"Come on out," Dran said in a happy voice.
He pulled open the carriage door, the wide smile on his face dimming when I continued to cower against the other side of the carriage. The muscles in his jaw ticked as he glared at me.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Dran growled, "I like you, but not enough to stand for your insolence, girl."
"Why are you doing this?" I growled, pushing down my fear in trade for anger. "What did I do to you?"
"It's not what you did," He growled, madness dancing in the dark of his irises, "It's not even what Azrael did. Now come before I drag you out of there."
I growled, but obeyed, hopping out of the carriage and resisting the urge to run. His hand wrapped around my wrist in a painful grip, and I knew even with advanced healing bruises would be left on my body. He shoved me forward, into a simple looking house that was placed high on a hill, overlooking the lively city.
"In here," He growled, opening the cellar doors and shoving me down the steps.
I stumbled, scraping my hands and knees as I fell. Quickly turning as I pushed myself away from him as fast as I could. Dran grinned, enjoying my fear.
"Is this the time where I explain to you my motives and tell you about my master plan?" He asked, grinning down at me as he took slow steps down the stairs.
"I don't care," I huffed, sneering at him, "I don't care why you did this or how no one noticed how fucking crazy you are."
"So mean." He laughed, "I can see why Az likes you and that sharp tongue."
"Come closer so I can rip your throat out too." I hissed, shuffling to my feet.
"Ah yes," Dran laughed, "I saw what you did to that male. Just another pawn that Garner and I are using."
"Count Garner?" I frowned, "I thought it was the duke that wanted Az dead."
Dran cackled, "Foolish girl. Only Az needs to die to keep the duke in power. What is the saying? Ah, yes, two birds, one dead girl."
I glared at him. Swallowing all the questions I wanted to ask. It didn't matter what I found out, I'd die down here unless I managed to escape. Dran had used that flower to get rid of my scent, there was no trail for my mate to follow. No way for him to find me.
"You see," Dran grinned, "The duke was the one responsible for the murder of Az's mother. He wanted their family out of the way to get the power and influence they had, and now Garner wants you dead to make sure the duke stays in power and he gets to keep selling females without any issues."
Dran stepped closer, quickly grabbing my wrists and pulling them up over my head. He tightened his grip on me as I squirmed, cold metal wrapping around my wrists.
"And I," He stepped away from me, his evil smile falling away, "I want revenge."
"Revenge for what?" I snapped, tears pricking my eyes, my arms were stretched high above my head and pain was already ripping through my shoulders and wrists.
"His father killed my older brother," Dran growled, "I held him as he died, watched the light go out in his eyes."
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, "But the sins of the father are not the sins of the son."
"Someone has to pay the price for his death," Dran snarled, baring his teeth at me.
"Didn't his father already pay by killing himself?" I asked, the calous words almost making me wince. "Why does there need to be more deaths?"
"Aslin," Dran laughed, "You sound just like my mate."
"I didn't know you had a mate." I muttered.
"I did," He smiled reliving the memories before his face suddenly darkened, "She tried to convince me not to go through with my revenge that was 20 years in the making. So I got rid of her. Just like I'm going to get rid of you."
"20 years?" I huffed, skimming over the fact that he had obviously murdered his mate, "Why wait that long? You could have just killed him as a child."
Dran snorted, rolling his eyes at me, "So unimaginative. You kids just don't know how to get revenge anymore. Let me educate you, Aslin. You need to make sure your victim is as happy as possible. You see if I killed him when he was a child he would have welcomed death. Everything had already been taken from him, but now... he has so much more to lose."
"You need help," I gasped, wincing and squirming when he trailed a hand down my arm.
"No," Dran murmured, "I need him to suffer."
~~~
Screams tore from my lips, the sharp blade of his knife sinking down my rips. Every hour he comes back, leaving a new mark on my skin. My dress had been ripped to shreds a few hours ago. Blood dripped freely down my thighs from the cuts he had placed there.
"I love hearing you scream," Dran laughed, "I wish he was here, watching you bleed out. I love imagining that he can feel every cut I place on your body."
Dran grinned at me, "Too bad you heal so quickly, it only makes the process of killing you take longer. It's okay though, don't worry Aslin. It's already been a day and you soon won't be able to heal at all."
"Please," I huffed, "Can you let me down? I won't go anywhere, I couldn't even walk if I wanted to. Please."
"Well," Dran sighed, "Since you asked so nicely."
He grabbed a set of keys out of his back pocket, using them to unlock my chains. My body thudded to the dirt floor and I cried out, pain rocking through my body. Dran grinned down at me, curled up in a pile of blood and my own piss. I heard the clanking of chains and the feeling of cold metal wrapping around my ankles, ensuring that I wouldn't leave.
"See you in an hour!" Dran called, waving goodbye with those keys still in his grasp.
I sobbed, wrapping my sore arms around my tired body. Being able to lie down was a small win, but one I had desperately needed. Darkness surrounded me and my vision was slowly failing me. It was pitch black in here, the only light I ever got came when he opened the cellar doors.
I wished Az was here, wrapped around me and whispering comforting words in my ear. His deep voice soothing me to sleep. I wanted both of the brothers to be with me. If I was back at the castle we could be wrapped up in bed together again, his large body protecting me from all the danger in the world.
My heart swelled with love for him, even if he had been a grumpy twat the last time I had seen him. How would he be making it up to me if I had stayed with him that night? Would he be whispering sweet words in my ear and pressing kisses to my skin?
Golden threads wrapped around my body. My love for him literally lit up the room. I smiled, even as my blood pooled on the floor. The words of Ruth suddenly echoed in my mind.
"Queen of Gold, stay calm, he will come for you if your love is strong enough in the dark."
Had she meant that the threads could lead him here? Is that possible? Whenever we saw them we had always been near each other, but they did link our hearts together. Even if he couldn't see them, the threads were comforting. The gentle glow gave me hope and washed away some of the darkness.
"Please," I whispered to the golden threads keeping me company, "Please help him find me."
~~~
Azrael POV~
Twenty-eight hours had passed since Aslin disappeared. My first thought was that she had gotten lost, but when Killian and I followed her scent it just disappeared. Like she vanished. I had lost sight of the fact that someone was after us, having gotten too distracted by my brother.
The room we were staying in had been torn apart, and I would have trashed the rest of the castle if my sisters hadn't stopped me. Killian had sent out all of his males, sweeping the city for our female. He was still out there, looking for her. I had been sent back to the castle after being told I was making them all too scared to focus.
Pussies.
I sat on the bed that I had torn apart. Gripping the cloak that I had gifted her in a tight fist. The only thing that kept me sane was the fact that I wasn't going crazy. I would have already been ripped apart by my lycan if she had been killed. Lifting her cloak up to my face I inhaled her sweet scent. She always smelled slightly of flowers and sunshine. She smelled like joy.
Growling I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around her cloak and wishing she was in it. Laughing at me and shifting her hips to tease me. Her smiles were infectious, I always wanted to kiss her when she smiled. Hoping that some of her joy and wonder for the world would rub off on me.
Light lit up the room and I curled my lip in a snarl, ready to scare off whoever it was that dared to step a foot in this room. I had expected a candle, but instead got golden thread, wrapped around my body and leading out the window. I smiled, my thoughts of her had summoned the bond that tied our hearts together.
Somewhere, on the other end of this thread she was wrapped up in our bond too. My heart stopped, my eyes snapping open. I needed to find Killian, no there's no time, I needed to get to my mate first. The golden threads faded and I quickly thought of one of my favorite memories of her.
I envisioned her small form quickly scaling up a tree. A victorious smile on her face. Gold wrapped around my body again and I looked out the window into the darkness. It was leading towards the outskirts of the city, but I couldn't see where it ended.
"I'm coming," I muttered, the shift cracking my bones as I thundered through the castle, racing towards my mate with our bond guiding me. "Hold on, my love."
Aslin POV~ Because I love switching between them lalalalala
"Hello," Dran greeted, "Look at you being so good."'
I hissed, glaring at him from the floor, but unable to move. The chains kept me from going very far, and every time I moved the cuts reopened. Dran just grinned at me, holding up the knife he used to slice open my flesh.
"I hope you know I only enjoy this a little," He smirked, placing the blade on my stomach and pressing it against my skin until I screamed and blood coated silver.
"Soon," He muttered, "You're almost there. I'm sure it'll just take another day before you greet death. Don't worry though, I'll leave and make sure he is able to find you before you die. He'll be able to watch the light leave your eyes just like I had to with my mate and brother."
"Where did you bury her?" I asked quietly, "Does anyone else know she is dead?"
Dran paused, tilting his head in confusion, "Why do you care?"
"Do you not?" I asked, frowning, "Does it not bother you that no one will visit her grave because she doesn't have one?"
"I buried her beneath a willow tree that we carved our names in together when we were younger." He said softly, his eyes glazing over, "No one knows she is dead. I told them she was leaving on a trip to visit her sister a few weeks ago."
Tears dripped down my face, but I couldn't find the strength to wipe them away. I cupped my bleeding belly. Attempting to slow down the bleeding.
"You did it," I muttered, "Please let me be now."
Dran let out a tired sigh, something akin to guilt flashing in his eyes before he turned away. Golden threads lit up my body like they had been off and on for the past few hours. Every time I saw those threads, hope flared in my chest, quickly cut down by the thought that it could just be because my mate is thinking of me.
At least he was thinking of me, I thought. Getting a glimpse of sunlight before Dran slammed the doors shut. Keeping my hands pressed tightly against my bleeding belly I closed my eyes. Remembering the sound of a male voice, laughing with me, his arms curling around my body.