Page 66 of Her Tortured Beasts

“This meal is lovely,” Francesca says breezily, her posture ramrod straight. “My compliments to the chef, Your Majesty.”

“Call me Flores, please.” He gives her an indulgent smile.

Dinner ends and we head back to our rooms, the air solemn and silent. There are no evening drawing room games tonight. No children to take my mind off the darkness steadily gnawing at my insides.

Later that night, when I’ve crawled into my cage and huddled against Eugene, Xander leaves the room. Storms out, in fact.

“I’m going to fly,” he says over his shoulder.

“Let me come with you!” Francesca coos. “I’d love to fly with you.”

“No.” He slams the door in her face.

From between the crack in the black fabric, I watch as Francesca clenches both fists and purses her lips. Finally, she stomps her foot and opens the door, slipping out.

Suddenly, the walls of the cage push in on me, crowding me in. The black bars are like teeth, the blankets like needles. It feels like a tomb. I rub my arms from a chill that has nothing to do with the night.

Tears stream and I let them, closing my eyes as the silence presses on me and the day’s events flash through my mind. I don’t know how I feel, but I know I have to get out of this fucking cage.

I grip the metal bars, tugging on them. “I want out,” I sob. “I want to go home.”

Eugene clucks next to me, but I push him away. “Get the key, Eugene,” I sob. “Get the key, please.”

Eugene is out of the cage like a lightning bolt, leaving the blackout fabric swinging in his wake. I’m openly sobbing now. From the physical pain of the various injuries I’d suffered tonight—I’d healed all the superficial ones, but Xander had dragged me from table, around the room to the floor, and I ache like I’ve been beaten bloody. The humiliation of the day, followed by missing my mates and the confusion of Xander’s mouth on mine. His mouth on my skin.

Then the ordeal at dinner. Selena is all alone in a tower somewhere, burnt and bleeding. And Flores threatening to take away the hatchlings?

A clank draws my attention to the cage door where Eugene is trying to fit the keys into the cage with his beak.

With a cry, I take them from him, fumbling with the lock for three unending seconds before I manage to catch the lock and it clicks open.

I scramble out of there like a monster is chasing me.

There is a monster chasing me: my own fucking decisions. The consequences are catching up, hard and fast.

Panting, straining for breath, I stare around the room. I’m weary, weak as Lady Drakos, and dizzy on my feet. I make my way over to the bed, sitting down on the maroon duvet. Damn the velvet softness of it compared to my cage floor. I’ve not had a solid night’s sleep since I arrived here and I feel every secondof that missing now. I swallow, looking over my shoulder at the thick plush blankets and soft, fluffy pillows.

Just a moment’s reprieve. That’s all I need. Minnie always said that a solid night’s sleep always makes things look better.

I lie down and the mattress feels like a cloud against my sore bones, the sheets like silk against my skin.

Somewhere out there, in the space around me, that terrified female voice whispers for the hundredth time:Don’t open it.

Sinking into sleep feels like being buried. And I welcome it with open arms.

Chapter 37

Xander

8 years ago

“What’s wrong, Sissy?” I ask.

Selena sighs, but it’s a feeble thing. “Nothing, Xander. Let’s talk of happy things.”

I frown at her, sniffing the air and scanning her body for some physical ailment. “Like what? Everything is boring since you married and left me. There is no one left to talk of intelligent things.”

Her lips twitch and she rubs her stomach. Then, in a soft as down voice says, “Like…Ragnar and I are having a baby.” Her golden eyes glisten as she looks at me hopefully.

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