I swallow, chills running down my spine.
“Ahhh, see you do desire that.”
I clench my jaw. No. I don’t want anything you can give me.
Images flash through my mind... A massive black castle thrumming with magic. Power seeping from it. Every court in the realm, every fae, turned to watch, to admire the power of the Shadow Court.
My heart picks up speed at the desire that rushes through me.
“You love your homeland, young one.” His voice is calm, almost nurturing for that one moment. “You also... love power.”
I swallow. Do I?
“Come to me,” he whispers. “I can show you what you really are. I can show you what you could be. I can build you into a powerhouse that every fae in the realm will fear and respect. No one would dare cross the Shadow Court while Caelynn is ruling.”
I choke, coughing suddenly.
“Yesssss,” he whispers, the sound so much closer than ever before. “I can make you queen.”
I press my eyes closed, bottom lip trembling.
My heart aches for what he tells me. I do desire it. Deep within my soul, I...
I shake my head. I am not that person.
I won’t let him control me, own me. I won’t do whatever terrible deed he wants to force me to do for those things—no matter how much my soul aches for them.
Desire doesn’t mean I’ll allow him to manipulate me.
Are those things I want? Yes. But they’ve never been within my reach. I can, and I will, live happily without them.
All I want is freedom. All I want is to be a part of my court.
“I’m not stupid. I know whatever you want from me is evil. I won’t do it.”
“Won’t you?” the voice whispers sweetly. And suddenly, a pain like lightning shoots through my body, making my vision go black. Every muscle clenches painfully, and I roar in pain.
A sharp blade pierces my flesh, straight through my torso. Warm blood rushes down my body. I cry out, shaking, as I stare down at a deep black talon sticking out through my stomach.
I whimper. I’m dead, I’m dying.
“Noooo,” the monster croons. “I will not let you die.”
My whole body is wracked with sobs. “How?” My knees buckle but the claw holds me in place. How big is he? The talon is several feet long, curled like a sickle blade. “I thought,” I pant, hardly able to get the words out through my trembling lips and fuzzy mind, “you couldn’t...”
A voice whispers in my ear. “Fae are so easily manipulated. You didn’t even notice how you drifted toward me, toward the things you desire so deeply. One step. Then another. Small. Inch, by inch, by inch. Until you were in my grasp.”
“No,” I whine, but my vision is entirely black now. My limbs go numb. He’s wrong. I am dying, I can feel it. Life is fluttering away.
Every hope I’ve ever had drifts into me like wafts of shadow smoke. My soul leaves my chest, twists into the raven I was supposed to make just days ago, and flies off. The last things I see are her beautiful glimmering wings. And my last thought before I go under for good, is why—why didn’t I see her beauty before this?
Chapter Nine
My mind and soul are burning, but it’s not like fire. It’s like... acid.
I groan and roll, writhing in pain.
“Ahhh, there she is,” a deep echoing voice calls to me. “My little pet.”
My fingers are trembling, my eyes dry, but I try to open them. All I see is black, even when they’re open, so I let them fall back shut.
Have they come for me? Is anyone going to come?
The Night Bringer laughs, causing the stone around me to tremble again, a tremble to match my own. “They came. They looked. They failed. They gave up.”
“What?” I gasp, but the pain is so strong it’s hard to think.
“Your parents, your town, they came looking. They searched the caves up and down for hours to no avail. You didn’t really think I’d let them find you, did you?”
Fire sears my back, and I writhe in pain. “Make.” I force from my cracked lips to open. “It.” I curl my hands into fists, pain putting pressure on every part of me. My mind. My body. My soul.
The ache is deeper than I even knew I went.
“Stop,” I whine pathetically.
He chuckles. “Gladly,” he purrs in my ear. “Just agree to my bargain.”
I groan, but the pain won’t let up. “No,” I finally get out.
He laughs again. “You think yourself very noble, don’t you?”
I force my eyes open again. My surroundings are completely black. I am somewhere deep in the caves. Maybe somewhere much lower. I blink, attempting to force my eyes to adjust to some light. I can make out a few variations of shadow. Just enough to see the dark silhouette of a massive creature shifting in the darkness. He’s the size of a mountain troll, or even bigger. He is much more intelligent than a troll. I also know he has talons, but otherwise, I know nothing about the being holding me captive.
“But you forget, my little pet—I can see inside your head. I can see what you crave. What you would do to gain it. You and I...we are the saaaammmmeee.”
“No!” I cry out. It’s not true. But the pain radiates through my body, making it impossible to think.
“I wouldn’t have chosen you, child, if it weren’t for those dark thoughts. That ambition. That desire to make them fear you. Don’t you remember? You want them to remember you, even if it’s while they tremble beneath you.”
I groan, bile rising in my throat.
“I can see you are going to be stubborn.” The creature stirs, drawing closer. “I could make you go insane.” His voice rumbles beneath me. “When the pain gets beyond bearable, long beyond when your body should fail you and send you into blissful oblivion—instead, it will never end. But then I couldn’t use you. And I have great plans for you, my dear Caelynn.”
He chuckles softly, enjoying my pain.
“I’ll let you pout for a while longer, my pet. When I come back, I expect you’ll be tad more...pliable.”
With that, I’m left alone with the pain and silent darkness.
I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG I lay there, writhing in pain. It feels like months. Years. The pain becomes me, consumes me.
Finally, footsteps sound the return of my captor.
“Hello, my dear.” The Night Bringer purrs, sending a shiver down my spine.
Pain ricochets through my whole body, and I groan. Make it stop, I call inside my head, unable to voice my plea.
He laughs in glee.
Then, with one quick snap, the pain is gone. My body still aches, my mind still reels. The world is dark, terrifying despair, but the acid and sharp, muscle-clenching pain has receded.
I swallow, gasping for air. I roll to my knees, forehead pressed to the ground.
“This can be done the easy way, Caelynn,” my new master tells me. That’s what he is now, right? He controls me. Owns me. I spit on the ground near his feet, baiting him to bring the pain back. Send me into insanity.
I begged for it to end, and the thought of going back terrifies me... but I’m too damn stubborn to be owned.
“No,” he chides softly. “Not yet.”
Determination and rage fill my chest now that I have room for more emotions than pain and fear.
“Yes, you see? That is what makes you valuable.”
I grit my teeth. I hate him. Hate. I would rip the world to shreds here and now to destroy the Night Bringer.
He chuckles. “Yes, I like it. Remember, I could give you the power to bring your enemies to their knees, just like you’d love to do to me.”
“Will you give me the power to kill you?”
“No,” he whispers in an amused tone. “I am not so foolish or self-deprecating. You are right that you are now my slave. But you do not have to be. We can be allies. If you’d allow it.”
I shake my head.
“What would you do to free yourself, young one? What would you do
to get out of this trap?”
My stomach sinks as I realize he is right. “Anything,” I whisper. He’s right, I am bad. Selfish. Weak. Evil.
“Now, we are getting somewhere.” I can hear the smile in his voice. “You are already here, dear. You can stay in this place for all time, tortured with pain and fear with no release. That is your choice. But there is another option, and I guarantee you will like this option better.”
I groan, wanting to disagree, but knowing—he’s probably right.
“You think you are a slave, but you can earn your freedom. Complete freedom from me.”
I groan in frustration.
“I will swear it as part of our bargain. Successfully complete the bargain to the letter, and I will not capture you again.”
I close my eyes tightly. He keeps telling me I desire power but right now, all I desire is the freedom he just teased me with.
He already told me he could give me everything I’ve even considered wanting. Power and influence and magic. Devotion. Fear. And he’s shown me what he will do to me if I don’t play along.
But what? How much am I willing to do for him? Will I really destroy the world once my mind is righted from the pain induced hysteria?
“One life,” he whispers.
I bite my lip and press my eyes closed.
“That is my bargain. You will take one life for me. If you obey me, do as I say, I can make sure you are not caught. No one has to ever know what you’ve done. And I will give you power, magic like no one has seen in a thousand years. And you will be free to do with it as you wish.”
“You won’t make me the queen of the Shadow Court?” I ask bitterly.
“You won’t need me to. You will have the kind of power the Shadow Court has thirsted after for centuries. Once they taste it, the queen will make you her heir before you can blink twice. Now if you want to be High Queen...” Something slithers on the ground beside me and I shudder. “That cost will be higher.”
“Just one life?” I whisper. It sounds better than I’d expected, but I am not so naive to think it’s that simple. “Who?”
“The youngest son of the Luminescent Court King. His youngest heir.”
“Why? What is he to you that you want him dead? And why me?”
“Destiny is a funny thing, love. That boy has a role to play in the future. His fate has placed a target on his back.”
“Fate?”
“You will get no more information from me, child.” He tsks. “As for your pathetic ‘why me’ plea? Well that’s a more complicated answer. Because you were easy to trap. Because it will be exceedingly enjoyable to watch you complete this task.” He laughs and the walls tremble. “But mostly because of your potential. I’ve tasted the darkness in your soul, and it is delicious.”
I shiver. I don’t want him to be right. I don’t want to be bad like him. But if I do this, I will be. Is it a worthy trade? Freedom for wrecking my soul?
I shake my head. There’s so much I don’t understand.
“Is he... a child?” I ask, already seeking an excuse.
“No. He is young, but he’s considered an adult by his court and family.”
I bite my lip.
“It will not be an easy task, child. For you, in particular. But you will do it.”
“Why me in particular? I thought you looked into my head and found me to be savage like you?”
“Ambitious like me,” he corrects. “First kills are not easy things. And no matter who you are, it will never be easy for someone to kill their... well.” He chuckles darkly.
My stomach sinks, but I’m unsure what he means. My what? Do I know this prince? I’ve never been to the Luminescent Court. How would I know the prince?
I shake my head. I’m not sure it matters. He could somehow be my long-lost brother or nephew or something, and I would still do it.
One life. I will not be caught. And I’ll be free. I don’t even need the power to make the deal worth it.
I hate myself in this moment. Perhaps more than I hate the Night Bringer.
I hate myself for my weakness. For my wickedness. For my selfishness.
For the darkness swirling within that I can no longer contain.
“I agree.”
Chapter Ten
The next few hours are a blur. My chest aches, head pounds. I try not to think too much because I might change my mind. I might break down, sobbing for what I’ve lost. What I must do. I might drive myself insane.
“Alright, my dear! Let’s make you beautiful!” The deep echoing voice that is the Night Bringer calls to me.
“Why?” I croak. Why can’t I look like I do now?
“Haven’t I mentioned? I’m sending you to a ball to meet your prince.” His tone takes on a high-pitched ring, like he’s putting on a role. Playing an act.
“A ball,” I say stupidly, my voice dull of life.
“You are to kill the Luminescent Court prince, what better time to find him, kill him, and leave without a trace, than at a ball? And there just so happens to be a ball happening tonight.”
“Tonight?” The ball celebrating the chosen High Heir. If it’s happening tonight that means I’ve been here for at least three days. Not weeks, or months or years. Days.
My stomach twists. “Don’t worry, child.” His voice is low and soothing. “Now that you’ve chosen to be on my side, we are allies. We can make this fun.”
Fun. I let out a shaky breath.
“You’ll have to loosen up a bit, dear. Don’t you want to go to this ball? Don’t you want to make a splash? Not even the queen of your court was invited. You’ll make them regret it.”
I bite my lip but anger stirs in my gut. “You don’t need me to enjoy it. You don’t need me to agree with it. You only need me to do it. So, stop with the games and do what you must so I can get this over with.”
The cave rumbles with the monster’s laugh. “Very well.”
A rush of power collides with my body, burning with heat and power that sears every ounce of my body. I scream in agony as the black tentacles press into my skin. I feel it pop and sizzle, shoving and clawing.
“No, no, no,” I cry, clawing at my own chest as it burrows through my skin and into my body. It’s inside of me. It’s inside of me!
“Relax child, it’ll be easier if you calm yourself.”
I fall to my knees, sobs wracking my body.
“All transformation is difficult. This one is worth it.”
A black coiling of magic claws its way through my chest, making my core its home. Like an evil cat pawing and clawing, looking for a comfortable place to lay inside of my stomach. Except every pass, every swipe, shoves at another organ, ripping and shredding everything in its path.
After what feels like hours, but I suspect is only minutes, the creature inside me settles to a simmer. A strange foreign power has made its home inside my body.
Panting, I look up to the black void where I know my monster to be. “What was that?”
“The magic you bargained for, my dear. Look at your arm.”
I swallow and look down at my hand, palm first, then turn it to examine the fingers, nails, veins. Nothing out of place. But there is a new addition. A black design around my wrist. Small and dainty, like a tattoo bracelet.
“A sign of our bargain.”
I swallow. “How long will it stay?”
“So long as you owe me. Kill the boy, and you will be free; the markings will be gone and the magic yours.”
A dull pulsing stirs through my chest. Purring.
“It will take time to fully appreciate what this magic means and how to use it adequately. But it is quite powerful. You will have a great future with this amount of power. But as a gracious host, I warn you. The magic still recognizes me as its master. It’s yours to use as you please to achieve your mission, but you will not own it completely until the life you have been ordered to end is snuffed out entirely. It will be inside your mind at all times. It will know when you’ve
given up. I will use it to find you if I must. I can use it to destroy you from the inside out. I can use it to blind you, gag you, so that you tell no one what you’ve agreed to. Do you understand, child?”
I nod quickly, tears in my eyes. “But once it’s done... once the prince is dead—”
“It will be yours entirely and completely. A bargain well struck.”
“And I’ll be free—entirely?”
“As free as you ever were before.”
I blink and mentally translate—I found you before. I could do it again.
“Now, let’s get you ready to meet your prince charming.”
With a snap, another rush of power greets me, tossing my hair back. This time, though, no pain comes. Instead, I rise off my feet and then right back down into a pair of heeled boots. My chest constricts with a corset.
I look down at gorgeous glistening beads covering the low-cut top of my new gown. The beads stretch past my waist, like arched fingers reaching towards the lovely soft fabric of the black skirt.
“The perfect dress to seduce a fae prince,” the Night Bringer chuckles.
Chapter Eleven
My breath catches in my throat the moment I enter the Luminescent ballroom. The sun has set leaving only a lunar shine streaming through the windows. Above the massive room, shards of opalescent glass cover the whole domed ceiling. Light dances, shining over the room, shifting and pulling in ways I couldn’t have even imagined.
I thought the Luminescent Court would be uptight and prissy. I thought it would be bright lights and boring white decor. And while there is certainly its share of glistening white things—particularly in regards to the attire of some of the fae royals—the décor is absolutely breathtaking. Gentle, purple-hued shadows shift, pushed and moved by the lights gliding across the room.
There would be no light without dark. My mother told me that so many times the words are seared into my brain. It has never made more sense than it does now.
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