Chapter 24

" We went looking for you in the woods but came across what looked like a huge footprint," Seth added.

" Footprint? What kind of footprint?" I asked, confused.

" We will talk about that later. First, we have to focus on getting you better and finding Meara." Deon was always like a brother to me, looking after me, making sure I was taken care of, but now wasn’t the time to think about me. We needed to find Meara. Suddenly, a thought popped into my head.

" Zaden?"

" How can I help?"

" I need you to gather up men and cross through the portal to the human realm, and search for Meara there. Maybe she went back to her mother’s farm. I also want you to make sure that everything is well looked after there. Leave farmers there to attend to the farm if you have to." Zaden nodded and, without hesitation, left.

" Mike, I want you and Seth to continue your search throughout all the villages in the kingdom. Leave no house unturned." Just like Zaden, Mike obeyed and left with Seth on his heels, leaving me and Deon.

" I’ve searched everywhere. It’s like she just vanished." I looked at Deon, and a new fear clawed at my gut. The cursed kingdom of Dravonia. He knew me so well that he knew exactly what I was thinking.

" How would they get her through the barrier? You would have to be a dragon to get through."

" What if they sought the help of a witch and somehow managed to concoct a potion to get her through the barrier?" Deon pinched his nose and stared at my bed. I could tell by his expression that he was considering that what I said might be true. Then he lifted his head and our eyes met.

" Fine, let’s say that they did get her through the barrier somehow. The question is, how would we get through?"

" We will pay a visit to the witch kingdom, Calenthe, and find a witch powerful enough to help find Meara in some way."

" I know of one witch who is powerful enough. She is not stupid either, you know. In fact, she can do quite a lot of spells; ones she’s not even supposed to know, so she has an advantage. But I doubt she will help us after you rejected her marriage proposal." I knew quite well which enchantress he was talking about: Cassandra.

" I have to try; it is my only option."

" We will head to Calenthe after you have rested. When you are better, I’ll help you, because I sort of got close to Cassandra after you two had your little outburst." I raised an eyebrow at him.

" I will explain later, but first, rest." I laid my head back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. I’d searched everywhere—everywhere.

Meara, where the hell are you?


*****

( Meara )


It was late when he entered my room, emerging from a hidden door concealed behind a painting I hadn’t even known was there. But this time, he wasn’t alone. A girl accompanied him, and I recognized her instantly. She was the same girl who had helped me at Madam Morganna’s, the one who had helped cleaned me up and defended me when the others were cruel to me.

“ I brought someone to show you how to do your job and what you’re here for,” the wicked king said, his lips curling into an evil grin.

“ This is Morgan, my special one. She’s here to show you the ropes.”

“ What ropes?” I dared to ask, though deep down, I already knew. A nauseating feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

“ Morgan, show the new girl what’s expected of her.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Morgan dropped to her knees in front of him. The king’s sadistic smile widened as she swiftly unbuttoned his trousers and let them fall to his ankles. Her movements were practiced, efficient, and it was clear this wasn’t her first time. I dreaded the thought of what he wanted me to do.

I watched as she moved closer, her heads thankfully blocking my view of his pale fleshy-grey cock. Everything about him repulsed me.

Her head began to bob back and forth as she took him into her mouth, making obscene sounds as she sucked on his cock. The sick bastard grabbed a fistful of her hair, forcing himself deeper into her mouth, causing her to gag. But she kept going, as if her life depended on it—which, knowing him, it probably did. I knew all too well what happened to those who didn’t obey.

I turned away, but a glimpse of his sickening act forced me to face them again.

“ You will fucking watch and learn what is expected of you,” he growled, making me flinch. I had no choice but to turn back.

He pulled her up by the hair and roughly spun her around, bending her over the bed. With a brutal shove, he thrust himself into her. Morgan moaned in protest, and bile rose in my throat.

He slammed into her over and over, each thrust harder than the last. I tried to block out the noise, to disconnect from the horrific scene in front of me, but Morgan’s moans kept dragging me back to the scene in front of me.

I couldn’t wait for them to be done with it. When he finally released himself into Morgan, he shoved her away and told her that food would be waiting after she got cleaned up. She disappeared through the hidden door as he pulled up his pants and walked over to me. His hand gripped my chin forcefully, making me look into his piercing demon-like eyes.

“ I hope you took notes because you’ll be doing that next time,” he said with a cruel smile. I narrowed my eyes but didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to end up locked in that cold, wet dungeon again, starving and thirsty.

He disappeared back through the secret door, locking it behind him.

The mention of food had my stomach growling. I didn’t know how long it had been since I last ate, but one glance in the old, blurry mirror showed my face had grown thinner, with dark circles forming under my eyes.

I turned my gaze back to the bed, feeling sickened by what had just happened. The thought of how many times it had happened before tonight made me shudder. I couldn’t bear to sleep in that filthy bed. As I grabbed the pillow, I felt something heavy inside. Then I remembered—I had hidden the book I found in the library back at Valtor in the pillowcase a few days ago, before they threw me in the dungeon with whatever creature lurked in the dark.

I took the pillow and book and went over to the big window sill. The sky was still cloudy and dark, with no stars in sight. This place was always so dim, a constant dark cloud hanging over it.

I looked down at the black leather-bound book in my lap and opened it. At first, the words looked like gibberish, but then they started rearranging themselves, revealing the title:

THE CURSED KING AND HIS HIDDEN SECRETS ABOUT DRAGONS


The book looked ancient, like it had been around for centuries. Inside, I discovered that it was about a cursed king named Kyrell, who had been doomed by a witch for killing her mate, a dragon shifter. The curse placed a magical barrier around his entire kingdom, marking both him and his people with an extinct symbol on their foreheads. My body went ice cold as I turned the page and saw a drawing of that mark. It was the exact same symbol that I’d seen on the foreheads of the men who attacked us at the Elemental Games. The same people who had captured me. Fear surged through me as I realized I was trapped in this cursed kingdom called Dravonia, ruled by the dragon-slaying king himself.

I kept reading, my hands trembling as I turned the pages, desperate for more information. The book explained that only those with dragon blood or dragon shifters themselves could pass through the barrier. But how had I managed to get through? My thoughts raced back to the night when Merilla was killed in the stampede. I had run through the forest, blindly tearing through the dark, thick fog that had seemed almost alive. That must have been the barrier.

But if Kyrell’s cursed ones could pass through the barrier, how had they managed to get into the kingdom of Valtor? My mind spun with questions, each one more terrifying than the last. I realized that, no matter what, I couldn’t let anyone here know that I came from Valtor. If they discovered my origins, I might never escape this cursed land.