The Onyx (Sample)

Home?

CHAPTER THREE
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I was rushed out with our school nurse surrounding Derek and myself to a large black vehicle. Windows so tinted there was no way, once we were in, anyone would see anything. It took what felt like a lifetime of being shoved and hearing teens screaming their love to finally reach the silence of the vehicle, but the silence didn't help me.

My body shivered with nerves uncontrollably in my seat. I knew what was most likely to go down once I reached the castle and I damn sure was not mentally ready for any of it.

My father's rage and my mother's emotional state, but what about me? What about my life and how it was about change?

"Kat, you know you can tell me what's going on. I'm here for you, sis."

I chuckled at Derek's weak attempt to get me to speak. He knew better than to come at me with overly-used words of comfort. I wasn't sure what I needed then, but I knew it wasn't that shit.

My worry was morphing into annoyance as the anchors continued to radiate a pickling pain, and my body ached from the forced shift. I wish I knew more about why this happened, but I also knew there was a possibility that no one would ever know why and that maybe it wasn't meant to be understood.

The car stopped as I sunk down in my seat, my heart pounded hard, and I sat wishing I didn't have to get out. But, instead, I could hear the boom of my father's voice threw the engine and shivered. Derek poked me as if I was a dead body, and I just looked at him before sighing and stepping out of the open door currently held by the driver.

"Oh, my Katerina! My baby! We will figure this out, I promise!" My body flinched as my mom cried while embracing my sore body.

I didn't know what to say, do or feel, so I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and looked up at my father. He was seething, had blood red checks, and had a tight jaw, but I couldn't tell if it was from concern or if he felt I did something to cause my situation.

As if I could do that!

He never spoke as my mom ushered me into the doors of our beautiful castle and into my father's office. She sat me down on his creaky loveseat and hugged my shoulders. I waited in a mix of emotions for my father's large frame to come into the office, but I didn't have to for long as he slowly walked in and sat behind his desk.

"Show me." I blinked in confusion. Hadn't the nurse sent him pictures? But I stood up and slowly raised my hoodie to expose the tender markings. My mother gasped, and I watched as my father growled harshly before motioning for me to put my clothing down. He rubbed his temples and slicked back his hair. I knew it was a concerned reaction, not anger, that plagued both my parents.

"Knights... Why did it have to be the Knights? What have I done to bring this to you? I'm sorry, my daughter..."

My mother's sniffles turned into sobs beside me, and I stared ahead at the door. There was nothing I could say. I had been marked by the Gods, destined to be with a Knight. The most hated and feared in our city, not even a small town we had grown, took more land and all that blah blah blah that came with being royalty. The biggest question was, who had been selected for me amongst the Knights? And what to do about it now? It's not like you can fight destiny.

"How do we find him?"

My words broke the sobs and growls in the room, and silence felt like a toxin.

I played with my fingers in anticipation of a reply from either parent, yet it seemed I wasn't going to get one anytime soon as my mother stood and raced out of the room, and my father shortly followed after her. So I simply got up and went to the room I wasn't sure I could call mine anymore.

Here's the thing about when or if you are marked, bound, or chosen. Whatever you want to call it. You simply don't have the choice of ignoring it. You have to act within two years, or both will perish, and when I say act, I mean you have to be 'bedded' with that person; you have to make the connection complete, or your health goes downhill until death.

So you can see our situation... A royal in bed with the so-called scum of our domain is outrageous.

No one wants to die, although I may be headed that way. But, on the other hand, I didn't want to be in the arms of any knight, even if their reputation wasn't what it seemed or if the one I was marked for was different...

I could not see myself falling for a knight, and that's exactly what I was fated to do. It felt like a cruel joke was being played on me, some sick practical joker had faked my markings and made me shift, but I knew better. But unfortunately, no one was strong enough to do so.

I hadn't realized I was slowly falling asleep in my bed till my vision went from the black of my closed eyes to a house. It was run down for sure, almost as if it shouldn't be able to be lived in. I focused in confusion, trying to see further to understand why this house was being shown to me. That's when he walked out.

A tall, built, but lean boy with messy brown hair went in different directions. Large hazel eyes looked sleepy or maybe high. His face was sculpted like a statue, and his lips were full as a cigarette hung loosely from his mouth. He seemed to be cussing about something in aggravation as he sat and rubbed his wrist. I assumed this was him.

He had to be, there was no other reason I would be seeing him, but I had no name, I didn't recognize him from anywhere, but I could tell he was definitely near my age, maybe a year or two older. So I prayed to hear a name as I watched and tried to concentrate on him.

The image was slightly blurry, though.

Suddenly he stood and punched the outside wall of the run-down home. I gasped as he hit it again and cursed. He turned, leaning on the wall, and closed his eyes, breathing harshly. I didn't expect to hear a rough voice growl in my head as I watched ...

"You... I'm coming for you, Katerina. It wasn't time for this, but you will come to me, or I will come for you."

As I gasped and shivered, trying my best to open my eyes, I watched his eyes open, and he slowly smirked.

I'd seen those eyes somewhere before... But where?

I wished I could see a clear image and maybe place those eyes on the person they belonged to.

I have a thing with eyes guys, you will learn that I use them a lot in my books to portray emotions, etc 🖤

I hope you're enjoying it so far!