Castles & Curses

Chapter 5: Courting

CHAPTER 5

COURTING

ARA POV

It's the cold that wakes me. Shivering, I roll over on the cold, stone floor to see Tarrow standing over me, Lash close by his side. His eyes are dark with blood lust as he stares down at me.

"You've lasted longer than I thought you would but I thought I'd let you know that Lash will have you tomorrow." My tremors increase as Lash kneels down beside me. His hand grazes my cheek as the bars to my cell start to shake. He leers at me a moment before leaning down and pressing his hard wet lips to mine. I fight to pull away but he grips my hair in his fist to hold me still. When he pulls back his eyes are filled with lust.

"Your mine Arabella." Opening my mouth I scream but no words come out.

...................

I wake to the sound of my teeth chattering and I realize I'm huddled underneath a bed. The cool stones do little to keep me warm as I try to straighten myself out of my ball I'm huddled in. There's a roaring in my head as I go to scoot from under the bed and it isn't until I'm standing by the bed, shaking with cold that I realize that the roaring isn't in my head but outside the door. When I realize I'm not in Duncan's room but somewhere else. I start to walk towards the door as it slams open and Fin is there.

His bright red hair has streaks of gold in it today and I can't help but wonder why as he leans back out the door and yells for Duncan. I continue to shake and stare as Fin comes striding towards me with Duncan close behind. It isn't until they stop in front of me that I realize they're talking to me. I tilt my head to look up at them as arms pull me into them. I think about fighting but them the warmth starts to seep through and I relax against them instead. It takes a minute before I hear what Duncan is saying.

"Why are you so cold?" I turn my head to look up at him, confused.

"I'm cold because I slept underneath the bed." He blinks a minute before he speaks.

"Why were you under the bed?" Still confused I answer him slowly.

"So I could go to sleep." They both stiffen Duncan in front of me and Fin behind me. Frowning, I continue. "I can't sleep on the bed. I have to sleep under it. That's my place." Hands shake me and my eyes widen as Duncan growls at me.

"You sleep on the bed Arabella not underneath it." Struggling to understand I look over my shoulder at Fin.

"I've slept under the bed for over a thousand years. I'm nothing more than an ornament that can tell the future. My place is beneath." Duncan goes to speak but Fin cuts him off.

"Your lips are blue Bella do I need to show you?" My breath starts to come in short hitches as I shake my head.

"No. I can't look. I know how ugly I am. I know the creature I've become please, don't make me look!" My breath hitches when neither man says a word as Duncan picks me up and carries me to the bathroom. I squeeze my eyes shut as Duncan's voice whispers in my ear after he sets me down.

"Open your eyes." Knowing this is a punishment I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is bright red and my eyes are still a dark violet. The mark of the Dark Sidhe spans the right side of my face. The left side harbors several scars. I flinch when Fin touches the scars and Duncan touches the mark. They both freeze and look up at me in the mirror, our eyes meet and I feel the stupid tears threaten as I speak.

"Born of light

Made to dark

Fate entwined