Page 31 of Secrets & Curses of Cerithia

“A friend tipped me off, and I came as fast as I could.”

A frown tilted his handsome face as I stared. My mind was trying to understand why we, my darkness and I, didn’t kill him when we had a chance.

“Why bother coming here?” I hissed.

“Because I am a moth, and you are my flame. I cannot stay away.”

I scoffed.

The sound of men talking in the distance had me glancing over my shoulder. The Cerithian guards were almost here.

“I’m sorry to do this to you, little viper.”

His warning was too late for me to do anything. As I turned, he wrapped his shadows around me and yanked me over the border with him. Cassius held out his hand in front of me before blowing powder into my face.

“I’ll fucking kill you,” I promised as my eyes struggled to stay open. Cassius’ shadows swarmed around us. His golden eyes stared into mine without failure. He brushed my braid over my shoulder before his shadows disappeared. A moment later, we were inside the Crimson Castle.

“What did you do?” The king’s voice sounded panicked when he saw me. “Cassius, have you lost your fucking mind?”

Cassius scoffed.

“I couldn’t stop myself,” he sighed as my eyes finally closed, and I passed out.

Chapter 10

My eyes fluttered open slowly. Fragments of what had happened came crashing down around me, and I sat up quickly. I gasped when I realized I was in Cassius’ bed and immediately tried to stand up. The weight of the chain around my wrists is what I noticed first. This prick kidnapped me and chained me to his bed like some kind of ogre. I growled in anger and pulled as hard as I could, but they were attached too strongly. Frustrated, I gave up pulling, and instead, I tested to see how far I could go. The chains let me roam the room freely, but I couldn’t go any farther than that.

My darkness sat inside of me, seemingly content despite the predicament we found ourselves in. I couldn’t fathom why it was not full of the white-hot rage I was used to. A noise by the bedroom door startled me. Cassius was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, and watching me.

“You’re awake.”

“And you’re a dead man walking,” I sneered.

Cassius smiled brightly at me.

“I’ve missed your bad attitude, my love.”

I said nothing. Whatever his plan was here, I would not engage with it. Turning from him, I sat on the edge of the bed. I hoped he came closer so I could snap his neck.

“Food is being prepared for you. Do you need anything else?”

I ignored him, and after a moment of silence, his soft chuckle disappeared down the hallway. My mind was calm as I sat in a room that felt both comforting and familiar.

That pissed me off. I should be raging. I stood and started pacing around the space. What was he planning on doing with me?

It wasn’t long until Cassius appeared in the doorway again, this time with a large tray of food. He used his shadows to move it to the bed, like he knew I would attack him if he stepped foot in here.

“What are you doing?” I snapped. “Planning on killing me once and for all?”

My words made him flinch, as if I had slapped him. Cassius rubbed the back of his neck.

“I didn’t really think. I was just thinking of you leaving and going back to Cerithia. It was too much to bear. So, I don’t know, I took you.” He shrugged.

My eyes flickered at Wisp floating by him in her happy, dark green flames. I didn’t say anything to him for a moment.

“You know I am going to kill you the first chance I get, right?”

“I would expect nothing less,” he said, giving me a sad smile. “Call for me if you need anything.”

---