Page 34 of Dreams of Ash and Smoke

A muffled scuffle and hushed voices echo from around the corner, sendingshivers down my spine. I push myself to move further down the hallway, not knowing how far I’ve gone or where I am. My heart races with fear as I realize I must be close to the dungeons, but my attention is caught by the breathtaking art that lines the walls.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cuts through the air like a sharp knife. “You think you can spy on my people?” I cautiously peek around the corner and see a cell further down, its doors flung open. The only occupants are two men - one standing tall and regal while the other kneels at his feet, sobbing.

“I-I wasn’t…I swear!” The desperate plea of the kneeling man reaches my ears, but it’s too far for anyone else to hear. My breath catches in my throat as I recognize the figure before me - it’s Eryx, and not the same Eryx from dinner that had saved Hadeon and I, but the Dark King himself. Eryx may have shown me some kindness, but this? This is pure darkness and terror.

The king’s fingers dig into the kneeling man’s face, gripping his head with a vice-like force. “You swear with lies,” he seethes his voice dripping with venom. The intensity in his gaze made me shudder. “Tell me everything you know before I rip it out of your throat,” Eryx demands, his grip tightening even more. The fear in the other man’s eyes was palpable as he stammers out an answer.

“He… he wants her back. That’s all I know, I swear!” His stuttering only seems to enrage the man further.

Could it be Ruelle or Esmeray that they’re after or could it be me? But who would want his family? That question burns in my mind as I watch the man suddenly convulse in agony. The sound of his screams echo around us, causing me to gasp in shock. This was a level of violence that I had never witnessed before, and it both horrifies and fascinates me. Could I be the cause of such anger in Eryx’s gaze? Shadows billow around him and I realize they aren’t just here, they are apart of him. They are him. He has shadow manipulation, a fitting high fae ability for the Dark King.

My hands grip the wall so tightly that my nails dig into the stone, drawing blood. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I watch the king move with calculated ease, his smug smirk sending shivers down my spine.

I try to steady myself, but my legs tremble beneath me. This should beterrifying, but instead, it fills me with a strange mix of pride, contentment, and a twisted arousal.

The king leans in closer to the man writhing in agony on the ground. “You tell yourmasterthat if he dares to harm Verena, even by sending a weakling like you, I will tear him apart piece by agonizing piece until he is nothing more than a pile of dust.” With one swift motion, the king releases the man and he scurries away, fleeing the castle in terror.

As the adrenaline rushes through me, I meet the king’s intense gaze, his deep brown eyes meeting my indigo ones, feeling both drawn to —and fearful of— his powerful presence.

“Enjoy the show, Seren Fach?” He asks me. I wasn’t sure what that meant, I don’t speak their elder language, but for some reason it made chills sweep up my spine.

My chest heaves with each ragged breath as his words hung in the air like a threat. Anxiety coils in my stomach, tugging at me, but my body was frozen in place. I can’t deny the pull I feel toward him, a primal need that I had never experienced before.

As he prowls closer to me, his eyes gleam with a dark intensity that matches his title of Dark King. It wasn’t until I saw him summon shadows at the gala that I realized his true power. This place was undoubtedly crawling with other shadow summoners. My mind races with fear and suspicion, and I frantically scan the surrounding shadows for any sign of danger. But his predatory gaze told me he knew what I was thinking, and it only made me more uneasy.

“I am the only one of my kind left. Most of the royals used to have this power but now it’s only me.” This comforts me. Or was it the cast of darkness that ghosts down my arms like a cool wisp of air? “Why are you here, Seren Fach?”

“Why do you call me that?” My question is barely audible in it’s breathy whisper. He stalks closer as the air shifts into something more… something heavy and dangerous but I have yet to be truly scared by him. He ignores my question. I try to step back but instead only end up meeting the cement wall behind me. Finally my gaze looks up at his face, into his eyes as I try toread him and what may be trampling through his mind. Is he feeling what I am? Does his mind burn with a million questions just as mine?

“Why are you here?” He asks, his eyes darkening with his perusal of me. He towers over my body, his hands resting next to my head on the wall as they trap me between them. His eyes meet mine once more.

A pull tugs from within me, begging me to answer him. “I wanted to explore and I- I am not sure why but I made my way down.”

“And did you enjoy the show?” A smirk slips onto his face, and an air of arrogance radiates off him, along with heat. His eyes cast down to my lips before retreating to my eyes again and I can’t help but do the same.

“No.”

“Liar.” He counters. I scoff, fiddling with the hem of the nightgown, why was it so short? And now I’m lightly regretting the decision of no shoes. “Are you afraid?” He asks quieter and I can’t help but stare into his dark eyes, trying to read him.

Truthfully? No. I wasn’t scared of him. And maybe there’s something wrong with me for it. Maybe I’m deranged for not being terrified of seeing a man tortured right in front of me and dark shadows of unknown billowing around, suffocatingly close.

They feel as if they caress me but was I imagining it? Did I want them to? It doesn’t match the look on his face— anger at the man and unbothered by me.

The feeling was similar to that of when I touched myself at the reminder of his hands on me after the gala, when the wind caressed my body. Could that have been him? Could Eryx have sent his shadows after me in the dead of night as I brought myself to ecstasy in thought of him?

“No, I’m not,” I answer him finally. He hums, not quite believing me. He looks down, trailing my body again, and pauses, eyes narrowing before looking at me, his eyes impossibly darker than before.

“Where are your shoes?”

“Not on my feet,” My response slips out before I can catch myself, sarcasm dripping from my lips. Do I have a death wish?

“Do you know how dangerous it is to be walking down in these lowerlevels without shoes? What if you get a cut and it gets infected?” He was angry at me now. How in the underworld is he possibly mad atme? His complex feelings send my heart through a loop.

“Careful, Your Majesty, or someone might think you care for me.” I joke softly. He pushes himself off the wall, taking a step back. His shadows disperse into a thinner wall surrounding us, allowing the minimal light to bleed through.

“You hold secrets that can destroy my home and we have an agreement. My word is my vow and I do not want it broken because you are reckless. Wear shoes.” He takes a few more steps back before turning and walking away.

I know one thing for sure; I was most definitelynotgoing to start wearing shoes.

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