Page 10 of A Broken Promise (the Freckled Fate #1)

10

I woke up to a freezing touch on my wrist. Instinctively, I jerked my hands away.

“It’s ok, my dear,” Brita whispered. She sat on the edge of the bed with a cold washcloth and ointment, cleaning and lubricating my burns. My heart pressed in relief.

“Brita.” My tense voice eased.

“Oh dear, I’m so sorry,” she whispered but refused to look at me. Instead, she rinsed a washcloth in ice cold water and put it back on my wrists. I flinched, but immediately felt relief as it touched my burning skin.

I scanned the room quickly. Large windows were now covered with heavy curtains pooling on the floor. Exquisite chandeliers were the only source of light, leaving the room dim.

Covered in their dark armor from head to toe, two Destroyer soldiers stood still by the door. Orest and Broderick. Orest nodded briefly to me when he caught my eyes on him.

Features on his face were softer, exuberating kindness each time he smiled. I knew he was a Destroyer, a soldier in the Destroyer General’s army, yet something deep inside of me knew for certain that he wouldn’t hurt me; that I could trust him. It didn’t help that he wasn’t just caring, but also good looking with perfect lips. A little bit of blush came to my skin as I pulled my eyes away from his smile.

He is a Destroyer... I gave myself a mental slap. A Destroyer and trust? A Destroyer and kindness? Whatever infection I was fighting was making me mental.

I looked toward Brita, who was still avoiding my stare. Anxiety tugged my heart. Brita was always so full of pity, yet this time she wasn’t even willing to look at my face. Thoughts about the handsome soldier by my door went out of the window as I quietly, yet sternly, asked her a question.

“Brita. Tell me. What’s going on?”

“It’s okay, Finnleah, dear. I am here to help.” She put more ointment on my arms.

“Brita. Just tell me.” I kept my voice down yet placed my hand on her.

She finally looked up at me with the saddest eyes.

“Lord Inadios sent me here to prepare you for the night.” My heart dropped. Tingles went through my body. I shouldn’t have asked. I should’ve been dead.

I would rather be dead than defiled by the Destroyer. Yet it seemed that Fate had long stopped caring about my opinions.

I tried to keep my face neutral but couldn’t keep my lips from thinning and brows angrily bunching together, glaring at Brita.

“Your dress is ruined anyway, so we must change that. Can't have you looking like an old chimney sweep, my dear.” She tugged on the burned pieces of tulle.

I looked down. The dress was indeed ruined, charcoaled from within. The lump in my throat got bigger as Brita grabbed what was supposed to be my night gown—a tiny piece of sheer fabric with small straps, not even long enough to fully cover my backside.

My eyes met Brita’s, silently begging her.

“Now come, miss, we need to get you changed.” Brita chose to ignore my pleas. I eyed the two soldiers still standing by the door, both looking at us. “The Lord Destroyer General commanded that they are not to leave your sight at any time, with no exceptions . ”

I reached for that familiar, comforting anger, yet even the anger well felt empty. Only sadness and pity lay there now, echoing what used to be the mighty rage. The world was cruel and unfair. I didn’t do anything to deserve this or cause this, yet here I was. Alone. In pain. Lost and forgotten. And now… left to survive this.

I didn’t dare say the right word.

But if it wasn’t me, then it would’ve been some other unfortunate soul, born at a wrong time and in the wrong place, left to endure this life. And if I had to pick me or someone else to endure this fate? I’d always pick myself, because something deep inside of me was always certain that no matter what happens, I would endure it.

Still, I shot an angry look toward the soldiers before twisting my back to Brita, letting her untie the rest of my dress.

Her hands were gentle and surprisingly warm. She slowly went through all the ties, stopping each time I flinched. Soon enough, I slipped out of my dress completely. My undergarments were gone next.

Ignoring the harsh reality, I barricaded myself deep in the flood of thoughts and memories. Hiding behind the small bushes I used to hide from Tuluma, or to the little streams where she and I fished. Or the elvish chess that we played each night for hours, or the wild dances that we did for Nymphs, or the ballads that Tuluma sang late at night as we watched the Starfall.

Brita pulled down the small, sheer nightgown on my body. The silky straps rested awkwardly on my scrawny shoulders. She brushed my hair gently and bandaged up my wrists.

“Okay dear, my job here is done,” Brita said as she cupped my face with her warm hands. Her eyes silently wished me luck as she scooped up the ruined pink dress with one hand, holding the bowl and ointment in the other, and walked out quickly, glancing at me just once more before shutting the door behind her.

I pulled the heavy blankets up to my shoulders and waited. Each time steps sounded in the hallway, my muscles tensed, each noise setting me off.

Waiting for minutes at first, and then hours.

Hours had passed, and yet the Destroyer General was nowhere to be found. Broderick soon left the room, leaving only Orest standing by the door, still just occasionally glancing over me.

I looked to the side, avoiding his gaze. Something about his presence was so soothing, yet I was quite aware that while he looked gentle, he was just as deadly as any of them.

“I need to use the bathroom,” I said, glancing over my bandages, wondering what kind of scars those burns would leave.

“It’s all yours.” He gestured with his hand to the door right next to him leading to the bathroom. I tried to move as gracefully and pridefully as I could, but my broken body humbled me with each step as nausea rode up and my vision blurred. I finally reached the bathroom door, only a step away from the soldier.

Only up this close did I notice his eyes. They were deep gray with a purple hue around his iris. So unique, so beautiful. His eyes dropped below my neck. Though my body was exposed, it wasn’t the look of a lusting man; his face still irradiated all-encompassing comfort. I almost made it to the bathroom as his strong hand grabbed my forearm.

“Who did this to you?” he firmly asked.

“Your General,” I bitterly said. Rather ironic, I thought of him to ask. He still didn’t let go. Irritably, I looked at him from underneath my brows.

“No, I mean the bruises and your scars?” He pointed with his eyes to my exposed midsection and legs covered in large dark bruises.

“Does it matter?” I jerked my hand out of his grip.

“It’s not an answer, Finn,” was all he said without letting me go. “Who?”

“Life,” I replied, jolting my arm again. He didn’t let go.

“I will let go once you tell me,” he insisted.

“Not that it matters, but one of the Royal guards. Dimitrii,” I said. “Now can I go, or should I relieve myself right here?” My body tensed but with an apologetic nod, he released my arm.

I stepped into the bathroom.

“Door needs to stay open,” he said, his voice calm. And maybe it was the compassion in his voice or the bare and broken reflection of me in the mirror, but I was crumbling, disappearing with each breath, replaced by hopeless burn out.

Breaking down, I walked back to the blankets. The bed was still warm when I came back. Wrapped like a cocoon, I stared at the ceiling. Loud silence was the only lullaby for me, time becoming obsolete.

After a while I finally broke the quietness.

“What is your name?”

“Orest,” he replied. But I already knew that.

“That’s an odd name,” I dryly said.

“Thanks,” he replied with a gentle smile. I chuckled to myself. I was so utterly tired. Unable to fight the exhaustion, I opened my mouth in a large yawn.

“You should sleep, Finn,” Orest said.

I was going to object, to tell him that I wouldn’t let the General catch me off guard, that I could never fall asleep knowing whose bed I was in tonight. But those thoughts dissolved into nothingness as Orest dimmed the lights further until darkness took over the room.

“Sleep,” he whispered, extinguishing the last light and letting the darkness drift me deep into slumber.