After seeing the Thoracian General up close, I knew my endeavor to retrieve the key from his neck was foolish at best. My mind swirled with possibilities of escape as I paced around the courtyard, lost in an endless sea of nymphs in white dresses.
There has to be other keys.
My feet carried me around the courtyard as I plotted and calculated my escape, but my body instantly stalled at the sound of whimpering. Following the sound, I scanned the area until my eyes landed on a small nymph who was huddled in a corner, clutching at the freshly inked marking in her arm.
"I hate this place." She whimpered softly, looking like she wasn't a day over 17.
Feeling a guilty pang in my gut, I crouched beside her, trying my best to comfort her.
"The pain will subside." I offered, but the sound of my voice made her jump and scramble away.
The second her small body shifted, I saw a bright red stain on the side of her crisp white dress.
Is she bleeding?
"You're hurt." I said immediately with my eyes glued to her blood soaked gown.
"They weren't exactly gentle with me." She spat with anger I found relatable. "I didn't ask to come here...and I didn't go willingly."
My heart ached for the girl, knowing exactly how she felt, but refusing to relive the traumatic day. I pushed the thoughts deep down into my subconscious and buried them there, reclaiming my calm and my ironclad grip on the gates of my mind.
"Let me help you?" I asked softly.
"Help me?" There was a small amount of hope in her voice. "You know a way out of here?"
Desperation radiated off of her and slammed into me, causing a wave of guilt to wash over me because my answer was no.
"No, but I can help with that." I motioned toward her injured leg.
"How could a nymph help with an injured leg?" She scoffed, turning away from me as she passed her judgment.
"I'm not..." I stopped myself and let out a breath. I wasn't sure I knew how to explain what I was.
"Just let me show you."
With her brows dropped in distrust, the nymph studied me carefully before she hesitantly lifted her dress enough for me to see her injured leg. It was a flesh wound that would need very little care, less than a minute of work on my part.
Checking my surroundings carefully, I waited until no one was looking before steadying my hands over the gaping wound on her thigh. The nymph had yet to change her skeptical expression, but I watched her scowl dissolve into pure disbelief as I started to clot her blood and reattach her torn flesh. Her eyes went wide and she gasped as I continued to work, making sure to leave a small discreet scar on the surface of her skin when I finished.
"You're not a nymph at all. You're a healer." Her voice filled with fear instead of relief which was puzzling. "Do they know? They couldn't possibly or you'd be..."
"No one knows. Except you now." I quickly corrected, silently pleading with her to keep my secret. "You mustn't tell a soul."
A simple nod was all I received in return, which wasn't at all comforting. Perhaps I'd made a mistake. I should have never revealed such an important secret to a stranger. What on earth was I thinking?
Scolding myself, I shook my head and stood, letting out a frustrated breath as I continued to pace around the courtyard. My eyes searched and scanned for any areas of weakness in the iron gates that surrounded us, but found nothing.
Hours had passed and my feet became sore, but I couldn't stop moving, my mind was too busy to relax or sit still.
I have to escape this place.
The sun was starting to set and several of the Thoracian warriors who had been training around us had left the arena and training yards, letting an eerie quiet settle over the courtyard. The only sound that could be heard was the hushed conversation of the nymphs, some exchanging light hearted laughter and stories while others wept and shook.
Jade's voice rang out, pulling my attention back toward the large house as baskets of food and casks of wine were being carried out and placed in front of the courtyard gates.
I suppose it is time to serve the monsters their feast.
She surveyed her slaves and watched over the nymphs with a smile on her face as if she enjoyed every second of her duties, but her smile faded into slight fear and I followed her line of sight to see what had frightened her.
Several nymphs scattered and others froze in place as a tall figure appeared in the distance.
Has the general returned? Maybe another high ranking Throacian warrior here to survey the nymphs for the sacrament?
My curiosity trumped my fear as I maneuvered my body to get a better look at the tall figure shrouded in a black leathers and thin, tailored armor.
His armor looks different from the others...all black and his skin isn't bronzed from the sun...perhaps he's not Thoracian at all.
"Kneel. Foolish girl." A voice hissed at me, yanking me to a kneeling position by my wrist.
Looking over in disbelief and confusion, I asked the nymph who had pulled me down to explain herself.
"Who is that? What are you all doing?"
With eyes darting around the courtyard, I noticed that most if not all of the nymphs were kneeling, refusing to make eye contact with the dark visitor.
"His name is Kaes." The red haired nymph whispered to me without lifting her eyes from the ground.
"Is he a general as well?"
Shaking her head with her brows dropped, the nymph scoffed at me as if I were an ignorant child.
Feeling foolish, I noted the differences in the way the general had been greeted earlier that day. The nymphs in the courtyard had practically thrown themselves at him and Talon as well, batting their eyes at the gates while they paraded themselves in front of them.
These nymphs have no desire to be seen by this man. They are hiding in plain sight, begging not to be seen.
"Don't draw attention to yourself." The nymph beside me snapped, but it was too late. My head was lifted and my eyes tracked the man as he walked into the courtyard, his steps cold and calculated.
Black tattoos crept up his neck, deep black ink that seemed darker in contrast with his pale complexion. Not only was his skin ghostly fair, but his hair was stark white, shaved bare on one side.
"Why are you all so afraid of this man?" I asked, my voice barely over a whisper as I tracked the stranger with an unyielding gaze.
"He's not a man. He's a demon."
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