Queen of the Fae (Book 1)

Seven

"The Fairy's dress rustled as she turned. Human women dressed like flowers, layers of petals around a mortal, rotting core."

-Cornelia Funke, Reckless (Mirrorworld, #1)

"It's no use milady. She won't see no one, she fights and kicks worse than a mare in heat." A tense voice warned as footsteps echoed down the hallway. I didn't move from my position in front of the windowsill, staring out into the crumbling mess of a city before me. After a moment of reluctance I turned to face the door and jumped as a large bang hit the other side of it, the wood shaking. My fingers trembled as I took tentative steps forward in the silence that ensued, barely catching her whispered threat. A tug on my ankle reminded me of the chain tying me to the bed. It had been her only way of ensuring I wouldn't try to run, or harm myself.

I had guards posted at my door twenty-four seven, all of them female, because the mere sight of a man made something in me awaken, something dark and violent, a side of me that had not been there before, even in my already tragic past. I remembered the blood on my skin and touched my face, my features crumbling at the feeling of my hot swollen cheek, my left eye still forced shut. The wounds on my face and chest had been stitched and itched terribly.

The one healer I did let close determined that the male pixie had broken my nose, six of my ribs, and shattered my eye socket. I also sustained internal injuries during the attack, but I was in no position to relive those memories too.

"Do not ever speak of this woman as a brood mare. She is my mate, you will treat her with respect or I will flay you alive!" She ended with a deep snarl, and panic overtook my mind at the sound, sending me spiraling back to that day.

The door opened before I could run, and she swept in. Unable to stop myself, I scrambled for a hiding spot as the dark had become my closest friend here. I settled for the floor on the other side of the bed. It was warm, safe, and mostly invisible with the dark wood flooring and thick curtains, which is exactly what I wanted to be. I paid no mind to the blood seeping through the front of my tunic and started to count to myself inside my head.

"Eva, wait, don't run." I heard her sigh softly in frustration.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, ducking my head as her footsteps crossed around to my side. It had been almost two weeks, and I had refused to see her during the day, so she'd been keeping tabs on me constantly, sending Jinx in here to try and soften me up but I was not fucking having it. My body may act involuntarily to any threat now, but my mind burned for retribution.

She knelt in front of me, dressed in her Queen's guard armor and I twitched away, filled with rage at the small whimper of fear that inadvertently escaped me. She ducked her head to look in my eyes, the violet color searing through me around the strands of her now shoulder-length ebony hair. Her fingers worked nimbly to free my ankle and I barely noticed, the world blurring around me. When it finally fell free, she looked up.

"Eva." She breathed, so softly, so slowly, reaching her fingers towards my bruised face. "I cannot have you here any longer. I am needed at the castle. You will accompany me there. You have my word, you will be safe." I froze just as her hand cupped my cheek, half of me aching to feel her skin, to be comforted, relieved of this horrible nightmare, while the other half was sickened, brutalized.

"Why would I go with you?" I finally spoke. "You've made that promise every day after he took me. To what end? As much as I hate you for bringing me here, for rescuing me too late, you continuously throw my captivity in my face with false words of propriety, which is worse." Her face darkened at my words but I didn't stop. "I may not know much about this world, but I know as your "mate" that I am your property. Only now that I am unclean, I'd imagine that you would seek pleasure elsewhere seeing as I will be unable to give it to you for a long while, if ever. I offer you nothing more as a slave. You may do what you wish with me, body and soul. But do not expect me to beg."