Page 33 of Chains of Nightshade

I trusted him. I gave him everything - my loyalty, my body, my heart. And he left me here, alone and defenseless, just like everyone else has done my entire life.

A bitter laugh escapes my lips. "What did you expect? That an ancient naga would actually care for a worthless slave?"

My foot catches on another root, and this time I fall hard. The impact knocks the breath from my lungs, and I lie there in the dirt, my body trembling. Tears blur my vision as I stare at my scraped palms.

"I hate you," I whisper, but the words taste like ash in my mouth. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

But even as I say it, fear grips my heart. Where can I go? The dark elves will never stop hunting me. I'm marked now - a runaway slave who helped free their prisoner. There's nowhere in this world that's safe for me anymore.

I push myself to my knees, wiping mud and tears from my face. My legs shake as I stand, but I force myself to keep moving. One foot in front of the other. It's all I can do now.

"Born a slave," I whisper, remembering the old saying, "will die a slave."

The forest stretches endlessly before me, and for the first time in my life, I truly understand what it means to be alone.

A twig snaps behind me, and my heart stops. The forest falls silent - no birds, no rustling leaves, just the sound of my ragged breathing.

"Well, well." The voice sends ice through my veins. "Look what we found."

I spin around, my bare feet slipping on the damp leaves. Dark elves emerge from the shadows between the trees, their silver hair gleaming in the filtered sunlight. Five of them. No, six. Their magic crackles in the air, making my skin prickle.

"Back to the mansion, little human." The tallest one steps forward, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "Your master misses you."

I back away, but my shoulders hit a tree trunk. Another dark elf appears behind it, cutting off my escape route. All of them wear the fitted, obsidian armour of the royal guard. Trained soldiers who would cut me down before I could draw a breath.

"I won't go back." My voice shakes, but I lift my chin. "I'd rather die."

It's the truth. Death would be a merciful fate over festering in the damp halls of the dark elf estate until my end.

They laugh, the sound like breaking glass. "That can be arranged," one of them says, "after we're done with you."

Their magic intensifies, sparking between their fingers. Purple energy crackles around me, forming a cage. The air grows thick, making it hard to breathe. My legs tremble as memoriesof the mansion flood back - the endless work, the mockery, the pain.

"No," I whisper, pressing my back against the tree. "Please, no."

"Begging already?" The tall one's silver eyes glitter with malice. "Just like old times."

The magical cage contracts, forcing me to my knees. Cold panic grips my chest as they close in, their shadows falling over me like a shroud. I can't go back. I can't live that life again. Not after tasting freedom. Not after...

My throat tightens. Not after Aurel.

Without thinking, I turn and sprint toward the cliff's edge, my bare feet pounding against the rocky ground. The sharp stones cut into my soles, but I barely feel the pain.

"Stop her!" A dark elf shouts behind me. The crackle of their magic fills the air.

My lungs burn as I push myself harder. The edge draws closer with each step. Wind whips through my hair, carrying the scent of freedom – and death.

"You'll die, you stupid girl!" Another voice calls out.

A bitter laugh escapes my throat. "Better than going back!"

The cliff edge appears before me, jagged rocks stretching up from the misty depths below. My heart pounds against my ribs, but my mind is clear. I've tasted freedom. I've known what it means to be more than a slave. To be desired. To be powerful.

I won't go back. I can't.

The dark elves' footsteps thunder behind me. Their magic crackles, reaching for me, but they're too late.

"No!" The tall one's voice carries on the wind.

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