had he done this? The question echoed within me. Did he prepare this chamber for every Claiming?
I sat myself down on the end of the bed, a cloud of dust exploding around me. From my seat I could look out of the bay window before me and almost feel the fresh air this room so desperately required.
I wasted no time in unlatching the rusted, black handle of the window and pushing hard to throw it open. The glass almost shattered as the force swung the window wide, slamming it into the wall beyond.
