by A. M. Hardin
“So, what she said in the study was true? She truly did defeat Shanna in a duel before she ever got her powers?” I ask, shocked.
Levi nods. “Yes. It was a shockingly short fight, considering that Shanna did have her abilities. Although, she wasn’t fully trained in them and didn’t understand them well, she still had them. Where Crystal had none.”
Levi sighs as he looks around, seeing several guards running into the castle to look for the princess. “She won’t be inside. We might as well split up and cover more ground that way. She’d be somewhere outside. Private. Away from the castle but not too far.”
Maxwell and I exchange a frown before I turn back to Levi. “How do you know that?”
Levi shrugs. “She had always hated being cooped up in the castle. It made her feel like a prisoner. Whenever she was permitted to leave she’d always choose the most remote areas. The calmer the better.”
That makes sense, I guess.
We split up, with Levi and Maxwell heading in opposite directions of each other and myself. I glance at the forest beside me and groan. I really hope she’s not in there. It’ll be hard as hell to find her if she is.
The forest that stretches across a big chunk of the palace grounds is essentially a winding maze. Go far enough into it, or take one wrong misstep, and it could take you days to figure out how to get back out.
Making sure to stick close to the path and not wander too far into the forest, I spend a good hour and a half searching through these woods.
A voice that I can’t clearly make out or recognize is speaking up ahead. Further into the forest than I’d like it to be, but with no other choice, I head in that direction.
“Why’d you say the dinner was going to be bad when we walked in?” That’s Crystal’s voice, faint, but there.
Jade chuckles, the sounds the three of them are making, getting louder with each step I take. “Because we are from prince Julian’s kingdom, Crystal. He knows us. He knows why we were banished. It would be bad if he decided to do something about us being here.”
“You guys know him personally?” Crystal asks as I get close enough to see them. All three of them are sitting with their feet dangling in the river, sitting close to each other.
Celeste smirks. “Our families are nobles in the kingdom, Crys. Of course, we know him personally. Just not as personally as you’re probably thinking.”
“Jealous?” Jade asks, tauntingly.
Crystal snickers as she kicks her foot to the side, splashing water at Jade who shrieks then cackles. “No. Just confused about the timing of all this.”
Deciding to stop snooping, I step out of the shadows and move toward the group of females. Celeste and Jade turn to face me, while Crystal shakes her head.
“Eavesdrop much, Ezra?” Crystal asks, a smile in her voice.
“Apologies, your highness,” I mutter quickly. “The entire castle guard is searching for you. It’s time for us to head back.”
Crystal sighs. “Call me Crystal, Ezra. At least when it’s not in a formal setting or other people who give a shit about titles are around.”
“I couldn’t,” I immediately say, shaking my head.
She stands and faces me. “That’s an order, Ezra. I don’t care for titles. They make me chafe.” She bends over to pick up her heels before stepping close to me. Her friends slowly climb to their feet, giving Crystal a moment.
“As you wish, Crystal,” I say, gazing into her bright blue eyes, absolutely mesmerized.
“I want to ask you something,” she says slowly, her hard, untrusting eyes flitting between both of mine. “And, please, be honest with me.”
“What do you want to know?” I ask, feeling a little distracted as she steps into my personal space.
“Did you know? Did you, Maxwell, and Levi know about my parents plan before you came to Earth to drag me back here?”
I gape at her for a moment. “Of course not,” I say, shaking the surprise away. “We knew about the possibility of the kingdoms joining. However, we didn’t know they had planned for it to be through you.”
She gazes at me for a moment before her eyes soften slightly. “Thank you.” She slowly leans forward on her toes and brushes her lips against my cheek, giving me plenty of time to turn away if I wished it.
The problem is that I didn’t want to turn away. I wanted to feel her lips on my skin. To be perfectly honest with myself, I want to feel her lips beneath mine. Want to feel her writhing with pleasure beneath me. I’ve never had this strong of a reaction to a female in all my years of existence.
And that scares me.
* * *
Back in Crystal’s room, Levi, Maxwell, and I watch as she paces around her room. Her entire body has been tense as hell from the moment we left her friends at their room on the way back.
I glance at Levi and realize he’s even tenser than usual as well. His jaw is clenched tight with his fists clenching and unclenching every few seconds. I exchange a frown with Maxwell.
“Shouldn’t have fucking done it,” Crystal finally mutters to herself as she stops in front of the balcony windows, gazing outside.
She wraps her arms around herself, almost protectively.
“What’s wrong?” Maxwell finally asks, taking the words out of his mouth. “Both of you look like you’re going to jump out of your skin.”
Crystal gives him a sad smile before turning that same smile to Levi. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she whispers, answering Maxwell, not taking her eyes off Levi for a moment as if they share a little secret.
Levi looks at her, his expression is so full of pain it’s shocking before he turns back to us. He blanks his expression but remains tense. “Whatever happens, we are not to interfere,” he instructs us.
“What are you—” I start, cutting off as the door slamming open interrupts my question.
The king and queen enter, both scowling at Crystal, their expressions filled with so much hatred for their child it’s truly shocking.
“Hello, mother, father,” Crystal mutters, bowing her head slightly.
Without warning her mother stomps over to her and backhands Crystal in the face. Maxwell and I inhale sharply as Crystal’s head is whipped to the side from the impact. Not saying a word, Crystal turns her head back to face her mother. There’s a gash on Crystal’s cheek from one of the queen’s rings and blood trickles slowly down her cheek. Crystal doesn’t even bother to wipe it away.
“You stupid, inconsiderate child,” the queen hisses. “Do you have any idea the consequences your behavior could have had tonight?”
“I apologize,” Crystal says, her voice almost sounding robotic as she immediately responds.
The queen smacks her other cheek this time, before the king pulls her back. This time Crystal doesn’t look back. She keeps her head facing the wall, her chest heaving as if she’s trying to calm herself down.
The king snarls and grabs Crystal’s arm, tight enough that I can see a slight flinch of pain, before Crystal smooths her expression out. In a heartbeat the king throws Crystal to the ground where she falls to her hands and knees. Aside from a soft grunt when she lands, no other sound escapes her lips.
I feel magic in the air a moment before a whip manifests in the king’s hand. My eyes widen as I realize what this is.
Crystal’s punishment.
She’s being punished for not wanting to stay here. For not wanting an arranged marriage.
The fact that both she and Levi knew this was coming makes me wonder how often she was punished for nothing more than existing or stepping even a toe out of line.
A growl trickles out of Maxwell and it’s extremely hard to keep my own at bay. Looking to Levi, I see the strain that this is putting on him while he attempts to keep his expression blank. His eyes are all for Crystal, though. He pays no attention to the king or queen. Just her.
“Her shirt,” the king growls at his wife.
The queen produces a dagger from her skirts and steps forward
. Crystal doesn’t flinch, doesn’t move a single inch as the queen digs the dagger deep enough into her back to not only cut the fabric of Crystal’s shirt and bra but also draw a line of blood all the way down her back.
How fucking used to this is she?
She was fucking seventeen when she left here.
A child.
Without a moment’s hesitation more, the king brings the whip up and smacks it down onto Crystal’s back, causing a large red welt to appear as well as making her wound from her mother bleed even more.
“One of these times, you will learn. You will not ever question me,” the king roars as he continues beating the hell out of his daughter with a damn whip. While she makes no sound and doesn’t move at all. Almost as if she refuses to give them the satisfaction.
What kind of family is this?
Chapter Ten
Crystal
As soon as my parents leave, I heave a deep breath, attempting to ease the pain, but all that does is make it worse. A slight whimper leaves my lips a moment before Levi is there, kneeling beside me.
“What?” I croak out, not bothering to look up at him. “You’ve seen me go through worse.”
He smiles sadly as he brushes my hair out of my face. “That may be so, but it’s never easy watching you be punished.”
I snort, then quickly regret it because it fucking hurts like a bitch. “That’s not punishment, Levi,” I whisper. “It’s their form of entertainment.”
“How long?” Ezra asks, his voice hoarse.
Levi holds his hand out for me. I take it and climb unsteadily to my feet. “How long what?” I ask, even though, I’m pretty sure I know what he means.
“How long have they done this as a ‘punishment?’” he asks, spitting out the last word.
I smile, knowing it’s a mixture of bitter and sad. “All my life.”
Maxwell curses under his breath before storming to the bathroom.
I frown as I hear the water turn on. Levi leads me to my bed, his hands careful not to touch any of the sensitive areas. “Lay on your stomach,” he orders softly.
I do as he asks and hear the water shut off in the bathroom a heartbeat before Maxwell exits it carrying a bowl and a rag. Where did he get the bowl? Looking close, I realize it’s the bowl the maids use to pamper our feet whenever they have to get us ready for a ball or some other important gathering.
Ezra and Maxwell both stand beside Levi at the side of my bed. After a moment Levi moves over aa little, giving Maxwell enough room to sit beside me on the bed. Setting the bowl down in between us, Maxwell takes the rag and dips it into the water before ringing it out.
“This may be a little hot and sting a bit,” he warns softly before placing it over the worst of my injuries. The knife wound from my mother at the top of my spine is the deepest. I hiss through my teeth, clenching them tight as I attempt to keep myself from tensing any further and causing more pain.
Levi immediately grips my hand in his and encourages me silently to squeeze his hand. I do. I squeeze until I can feel his blood beneath my fingertips as Maxwell’s gentle hands rove over my back, cleaning my wounds and my back a small area at a time.
Ezra stares down at my back, looking unsure about what to do, but also looking like he’s about to jump out of his skin if he doesn’t do anything. I smile weakly at him and wave to get his attention. I motion for him to come around the bed to my other side and hold my hand out to him. He grasps my hand and as Maxwell gets to yet another spot that’s extremely painful, I moan, tightening my grip on their hands.
After a while, the pain of my “punishment,” the heat of the rag, and the heat and feel of each of my guards’ skin, drags me under. Completely unable to fight the pull of sleep any longer, my eyes drift shut.
* * *
A pained moan leaves my lips as I wake up the next morning. My eyes slowly open as I remember the reason that I’m in so much pain right now.
Maxwell is the first I notice, since he’s so close. He’s sitting beside my bed, watching me closely, a book closed in his lap.
“Morning,” he says gruffly.
“Morning,” I say softly. I glance around and see that Ezra and Levi are watching me from the table placed near the fireplace. “What time is it?”
“It’s almost time for breakfast.” Ezra stands and looks at my back, a frown on his lips. “Why haven’t you fully healed by now?”
I sigh and slowly work my way up, careful to keep the shredded shirt from falling off my arms. “It’s part of my dad’s power. The whip he conjures—well any weapon, really—slows the healing process.”
Levi steps beside me, holding his hand out for me. “You have to get ready for breakfast, Crystal.”
I nod. “Yeah.” I take his hand and let him pull me gently from the bed. I frown at the dress that’s laid on the foot of my bed. “What’s that?”
The guards’ scowl. Each looking annoyed and pissed the fuck off. “Your mother left it not long ago. She was very adamant that you wear that to breakfast this morning.”
I sigh. “Whatever.” I glance between them. “You’re not going to leave the room so I can get changed are you?”
Levi shoots me a look that says “yeah, right” while the others just shake their heads.
“Fine. Turn around at least.”
Without a word they each turn their backs to me, and I drop the remains of my shirt to the floor and slowly unbutton my pants, trying to force the stiffness in my back to disappear.
It’s a slow process but eventually I get the ugly bright ass pink gown on. I really don’t want to deal with yet another punishment if I don’t wear it. It took everything in me last night not to give my parents the satisfaction of hearing me cry out with every sting of the whip on my back.
Granted, it probably wouldn’t have lasted as long if I had. My dad went a little overboard last night compared to how it used to be. I wish I knew why. Although, for all I know he wasn’t only punishing me for last night, but for leaving when I was younger.
I glance at the guys and sigh when I realize that the dress is still too loose even after zipping it up as much as I can with my wounds. “Can one of you please help zip me up?”
Levi automatically turns around and walks behind me without saying a word. The dress tugs a little as he grips the fabric and the zipper. I don’t feel his fingers on my back as he goes. He’s probably being careful not to touch my injuries. His hands land gently on my shoulders a moment later.
“Done,” he says stiffly. I nod and slowly reach up, putting my hair in a high messy bun on top of my head.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me,” he mutters as he walks right out of my room. I frown at his back.
Okay? What the hell was that?
I look to Maxwell and Ezra and see them looking at me, expressions blank. “The dress is that bad, huh?” I ask with a small laugh.
Ezra shakes his head, but Maxwell just follows his Captain’s lead and leaves the room without a word. “It’s not that the dress is bad, princess,” Ezra explains carefully. “I think we’re all just a bit speechless at the fact that your mother brought a dress that would cover your back completely.”
I chuckle humorlessly as I pick my discarded clothes up off the floor. Glaring at my shirt, I toss my pants on the bed and throw my shirt onto my vanity. “That’s nothing new. No one was to know about my punishments. The only people they would allow to know is their trusted guards and Levi, because he had to tend to my wounds after. My sister doesn’t even know exactly what my parents have done to punish me. She always assumed I could do whatever I wanted. That’s not the case. Anyway, we better get to breakfast before my mother sends more guards to collect me.”
Ezra stares at me for a minute before nodding.
I leave my room and head toward the rooms Celeste and Jade had been placed in for their stay here with my guards following quietly behind me. I knock once on Celeste’s door and in moments she’s at the door, already dressed.
She smiles brightly at me. “Hey. You haven’t woken Jade up yet, have you?”
I shake my head. “Nope. Figured you’d have the pleasure of helping me get her ass out of bed.”
Celeste laughs. “Sounds fun.”
Leaving Celeste’s room, we move to the door beside hers and open it. The curtains are closed tight and it’s dark as fuck, but we can vaguely make out Jade’s sleeping form on the bed, snuggled under the blanket. Freaking weirdo has to sleep completely under the covers. Her head’s always under the blanket too, and the way she tucks the blanket around herself makes her look like a damn burrito.
Celeste and I share a wicked grin before both of us bolt to Jade’s bed and without a moment’s hesitation, we jump. I land on top of Jade, covering her blanketed body with my own while Celeste jumps on the bed. My back is really hating me right now, but I do my best to keep my face clear of all pain that I’m feeling.
Jade groans. “No, go away.”
“Time to get up, lazy bones!” I yell in her ear.
“Damn it. Five more minutes.”
Celeste jumps close enough to me and Jade to make us airborne for a fraction of a second. I barely catch myself before I slam my head into Jade’s. I shoot Celeste a glare as she smirks. “Nope. It’s time to get some food, lazy bitch.”
Jade moves beneath me a little and I lift myself enough to give her some wiggle room. The blanket pulls down off of Jade’s face, showing her irritation. “Why in the fuck do you two assholes insist on waking me up like this?”
I smirk down at her. “We wouldn’t have to if you would, you know, get up like a normal fucking person.”
“You jackasses can survive on little sleep. I can’t. Go away. Let me sleep in peace.”
I chuckle. “Nope. We’re hungry. Get up. You’ll sleep all day if we let you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with letting me sleep all day.”
Celeste snorts and jumps off the bed, landing nimbly on her feet. “Your ass would sleep for a damn year if we didn’t wake you up.”
Jade grumbles under her breath but doesn’t disagree because she knows that we’re right. The female can fucking sleep forever. “Fine. Get your fat ass off me if you want me to get up, Crys.”