Chapter One
All I felt was numb. I watched the chaos unfold in front of me as if I was in someone else's body. I watched as some random women carted Cameron off on a stretcher, presumably to finish healing his wounds. I barely even batted an eye.
The sounds were jumbled, my body not in the right state of mind to properly comprehend what people were saying. I vaguely heard my name, but I ignored that too. More unfamiliar people came in, doing who knows what. Not that I care. All I want to do is curl up into a ball and die. Just like Selene.
I heard something then. A voice. Saying the same thing over and over again. "It's all my fault." It took a shockingly long time for me to realize that it was my own voice, and every time I said it I was getting increasingly louder. People looked at me as if I was going insane, but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything at all.
The room was crowded, there must have been some kind of party going on when I portaled in. It's not in the castle, I can tell that much. My eyes looked around, not truly seeing.
Everything was dull. I felt dull. My heart hurts and my head is throbbing. That is the only thing I can focus on in this moment.
I vaguely felt as warm arms wrapped around me, lifting me up. They held me bridal style against their chest, whispering things I still wasn't able to comprehend. I cuddled into them, happy for the warmth their body let off. Maybe the warmth will swallow me whole. That would be nice.
I felt something poke inside my mind, but I barely batted an eye. I don't care what it is. I heard something then, a whisper. Sleep.
I've never been happier to comply to a command in my life. In an instant, I was drifting off to sleep. It was nice, to feel nothing at all.
******
The first thing I noticed when I opened my eyes was a blinding light. The second was that I have absolutely no idea where I am or how I got here.
I groaned and shifted. When I moved, I realized the bed I am on is a little hard. You would think these people would give me something a bit more comfortable to lay on, whoever they are.
I lifted my head to look around the room when my eyes landed on a pair of familiar ones. When I looked into those forest green eyes, I realized two things. One, I am in the Daemonium kingdom. And two, it is not a bed I am laying on. It is Rowan.
I shrieked and flung myself off of him, landing with a crash on the floor. I groaned at the instant pain in my shoulder upon impact. I felt the bed shake from Rowan's laughter as I lay on the floor, trying to catch my breath. After a few moments and I still hadn't gotten off the ground, Rowan slowly got off the bed and walked to where I lay. He crouched down and rose an eyebrow at me.
"Are you okay?"
I let out a slow puff of air and sat up. "I don't know."
We both knew that I wasn't talking about the fall.
Rowan sighed and dropped down beside me. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I don't know," I repeated, honestly. I really don't know what I want. I'm still so numb. I still feel like everything that happened was just a nightmare, and any second I will wake up. Maybe talking about it, reliving it, will only make things worse. Instead, I decided to change the subject. "How long have I been out?"
Rowan glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but accepted the topic change. "Three days."
I jolted. "Three days!"
Rowan nodded slowly. "I don't know if I used my powers too strongly and that's why you were out so long, or if," he trailed off for a second, before starting again carefully. "Your depression might have led you to sleep for so long."
I sucked in a breath through my teeth and nodded. It was probably the latter. We sat in silence for a another few minutes. Neither of us knowing what to say to the other. When the silence became unbearable, I finally caved.
"There was an attack," I stated.
Rowan looked at me for a few moments before slowly nodding, waiting for me to go on. "My mother threw me a going away ball, and vampires crashed it. They hurt people. They," I paused, choking on the next word. "Killed people. Just to get me. To kidnap me for their king.
"My people died, Rowan. My friends died. And for what? To protect me? What a joke. I should have died instead," I stated, revealing the thought I have been thinking ever since Selene's throat was slit.
Rowan tensed then, his eyes going dark. Still, he didn't say anything, knowing I was not finished.
"And the worst part is, I knew it would happen. I knew that our security was lacking, knew it was just a matter of time before the vampires were to break in. They already attacked me once, and yet that didn't convince me that they wanted me? I even heard," I paused in that moment, as realization dawned on me. The conversation I heard. The one Cameron convinced me was nothing.
A tear dripped down my chin, falling onto my hand. I startled a bit. I had no idea that I was crying. "I even heard a conversation that basically proved that something was going to go down, and yet I did nothing. I was naive. I was stupid. And it cost me everything. I don't deserve to be queen. I don't deserve to live. I dont deserve any-" I choked on a sob, my body shaking, cutting off my words.
Rowan was there, his arms wrapped around me. I cuddled into his chest, the sobs flowing freely now. My whole body shook, as the numbness started to subside and feeling started to fall through. The feeling was worse.
"Shh," Rowan murmured in my ear. "Everything is going to be okay. It's not your fault."
He kept repeating things in my ear, but I barely heard them over my harsh sobs. Nothing will make me feel better, anyways. I know it was my fault. All of the signs were there. Yet I was so absorbed in the fae society that I started to become as naive as them. As "safe" as them. I thought that we were untouchable. What a joke.
I let Rowan rock me back and forth as I cried myself out. As much as I don't want to admit it, his presence really helped. There is something about him that comforts me in a way that no one else can.
He held me and rocked me back and forth long after the sobs subsided. He didn't let go even when the depression finally lifted for the time being, and I could think a little straighter. I allowed him to hold me, knowing it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart all over again. I stared at his arm as it laid around my stomach, entranced by the thumb rubbing comforting circles on my hand.
That's when I noticed something... unusual. The tattoo I swore I saw the first day I met him, but that dissapeared when I saw him again, was back. Instead of on his right shoulder, however, it is coiled around his forearm. I know for a fact that it had not been there this whole time. I looked at it closely, realizing it was a very intricate snake.
I reached up, entranced. I let my finger graze against the tattoo, startling at the slightly raised skin that coated it. It felt almost like the coat of an actual snake. Rowan shivered under my touch, but I barely noticed. I ran my finger slowly across it, following the tattoo as it coiled around his arm. Then, slowly, I felt it move. I jolted, removing my hand from the tattoo as it began to slither up his arm.
I jumped out of Rowan's arms, pointing at where the tattoo once lay on his skin. "What the hell is that?"
Rowan tilted his head thoughtfully in my direction instead of answering. My pulse raced the longer he refused to answer. What the hell is happening? His tattoo literally just moved across his arm. Last time I checked, they don't just do that!
"After all the things you have seen and discovered since coming into our world, my familiar is what scares you," Rowan laughed, shaking his head.
"Your... familiar," I questioned.
Rowan reached up his arm to where the tattoo lay. He then laid his hand right in front of it and waited. Within seconds, the tattoo was coming off his skin and onto his hand. As it did, it grew into the shape of an actual snake, it's colors becoming much more vibrant.
The snake is beautiful, with many different colors coating it's scales. Pink, purple, and orange colors intertwined on the snake's skin, covering it's little head. It's the most alluring snake I have ever seen.
Rowan looked down at the snake, affection clear in his eyes. He then brought it up a little higher to properly show it off. "Freya, meet Belle. She doesn't take well to strangers, so I would give her time before getting too close."
Ignoring the warning, I walked closer to him. I didn't stop until I was crouched in front of Rowan. He watched me warily, pulling the snake away from me a little bit. "Hi, Belle," I murmured.
She hissed softly, but not in a threatening way. More like in response. Then she slithered higher up his arm to be closer to me. She didn't stop until we were eye to eye. I slowly reached my arm up to pet her skin. She watched me, but didn't make a move to attack as my hand gently touched her back. I marveled at the silkiness of her rubbery skin. I gently brushed her scales, laughing slightly at the way her eyes closed at my touch.
Rowan raised his eyebrows at the interaction. He looked down at Belle and shook his head, a small smile taking over his lips. "Oh, so you like her, but not the mailman you practically mauled the other day."
I let out a surprised laugh. I don't know what's more shocking. That this sweet snake could hurt someone, or that they have mailmen.
"She's a sweetheart, she couldn't hurt a fly," I murmured in the snakes direction.
Rowan snorted. "She is anything but a sweetheart," he informed me, but I could tell that he was pleased that we were getting along.
Belle slithered down his arm and across the floor, before slithering up my leg. I giggled at the sensation. I slowly sat down as she slithered up my body until she was latched around my arm as she used to be on Rowan's.
"What a traitor," Rowan accused the snake. She let her tongue slip out in a small hiss, as if she was sticking her tongue out at him.
I wouldn't be surprised if she was. It wouldn't be the most surprising thing to happen in this world. She was just a tattoo moments before.
"What is a familiar?"
Rowan leaned back against the nightstand and crossed his arms. "Only demons have them. They are a specific animal that belongs to us and no one else. They attach themselves to us as a tattoo, and come off our skin whenever we are in need."
I nodded slowly, biting my lip. "Do I get a familiar?"
Rowan shrugged. "If you want one. I can take you after you get settled in," he offered.
I smiled and turned my attention back to Belle. She's so sweet and humanlike. It would be so cool to have one of my own. I wonder if I will have a snake too. My heart stuttered at the thought of my familiar and Belle not getting along. I've just met her and I already love her. I don't want her to hurt my familiar, or vice versa.
"Why did you name her Belle," I asked, deciding to distract myself from that scary thought.
"I let my sister name her," he shook his head with a laugh. "I should have known she would name the poor snake after her favorite disney princess."
"You have a sister?"
Rowan nodded, but didn't elaborate further. I wonder what she's like. Is she as harsh as her brother? As bubbly as Amilia? We have the same favorite disney princess, so obviously we will be great friends.
Rowan suddenly stood up, reaching a hand out for Belle to attach onto. She did, but not before rubbing her face gently against mine. I giggled as she slithered onto Rowan and seeped back into his skin to form the tattoo.
"If you're feeling better, I should probably show you to your room."
"This isn't my room?"
Rowan gave me a funny look and shook his head. "This is my room."
My mouth dropped into a small o as I slowly took in the room. The decorations are mostly dark, as expected. The walls are a deep purple, the floor a light grey. His curtains and bed covers are a soft black, with pillows to match. It's simple, lacking the personalizations that most bedrooms have. He must not spend much time in here.
"It's pretty," I informed him honestly, shifting on my feet. Knowing that this is his room makes this interaction seem more intimate. I feel an awkwardness that I hadn't before, and I almost wish he didn't tell me it was his room. I feel like I am invading his personal space.
"Let's go," Rowan informed me, sensing the way my thoughts turned.
He started walking out of the room and I followed, only taking one glance back to soak in his room before closing the door behind me. We walked down a long hallway, stopping at the end. He opened the door and revealed a bedroom, to my relief. Every time Saxon opened a door, it was to another set of stairs.
The room was very similar to Rowan's in coloring. It was the same size too, but with a little more familiarity. A bookshelf lay against one wall, with only one shelf full of books. I walked over to it immediately and ran my finger across the unknown spines.
"What is this," I questioned, raising my eyebrow.
Rowan leaned against the doorframe. "Our library is nowhere near as big as the one in the fae realm, but we also have quite a few bookstores at your disposal. You can fill the shelves as you wish. The books already on there are the ones I have read before and figured you might like them."
I grinned. That was sweet of him.
"Thank you," I responded honestly.
Rowan nodded in response. He stood at the doorway for a few more moments before turning around and exiting my room, closing the door behind him.
I stared at the spot he left for a few more moments, before walking around to analyze the room a bit better. The first thing I did was jump on the bed. I practically moaned aloud at the way my body sunk into the mattress.
This bed is not nearly as big as the one I had in the fae realm, but it's about ten times more comfortable. It's still big, probably a queen, so it's not like I'm not living the life here too.
It seems that this place doesn't flaunt their money nearly as much as the fae realm does. Which doesn't make any sense, since I thought the fae were the ones that don't have much money. That's probably why they don't have much money, honestly.
I wonder what Cameron will think of this place.
I jolted at the thought of Cameron. The last time I saw him, he was bleeding to death. I didn't even ask Rowan how he was!
I instantly ran out of the room, hoping I'd be able to find Rowan's without a problem. Instead, I ended up running smack into someone right outside my door. I stumbled, but she stood as stoic as a rock, not moving an inch.
"I am so sorry," I exclaimed as I looked up at the goddess I bumped into.
Her dark brown hair is cropped short, just barely brushing her shoulders. She's tall, a good head taller than me. Her figure is as perfect as you can get. Hourglass figure, with large breasts to match. Her skin is perfectly tanned and smooth, her face perfectly round. It's her eyes that really caught me, though. They are a beautiful crystal blue. Familiar in a way that I just can't place.
The women looked down at me, her head tilted slightly. She looked me up and down, a sneer taking over her features. I looked down at myself then, noticing I'm still in the dress from the ball. It's ripped in a few places, blood barely noticeable against the red fabric. I look like a hot mess.
"So you're the princess," she stated, her voice angelic.
"Uh, yeah," I responded, not sure what else to say.
"I thought you'd be taller," she stated, leaning against my open door frame as she did.
It's not what she said that irked me. I know I'm short. I get that a lot. What bothered me was the way she said it. Like I was worth less than the gum at the bottom of her shoe.
I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes slightly. She didn't give me a chance to object. "Did you enjoy your beauty sleep?"
I tried hard not to flinch. "I did. It looks like you could use some."
She bared her teeth at me and took a menacing step forward. I kept my stance relaxed. She is radiating power, yet she doesn't scare me. If anything, she is just pissing me off. Who does she think she is, judging me before she's even met me?
"I'm going to tell you this once, and never again. So listen closely. Stay the hell away from my brother. You are a ticking time bomb, and I want him nowhere near you when you inevitably go off," she hissed, her voice low.
I raised my eyebrows. "I don't even know who your brother is."
She laughed, a musical sound coming from someone so evil. She chose not to respond, instead analyzing me yet again.
I tried not to shift under her glare. What is wrong with this girl? I felt a rock in the pit of my stomach at the thought of everyone I meet here being like her.
"What is your problem," I finally announced, exasperated.
"You," she responded with no hesitation.
I sighed. "You don't even know me."
She laughed again, but much less obnoxiously. "Trust me, I know you a lot better than you think."
What does that even mean?
Then, I felt a pressure. As if someone was trying to break through the barriers of my mind. I narrowed my eyes at the girl. Thank god Rowan forced me to work on this so hard. There's no way I'm letting this psychopath into my head.
"Stay out of my head," I growled, anger seeping off of me in waves.
She merely smirked. "What are you going to do about it?"
I couldn't control what I did next. My power came oozing out of me, my control snapping. I watched, practically an outsider in my own body, as she got flung into the wall. She barely even flinched at the impact.
She landed on her feet, not a scratch on her. "As I said, a ticking time bomb."
I stared at her, and then at my hands. She did that on purpose. She riled me up on purpose. She wanted me to hurt her. Wanted to prove to me that my control isn't as good as I once thought. She's smarter than I've been giving her credit for.
Then, there was a loud bang as a door flew open from across the hall and Rowan stepped out of his room. His hair was disheveled, his eyes a little wild, as he came toward us.
He didn't stop until he was right in front of the both of us, not calming down until he realized we were both okay. Then he crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell happened?"
The goddess women shrugged. "The princess snapped. Lost control. No surprise there."
My heart stuttered in my chest. Is she trying to turn Rowan against me?
Rowan analyzed her for a few moments before tilting his head in my direction. "What happened?"
I let out a small breath, weighing my options. Ratting her out will only make me as bad as she is, and probably do me no good. I'm a big girl, I don't need Rowan to come to the rescue.
"She's right, I snapped," I shrugged.
Rowan shook his head in my direction, a small smile taking over his face. Then he turned to the goddess women. "Mal, knock it off. Despite how you feel, she is your princess. You should probably start acting like it."
Mal narrowed her eyes, not liking being scolded. She opened her mouth to protest, but Rowan shook his head. She shut her mouth instantly, before walking off in the other direction.
I watched her go, more confused than before.
"I'm sorry about my sister. She's a little hard to get through to, but she's actually not that bad," he informed me.
My heart dropped into my stomach. Of course she's his sister.
I laughed it off, shrugging as if it was no big deal. "Oh, her? She's great."
Rowan laughed. "People have used a lot of words to describe my sister. Great isn't one of them."
"She's not that bad," I muttered, knowing that admitting that I already hate his sister probably won't do me any good at this point.
"Don't worry about it. She's a little harsh around the edges. You just have to let her warm up to you."
"I'll try," I muttered.
Rowan saw right through me and shook his head with a smile, but let the subject drop. That's when I remember what I came out here for in the first place.
"Where's Cameron?"
Rowan raised his eyebrow for a moment, before remembering who I was talking about. "Oh, your little guard. He's still in the infirmary. I can bring you to him if you'd like."
I nodded, getting ready to follow him wherever this infirmary is. Rowan laughed, looking me up and down slowly. "Maybe you should change first?"
I looked down at myself in surprise, already forgetting that I am still in the dress from the ball. Bile rose up in my throat at the sight of the blood coated on it. I don't even want to know who's it is.
I grimaced and nodded. I definitely need out of these clothes. I turned back into my new room and headed for the closet. I know there were clothes in my closet the first day I got to the fae realm, and they had much less time to prepare for my arrival.
As suspected, when I opened the closet it was full of new clothes. To my surprise, there were much less fancy clothes than in the fae realm. And much more shoes. The clothes in this closet are more like the clothes I owned back in Chicago. Clothes a normal person would wear every day. It's comforting.
I grabbed a long sleeve shirt and a pair of yoga shorts. They don't match all that well, but after all of this, I feel like I deserve at least one small thing to make me relax. Besides, there is no one here that I need to impress.
I walked over to the small vanity next to my closet and looked at myself in the mirror. I really shouldn't have. Instead of scaring myself and analyzing all the problems with the person staring back at me in the mirror, I decided I needed a shower.
"Are you just going to stand there for ten years or," Rowan trailed off.
I jolted, forgetting I left the door open. I walked over to my bed and threw a pillow at him. "Get out, you perv. I'm going to go shower."
Rowan caught the pillow and laughed, but walked out of the room anyways. I sighed and walked aimlessly around the room until it dawned on me that I don't have my own master bathroom. Why did I assume that I would have one? Wow, I really did fall deep into the luxury of the fae realm.
I grabbed the clothes I picked out, along with a random pair of bra and underwear with the tags still on it, before exiting the room. Rowan stood outside of my room, his arms crossed over his chest as he casually leaned against the wall.
"Looking for the bathroom," he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I huffed and nodded. He grinned and pointed at a door more towards the middle of the hallway. I dragged my feet as I walked over there. I opened the door and smiled at how cute the bathroom was. It's bigger than an average bathroom, but smaller than any of the fae bathrooms. However, it's bathtub is much bigger. I didn't think you could find one bigger, but apparently you can. The shower is too. Though, it's all glass. Those have always freaked me out. They are in every horror movie ever.
I set the clothes down on the sink counter. I walked to the shower and fiddled with the knob until I figured out which way was hot and which way was cold. I set it to the right temperature before undressing.
I chose not to look into the mirror as I began to undress. I struggled with the zipper a bit, but got it down. When I tried to slip out of the dress, it wouldn't come off.
I cursed. It has a button. I'm so used to Lily helping me get out of my clothes. Dammit. I'm going to need Rowan's help.
I held the dress around me as I opened the door and peaked my head out. I cursed again when I didn't see him.
"Rowan," I announced a bit unsurely, not knowing what else to do.
When he didn't pop out of nowhere like I was hoping, I repeated his name again. After a few more minutes, I felt stupid. I sighed and closed the bathroom door.
Then Rowan appeared. "You called?"
I bit my lip and sighed, "I need your help."
Rowan raised his eyebrows as I slowly turned around and pointed to the small button at the very top of the dress, holding the whole thing onto my body. I brushed my hair over to my shoulder as Rowan walked up to me.
I tried not to shiver as he placed a hand on my shoulder and slowly used his other hand to unbutton the dress. Once it was unbuttoned, I quickly threw my hands up so that the dress wouldn't tumble off of me.
I mumbled a thanks and practically dashed into the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I don't know why I let him get to me so much.
I shook my head and dropped the dress. I cannot wait to shower.
*Hey guys!
I'm finally back :) I'm sorry it took me so long to write the sequel. But it's here now! I am so excited for you guys to read it. I hope you missed Freya and Rowan as much as I did.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting me! You guys are why I do what I do. Don't forget to vote and comment!
-Xoxo, Gab :)*