Star Cursed [Sample Only]

Chapter 12

I walk quietly through the moonlit garden, knowing I have to find Sabir before he starts searching for me. A sick feeling twists my gut and I decide I better just head straight to the dining hall with the rest of the 49 other girls. I didn't feel safe at the thought of going straight to Sabir.

I decide just putting all my problems to the back of my mind was pointless, but it was the only thing I felt like doing as my stomach grumbled and my thoughts focus solely on food and Celeste.

Seraphine, fire is my fury. I wanted to tell Celeste about my message – hopefully she wasn't too angry that I had disappeared all day.

I wonder if she had told anyone?

I enter the Golden Palace from the garden, the first thing I notice is how utterly quiet it is coming from the dining room where the slaves eat separately from the Others.

I unwittingly walk right up to the huge closed double wooden doors and push them open, walking quickly through... to find the whole dining room crowded – but dead silent.

Two steps in and I freeze.

The girls are all sitting silently at their tables, no food out. The Others are walking around inspecting all the girls' faces while at the front of the room, arms crossed over their chests; Traegr, Hraken and Sabir along with a couple more highly ranked Others.

My arrival causes everyone's eyes to swing toward me. 

"Sapphire!" Traegr growls out accusingly, "Where have you been?"

"I..." I see Sabir's narrowed eyes as he inspects me from across the room and I hesitate, "I don't... really know."

"You don't know?" Traegr asks, "Foolish decision to be dishonest, I can see where you've been just looking at you. You have dirt on your hands, leaves in your hair. You left your duties and went into the forest – it is forbidden to leave the Golden Palace. You are a slave, not a free girl, Sapphire, I wonder when my words will have to turn into direct punishments? Perhaps now is a better time than any."

I stay silent, what was I meant to say?

"Let this be a lesson to all of you," Traegr now directs his commanding tone to everyone, "If you leave your duty – if you especially leave the boundary of this palace – no one gets to eat and right now none of you inferior slaves will eat tonight because of Sapphire's actions. In fact, here's another lesson to you humans. You don't have one ounce of power here and if you think you do, think again. Now you have a choice – go to bed with an empty stomach or come begging, on your hands and knees into our dining den – and if you please us..." Traegr can't help but slowly smile, masculine laughter flowing from too many of the amused Others, "... perhaps then we'll give you something to satisfy your hunger."

Female faces contort in disgust while others just roll their eyes and the majority look plain shocked.

Traegr has a word to Sabir and the men start moving out of the room, back to their quarters – while Sabir walks straight for me, his head cocked to the side curiously with a little smirk on his cruel lips.

I feel like running off as he comes closer and before I know it he has come and passed, only speaking these words, "This way, sweetheart."

It was the most sarcastic sweetheart I'd ever heard, let me just say that.

I turn and follow him apprehensively, catching Celeste's eye at a table near the end as I exit the dining hall. She looks relieved to see me but worried to see me go with Sabir.

I walk behind him. He is still in some formal attire like on the spaceship. I watch as I walk behind him as he moves his elbows to the side, his arms bent... like he is doing up a button... or undoing multiple instead. I'm so focused on his movements I don't take much notice of the fact we start descending into an underground part of the palace until it's too late.