Page 74 of Dark Captivation

The giant connected with the ground with a deafening thump, and we climbed back inside the library through the destroyed roof.

We found Ferina near the door, and Malek set me down beside her.

Teams of demon guards scurried to the library, pushing aside the damaged bookcases. They attempted to unearth anyone who may have been trapped underneath the fallen rubble.

“Thank the gods you guys are alright.” Ferina sat on a concrete block, gripping her injured side.

“We’ll track down the remaining mages. Take Ferina to the infirmary and wait for me there.” Malek pressed a kiss on my lips before handing Ferina and I into the care of three demon soldiers.

Joy brimmed in Farina’s eyes at the sight that I was okay. But blood coursed from wounds on her torso and thigh. She had to be in considerable pain.

“Come on, let’s go.” I said, and before I could take Ferina’s arm, one of the soldiers scooped her up princess style and bussed her to the door.

I followed behind, stopping as I noticed something.

The library looked like it was hit by a devastating twister. But more than just the books and shelves were damaged. The door to the restricted section had been bent open like a tuna can lid. The lock was still somehow in place, but it wouldn’t stop me from creeping under or over the crushed door.

Inside promised the answer to so many questions about Malek’s past and possible clues about how to get him off the war path.

“Lady Sunny, we must clear the library. It’s still not safe here.” One of the soldiers said as he and one other flanked me.

I nodded, deciding that helping Ferina was more important at the moment and I could come back later to get the information I needed.

We left the library, climbing a small flight of stairs to the wing that housed the infirmary. I was covered from head to toe in dust, dirt and gods knew what.

I prayed Ferina wasn’t hurt too badly and wouldn’t need to be admitted for as long as Malek had been. Because if there was one thing I learned from living amongst demons, it was how much they absolutely hated staying in one place for long.

First monsters, then mages, and now a fucking giant wanted to eat me alive. Things were getting out of hand. At every turn, our peace had been stolen and our lives put in danger, and why was that?

It was all for the sake of stopping Malek from starting a war. Yet Malek somehow thought this plan of his made me safer? Demon logic. I’ll never understand it.

CHAPTER TWENTY

LIVY

“The doctor said I’m going to be fine. Really. I’m okay. I promise.” Ferina insisted, rolling back against the numerous pillows in her infirmary bed.

She had a private room with a bedside table and a large bay window allowing the bright sunshine to funnel inside.

Malek’s face scrunched up in profound concern, irate enough to kill someone. And it was easy to see why. We three had collectively spent more time in the infirmary than we did our own rooms over the last week.

“I hunted down the mage who’d interrupted our vacation pretty quickly. I then went after all the mages I could find in the library,” Malek said. “I had no idea so many of them had slipped through my fingers. He let a small army into the palace and all in a matter of minutes. My carelessness almost got the two of you killed. I’m so sorry.”

He turned, pacing over to the bedside table and flickered the lamp on and off. He fidgeted with it just to distract himself from his feelings.

“Mally, you saved us. None of this is your fault.” Ferina argued.

“Exactly. If you hadn’t shown up, that giant would have swallowed me whole.” I moved a fluffy pillow to the side and sat on the end of Ferina’s bed.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me. Why is a gigantic, hideous corpse decomposing in the palace rose gardens?” Ferina asked and the three of us looked through the window at the dead giant’s foot outside.

“Sooooo about that...” I drew out my words, not sure how to explain it.

I didn’t remember if the issue of me being a chaos elemental ever came up during my childhood. As far as I knew, Malek and Ferina still had no idea about my hidden powers. Nor was I sure I should divulge it.

People with my element were seen as cursed. We were routinely thrown into a river as babies in most wolf packs across the world, all for the crime of being way more trouble than we were worth.

Malek stalked up to me, stopping just short of the bed. His steely gaze transfixed on my face and looked as if he’d only just remembered something important he wanted to say.

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