Page 116 of The Cursed Kingdom

My eyes roll so far back when all I find are condoms.

How fucking typical.

The packages are almost identical to what I’d expect to find in the human realm, but they’re larger and made of some soft material I’ve never encountered before. In another time and place, I’d investigate further, but there’s no time for that.

I tuck one of the condoms into the waistband of my leggings, taking it with me. I’ve never attempted this, but I imagine I could use it to replicate a bag-over-the-head type of murder.

A tall, narrow dresser is pushed against the wall opposite the bed. I head there next. The drawers are all empty, just my fucking luck, and I slam them shut with as much force as I can muster. My desperation grows as I peer under the bed. The ground is bare, not so much as a speck of dust to be found.

I move to the window across from the door in a last-ditch attempt, prepared to climb out, but it won’t budge. The view is of a tall, stone wall, the surface covered in vines. What’s with all the fucking vines? It’s overwhelming.

The wall stretches as far as I can see. I assume it spans the entire perimeter of the giant cluster of buildings Kie marched me through. I expected Kie to live in a castle, something like what I’ve seen in the movies, not whatever weird compound this is.

It’s beautiful, but I’ll never admit that.

There’s nothing else in the room to investigate, but I do another lap just in case I overlooked anything. I rip open every drawer and inspect every surface, which turns out to be a waste of time.

I return to the door. My fists still hurt from my earlier attempts to escape, so I kick at it instead. I have more strength in my legs, anyway. I don’t so much as dent the wood as I slam my foot against it, though, which is pitiful. I bet this is another effect of Kie’s magic. He’s somehow manipulating the wood to make me feel weak. I just know it.

I have no idea how long I’m locked in the room, but it feels like hours. The darkening of the sky outside confirms it. My anger grows with every passing second.

The tiny orbs on the bedside tables eventually turn on, illuminating the room with just enough light that I can make out the general shape of the furniture. I tap on the orbs and manhandle them in every way I can to try to turn the brightness up, but nothing works.

That’s fine. I don’t need light to be angry.

I do need it to remain awake, though. My eyes grow heavy despite my best attempts to keep alert. I’m exhausted, but I refuse to fall asleep. I bet that’s precisely what Kie wants.

There’s probably a camera hidden somewhere in the room, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kie were standing outside waiting for me to lose consciousness. I can’t imagine what he plans to do to me once I’m asleep, but I sure as fuck won’t be finding out.

It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let that happen.

“Kieran!” I scream, kicking the door again. “Let me out of here, you nasty fucker.”

I pause, listening for any signs of life beyond the door, but there’s nothing. My eyes well with tears, but I keep myself from crying. My tears aren’t going to benefit anybody, and I’m too dehydrated to cry. I need to preserve all the body fluids I can.

Especially if I’m going to suffocate Kie with a condom. I need my strength.

My head droops as I pace the room, my feet dragging against the expensive, red rug covering most of the ground. I hope it wears down the fibers, and I mumble quietly to myself until I hear something outside the door.

It sounds like footsteps.

“Kieran!” I kick the door again for good measure, wanting there to be no doubt of my anger. “Let me out, you greedy bastard.”

I receive no response, and I resist the urge to stomp my foot like a toddler. I can’t put into words just how much I hate Kie, but I feel it to my very core.

And to think that, for a bit there, I was starting to think he wasn’t so bad. I sure as fuck didn’t like him, nor did I think he was a good person, but I thought maybe my initial judgment of him had been a bit harsh. Now I realize I wasn’t harshenough.

The doorknob turns, and I freeze as the door isfinallyopened.

Behind the door stands a faerie I’ve never seen before. He’s wearing the same black attire as the guards who were standing outside the cells, though. Is he here to bring me to them? To kill me? To torture me?

I don’t know anything valuable. My secret has already been exposed.

I’m not going to wait to find out his plans, though.

The man’s eyes grow panicked as he notices my impending attack, but he smoothly recovers. In the millisecond it takes me to reach him, he’s already prepared. He lifts his arm and blocks my punch, and he grabs my wrists and bundles them together before I can attempt another.

I hate it, and I writhe against him as I try and fail to rip my arms free. His grip hurts, and he’s most definitely leaving finger-shaped bruises on my skin.

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