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“My father said I could become heir if I leave on this quest. It wasn’t easy being invisible, not allowed to be seen.”

“What quest are you supposed to complete then, my Queen?”

“The lands of my kingdom are becoming plagued by creatures called Deathlies. I’m the only one that can save it. There’s a dragon relic that can only be seen by Scalekind that can grant one wish. I need to use that wish to stop the Deathlies and to save my kingdom. If I do it in ten days, then I am granted the position of being heir to the throne–my rightful position.”

“How cute. So I just need to help you get to the little island?”

My lips curled into a snarl. “Yes. I was only given ten days.”

“Great. It would be even better if we could make it sooner. Let’s get this over with so neither of us has to suffer,” he scoffed.

“What’s your problem with me?” I demanded.

“My problem is that you’re used to being unable to do things independently.” Anger peered out of his eyes as he moved away from me. I was frustrated with the burn of his comment.

“You don’t even know me,” I stated as I furrowed my eyebrows and glared at him.

“I know you enough to know that you need approval from every living thing for you to feel better about yourself. I know that you are weak. You have never held a knife, at least not with a strong malicious intent. And I know that you are not here to save your kingdom but to prove to your father that you can do something he doesn’t think you’re capable of. Which goes back to the approval that you’re so desperately in need of.”

I immediately closed my gaping mouth. What did he just say? My cheeks were warm, and my hands clammy. I wanted to swear at him, tell him to go toHaxnau1. But I couldn’t. “Whatever you think you know is just a figment of your messed up brain, Damian,” I called out. However, there was a truth in his words that stung deeper–not just a blade cutting my skin, but a charred, burnt, rusted, dull knife sinking into my flesh.

He smiled at my remarks. His stupid dimple showing. “The real question is, my Queen, do you want to change? Do you want to be strong?” I didn’t respond. I just stared at him. We maintained eye contact, and he waited for my response. He broke our gaze and reached into his boot, pulling out the sharp blade of his knife that he had earlier held up against my throat. “Stab me,” he said.

“What?!”

“I said. Stab. Me.”

“I… I can’t,” I stuttered. My hands shook as he enclosed the hilt of his knife in between my fingers.

“Do it.” I flinched. My mind raced. I couldn’t get my arm to work even if I wanted to. Why was I such a baby? He was right. I was weak. But his words made me want to prove him wrong. Maybe he didn’t have a messed up mind. But a dark, twisted one all in the right and brilliant ways.

Without thinking, I did it. I stuck the knife through his leg. My fist attached to his thigh, allowing the blade to sink into the fleshy part of his leg, straight clean through the material of his pants. He didn’t even flinch. A curl of his lips lifted into a cruel and reckless snarl. “Do it again, my Queen. But harder.”

I couldn’t move. Think. Speak.

I released my fingers from the hilt of it, moving backward, my fingers white from clenching it so tightly. The blood in my veins drained, nothing circulating correctly. Did I just stab him?

He quickly put one hand against his thigh and made a low shrieking sound as he pulled the dagger from his leg, tearing the fabric of the black material of his pants further. His face finally winced, but turned back into a smile. The pain only being shown for a slight moment.

I was still frozen, unable to speak or move or do anything. Fear engulfed me. He reached behind him to find the leaves that I brought him before. There were extras I set off to the side. Heplaced them on his skin, the leaf quickly sewing itself into his flesh.

“Pain is nothing but a mental game. It’s only for the weak.”

1.Haxnau (Hah-nah-woo): Hell

Chapter twenty

DAMIAN

Within less than twenty-four hours in the forest, I was already eaten by large ants, and a Scaleborne landed in my path. Even with the crazy events, who would be lucky enough to run into a Scaleborne? Anyone would kill to be in her presence–literally.

The fact that I was so close to getting Sebastia back was exhilarating. I thought that it was going to be impossible to save her, but I had a chance. I could hear her velvety soft voice ringing in my ears, feel the smooth touch of her skin, and see the way that her hair would flow in the wind. I missed everything about her.

My destiny resided with her, the breath of my soul, the life of my very being: Sebastia, my fiancée.

I had the Scaleborne right here. She was right in my grasp. However, I couldn’t get myself to go out of my way to knock her out and take her back to Tybalt. Why couldn’t I do it? I’ve killed people for weeks, yet the thought of hurting her made me feelcloser to the gates ofHaxnau1 than I would’ve liked. It was very unlike me. Curiosity about the Scaleborne and the bargain she made with me continued to echo in my mind until I drifted off to sleep.

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