The Land of the Cursed Ones

Prologue

Long dark tendrils of black hair that seemed to be floating instead of just sitting normally, no longer trapped up in dozens of pins and tightly braided in an elegant way. Pale skin that seemed to be grey at times. Cheeks that used to hold so much color and liveliness, were void of everything. Hazel eyes that were once so full of emotion and love were now dull, dark pits that barely sparkled.

A black gown that hugged her body tightly and loosened around the middle of her calf, a long train of black silk flowed out behind her. Her feet were bare still, having not put on slippers yet. What stared back at her was the shell of Polia.

She twirled a long strand of her hair around her finger and watched it slip off of her finger in the mirror. It was odd to her to not have someone bust into her chambers and rouse her out of bed to put her hair in an elaborate way that Polia could only wish to imitate. Polia missed it at times, being doted on as well as someone else doing things without her asking.

Polia had more important things to worry about now.

Currently she was living in her childhood summer home which had been long abandoned since her parents were murdered. It was in a very remote place that was hidden from the eye of the people. Polia had left the outside unkempt to make it seem like it was still abandoned and had cast many protection spells to keep herself safe.

The truth was that since she had been brought back, she felt nothing but unease--she was always looking over her shoulder as if something or someone was watching her. Polia masked that emotion well when it came to her counterparts Amdire and Jacob. Amdire was easier to control than Jacob, Amdire would bend at the mere mention of his wives wellbeing. Jacob was a madman, he was driven mad by his addiction to magic power. Jacob was an interesting human, he was sick and twisted in a way that most fae don't get.

That was something that drove Polia to propositioning him for her cause. She needed Jacob's psychotic, sadistic ideas to get her message across, even if they hadn't even done anything to warrant attention yet.

Polia was about to step away from the mirror when she felt someone watching her. When she turned she saw the silhouetted frame of Saturn, her current lover--her best lover actually.

"You know I used to dream of sleeping in this room, drawing open the curtains to see servants bustling around the gardens in preparation for one of my mother's grand parties." Polia said, turning back to the mirror. "I met my late husband, Ingvan at one of those parties."

"I have no interest in hearing of Ingvan." Saturn's deep voice rumbled with irritation, that rumble sent shocks all the way from Polia's ears to in-between her legs.

Polia turned and pouted at him. Saturn's pale yellow skin was rather intoxicating to Polia, she felt that sometimes couldn't get enough of him. His eyes were pure black with specks of white, much like the night sky. Saturn's hair was cut to his shoulders with a section of bangs that came together at the bridge of his nose. His hair was always messy and it at times bothered Polia as she came from many years of always seeing men well groomed.

His frame was lean and he looked very young, not at all like a man who had lived for centuries. Saturn was also much taller than Polia, even as a taller woman he still managed to tower over her.

Polia waved a dismissive hand, "Anyway, I loved this place. We would come here every summer, that's when this place truly thrived. I gave Ingvan a grand tour during the party and the rest was history, except for the fact that I later learned he had sent men to kill my parents so he didn't have to ask for my hand."

"A true catch." Saturn grumbled, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "I came here to talk to you, not hear you reminisce about a man you killed."

Polia tossed a glare over her shoulder to him. He was good in bed but he had a horrible attitude that Polia couldn't seem to get rid of. "I thought we were talking, Saturn." She said pointedly, keeping her tone even as well as her gaze intense.

Saturn didn't back down from her like others, he often thought of her antics as a game, something else that Polia hated about him. "I'm backing out of this, I don't want any part of it."

Polia bit her tongue hard and forced her hurt deep into her gut. "The show will go on without you then, you backing out doesn't halt anything." She said, her even tone was slipping away from her.

Saturn rolled his eyes, "You are intentionally poking a stick at every sanction when you should just be targeting Moonegrove and Ravanthana."

Polia felt her eye twitch slightly as her agitation was growing. "I do not have to justify my actions to the likes of you, Saturn, I am in charge here--no one else." Polia all but snapped.

Saturn shook his head, his white hair moving so elegantly that Polia almost yearned to touch it. "Jacob nearly killed that dragon warrior! Are you blind woman? I know Rhysand, he will call war and win even with his diminished numbers--they are the most powerful beings and you are letting a psychopath run free to make this larger than it needs to be!" Saturn bellowed, electricity popped and cracked in the air as his face grew red and his hair began to float around him.

Polia turned to fully face him, black tendrils slithered out from the black material of her dress and slid up Saturn's legs. They wrapped him up tightly, so tight he couldn't move. Saturn tried to grab at them, his fingers just slid through them.

"I hate to do this to you, darling." Polia purred as she walked up and grabbed Saturn's chin roughly, a dark tendril wrapped lovingly around her wrist as she pulled their faces together. "But you need to know your place, know who owns you, know that you are never leaving me--for I need you and you need me."

Polia sent a powerful blast of magic through the tendrils and made sure that these burns would leave scars so that wherever Saturn went, he would know who did this to him. Polia tapped his cheek as his body fell to the ground, "We just need to train out the defiance, and then you'll be perfect."

Polia smirked as she watched his body twitch in pain and as she heard his heavy breathing fill the room. His clothes were barely on his body anymore, some bits of the material were fused with his wounds. The tendrils slithered back into Polia's dress and she left Saturn on the floor, sealing the room with magic so that he couldn't sneak away from her.

Polia was intent on keeping him as a pet, intent on getting rid of his attitude as well. They all would cower beneath her soon.