Chapter 21

I jerked my head away, disgust flooding my veins. His grip tightened, and his lips pressed against mine. But before he could go any further, I bit down on his lip as hard as I could, tasting the copper tang of his blood.

He screamed in pain, stumbling back as he clutched his mouth. “ You little shit!” he spat, wiping the blood from his lips. Rage flared in his eyes as he glared at me. “ You’re going to pay for that,” he snarled.

The two men holding me tightened their grip, one twisting my arm painfully behind my back. I struggled, but it was no use. My magic—why wasn’t it working? I could feel it, just beneath the surface, but it was like something was blocking it, holding it back.

The red-haired man stepped closer again, fury written all over his face. “ I was going to be gentle,” he hissed, “ but now, I think I’ll enjoy breaking you.”

Panic surged through me. I trashed against my captors, trying to free myself, but they were too strong.

They grabbed me roughly and threw me onto the back of a wooden wagon, my body bouncing against the hard planks as I tried to catch my breath. The red-haired bastard mounted a creature that sent a chill down my spine. It wasn’t just a horse; this thing had wings, and its skin looked like dark, leathery flesh stretched tight over bony ridges. Its eyes glowed with an eerie red light that felt as if it could pierce through my soul. It snorted, flaring its nostrils, and I could feel the weight of its demonic presence, making the air feel heavy.

The wagon jolted forward as the demon-like horses pulling it set into motion. They were skeletal things—long, thin legs and bones pressing against their skin like they barely had any flesh left on them. Their dark, textured leather skin looked like it had been charred by fire. Their eyes glowed with the same malevolence as the creature the red-haired man rode, and each step felt unnaturally fast, like they glided across the land instead of truly walking. I could hear the clicking of their bones as they moved, their breathing harsh and guttural.

Where was I? This place was nowhere near Valtor or any kingdom I’d ever seen in the books. The landscape around me was dead—everything. The grass beneath the creatures' hooves was brittle and gray, the trees gnarled and lifeless, their branches twisted into shapes that reminded me of skeletal fingers reaching out toward the sky. There was no light, no warmth here—just an oppressive darkness that made it impossible to tell if it was night or day. A thick, dark cloud hung low over the land, casting everything in a dreary shadow.

I tried to shift, to sit up, but my arms were still bound tightly behind my back, my muscles aching from the struggle. The wagon bounced and shook over the uneven ground, throwing me back against the rough wood. Every bump sent jolts of pain through my already bruised body, but I kept my eyes on the horizon—or at least what I could make out through the haze.

Wherever these people were taking me, it wasn’t good. I needed to find a way to escape, but my powers were still not working, locked away by some force I couldn’t understand. I had felt it back there in the woods when I tried to summon my blue frostfire. It was like there was an invisible barrier preventing me from accessing it. Without my magic, I felt powerless.

The wagon rolled on for what felt like hours, though time was hard to measure in this place. Eventually, we slowed as we approached an enormous, ancient mansion. It was worn and crumbling, its once grand beauty now covered by decay and neglect. The stone walls were dark and weathered, streaked with moss and grime. The roof sagged in places, and several of the windows were cracked or boarded up. Yet, despite its decrepit state, there was light flickering behind some of the windows, indicating someone was living here.

When the wagon stopped, we found ourselves in a city of sorts. Night had already fallen, and I was dragged up a flight of stairs leading to a massive building. As the doors finally creaked open, a staircase draped in a black carpet came into view. The stench was unbearable, bile rising in my throat, forcing me to swallow hard to keep it down.

" This is one of the finest houses in Dravonia," my captor declared, gesturing toward the interior. The house was evidently ancient, with wallpaper flaking off, revealing a yellowed, weathered look. Stains marred the walls, floors, and even the ceiling. The wooden rails of the staircase were decaying, making me question the safety of the steps. I held my breath with each step we took, longing for the palace's white, glistening marble floors and sparkling windows, where the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers filled the air.

If this was one of their best houses, I shuddered to imagine the worst.

" Get her into a bath; she's going to the castle. We can't have her looking filthy for the king," he instructed an older woman, grinning. He turned to me, gesturing for me to turn around, and unfastened the rope binding my wrists.

" Come," the older woman said roughly, leading me through a dim hallway that had clearly seen better days long ago. It was apparent that this place had once been a gem.

I followed her cautiously, glancing over my shoulder frequently and noting my captor only a few paces behind. Any hope of escaping while he was distracted vanished.

We reached another room with an old copper bath already filled with steaming hot water. The older woman ordered my captor to wait outside and closed the chamber doors in his face. I couldn’t help but grin. Despite living in such a retched house, she was remarkably clean, smelling of roses and another sweet scent I couldn't identify.

" You need to get cleaned up and dressed in proper attire for the king," the woman commanded.

" We will figure out what to do with you later. You are hardly the king's type with that old woman's hair of yours," she added, raising an eyebrow disapprovingly before disappearing behind some torn curtains. Moments later, she reappeared with the most beautiful princess dresses. I huffed slightly. Whatever their plans for me, princess dresses seemed an unlikely choice.

A group of girls entered and began tearing the mud-soaked clothes from my body, tossing my satchel with the dragon book aside. I winced as the book slid across the floor and underneath an old sofa. I pushed them away.

" I don’t need help getting out of my own clothes," I said through gritted teeth. One girl huffed.

" She is a feisty one, isn’t she?"

" Who are you, for the Madam to choose you over us to be sent to the castle? We've waited far longer to be one of the king's hand-chosen ones," another girl said.

“ That is enough!” a blonde haired, older looking girl shouted.

“ Thank you.” I mouthed.

“ You are welcome.” She mouthed back.

She went to sit on a couch as I approached the bathtub. I undressed what was left of my clothes after the other girls had ripped them from me and stepped into the bath. By the time I got out, new, fancy underwear and a beautiful dress awaited me. The other girls returned as I put on the underwear, eager to help fasten the corset’s laces.

The corset they selected for me revealed a lot of cleavage, making me feel cheap and exposed. I winced as they pulled the laces tight, their hands rough and impatient. " Do you have to be so harsh?" I snapped.

One of the girls, a tall brunette with a sneer plastered on her face, tightened the laces further. " Quit whining. You need to look presentable."
" Could you be any rougher?" I retorted.

Her sneer deepened. " Maybe you'd prefer if we just left you to fend for yourself."

Once the corset was finally secured, they moved on to my hair and makeup. The girl doing my hair tugged and pulled without any care, tying it up so high that it looked like I had a beehive on top of my head. When they were done with my makeup, I barely recognized myself. My face was white with powder, my eyes heavily lined with black, and my lips painted a garish red. I looked like an old Chinese porcelain doll, cheap and gaudy.

" If Merilla were still alive, she would have laughed at my appearance," I muttered under my breath.

" What did you say?" the brunette demanded, her eyes narrowing.