*Book One of The Accursed Chronicles*
August was a man from a normal world, living a mundane life until one night everything changed, and he was sent spiraling into a world stuck forever in winter, full of magic, creatures, and a curse that has grip...
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After leaving Gloom, I wandered the hallway alone. I glanced down at the book in my hands and sighed to myself. How was I supposed to read a book that reminded me of a textbook with its lengthy paragraphs and confusing terminology? This was worse than being stuck in forever winter.
Dropping the book to my side, I continued on my way to the servant's headquarters. I'd been shown my room there earlier and while it was the size of a shoebox, it was better than nothing.
When I reached the end of one hallway, I slid to a stop, nearly colliding with Eirith. A guard stood just beside him, both of them locked gazes with me and made goosebumps prickle my arms. I forced a small smile and tried to worm my way around them, only to be blocked by Eirith.
"You have impeccable hair," he stated in awe when he reached out, grasping a lock of my hair.
I wanted to grimace and jerk away, but I forced myself to stay still. "I got it from my mom."
He twirled his finger through the lock then pulled his hand away, only leaving his gross gaze glued to me.
"Do you know what I do with humans?" he asked, taking a step closer to me.
I swallowed thickly as I shook my head, not wanting to know the extent but I knew he'd tell me anyway. A smirk traced his lips as he began to circle and look me up and down. I followed him with my gaze then glanced to his guard, nervous of how vulnerable I was. I trusted people when I could tell they didn't mean any harm, but these two reeked of bad intentions.
"I make profits off of your kind. I buy, sell, and trade them, most are vermin from Nathgar who mean nothing to no one, and nobody would miss them if they happened to go missing." He stalled on my right side and drew his gaze up from my shoulder to my eyes. "You, however, seem to have taken the interest of a few. I'd like to know why."
Before I could respond, my book dropped from my hands and my feet slid across the ground, moving without any effort from me. I looked around with wide panicked eyes for the source that moved me before I met the gaze of a young women. Then a force slammed me against the wall, forcing a gasp from me. The young women came closer with her hand outstretched, her magic binding me in place. I felt glued to the wall.
"Lara, see within his mind," Eirith commanded as he stood back with his guard, overseeing what was being done.
The young woman, Lara, stepped in front of me, petite and short in size and with pointed ears like Leuthar's. Her ash-colored hair and grey blurry eyes confused me, making me think she was older, but she couldn't have been any older than eighteen. I opened my mouth to speak to her, only nothing came out but the sounds of croaks and breaths. She'd taken my speech, the one thing I valued more than anything.
Lara reached up to my head, placing her palm atop it and then her thumb on my forehead. Her eyes bore deep into mine and suddenly all worry and stress melted from me as I lost myself to her depths. I saw only her and her searching gaze, depths cold, stale, and unfluctuating. A soft and smooth voice whispered in my mind, but I couldn't decipher a single word. It sounded like a different language.
