FOR THE UNKNOWN KINGDOM | BOOK 1

CHAPTER 36

In the Gap World I'd been overwhelmed by the amount of people that couldn't stand living in that place anymore. But the vast majority of them was still trying their best. They weren't overflowed with heartache; even though they had every right to be swarmed with grief and devastation. So when someone, whether it would be Denfer or Cloudien or Jersen or someone on the streets, experienced a bad day I'd been more than glad to try to help them.

Here everyone was like that all the time. And I was tired of trying to change Ian's mind.

Groaning, I lay on the floor, using my arm as a pillow and stared blankly at Ian, who cut a glare in my direction. His black hair was shimmering in the dim light. As for me, every muscle of my body felt taut and the floor was so cold that I had the suspicion that an icy lake would be warmer.

"Of course, Denfer would love you," he mumbled.

My stomach churned at that, but I schooled my features into neutrality.

"What are you even talking about?" There was nothing in my voice or my body posture suggesting that my heart rate had started to rise.

He didn't know Denfer. And Denfer didn't love me.

"Denfer's always there for everyone. Of course, he would love someone who didn't need to be taken care of," he paused, but I could understand that he hadn't completed his thoughts.

It took him a long second to continue. "Of course, he would love someone cruel."

Time stopped. And his last word started echoing in my head. Cruel, cruel, cruel. The word that had marked my existence in such a memorable way. Cruel. I'd been considered cruel in Lantra for not appreciating Josh and all the nice things he had done for me. I was also cruel here for acting like all the things they had done to me hadn't affected me in the slightest. Maybe I was cruel in general.

"They've been doing all these things to you, all these . . . monstrous things. And I have never seen you crying. Don't you care, Velian? Aren't you ashamed of what you have become?"

Cruel. Cruel. Cruel.

My face started heating because of what he'd just said. But I didn't respond. I couldn't respond. Not when he stood up and dragged out of his boot a dagger longer and sharper than the one I had. Not when he walked toward me with the confidence of an assassin and the insanity of a sadist. The guy of my dreams wasn't like that. No. He'd been afraid; he'd never been the one who provoked fear. He'd been wise, ordering me to trust the sun whenever I was left in the darkness.

But maybe Hell changed people in the worst possible way.

"Let's fight. It will be better than crying, right?" he said, and I reached for my dagger. I'd never thought that I would use it against Ian.

Rising on my feet, I almost lost my balance for a heartbeat and rested a hand on the cold wall behind me. I didn't dare move.

He let out a wicked grin, and for a heartbeat fear overpowered my senses. Fear that he was insane, mad, crazy, ill and he could do monstrous things in this messed-up state of mind.

Something in his eyes told me that he wouldn't step back. I was right.

He came closer to me, so close that a few more steps and I would feel his breath on my face. Raising his dagger, the flame of the torch made the blade shine. I followed his example, getting ready to defend myself.

"You're a whore, Velian. And I'm a slave. You can avoid thinking about it for as long as you want to. But it will hit you eventually, the realization that this is the truth. A truth you can't change," he said, his blue-gray eyes emitting something between despair and hate.