Page 10 of Spirit Trials
I follow him to the top, scowling at the back of his head the entire time. “You know you can’t just say something like that and expect me to let it go. Why will I only be here a few days and where am I going next?” He doesn’t say anything in return.Shocking.
He opens a door and steps back so I can enter. There’s a large bed in the center of the room with light-colored linens and a thick fur on top. Speaking of fur, I look down. A large thick rug covers the entire floor and looks incredibly soft. I can’t wait to take my boots off and feel it with my toes. There’s a huge stone fireplace on the side wall that Rysden is already lighting. I step around him and walk into the adjoining room. There’s a toilet and a large tub with a spout. I shake my head in wonder.
“Is this a castle?” I ask when I step back into the room.
Rysden gives me an odd look. “This is my house.”
“It’s a castle,” I declare. “Who all lives here?”
“My men and I.” He doesn’t say anything more, and our time for connection is over.
Feeling uncertain, I fold my arms over my chest. “So, do you bring all your kidnappees here and give them a nice room?”
“When you get hungry, come down. Somebody will be working on food.” He looks around the room. “There are a few clothes for you in the wardrobe just to get you through. We’ll get you more soon.”
My eyes widen in surprise and then suspicion. “Whose are they?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes. If they’re some woman you brought here and murdered, then I’d like to know.”
"They’re Jamik’s,” he says dryly. “I’m heading out for a while. Let the guys know if you need anything.” He’s almost out the door when I finally cave.
“Thank you.” I don’t want to thank him; I want to hate him. And I do...and yet, I’m standing in here in this incredible room.
“Don’t thank me yet. You don’t know what’s coming.”
With those ominous words, he leaves the room. I’m left trying to figure him out. I walk around the room, taking it in. I can’t get over the sheer amount of space in just this one room, letalone the rest of the castle...that Rysden insists isn’t a castle. I walk back into the bathroom and stare longingly at the tub. The one bath I took at the inn was too long ago and cut short. After fiddling with the handle, I get hot water. I run my hand through it for a few moments, marveling at it. Then I add a few drops of scented oil and climb in. I want to sit in here forever and soak, but my growling stomach keeps me moving. After scrubbing my hair and my body with a bar of soap, I climb out and dry off. I open the wardrobe and finger the few items. Two more dark shirts and a pair of dark pants. Thankfully, there are a few underclothes too. I’m not going to think too hard about where they came from or whose they are. After pulling on the trousers and shirt, I comb my bright red curls and try to get all the tangles out before giving up and braiding my hair. I take in the room again and wish my mother and brother could see this place. A pang hits me, and suddenly I don’t want to be in this room anymore. I make my way back down the stairs and towards the fireplace in the great room. Lox, Hector, and Jamik are sitting at the table laughing about something. I take them in for a minute before they realize I’m standing here. I don’t really know how to take them; they’re different from how I think captors should be. It’s easy to see that they’re relaxed and comfortable here. I can’t quite piece together the fact that they all live together, almost like a family but not.
“Farrah,” Lox calls out, startling me. “Come get some food.”
I walk over to the table and take in the bowls of food, more food than we could possibly eat. “You need something on your feet; the floors are too cold for bare feet,” Rysden says as he walks into the room. I stare at him as anger suddenly fills me at the injustice of it all.
“Why am I here? And why couldn’t my mom and brother have come here? You have all this space and all this food?” I say picking up a bowl and setting it down harder than necessary, andsome kind of stew sloshes over the edges. “You’re safe in this fortress surrounded by thick walls. You have everything!”
His eyes harden. “They can’t.”
He turns and walks away. I make the mistake of meeting Lox’s eyes; they’re full of sympathy, and it just pushes me over the edge. I storm after Rysden. “Why not?” He keeps walking. “Answer me!” I demand. He turns to face me.
“Outsiders aren’t welcome here.”
“Only prisoners, right?” I ask as fury wells up in me.
“Exactly.” He grabs my wrist, stopping me before I hit him. “You need to work on your form.” I shake my head in fury, but he doesn’t release his grip on my hand. “You should have been killed upon entry. The only reason you weren’t is because you were with me. Your brother and mother would most certainly have been killed before they made it into the city.”
Hatred wells up within me, and I yank my hand away. “No, they wouldn’t have. If you would have brought them with you, they would have been safe too.”
“No, they wouldn’t have been.”
I grit my teeth; I've never met a person who frustrates me so much. “You’re lying.”
He steps close. “I am many things, but a liar I am not.”
I shake my head. “I don’t get you.”
He turns and walks away but not before he calls out, “You’re not supposed to.”
I stare after his retreating back. “Stubborn, impossible male. Better sleep with one eye open,” I mutter. I tip my head up and stare at the ceiling, feeling frustrated and absolutely lost.
