Page 27 of Unraveled
“No.” My stomach is so hollow, and it complains again at my response. So loud, I hear the silence that comes after.
I drape my arm over my torso, shielding myself from the cruelty I know is coming. I have heard so much about the fae. The malicious ways they play with and torture their humans. Perhaps any food he offers will make me go crazy.
A ghastly sound comes from my right, and then everything is a blur. A pale beast, the same shades of gray and white as our surroundings, leaps out of the mist. A long-clawed hand swipes toward me.
Muscular arms wrap around my stomach, and my gravity shifts as Ash pulls me into a cyclone of feathers and golden magic. His wings beat, and we glide across the hall toward a green door etched with gold. The lunargyre chases after us, growling as its nails click over the tile. A bald face with wrinkledskin, its white eyes rolling. Hundreds of razor-sharp teeth jut out from bleeding gums.
Not even with the power of Ash’s wings can we get away fast enough. The putrid scent of its breath blooms over my face, warm against my cheeks.
A scream echoes off the tall ceiling. It’s me—I’ve been screaming the entire time, and my throat gives out as it tears. Ash pulls me behind his body so fast I stumble when my feet hit the ground. He lifts a hand toward the approaching monster, and translucent golden ribbons made of magic burst from his clawed fingers. Ash throws the lunargyre against a column. The sound of bones breaking and its screeches are all I hear.
“This is why you can’t be out here.” Ash’s voice is deep. He tilts his face toward me, and something in his expression has gone dark. “Don’t escape your chambers again, not unless you want to become their meal.”
Chapter 11
“You’re far too quiet...”Ash says, narrowing his gaze at me. “Why aren’t you asking more questions?”
I’m too shaken by the encounter with the lunargyre to speak, let alone ask him anything. “Would you answer any if I did?”
“I suppose you’ve got to ask to find out.”
I get the distinct impression this king is lonely. After all, we’ve been here for some time, and I haven’t seen another living creature besides Naheli, Finley, and a bunch of raging monsters.
I follow Ash through the dark, serpentine hallways of the castle in complete silence. Thick velvet curtains keep away the gloomy morning daylight, and flickering light from melting candles illuminates the intricate paintings on the walls. Nature inspired but worn by age and the unforgiving traces of a spell.
Now that I have a vague idea of what’s happening here, it’s so obvious. Even this far from the gardens, rose canes climb over these walls. Perhaps Ash keeps the place dark so he can’t see the blooms. I’ve yet to understand the correlation between the roses and the curse, but it can’t be a coincidence.
Right now, I can barely seem to string two cohesive thoughts together. The fight has left me—at least for today. Had Ash notfound me, I wouldn’t have survived my escape, and that alone leaves a bitter taste on my tongue.
Not even the dull throbbing of my wounds is enough to bring me out of this stupor. I have never felt so utterly defenseless before. I guess I’ve never been in genuine danger either.
“Where is my necklace?”
“What a poor attempt at a question.” An amused breath leaves his lips as he faces forward. “You know I’m never going to tell you.”
Anger flares in my veins, and I fight my need to touch where the necklace usually rests against my skin, missing the warmth of the magic that always emanates from the stone.
The light from Ash’s eyes illuminates the top of his sharp cheekbones. “What are you thinking, Little Monster?”
“I’m thinking: How can a brute beast, such as yourself, move so quietly on taloned feet?” Venom drips off each word as my lips thin over my teeth. I might not have his powerful magic, but I sure as hell won’t make my company pleasant.
His expression hardens, and I count that as a petty victory in what was turning out to be a terrible day. Of course, I won’t ever tell him he’s also more graceful than anyone I’ve ever met.
“Now that’s something I can answer,” he says, failing to hide the annoyance tinting his tone. “I practiced. Perhaps you should follow my example, since you don’t have the excuse of taloned feet to blame for your unrefined ways.”
I whirl to face him, arms crossed. “What do you want from me? Why save me from the lunargyres when you clearly hate me? Why am I even in this castle? If you think I’m going to be a compliant pet for you, you can go to hell.”
His steps slow. His eyes shimmer with delight. “I agree. You’d make a truly terrible pet. But why would you think I’d ever want that from you?”
“It’s what the fae do! You find it entertaining to hunt humans during your Wild Hunt, then you make us subservient to your wishes.”
“Do we?” He lifts a brow, and he’s all but laughing at me. “Go on, Monster, I find it amusing to learn about my kind’s history from a human.”
My cheeks warm, but I steel my spine against the urge to fidget under his intense scrutiny. “I looked into your eyes by accident, and you stole me from my home.”
We stand in front of a door painted the same green color as the one to my room. Ash reaches for the handle and pauses before opening it. “Did you also attack me by accident?”
I press my lips together, and the memories of the veil cracking under his power flash through my mind. Skylar demanded I stop the beast with my magic—something that was forbidden for me to use out in the open. “You were going to destroy the veil and kill hundreds—thousands—of people.”
