Faetal: A New Adult Fantasy Dark Prince Romance

by Deiri Di

  Vladmir let her go, holding a hand to his slapped cheek, his mouth open in shock.

  "In that case," Chase said, pushing the door the rest of the way open. "It would be prudent to wait until after the ceremony."

  Vladmir's face relaxed, a brief flash of relief echoing through his features before they reformed themselves back into a plastic, fake smile.

  Relief? Mari clenched her fists, her hand stinging from the blow she'd given him. He was relieved! He didn't want her, she was a human after all, and still, he was pressing himself on her? What was the point of it? What kind of game was he playing? Mari thought about the ways she could naturally, accidentally knee him between the legs. Maybe if she gave him an over-exuberant hug?

  "I guess that is for the best," Vladmir said, his one cheek starting to redden. "You will forgive me for making you wait, my love?"

  Mari took a deep breath and forced a smile on her face. "Of course! Waiting will just make it better!" she said, trying to keep her teeth from gritting together.

  "Good," Vladmir said, dismissively waving his hands. "Then, Chase will escort you back to your room." He took one of her hands and bowed over it, the fake smile still tensing his face. "I will see you again soon."

  His departure was faster than normal, practically running out of the rooms.

  "Doesn't want to lose his temper," Chase said. "Might undo what he's done so far."

  "And what's that?" Mari asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him. He could have done a little more than just clear his throat!

  Chase looked at her, staring at her with an expressionless face. Goosebumps raised on her arms, and she looked away, unable to meet his gaze. Her eyes landed on the bed, and she blushed despite herself. She was alone with him for the first time since the kiss, and it had to be in a boudoir like room! Mari shifted from foot to foot. She was alone with him and now was her chance to explain. All she had to do was find the right words today.

  Mari looked up to find Chase standing at the entrance to the rooms.

  "Let's go," he said, looking out into the hallway instead of at her.

  She followed after him, watching the play of his muscles under his clothes as he walked. How should she say it? 'I'm a big, fat dirty liar' seemed too much. She didn't want him to hate her for putting him through this and then broach the topic like that. 'I'm tricking your brother' made it sound like she was trying to hurt Vladmir, and 'I want to protect you' might upset him. He was a warrior, after all. The thought of being protected by her might upset him. Being brought up in that world, he seemed to think that what they did to him in the dungeon was commonplace, no big deal. He might be offended that she was trying to shield him from it.

  They turned a corridor, and Mari realized that her time was almost up. It was the corridor without any doors, except for hers at the very end. If she didn't speak up now, she might never be able to.

  "Chase..." Mari said.

  His shoulder's stiffened, and he stopped. He didn't turn around to look at her.

  "Yes?" he replied, his voice tight and controlled.

  Mari couldn't feel her hands. Her arms trembled as anxiety wrapped its way through her body. She knew if he looked at her, she would be pale like she'd seen a ghost. The thought of putting herself out there was terrifying, and it worked its magic on her body the same way as if a mugger was holding a gun to her head. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her ears roared with the sound of it.

  A tingle ran down her spine.

  "I lo-"

  The corridor wall in front of Chase bulged.

  A stone arm pulled free, then a leg, followed by shoulder and then the rest of the body. The monster that tore itself free balanced its weight on the knuckles of its over proportioned arms, its legs small and made up of bits of rock wall, glued together with an invisible force. The creature's main body was made of flying rocks, rotating around like asteroids circling a gravity well, never falling in. As they whirled around, Mari caught glimpses of the center, a glowing ball of blue. Its arms and shoulders were solid, connected to the rotating body by nothing but air.

  It turned, focusing on Mari, its stone knuckles scraping across the floor.

  There was no warning, no bellow, or charging cry. The monster launched itself forward like a silent gorilla, chips of stone flying as its weight smashed into the floor.

  Chase whirled, planted his hand on Mari's chest, and shoved her against the wall.

  The monster didn't slow.

  It smashed into Chase, sending him flying down the hallway. He landed, hard, the monster on top of him before he managed to get to his feet. He covered his head, twisting to avoid being trampled by stone feet.

  The monster passed over him.

  The monster traveled the rest of the way down the corridor, the momentum of its heavy body hard to slow. It came to a stop and began to turn.

  Chase scrambled to his feet, pulling his sword from his scabbard.

  "Get to the room!" he shouted, his eyes wild, hair flying in as he whirled to face the golem.

  The monster looked past Chase, focusing on her.

  Mari turned, running towards the door to her room. She could hear the rhythmic thud as the golem started to move again, coming down the corridor - towards her.

  She heard the clang of sword on rock and then the scrape of metal as the sword was thrown, sliding along the floor, away from the monster. The crunch of its approach never changed.

  Mari didn't stop to see if Chase was okay - she couldn't. There wasn't anywhere to hide. The golem was after her, not Chase. It had one goal and one only.

  Mari reached the door, twisted the handle, and threw herself into the room, landing on the floor.

  The golem smashed into the end of the hallway with its shoulder, its hands and feet digging gouges into the floor.

  Mari rolled over to see it turning. Its stone face still fixated on her, Chase nowhere in sight.

  Was he alive?

  The monster moved forward. Its shoulders stopped by the frame of the door. It backed up, but the corridor was too narrow. It couldn't get enough momentum!

  Mari laughed relief flooding into her like a shot of heroin.

  The golem balanced on its small back legs and wrapped one hand around the door frame.

  Mari scrambled to her feet.

  It pulled, rocks in its arms bunching together.

  The wooden door frame cracked.

  The monster yanked backward, and a chunk of the door frame and the surrounding wall pulled free to be thrown back into the corridor.

  Mari screamed. She was trapped in the room. There weren't any windows she could escape through! Her only exit was blocked!

  The golem puts its hand up again, ripping free another section of the wall.

  It began to bash its shoulder through space, forcing its way into the room.

  Chase wasn't coming. He was likely dead already or lying bleeding and broken in the corridor. She couldn't count on him to save her.

  The monster pushed harder, more pieces of wall breaking off as it pushed its other shoulder in and slid into the room.

  It lumbered a few steps towards her.

  Mari backed up, not knowing what to do but scream.

  The monster reached out with one stone hand, large enough to wrap around Mari and squeeze her until she popped.

  A sword thrust into the space between the arm and the body, multiple chips clear on its previously smooth surface. Chase grabbed onto the arm and lifted himself, planting his feet on the golem's leg. He grabbed his sword with both hands and leaned back like he was trying to pry the monster's arm off with his body weight. There were small rips in his clothes, and blood trickled from his hairline through the dirt and sweat on his face, creating a paste that smeared when he wiped it to keep his eyes clear.

  The monster paused and turned its stone head to look at him.

  It lurched sideways.

  Chase let go of his sword, grabbed the monster's shoulder, and launched himself into the air like a
gymnast on the bars.

  The golem slammed into the wall. Chase had barely avoided being crushed.

  Chase twisted in the air and landed, his feet on the golem's shoulders, his hands balancing his weight on its head as he hunched over to avoid touching the ceiling.

  The monster turned its head, sweeping its gaze across the room.

  Chase caught Mari's eye and flashed her a smile.

  "Chase!" Mari yelled.

  The monster's hand swung up and wrapped its stone hand around Chase, pinning his arms to his side.

  It swept him of its back and held him like a doll in front of it.

  Chase lifted his foot and kicked the golem in the face.

  He winced.

  The monster didn't flinch or react at all.

  The golem lifted Chase higher in the air then slammed him down into the ground, on his back.

  Mari could hear the sickening crack of Chase's head hitting the ground.

  The golem spread its fingers out, holding more of Chase's body pinned to the ground but leaving his head free.

  Chase didn't move.

  His eyes were closed.

  Mari couldn't even tell if he was breathing.

  "Stop!" Mari cried.

  The golem began to lift its free arm into the air, the fingers of its stone hand clenching into a fist.

  It was going to smash that heavy rock into Chase's head.

  Mari's body unfroze. The thought of Chase's face spread across the floor in a paste shoved her fear to the side, wadding into a tiny ball of terror that was pushed to the corner of her mind. Adrenaline took over.

  She couldn't just stand by and watch.

  Mari lunged for the golem.

  It turned its head, watching her approach, its arm still lifting into the air.

  She ran up to its side, where it couldn't turn that downward swing against her, where she could reach the center of its body.

  Mari thrust her right arm into the whirling rocks.

  Pain shot through her arm as they collided with her. Her immunity didn’t extend to physical objects. She gritted her teeth, wrapping her hand around the glowing bundle in the center.

  Two larger rocks traveling in opposite directions slammed into her arm.

  There was a crunch and a searing pain as it broke.

  Mari screamed out of pain instead of fear. She didn't let go.

  She pulled her arm free, each small collision a painful dagger driven into her arm.

  The glowing ball came free, but a blue strand led from it back into the center of the creature, tugging at it. She grabbed it with her uninjured arm before it slipped through her failing fingers and was drawn back into the monster.

  The golem lifted its hand off of Chase and turned towards her.

  Mari's broken arm hung at her side. She could see something piercing her bleeding skin out of the corner of her eye, and she didn't look at it. Black spots swam in her eyes, and she knew if she saw the bone, that would be it.

  Mari backed up, taking the glowing ball with her. With each step, the strand tugged harder, and it became more difficult to grip.

  The golem took a few steps forward.

  Mari tried to lift her broken arm. The pain almost made her drop the ball. She couldn't get her hand to break the strand.

  The golem swung its arm back, forming a fist that was just for her.

  Mari did a dance step.

  She twirled towards the creature, wrapping the strand around her.

  As more of the glowing strand touched her, it began to fade.

  She was close enough to the monster to touch it.

  The ball vanished from her hand, and with it, the strand and the light within the center of the monster.

  Its body turned into rock, rubble which crumbled to the floor.

  Mari dashed backward, barely dodging the falling rock.

  She stood, staring at the pile of rock, breathing heavily as the adrenaline left her to her residual fear and panic.

  The spots in her eyes grew bigger, and she could feel blood dripping from the fingers of her broken arm.

  She couldn't faint.

  Mari clambered around the rubble, holding her breath for fear of what she would find.

  She managed to move the monster far enough - none of it had fallen on Chase.

  But he wasn't moving.

  Mari stumbled to his side, biting her lip to avoid crying out as every movement jostled her arm. She wanted to scream and cry and clutch it to her side, but she didn't. She had something more important she needed to do.

  Mari pressed two fingers from her good arm in the hollow between his windpipe and the muscle of his neck, hand trembling.

  Mari began to cry, her fear and emotions catching up with her. Her hand was shaking so badly she couldn't feel anything at all. She bent over, pressing her face in the crook of his shoulder, trying to hold it together as she searched for something she thought wasn't there.

  "You're getting snot on my shirt," Chase whispered into the top of her head.

  Mari sat up, staring down at the wry grin on his face. He coughed a few times and braced himself on his elbows, sitting up.

  "Nothing to cry over," he said, reaching out with a hand to wipe tears from his cheek. "I'll be alright as soon as the-" His eyes focused on her arm. "Your arm!" he squawked.

  "I missed all the fun!" Gin said, standing in the ruined hole of a doorway. "I take one little break, and someone conjures a damn-"

  "Get the healer!" Chase shouted, coughing hard afterward. "She's bleeding all over the place!"

  Mari finally took a good look at her arm. Just looking at it made the pain worse.

  "My arm's going to fall off!" she wailed. Just as she feared, there was bone stabbing through her skin, a compound fracture. Rivulets of blood ran down her arm, making the entire picture look as if it belonged in a gory horror story, the kind where the vampires rip their victims' throats open and drool blood every time they speak. It didn't look like the sort of thing that anyone would ever experience normally. Then again, Mari had never broken a bone before or even seen a car accident.

  "No, no," Chase insisted, rubbing her good arm in an attempt to soothe her. "Gin went to get the healer. You'll be fixed up without scars in a few minutes."

  Healing without scars put even more meaning on the pattern of punishment that marked Chase's body.

  "I'm immune to magic!" Mari wailed again.

  "They're prepared for you," Chase said, squeezing her shoulder. "They have the potion that weakens your abilities and can heal something as simple as that in the short time that you'll be vulnerable. Don't worry. You are going to be fine."

  Mari sniffed, trying to get herself under control. The healers would be there soon. She would be patched up, Chase would be patched up... and they would no longer be alone.

  "Chase!" Mari shouted, her nerves overworked, responding to the new surge of panic with increased volume.

  Chase launched himself at her, rolling them both to the side in a tumble.

  They ended with Mari flat on her back, crying as her broken arm interrupted her thoughts with pain, and Chase kneeling over her leg on either side, looking around for the source of danger that inspired her cry.

  The last jostling was too much for her, and the black spots began to grow.

  "Idiot," Mari said, unsure which of them she was referring to.

  The black took over, and Mari lost her chance to explain anything, including the final insult.

  [ 13 ]

  When Mari woke up, she was in a room, identical to the last one, that had been ripped to shreds by the rock golem, except for a small window that looked out into the gardens. She flexed her right arm. No pain.

  Mari lifted her arm. The skin was smooth and unbroken.

  Gin was waiting for her to regain consciousness, and as soon as she moved, she was hustled out of bed, a few doors down the hallway, and into the brownies' vigorous hands.

  Mari knew that she should enjoy the luxury of having other
people dote on her, but she hated the abrasive treatment of the little women. They scrubbed the grit out of her hair and the dirt off of her skin as if her entire body were made of mud.

  When she was done with the bath, they didn't release her. They worked on her nails and her feet, drying her hair and putting it up. Finally, they forced her to squeeze into a dress that constricted her movement, making her feel like she was walking with a python wrapped around her, attempting to squeeze her to death. She had to take tiny steps just to stay upright. The effect of the outfit made her seem slimmer, taller, and more elven like. The hairdo hid her ears. Mari thought it made her look like she was trying to be something she wasn't.

  While the brownies were working, Mari started thinking about her time at the market.

  "Does Chase have a girlfriend?" she blurted out, thinking of the unicorn's reaction to him and the snow woman in the forest.

  The brownies stopped what they were doing and stared at her for a moment. Mari's face felt like it was on fire. What kind of question was that! She needed to stop thinking about that sort of thing and figure out how she would explain her actions to him. She was hoping he would just understand. Surely it was obvious?

  "I ah... never mind..." Mari stammered.

  The brownies went back to work.

  When they were done, they helped her walk to the hallway while Gin stood there and just watched from the open doorway. She required the aid of another person just to move large distances in the outfit. It was horrible.

  When she got there, Chase was waiting, healed and in prime condition. Chase was clean of the sweat and dirt from the fight a few hours ago and dressed in clean clothes that covered every inch of him. Mari was relieved. She didn't want to look at a shirtless Chase right then. Him shirtless would make her think of cuddling with him in the woods. She needed to sort her thoughts out, and that particular image wouldn't help.

  "Vladmir is waiting for you," Gin said, moving down the hall. "He conveys his concern about the near success of the last attack."

  Mari waddled after her, holding her arms out to the side to keep her balance.

  "You can do better than that," Gin said, the side of her mouth twisting into a smile.