Page 112 of Mama Si's Paradise

“Weak.” My biggest horror. What I’d always been my whole life—just a weak person falling in whatever line life decided to put me in.

“And that’s not something to be ashamed of. You’re living among the world’s most sophisticated predators. Strength can be taught and gathered. You won’t be weak forever,” he said, and he seemed almost desperate for me to believe it.

His dragon suddenly flew soundlessly and landed on his shoulder. This time, Valentine actually acknowledged him, raised his hand and touched his grey chest for a second.

“But Iwill. Of course, I will—I’m human,” I reminded him. They were predators, and I was the easiest prey in history.

“No, you’re not,” said Valentine. “You’re an Enchanted now. There’s magic in you already, but the rest of it will awaken with the Blood Call.”

Magic. Actual magic, like the woods at the Blood Burrow or what Vera did at lunch the day before.

Such a beautiful, deadly temptation.

I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t going to be here for the Blood Call and that I didn’t want their fucking magic. They could keep all of it—I didn’t want anything to do with this place at all. I was going to leave the first chance I got.

Instead, I moved back into the room and pulled the door halfway closed, eyes on the tiny dragon relaxing on Valentine’s shoulder.

God, I was really fucking glad I wasn’t in a snake’s belly right now.

“Thanks, Shadow,” I whispered.

Valentine said nothing so I closed the door, rested my forehead on the cold wood, and breathed. My body was so, so weak. My hands were still shaking a bit with the aftermath of all that fear and all that panic.

The only thing I knew how to do was crawl back in that bed, wrap myself up with the illusion ofsafety,and close my eyes.

Twenty-Seven

I was wokenby a knock on my door. It was Vera come to invite me to have dinner with the women because I hadn’t been up for breakfast or lunch, apparently. I’d just slept, desperate to escape my new reality. Desperate to forget, to not be so afraid.

Vera waited for me while I went to the bathroom and even changed my clothes. She eyed my pants warily but didn’t comment. We went downstairs and I met all the otherbrideswho were more than eager to introduce themselves to me.

I ate because I had no choice, because my body was so weak, my stomach growling uncomfortably. I ate even though I didn’t taste the food, not even that of the blueberry pie that smelled like heaven, which I usually craved like a drug. And when dinner was over, Iranup the stairs of the fifth tower again while the small dragon flew silently behind me, following my every step.

For some reason, it was only when I was behind the closed door of that room they’d put me in that I breathed a bit easier. I knew it was stupid—those men owned this place. They ruled the fucking Isles. A door wasn’t going to stop them fromgetting to me, and hiding under the bed wouldn’t work, either.

But I’d rather just trick myself until I’d had enough time to deal with this. Until the shock passed and I came to my senses.

So, I slipped in the bed again, and even though I didn’t sleep for a long, long time, I was calm.

For the next two days,I didn’t see the Evernight brothers at all.

For the next two days, I tried to find a way out of the castle without vampires or giant snakes coming for me, but I came up empty-handed.

The brides kept me company almost all the time. One or the other was always knocking on my door to get me for meals, and it was plain to see that they were made to do so. Some weren’t friendly with me because they wanted to be, but because theirMasterswere making them try to get me to feel more comfortable in this place.

Ironically, only the little dragon, whom I now referred to asShadowin my mind, made me feel safe. Those women were exactly like me, familiar, friendly, nice—most of them genuinely—yet when I was walking the hallways with only the dragon at my back was when I felt the safest.

Maybe it was the snake. Maybe it was the familiarity.

Or maybe it was another deadly mistake.

That’s why I forced myself to be twice as attentive because being comfortable around a complete stranger and trusting her to keep me safe was what had brought me here in the first place. Mama Si had only been able to trick me because she’d made me comfortable first. I would not be making the same mistake again.

On day three, Valentine finally knockedon my door.

The brides had given me tips about how to control my breathing and try to keep a calm mind. How to lower my heart rate fast—something they’d all had to learn how to do when they first got here, though most not out of fear but out of arousal, as they so kindly informed me. Most taught me breathing techniques, but Lucinda suggested I cough as hard as I could, and that should help bring my heart rate down fast when I needed it. Definitely something I’d have to try.

But the knock on the door came after dinner, and I was sure it would be one of the brides come to tell me something or maybe invite me for a snack or tea, so I opened the door without thinking about it much.

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