Page 3 of Bound By Darkness

Grounds work remaineda special kind of hell.

Specifically crafted to exhaust and manipulate, the physical torture was endless. Working from first light to its setting, blisters and boils were common among the prisoners in the summer heat, along with a slew of other health conditions that were less than favorable.

Back-breaking work left my hands calloused and rough from years of manual labor. The daily quotas ever-increased, an unachievable system for the average prisoner.

We were free laborers for His Majesty that could be bartered among various nobility. A trading system of living half-breeds, and yet the rest of the world continued as if their brethren were nonexistent. That what we did here served the Kingdom for a greater purpose.

Another shove sent me reeling toward the carriage parked at the edge of the greenery, a well-kept man scowling in my vicinity—a Fae and, by the looks of his tailored suit, averywealthy Noble Fae.

“Move it!” the guard spat into my ear as he corralled me and the other prisoners for quarry duty. His frame toweredover my head, and his scowl was pungent as he narrowed his eyes upon the selected prisoners.

My legs and arms were already stiff from bending low in the King’s garden early this morning. While I’d hauled vegetables into large potato sacks, His Majesty was waited on by my people in the fortress looming over the property. He enjoyed a lavish lifestyle at the suffering of the slaves he kept on his grounds.

It also didn’t help the guards had made me carry the sacks into the storage huts, their snickers digging underneath my resolve.

Two white horses neighed as the Noble Fae struck them with an open whip, the crack sending jolts of lightning down my spine. “You beasts, move!” he yelled, his cheeks flushing cherry red.

His brown hair was neatly pulled back, illuminating the face of someone who drowned all his ailments in sweets and ale.

He was dressed in the usual garb, a purple waistcoat drenched in golden details that highlighted his fair face. No blemish marked his skin except for the red blooming at his cheeks as he huffed with each step.

The horses obeyed as their hooves pelted the soft ground, the carriage turning to reveal stone piles.

Lifting my iron-clad hands, I blocked the faelight from view as I studied the massive stones reflecting iridescent hues of blue and black. Black more potent than any onyx gemstone my father had ever shown me from his travels.

The Noble Fae stabbed his staff into the ground, its hilt matching the golden jewelry adjoining each finger.

It was customary in Cethales to wear a ring for each province controlled by its owner, the Noble Fae under direct rule of High Fae—helping to keep the land peaceful and under direct control of the Kings.

He controlled at least ten rich provinces due to the gold wrapped around each finger, no doubt mined from the depths of Galar.

“Is this who is to move my items from Galar?” he bellowed, his chest puffing out as he surveyed caged cattle.

One of the guards stepped forward on the cut lawn. Flowers peppered the fortress grounds, starkly contrasting the stone structure towering behind us. “Yes, my lord. These are the strongest prisoners we have available.”

The Noble Fae’s gaze shifted across us until he stared at me, a gleam shining in his dark eyes as he held out a hand, his finger curling in my direction. “She’s merely skin and bone. You expect herto move these?”

I swallowed the anger in my chest as his eyes raked over me, over the body hidden beneath. He assessed me, my stance, and the weaknesses underneath my cold exterior.

“She’s under direct orders from our Captain to meet the quota of 50 stone,” the burly guard stated. His green eyes reflected malice for the job he’d been ordered to oversee the King’s slaves. The lowest job a Fae could have in the realm.

The Noble Fae male stepped closer, the smell of almond perfume overwhelming my senses as he leaned over. “Tsk.” His thumb brushed over the growing welt under my left eye.

I stepped backward, my skin blistering as my arm grazed a metallic shield, hot from the faelight directly singeing the area. A slight hiss left my parted lips.

“Don’t touch me,” I growled, the sound less intimidating than I’d hoped due to the pain lacing each word.

The Fae’s brown eyes gleamed brighter, a curl forming across his lips as he slapped me, his rings cutting the welt he had so gently brushed over a moment ago. “At least your spirit isn’t broken,” he said, turning to the guards. “Bring her to me once she’s done with her quota. I wish to punish her personally for her disregard of status.”

The guard shoved my head in an act of reverence. My neck strained under the pressure of his calloused hand as large pieces of matted hair covered my emerald eyes. “Of course, my Lord.”

His plush fingers pressed into my chin as his nails dug into the hollows of my cheeks. “You have fire in your eyes. What a lovely quality for a slave to have.”

Heat boiled beneath my skin as his brown, beady eyes studied mine. A wicked smile crossed his face. “Do work quickly.” The Fae male stepped back, his hands dropping at his sides.

Barking orders as he headed toward the guest quarters, my body smelled of almonds as it lingered in the air.

Chaos ensued as the guards shouted their demands. They directed us to grab a stone and haul it to the closest storage shed at least 30 yards away. It was downhill, and I had to move 50 of them before reaching my quota.

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