Dark Promise (Between Worlds #1)

by Julia Crane

  Dad had always taught me self-defense, and playing it safe or getting out of unlikely situations alive. Here was the unlikeliest situation of all—held captive in a stone fortress we’d arrived at by walking deep underground, only to emerge in sunlight. There had to be a way out of here. I would have to find an escape. Or make one.

  I slipped out of bed and let my wings spread. I purposely flapped them a couple of times, letting them stretch as far as they could—it felt luxurious. I started in one corner of the room and examined the stone walls. I pushed on each big stone in the hope that one would move and a tunnel would be behind it. I rolled my eyes at how stupid that sounded. An escape tunnel was just going to magically appear?

  But I tried anyway because there was no way to know. Someone else could have once been held in the same room and had fashioned a way to escape without anybody knowing. I continued to inspect the walls.

  A loud clang signaled the lock on the door being released. I jumped away from the wall and waited. I was relieved when I saw it was just Lena.

  “You’re expected for dinner,” Lena announced. “Make sure you wear a gown. The pink one would work.”

  “Why would I want to do that? Besides, I thought they were trying to starve me.”

  “Because he’ll be there.”

  “He? He who?”

  She sighed, obviously annoyed, and opened the wardrobe. “Your mate—Kallan.”

  “My mate?” I stared at her, aghast. “You people have lost your minds. I’m not marrying him.”

  Lena’s blue eyes sparkled as she laughed. “That’s what you think. What did you do to your hand?” She jerked a pale pink gown from the hanger and tossed it to the bed, eyeing my towel-wrapped hand.

  “Nothing.” I put my hand behind my back and avoided her gaze. It was a miracle she hadn’t noticed the destroyed mirror.

  “Give it to me. I can fix it.” Lena walked forward and stood at the side of my bed reaching for my hand.

  Tentatively, I extended my hand to her and watched as she carefully unwrapped the towel. A tingling sensation ran through my hand when she placed her warm palm on my skin. A minute later, she pulled her hand away and my wound was completely healed.

  “How did you do that?”

  “I’m a healer,” she said simply and walked out of the room.

  I sat on the bed and stared down at my hand, turning it back and forth in amazement. That was one of the coolest things I’d ever seen. I wondered if all faeries could do that.

  Seeing the pink dress lying on my bed pissed me off. I didn’t have to go to dinner, and I sure as hell didn’t have to dress up. They couldn’t force me to do it. I’d just sit here and sulk. Maybe they’d get sick of my attitude and free me. Yeah, right.

  Lena opened the door again. “You really don’t want to make them angry. Trust me, I know.”

  I picked up a pillow because it was the closest thing to me and threw it at her. “I don’t care!”

  She slammed the door quicker than the pillow could fly. There were voices on the other side of the door, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I scooted up the bed and pushed all the way back against the wall, willing myself to just disappear.

  The door opened again, and Varwik and Lena entered the room.

  “Where did she go?” Lena asked.

  “She’s just hiding,” Varwik answered, looking right at me.

  Hiding? What was he talking about?

  “You see her?” Lena asked, confused.

  “I can sense her like I can sense all faeries,” Varwik answered, and then took a few steps towards me. Leaning in closer, he said, “Being invisible doesn’t work with me. I’ll always find you.”

  “What are you talking about?” I shouted.

  Surprise surfaced in his eyes, but it disappeared quickly. A smile slowly crossed his face. “You have no idea what you can do, do you?” He sat on the edge of the bed and said, “All faeries have the ability to use glamour, which hides you as a human or shows you as a faery. However, the glamour can also cause you to become completely invisible or even hide other objects. That’s how this place is hidden in the forest. Humans can’t see it. If they ever happened to stumble upon our world, that is.”

  “I’m…invisible right now?” I asked.

  “Yes.”

  Nobody could see me. Wow. “How did I do that?”

  “You probably wished it.” He shrugged and stood up.

  He was right. I had, even though I hadn’t actually known that it would work. Too bad it didn’t seem to work well enough.

  “When was your birthday?” Varwik asked me.

  “Saturday.”

  “So, your transformation was only two days ago. You have a lot to learn. You’re going to be at a disadvantage because you were raised human.” Varwik stood. “Now, Lena tells me you are refusing to come to dinner. If you do not, you will not have any food at all.”

  That was fine by me. I would rather waste away in a prison cell than have to marry someone other than Adam. Or deal with dark faeries. “I’m not coming.”

  He smirked. “You will eventually.”

  After they left, I wandered to the broken mirror. Sure enough, my reflection wasn’t there. I waved to myself, but could see nothing. I jumped up and down, and still nothing. I laughed. I could see my body if I looked down, but I couldn’t see my reflection.

  “Show myself,” I whispered, just for fun, and suddenly, there I was. I narrowed my eyes at my reflection. “Be invisible.”

  I vanished.

  This could come in handy, at least in the human world. Human world. The thought came so naturally. Just three days ago, I thought I was human. I never suspected anything different. And now, I was thinking of everything differently.

  Remembering how Azura sent the papers on my desk up in the wind and back down again, I thought about how she had said all faeries have abilities. She hadn’t known what mine would be, and I certainly didn’t know. Would it just appear one day? Or would I have to know what it was to summon it?

  Maybe it could help me escape.

  I didn’t even know what time it was. School was probably over. My parents would know I was missing. Were they out looking for me? And Azura, she said she was going for help, but nobody was here to help me. I could only hope the light faeries would be able to help. She was the only one who knew what had happened. I wondered if she even knew how to find the castle. I felt a surge of hope. If she brought my father he could get me free. Then again, could humans even get in? Could they even see it?

  I fingered the small heart on my bracelet and thought of Adam. Oh, what I would do to be in his arms where I felt safe and loved.

  How long would he wait for me?

  Time seemed to pass very slowly. There was nothing to do, not even anything to look at but four bare walls and scant furniture. I tried figuring out what my ability was without any luck, and then I tried to find an escape. When that didn’t work, I took a long shower just to feel something. I loved how it felt on my “new body.” Lena didn’t check in on me, nobody did, not while I was awake anyway.

  After three days of not having any food at all, I could barely make it to the bathroom. I was fatigued and my legs were shaky. My stomach groaned in protest. Don’t give in. I kept repeating it to myself, but every hour that passed, it was harder to keep up the morale.

  The hunger pains came harder and wouldn’t go away. Tears slipped down the side of my face, soaking my pillow; I knew I would have to give in. I didn’t want to die. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and rapped on the door.

  Lena opened it, dressed in a short orange dress. The ends of her hair were curled up. She smiled sweetly. “Yes?”

  “I’ll come down to eat,” I said, my voice a whisper.

  She grinned. “You lasted longer than I expected. I’ll be right back.”

  A couple of minutes later, she returned with a tall glass of thick green liquid. “Here, drink this.”

  I turned my nose up and made
a face. “What is it? It looks nasty.”

  “It’ll restore your energy so you don’t look so pathetic tonight.” There was something that appeared to be compassion in her eyes, though she hid it well.

  I took the tall, clear glass from her. Whatever it was, it was really heavy and had a sickly sweet smell, like grass and fruit. I counted to three and downed the drink. It was so sweet that my lips puckered, but the effect was almost immediate. It filled me with warmth and clarity, and my constant stomach pain dissipated in moments.

  “Go and make yourself presentable. The pink gown. Try not to cause any trouble,” she warned.

  A few minutes later, I stood in front of the broken mirror, my single reflection refracted into a hundred tiny pieces because of the cracks. The dress was beautiful, with a hem that trailed the ground and a puckered, sweetheart bodice that emphasized my curves. It was light and airy and actually made me feel like a magickal creature.

  Lena breezed through the door and paused to give me an approving nod. “Yes, well done.”

  “Could you knock, please?” I snapped irritably.

  She just smiled enigmatically and walked purposefully to the dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out a headband that was almost the same color as the dress. “Here.” Gently placing it on my head, she nodded. “Perfect.”

  I did feel beautiful. The only problem was, I wished I were dressing this way for Adam and not some monster who had abducted me.

  Lena and I emerged from the bedroom, and she led me by the arm to the gigantic dining hall where I had first met Varwik. I recognized the abnormally large doors. Her grip was weaker than it used to be, and I entertained the thought that maybe she was starting to warm up to me.

  I glanced at her from the corner of my eye as we entered the dining room, the doors groaning on their hinges. If I could get her on my side, maybe she would help me escape. It was a long shot, sure, but it wasn’t like I had many other choices. Befriend Lena and we both escape, or sit and twiddle my thumbs, hoping Azura would come for me.

  I hadn’t noticed some of the smaller details of the room when I was last there. A large crystal chandelier hung over the massive table, and museum-quality paintings hung on the sky-blue walls. An Oriental runner covered the open space of floor just inside. Even though Varwik was crazy, he had great taste.

  My mouth watered at the wonderful aromas coming from the food that covered the table. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone standing at the edge of the far wall of windows. At first, I thought it was Varwik. The man’s hair was ebony and his skin pale. But his wings weren’t purple—they were black and teal. A beautiful, vibrant teal. They fluttered for a second and then stopped.

  Slowly, he spun around. My heart did a flip-flop, and my own wings involuntarily fluttered as his strange blue-green eyes rested on me. They almost matched the color of his wings. His face was cold and hard. He looked like a younger version of Varwik, so I knew it must be his son. He looked me up and down, and then with a grunt, turned back to the window.

  Varwik entered the room, his broad hands rubbing together. “Isn’t this wonderful? Kallan, get over here.”

  My eyes flicked over to the window. Kallan turned and walked confidently towards his father, his face smooth and expressionless. His pale toes stuck out from beneath his long black pants, his steps silent on the floor. The black of his shirt was a stark contrast to his translucently white skin. His eyes and wings were the only splashes of color on him. He was one of the most gorgeous things I’d ever seen.

  Dark faeries. I wondered if it was the way they looked or their evil nature that gave them their name.

  Varwik held a hand in my direction, as if putting me on display. “I told you she was a beauty, didn’t I, son?”

  Kallan glared at his father, but didn’t reply.

  I watched the exchange with interest. There was no love lost between these two men.

  “Oleander, I’d like you to meet your mate, Kallan.” Varwik addressed the statement to me, but his eyes were still narrowed on his son.

  “I came down here to eat, not to meet anyone,” I said coolly. “I told you once, and I’ll tell you again. I’m not marrying anyone.” I stared into Kallan’s unusual eyes as I spoke, my fists clenched at my sides and itching to punch something. Or someone.

  Kallan’s lips twitched as if he were suppressing a grin. He pulled a chair out from the table and sat in a graceful motion. His tone suggested boredom as he said, “The feeling’s mutual. Do you honestly think I want to mate with a light faery?”

  Varwik glared at his son. “You’ll mate with who I say.” Then he turned his attention to me. “Oleander, I suggest you watch your tone or you’ll be sent back to your room without any food.”

  I looked back at the table and realized I would pretty much do anything to eat at that point. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “I didn’t hear you,” Varwik said, his stare unsettling.

  “I said, I’m sorry,” I snapped. These people were testing my patience. “Can I eat now?”

  “Please, be seated.”

  I sat down in a chair across from Kallan and filled my plate with ham, potatoes, and rolls. I shoved a roll in my mouth, the buttery, spongy goodness melting in my mouth. Groaning with pleasure, I threw a slice of ham in with it.

  Lena cleared her throat, and I glanced over at her as I shoved a forkful of potato in my mouth. She shook her head slightly and mimed eating slowly with her fork.

  I guess I wasn’t being ladylike enough for their tastes, but I really didn’t care. I was hungry, and it was all their fault for starving me for three days. I shrugged and took another mouthful. Who knew when my next meal was going to be? I wasn’t going to waste the one sitting in front of me.

  Whenever I glanced in Kallan’s direction, he was looking anywhere except at me. He obviously hated the idea as much as I did. At least that was a relief. He was pretty to look at, but my heart belonged to Adam. Always.

  I hastily shoveled the potatoes into my mouth, half-afraid they might disappear if I didn’t hurry. It was one of the best meals I’d ever had, and certainly better than anything my mother ever cooked. Thinking about dinner at home made me slow down, and my fork hovered over my plate. I swallowed hard to keep the tears away. As enjoyable as this food was, there was nothing I wanted more than to be sitting at my kitchen table with my parents eating dinner.

  Varwik broke what was an increasingly uncomfortable silence. “We have much to discuss about your wedding.”

  Don’t say anything. Just eat. I took another bite of ham without looking up.

  “Father, marrying a light faery would be a disgrace. Surely, you do not wish this. We would be the laughingstock of the dark world.” Kallan’s tone was so flippant and uncaring.

  Whether I wanted to be a faery or not, he was talking about my people as if we were nothing but vermin. Anger boiled inside me, but I held my tongue.

  “Her father promised her to us. She belongs to us. And you will marry her. Everyone will see the brilliance of the plan.” Varwik paused to take a bite, and chewed slowly. “It’s really the only option.”

  “We could kill her, Father. She is of no use to us.” Kallan surprised me with his words. He didn’t even know me, and he was willing to kill me?

  I pressed my lips together and glared at them. “I do not belong to anyone, and certainly not your brute of a son.”

  “In our world, Oleander, when a promise is made, that promise is kept. We never go back on our word.” He didn’t even look at me as he spoke, his fork moving around his dinner plate as if we were talking about the weather.

  I wasn’t the weather. I was a living, breathing person. “I don’t live in your world.”

  “You do now.” He stared at me until I looked away. “After dinner, you two will stay here and have a conversation.”

  I wasn’t going to have any kind of conversation with that guy. I sat back in my seat and brushed the hair out of my face, using the motion to sneak a peek at K
allan. He was pushing food around his plate; it didn’t look like he’d even eaten anything. I quickly looked away before he caught me.

  “Was the food satisfactory?” Varwik asked, noticing I’d put my fork down.

  “Yeah, please thank the cook.” It really had been delicious, so I didn’t mean for it to come out so sarcastic. I wiped my mouth with the cloth napkin. I needed to shape up; I could probably get more answers if I wasn’t acting like a brat. “Could you please tell me what happened to my father?”

  “He disappeared,” Varwik answered shortly.

  “He just up and left and nobody knows where he went?”

  “Nobody cared,” Varwik said with a laugh. “Your mother was mad as hell that he made the deal in the first place. Without being able to produce the child, our deal was null. He was probably worried I would kill him.” Looking from me to Kallan, he said, “I have things to do. I will leave you two to talk.” The conversation cut short, Varwik stood and walked out of the room with Lena trailing behind him.

  So much for getting answers. I wasn’t having a whole lot of luck there.

  The silence after their exit was absolute. Kallan didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t even look at me. He sat in his chair, his face turned so that he could study the paintings on the wall.

  I drummed my fingers on the table, my lips pursed. “I have a boyfriend.”

  He glanced up at me, just a flick of his blue eyes. “How nice.”

  “We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve been dating a while.” I offered more information, hoping it would let him know that he didn’t have a chance with me. My heart belonged to someone else. “I love him very much.”

  Sighing, Kallan said, “Oleander—”

  “That’s not my name.” Hot fury rushed through me. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in the chair.

  “What?” he asked, perplexed.

  “My name is Rylie.”

  His eyes softened for a split second before they turned hard again. “I have no interest in marrying you.”

  “Good. So we’re on the same page.”