Page 2 of Duskbound (Esprithean Trilogy #2)

CHAPTER ONE

Someone was knocking.

I didn’t budge from my place at the window, head resting on the cool iron bars that kept me trapped amongst the clouds. An eerie nothingness sank into my gut, mirroring the fog that encapsulated the tower I now found myself in.

Tiny curving streets were a blur from this height, obscured even more by the mist that hung heavy in the air. A mist that never seemed to dissipate. Only muted rays of an eclipsed sun broke through, casting a dim light into the room—my prison of obsidian-carved walls.

My eyes blurred, adjusting their focus until my reflection stared back at me from the glass. Black ink curled in the corners of my eyes, reaching out towards the onyx of my pupils but never quite connecting. Avoiding the mirror had become my top priority. I couldn’t face it. I couldn’t face myself. I only dared an occasional peak in the semi-reflective glass of the window. But even then, I couldn’t take in the sight for very long .

Shadow wielder.

The words never left my mind. Not for a single moment since the golden-eyed soldier had spewed them in my direction. That was days ago.

Four, five maybe?

I’d lost count.

The time of day hadn’t seemed to change from the moment I’d arrived.

“I have your meal.” The exasperated voice of a woman sounded from the hallway, muffled by the heavy door.

“I hope you’re decent! I’m coming in!” she said before the grating of a rusted lock echoed through the room. “Aether’s busy—of course, he is—so I thought, why not me?” The door creaked open.

I tensed, grabbing my dagger from the windowsill, quickly sheathing it against my thigh before turning towards my new visitor. Recognition bloomed as I noticed the lithe frame of the woman from the ball at Emeraal. Her soft voice did not match the previous image I had of her with the mysterious aura and crow attached to her shoulder. The perfect complexion from the evening had been wiped away and swapped for a color palette that accentuated the shadows around her eyes rather than mask them, and her dark hair was now pinned back with multiple bobbles that clinked together with each step. She wore a similar uniform to the one Aether had worn, but different whimsical patterns were pressed into the leather.

Her eyes lit up when she spotted me, as if she had just stumbled upon an old friend. “Oh, you’re awake! That’s good. I brought you some food!” She lifted the tray slightly, as if it were a trophy, and deposited it on the bed with a flourish. “It’s just rice. Not very exciting, I know.”

I said nothing, watching her closely, assessing her demeanor. She didn’t seem particularly threatening, but her casual approach grated on my nerves. My gut churned as I calculated my options.

She, oblivious to my silence, clasped her hands together. “You must be so confused! I mean, I’d be confused too—waking up in a strange place, unfamiliar people—but I promise, we’re not here to hurt you.” She smiled brightly. “I’m Effie, by the way. And you… well, what’s your name?”

I schooled my expression into neutrality. “What am I doing here?” I asked, my voice tight.

Effie tilted her head, clearly debating her response. “How are you feeling?” she asked instead, her tone oddly earnest. Her gaze roved over me with fascination, as if I were some rare artifact she’d just acquired.

I clenched my jaw. “If you’re not the enemy, then why am I being held hostage?”

“Oh, you’re not a hostage!” she said quickly, though her cheerful tone faltered. “I mean, technically, you’re locked in here, but it’s not, like, forever. It’s just that... well, Aether thought it might be best until we sort everything out...” Her voice dropped conspiratorially. “He’s rather infuriating most of the time. Lucky he’s so dreadfully gorgeous, because the dark and brooding bit gets exhausting after a while.” She gave a light laugh, as if we were sharing some inside joke.

I crossed my arms, unimpressed. “I see.”

Effie tapped a finger to her lips, apparently deciding to pivot. “My apologies about the rice. It’s one of the only things that keeps these days…” She nodded sagely before trailing off.

Frustration prickled at me. “Tell me what a shadow wielder is,” I demanded.

Effie shifted uncomfortably, glancing over her shoulder at the door.

“One that can harness nothingness and command it,” she responded, arching a perfectly preened brow as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“And you think I can do that?”

“We watched you do that.” She didn’t hide the exasperation in her tone.

A spark of anger tinged the back of my skull. “So your plan is to force me into your unit. To use me against the people I care about.” Disgust laced my words.

Her expression shifted into something like horror. “Force you? Goodness, no! That would be—” She hesitated, her nose wrinkling. “Well, I suppose it would be efficient, but no, we couldn’t.” She gave a weak laugh, but her gaze darted nervously to the door again.

“Oh, but couldn’t you?” The earlier experiment with my focus had been sharply shut down by the captor known as Aether. If my gifts were somehow linked to these people, then they could harness the ability to control my mind just as I had others. “Why not just push into my mind and demand it of me?”

Effie scrunched up her face in confusion. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

My heart skipped a beat—a small kernel of hope forming, blurring my vision as I looked inward, seeking out the pulse of minds in the surrounding area. I could see Effie clearly in front of me, and others smaller, seemingly on the floor beneath us. They looked no different than the minds of the Aossí. It was only his mind that glowed in an unfamiliar golden hue. And as Effie so kindly mentioned in her arrival… he was currently occupied.

“So mind-control is not an ability of shadow-wielding?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level, layered with a bit of disinterest for good measure.

“Not that I’m aware.” Her blue eyes narrowed. “But I’m no true shadow wielder. I’m simply a vessel.” Her breath slowed as her eyes moved to inspect the door. A sigh of relief slipped out once she realized we were still alone.

I stopped the smile that threatened my lips.

“Perhaps I’m speaking too candidly. I have a tendency to do so, at least that’s what Vexa always tells me, read the room.” Her eyes relaxed again before rolling in a playful manner.

I kept my face calm, even as my focus roared to life. “Effie, I’m going to need your help.” This time it didn’t hesitate, just as eager to find a target that might be susceptible. The iridescent strands fluttered around her, caressing her mind before taking their hold. I almost sighed in relief when I wasn’t met with resistance. My focus thrummed, sending tingles across my back.

“You will escort me out of here, taking the safest route back to the Isle.”

Effie’s confusion faded, muscles relaxing until she looked almost peaceful. Eyes staring at me unseeing, ready for my command.

This has to work.

Without a word, she turned towards the door and started walking. I kept my concentration on the link to Effie’s mind as I followed, the thundering of my heartbeat my only distraction.

I thanked the Esprithe as the door swung open, revealing a hallway mercifully empty. The minds just beyond us beckoned—so close, so tempting—but I couldn't risk it. My teeth ground together as I fought the urge. I’d have to make my way through the building blindly. I’d ruin my chance of escape if I lost connection to my only guide. Even worse if she screamed for help.

I took in my surroundings as we crept down the hallway. The walls were made of a cold uneven stone and heavy wooden doors with locks lined the circular room. A stairwell arched across the wall showing there were floors even higher up. The smell of a burning hearth was somewhere near and I could only hope others would be preoccupied enough to not notice a guard and a prisoner of war casually walking by.

“Move faster,” I commanded through the bond, nerves taking over.

Effie upped her pace, keeping to the outer edges of the stairwell as we began to make the descent in a dizzying loop. With each floor we passed my urgency grew, trying to move quickly enough to remain unseen.

I almost stumbled into her when the floor eventually evened out. It was an empty circular space that left us completely exposed with two open arched doorways on either side housing great halls that were empty, and a wooden door stationed directly in the middle. I couldn’t hear over my thundering pulse and hyper focused on the middle door, knowing it was our way out.

A few more moments, and I’d be free of this Esprithe-forsaken tower. I refused to let myself think about what awaited beyond the walls—one step at a time.

Move, move, move.

Effie lifted her hand to push open the door. Just as her fingers wrapped around the handle, footsteps thundered from behind me. The air shifted, sharp and fast, before a force slammed into my back. My breath whooshed out, and I lurched forward, only to have the ground disappear beneath me.

It felt as if my gut had collided with a solid iron bar. I keeled over, gasping, and before I could get my bearings, I was yanked up over someone’s shoulder. The connection to Effie snapped and frayed into nothing.

“Oh, no you don’t.” The husky voice vibrated through me. The man didn’t even seem winded as he tossed me onto his shoulder like I was no more than a sack of grain.

Fuck.

“I admire your ambition,” he said, his tone annoyingly calm, “isolation it is. ”

I slammed my fists into his back, thrashing like a wild thing. His body was a wall of stone, unyielding and utterly unmoved by my struggles.

“Let. Me. Go,” I screamed, my voice muffled by his leather-clad back.

“No can do, Princess.”

I felt the tilt of his jaw against my hip and nearly snapped. “And stop fucking calling me that.”

His grip on my legs tightened. “Stop acting like one.”

His words hit me like a whip, and I could feel the heat of anger crawling across my skin. That was it.

I slammed my hand against my thigh, tearing my hidden dagger from its sheath. The golden dusted emerald gave me away, reflecting the single flicker of light coming from a torch on the wall. Aether went rigid as I brought my hand down towards his leg at a maddening speed.

But it stopped. My hand froze just as a bead of crimson formed on the surface of his leathers. I tried and tried to plunge it deeper into his flesh, but an invisible force kept my fist in place, trembling.

“Pathetic,” he said in a low tone, just as my fingers uncurled against my will, the dagger falling to the floor with a clang.

Without thinking, I snapped, sinking my teeth into his side.

He shifted, his body only mildly twitching at the attack, and let out a low hiss.

“Not helping your case.”

My teeth ground together. “I swear I’m going to?—”

“Bite me again?” His voice had a soft, satisfied edge. “You might just be the weakest Duskbound in the history of this realm.”

I hissed in frustration, trying to kick him, but he was rock solid, barely even acknowledging my efforts.

A gasp echoed from the doorway just as Aether turned to begin the trek up to the holding cell and my eyes locked onto a very confused Effie, realization slowly dawning and flushing her cheeks.

“What–how did I get down here? What’s going on?” She stumbled over her words, following after us.

“Effie, next time, do as you're told and wait.” Was his only reply.

I felt ridiculous being jostled with each step as Effie’s expression shifted to anger directed solely at me.

“You bitch!” she shrieked, her eyes pulsing. “I was so nice to you!”

And suddenly, her form disappeared, only to materialize a mere breath from my face.

“I brought you rice—” she began just as Aether cut her off.

“Don’t waste it, Effie,” he growled as he continued his climb, putting distance between me and the woman. She let out a hiss of exasperation and crossed her arms before spinning around.

I let my head slump as my eyes met the stone floor.

I did not feel apologetic in the slightest.

We ascended and my body went limp as heaviness settled into my bones.

Failure struck me.

When we reached the chamber, he didn't set me down immediately. Instead, his grip tightened, fingers digging into my flesh as he carried me to the window.

"Look," he commanded, his voice deadly quiet. "Look at what you're trying to escape to."

Beyond the glass, the mist had dispersed, and my eyes fell upon a gray landscape that stretched endlessly, broken only by twisted trees and crumbling ruins. The eternal twilight cast everything in shades of ash and shadow.

"This is what your people did," he growled, his breath hot against my ear. "This is what Sídhe stole from us."

He finally set me down, but before I could move, he had me pinned against the wall. His golden eyes burned with an intensity that made my heart race—not with desire, but with fear.

"So tell me, Princess," the title dripped with venom, "did they teach you how to steal essence too? Or just how to control minds?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I spat, but my voice trembled.

His laugh was cruel as he leaned closer, close enough that I could see flecks of amber in his irises. "No? Then why don't you explain how you absorbed our shadows that night? How you wielded them like you were born to it?"

"I didn't?—"

"Don't lie to me." His fingers gripped my jaw, forcing me to meet his gaze. "I watched you. I saw what you are."

"And what exactly am I?" The words came out as a whisper.

Something dark flickered across his features. "That's what I intend to find out." He released me, and my back slid against the wall.

"The night we took you, you were dressed in that ridiculous gown." He began circling me. "But you fought like a soldier. So either you're someone of importance, or you're a part of the Guard."

"I was serving drinks," I spat.

His laugh was cold. "In that dress? With that dagger?" He pulled my blade from his belt—the one with golden-dusted emeralds, the colors of Sídhe. "Try again."

When I remained silent, he pressed closer. "Who are you to them?" His eyes narrowed. "Where are you from?"

"You know exactly where I'm from," I hissed, climbing to my feet.

"That's not an answer." His hand shot towards me, fingers curling around my neck. "We were going to do this the nice way, but since you clearly intend on making things more difficult than they need be, we'll do it my way." His face was dangerously close, and I could feel the heat radiating off of him. "How did you get to wind up in Sídhe? Did they take you, or did you enter their realm on your own accord?"

"I'm. From. Sídhe ," I said through gritted teeth.

He studied me, narrowed eyes raking over my face as if unable to process my words. "And what is your station?" he asked. "In the Guard?"

"I told you?—"

"The truth," he growled. "Or I'll have to assume you're an immediate threat to this realm. And I deal with threats accordingly."

The menace in his voice sent ice through my veins. But beneath the fear, anger sparked.

"You want the truth?" I snarled. "I don't know why I can wield shadows. I don't know why your darkness called to me that night. But I do know that threatening me won't get you the answers you want."

Something shifted in his expression—surprise, maybe, at my defiance. Or perhaps at the honesty he heard in my voice. His grip on my throat loosened.

"How are they doing it?" His voice was low. "How are they filling the towers?"

"Your questions make no sense to me," I seethed, "I have no answers for you."

He stepped back, something calculating replacing the rage in his expression. His golden eyes studied me with a new kind of coldness—not the burning fury from before, but something more methodical.

"I'll give you one last chance," he said, his voice dropping to a rumble. "Tell me the truth about who you are—how they're draining us, and I'll ensure you're treated with dignity."

I met his gaze, letting him see the defiance there. "I've spent my entire life being treated without dignity. What makes you think your threats mean anything to me? "

"Very well," he said, drawing closer, voice smooth but sharp as a blade. "Isolation it is." His eyes fixed on me one last beat before he dropped his arm and turned away, boots echoing through the chamber walls.

The door slammed behind him with finality, the lock sliding into place with a sound like fate sealing shut. A cry escaped my lips as I sank to my knees, the weight of failure crushing me.

My heart, rattling with hope only moments ago, stilled into a quiet rhythm. Silence spread through the space, encroaching on me like an invisible weight. I sank to my knees as the tears began, letting my face slide against the cold stone floor.

I stayed like that for days as the realizations tumbled in—how I would never get a chance to tell Raine goodbye, that I would never have a chance to tell her how much she really meant to me, as my friend. Osta’s final expression haunted me, along with Laryk’s hesitation, and Ma’s heartbreak when she learned her worst fear had materialized… It all paralyzed me with a type of panic I’d never truly known until that moment.

Not until I realized I’d never see any of them again.