Page 30 of Eluvonia (Rift of Ages #1)

AERIS

M y face hits the ground hard, dirt and damp leaves filling my mouth.

The metallic tang of blood lingers on my tongue as I spit the mess out, coughing.

The impact jolts me awake, pain radiating through every inch of my body.

My ribs ache with each breath, and my right eye barely opens, swollen and tender.

The air here feels heavy, suffocating. It isn’t just the physical pain making it hard to breathe—it’s this place.

The forest around me is dense, the kind that swallows light and sound, leaving only shadows and whispers.

Trees loom overhead, their gnarled branches reaching out like skeletal fingers.

Moss drapes over everything, thick and wet, while strange fungi sprout from the bases of ancient trunks, glowing faintly.

There’s no birdsong, no rustle of wildlife, just the faint hum of something unnatural in the air.

It feels wrong.

Not like my forest. My forest had life, a heartbeat, a rhythm that made you feel part of something larger. But here? Here, it’s like the forest itself is watching, waiting.

I try to push myself up, but my arms are tied behind my back.

The ropes dig into my wrists, rough and unyielding.

Huffing out a frustrated breath, I wiggle backward, dragging my battered body until I can position myself onto my knees.

My vision blurs for a moment, the movement sending a sharp pain through my head.

When the dizziness fades, I finally take in the scene before me.

Fae are scattered throughout the clearing, busy with their tasks.

A group crouches by a stream, filling bottles and jugs with water.

Others sit in clusters, talking in hushed tones, their expressions grim.

Some glance my way, their gazes sharp and distrustful before they quickly look away.

And then the silver-haired male standing at the center of it all, barking orders.

His voice carries over the clearing, commanding and cold.

Every point of his finger sends a Fae scrambling, disappearing into the dense forest. There’s something about the way he moves—he’s like a wolf circling its prey.

His eyes lock onto mine, and a slow, smug grin spreads across his face. He starts toward me.

“Ah, you’re awake. Fantastic,” he says, crouching until he’s level with me.

He takes my chin between his fingers, tilting my face left, then right. His touch is light, but the condescension in his grin makes my blood boil.

“Must hurt,” he says, his voice dripping with mock sympathy.

I yank my head out of his grasp, glaring up at him.

“What do you want?” I spit, my voice hoarse but laced with defiance.

He sucks his teeth, shaking his head like I’ve disappointed him. “Well, Dragon fucker, I need information.”

My jaw tightens as he continues. “What does Iryndel Castle look like? How many soldiers defend it? Any weaknesses the commander’s son or the golden prince might have?”

I blink, my brows furrowing. “The golden prince?”

His grin widens, and he scoffs. “Please, like you didn’t know your golden-haired friend is the golden prince. Next in line for the Dragon throne?”

The confusion on my face must be clear because he suddenly bursts into laughter. A harsh, mocking sound that draws the attention of the Fae around us.

“You really didn’t know!” he exclaims, clutching his stomach. A few of the Fae snicker, their eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

I grit my teeth, trying to keep my composure.

“Well, if you’re so out of the loop, at least give me the other information,” he says, his grin still firmly in place.

I scoff, lifting my chin. “I don’t know how many times I have to say this. I was taken. I was forced to become his Líer. I only ever saw the inside of his bedroom. Nothing else.”

A ripple of laughter spreads through the group, and my stomach drops as I realize how that sounded. Heat rises to my face.

“Not like that!” I snap, my voice sharp.

A loud snort comes from behind me.

“Sure, like we’d believe you,” Esra’s voice cuts through the clearing like a blade.

She steps into view, her eyes burning with hatred. “You betrayed us for a Dragon, and now you’re trying to play innocent?” Her tone drips with contempt.

I sigh, frustration bubbling to the surface. “I tried to protect you, Esra! Why would I do that if I was the one who betrayed our clan? If Leynard were alive, he’d tell you to grow up and see what’s right in front of you!”

Her eyes widen, and for a split second, there’s something other than anger in her gaze. But it’s gone as quickly as it appeared.

“How dare you mention Leynard’s name!” she shrieks, slapping me hard across the face.

My head snaps to the side, the sting of Esra’s hand blooming across my cheek. For a moment, all I can see is red, my blood pounding like a war drum in my ears.

“How dare I?” I hiss, my voice trembling with barely-contained rage as I push myself to my feet. The ropes dig into my wrists, but I barely feel them over the fire roaring through my veins. My gaze locks on hers, unwavering.

“How dare I survive?” My words come out like venom, sharp and biting. “How dare I survive a brutal attack? How dare I get kidnapped and dragged into the middle of Dragon territory against my will? How dare I watch our clan get slaughtered in front of me and somehow keep fighting?”

Esra stumbles back a step, her eyes widening, but I don’t stop.

“How dare I care for you my whole damn life? How dare I fight to protect you, even when everything I had was stolen from me? How dare I watch as Leynard—” My voice cracks for the briefest moment, but I force the words out, my chest heaving.

“How dare I let Leynard talk me into running from the carnage with his last breaths, forcing me to leave everyone behind, only to meet Kaida and seal my fate? How dare I? ”

Esra stares at me, her lips parted, but no words come. Her face pales, but I’m past caring. The words come tumbling out, jagged and raw, tearing at my throat.

I freeze, my breath catching in my chest as a sickening realization hits me.

It was you, wasn’t it?

My heart races, my mind spinning. “Did you somehow plan all of this? Did you spread the information about the bonding?” My voice shakes with disbelief. “How did you find out? Why? I thought you were my friend!”

Esra doesn’t flinch. Instead, a cruel, small smile spreads across her face.

“Why?! I thought you were my friend!” I feel the hatred in the pit of my stomach twist harder.

“ How dare you? !” I scream, the words ripping from my throat like a savage roar, the weight of all my pain and betrayal pouring out in that single, searing cry.

The edges of my vision blur again, but this time it’s different. A strange tingling sensation courses through my veins, it starts in my fingertips, spreading through my body like wildfire. The ground beneath me trembles, and the forest responds.

Vines burst from the ground, slithering like snakes toward the Fae around us.

They lash out, whipping and wrapping around limbs.

A scream pierces the air as one Fae is lifted by their feet and hurled across the clearing.

Another is ensnared, the vines tightening around their chest until a sickening crack fills the air.

I can’t stop it.

One by one, the Fae fall. Some are tripped, dragged into the earth as vines coil around them, leaving nothing but a single hand sticking out of the ground. Others are impaled, their blood staining the forest floor.

Esra stands frozen, her eyes shine with fear and disbelief.

The silver-haired male rises to his feet, looking around in awe. His grin is gone, replaced by something more primal.

“Magic,” he breathes, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

A branch snaps behind me, and I whirl to face the sound. But before I can react, a sharp pain explodes at the back of my head.

The world tilts, the edges of my vision darkening.

And then… nothing.

***

I wake to the sensation of swinging. My stomach lurches as my body sways back and forth, and for a fleeting moment, a desperate thought claws its way to the surface. Have I– am I rescued?

Panic surges through me as I force my eyes open, but the answer is immediate and merciless.

No endless blue skies. No wind whipping through my hair.

Instead, towering trees loom above, their gnarled branches twisting like skeletal fingers against the sky.

Dense, emerald foliage presses in from every direction, suffocating, inescapable.

A shudder racks through me as the memories surge back, raw and relentless. The betrayal. The capture. The pain. They crash over me like a tide, pulling me under, deeper and deeper, until I can’t breathe.

I see her face etched into my mind like a cruel brand.

My best friend. The one person I trusted above all others.

I remember the way she looked at me. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before—the false warmth in her eyes, the sickly-sweet smile that hid the dagger poised for my back.

Every whispered promise, every shared secret, reduced to nothing but a game I never knew I was playing.

I had laughed with her, we learned together, lived together, survived together.

And when the moment came, she handed me over like I was nothing, betrayed me like I was nothing.

My body aches, a constellation of bruises blooming beneath torn clothing.

Blood crusts at the corner of my mouth, the taste of iron thick on my tongue.

My limbs tremble, weak from exhaustion, from pain, from the weight of knowing—no one is coming for me .

I am not rescued.

I am alone.

Blinking away the grogginess, I shove down the whirlwind of thoughts threatening to pull me under. Now isn’t the time to break. I force myself to take in my surroundings, every detail, every possible escape. I don’t need a savior. I’ll get myself out of this .