Page 15 of Of Vows and War: Special Edition
“Tell me, Theon, does your annoying voice not grate on your nerves like it does mine?” Theon glared my way, his hands raising to grip the bars of my cell door. I merely smiled his way, trying my best to not show him how truly unsettled I was by his presence. “Even in Academy, I remember thinking that the sound of you speaking made me want to vomit. Sterling, what is one thing that would be better than listening to this moron talk?”
Sterling snickered to my left, slowly letting his body slide down the wall without breaking eye contact with Theon. Though, the Shifter seemed to only have eyes for me. Rage radiated from him, my magic flaring within me like a bird with broken wings trying to take flight.
“Shitting my pants,” Sterling answered confidently, a smirk on his face.
“Oh, definitely. I think I would eat it if that meant giving my ears a reprieve from the aggravating sound of killjoy over there,” I added.
Beyond the bars, Theon seethed, his form once more melting back to his natural state. With a fierce smack to the door of my cell, he practically foamed at the mouth as he pointed my way. “You have not changed since Academy either,Ash.Even back then you thought yourself too good for us—too good forme.No matter how hard I tried to get your attention, you refused me time and time again. As if I were nothing but the dirt beneath your boot. And now look at you, bleeding and broken on a dungeon floor as I look down upon you in royal gold.”
How fortunate, to know nothing but infatuation and jealousy. Even back in Academy, I had been riddled with anxiety and duty—had known little peace at all apart from Sipho and my friends. But there Theon stood, rage clouding his eyes at the memory of a slight I committed nearly two centuries ago. Well, if he wanted to fester in such contempt and bitterness, then I would bury him in it.
“In my defense, you practically are the dirt beneath my boot,” I quipped.
“I have only known you for a short time, but I think you are quite the catch—like a plague,” Sterling added.
“A freeing presence—like death.” My response had Sterling laughing as he spoke next.
“The same thing I wish upon us both rather than continuing to be in your presence.” That had me cackling as well.
“I am sure all the females say the same thing when they see him naked,” I agreed.
“Enough! You both think yourselves so funny. But when your head is on a spike and your lips are around my cock, the only one laughing will be me.” Theon’s response was unimaginative. Not surprising.
“I do not know about that. I have laughed with a tiny carrot in my mouth before, it is not that hard.” I waved my hand his way, winking at him to enrage him more.
“I will—“
“Enough, Theon. You are indeed perpetually exhausting,” Mia chided, appearing next to Theon with Malcolm on her arm. It was disgusting, watching how the Shifter cowered in her presence. Pathetic. “And I have yet to forgive you for the stunt you pulled with Asher last fall. Get out of my sight or I’ll find someone more useful.”
With that, Theon briefly bowed and proceeded to run out of the dungeons, his slapping footfalls echoing across the rock walls.
“Why pretend it bothered you, Mia? We both know you chose him over me in that moment.”
“Wrong, as you so often are, my flower. I tortured that scum for two days after the harm he caused you. Still, I agree it was not enough. One day, when all is settled, I will let you seek your revenge. But first, you must apologize to me.”
“Never in all my two hundred years have I heard a more delusional statement. And I have met yourson,so that says a lot.” I knew the words would enrage her, but I still threw in a shrug for the fun of it.
“Do not call him that!” Mia screamed, fury contorting her face into something sharp and fierce. Her breaths came in heavy pants as she stared me down, her icy glare a menacing and familiar thing. At least that I knew. Familiarity like that was almost comforting. “Who are you? You never used to speak in such a way. Even as a youngling you knew your place and stayed within it. This is not you, Asher.”
“Do you mean the youngling you would hold prisoner in a room that sucked the magic out of her? I remember once when I was nine years you left me in there so long that I lost count of the days. But of course, I should have been thankful, yes? Because you threw me a lavish party afterwards and let me sleep in your bed for a week. I remember the new dress you had made for me, the sweets you let me have, the beautiful stories you read to me. How stupid was I that I allowed two centuries worth of such a thing to happen? That I considered that abuse normal? Decades upon decades of hurt, and I convinced myself it was love. But you do not love me, Mia. You love no one but yourself. While you and this place have stayed the same, I have evolved—learned.”With my best attempt at a chilling smile, I outstretched my arms. “I am still me, but now I know better.”
“Perhaps you know better, but I will always know best.” With that, she turned and walked away, not looking back even when orders left her lips. “Malcolm, bring Asher to her low level room, I think she needs another lesson.”
Chapter Eight
Asher
Day five.
Screams coated the air in agony, my throat alight with the same fire that scorched its way up my arms. Besides my every desire to remain quiet—to not give them that power over me—I continued to beg for respite. I almost wished they would torture me in my low level room so that they could not use their power on me. At least then I would feel less pathetic.
Abruptly, the burning stopped, Xavier pulling his hand away from my skin in favor of turning on the queen a mere two feet away. Mia stood silently as she watched the scene before her with open distaste.
Before I could so much as catch my breath, the match had begun.
“I cannot do this anymore. Mia, this is not the same as teaching her a lesson. We are going to kill her if we do not stop!” Xavier’s shouts were like knives being shoved into my ears. I wanted to tell him to at least shut the fuck up if I was going to be tortured for the rest of the day again. But my throat was raw, my gasping breaths sending shocks of pain throughout my body. So instead of sweet quiet, I was punished with Mia’s voice.
“You have always been so weak, just like my father! Last I checked, Xavier, this was our only option. She refuses to give up any information on Eoforhild, will not agree to resume her position as heir, and the last cohesive sentence she uttered was when she told Malcolm he looked like he was drawn by her right foot!” Despite myself, I chuckled at the recollection of my insult. Malcolm had stormed out of the room after that, though the pained look on his face said he likely would have left soon anyways.
