Page 14 of Twisted Souls (Twisted Souls #1)
Zara
A dark hallway stretched before me, its walls pulsing with shadows. My bare feet made no sound as I moved closer, drawn to the faint light flickering from beneath a cracked wooden door at the end of the hall. A cold weight settled in my chest, but I couldn’t stop.
My hands trembled as I reached out, fingers brushing the rough wood, and the door creaked open just enough for me to peer through.
A petite woman with yellow eyes and dark, inky hair stood over someone slumped in a chair. The figure was barely visible from my angle, and what I could see was blurred…distorted. The woman circled the chair, her back now to me, but it didn’t stop her echoing voice from reaching me.
“Drink,” she whispered, her voice smooth but sharp. She pressed something—a vial—against their lips.
The person said something, but it was muffled. They jerked away from her, but the dark-haired woman gripped them hard by the jaw, forcing their mouth open. Her fingers tightened, cruel and unyielding, pouring the vial down their throat.
The person sagged in their chair as the woman lowered the vial, and I wanted to run, but I couldn't move. I had the sinking feeling I wasn’t supposed to see this.
The dark-haired woman leaned in closer, a blade now in her grasp. She whispered something too low for me to hear, her yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light as her lips curved in a smile that chilled me to the bone.
Suddenly, her head snapped toward me. Her eyes blazed with anger as they locked onto mine through the crack in the door.
“Zara.” The woman seemed to growl, and my breath hitched. I stumbled backward, turning away as my heart pounded heavily in my chest. I started to run back down the hall.
Real fear coursed through me as something slammed into my back, and I flew toward the stone floor.
*
I jolted awake, my heart hammering in my chest, the dream slipping away like smoke through my fingers. The edges of the memory clung to me, and I could still feel the icy grip of fear I had felt at her finding me. I rubbed my temples, trying to shake the heaviness from my mind, the exhaustion trying to pull me back into sleep. Who was that woman? I had no memory of her ever being in the castle. And who was the person in that chair? It was as if my memory didn’t want me to see who it was and what she had been doing to them.
Turning over, I caught sight of Jaxon slumped in one of the winged chairs beside my bed. He must have snuck back in while I slept. His chest rose and fell with a deep, steady rhythm, and my gaze lingered, something tightening in my chest.
The window's dim light hinted at dawn, the world still caught between night and day, and I turned back over, my eyelids already heavy, sinking once again into the warmth of my blankets.
When I woke again, the light had grown brighter, spilling across the room. Jaxon’s chair was empty, the blanket he must’ve used folded neatly across the armrest. My eyes drifted to the note resting on the seat, and I reached for it, my fingers brushing the crinkled edge of the paper.
*
“I had to leave for my shift but will return later. -J”
*
Glancing at the time, my heart sank—I was running late for Sunday tea with my mother. I tugged a brush through my tangled hair, wincing as it snagged on a few knots, before grabbing the first dress my hands found in the closet. I threw it on, barely taking a second to check the mirror, and rushed down the hall. I hurriedly tied my hair into a loose braid as I went, and I caught the curious glances of guards and servants as I sped by.
By the time I reached the library doors, my breath came in short gasps. I paused, fingers smoothing the wrinkles from my dress, trying to catch my breath. Once I was able to breathe normally, I composed myself and entered.
My mother was already sitting at our usual table near the glass doors leading out to the terrace. She wore a blue gown today, her hair elegantly braided and adorned with golden pins. Though she had forgone her crown, her red necklace gleamed in the soft light.
Winnie's eyes narrowed at my tardiness as I approached. “I was starting to think you wouldn't show,” she said, her voice as smooth as ever, though its sharpness wasn't lost on me. She barely glanced up from her book, dismissing me before I’d even sat down.
A twinge of irritation flared in my chest. “I overslept,” I said, sliding into the chair across from her. “Must’ve enjoyed myself a little too much at the ball last night.”
Winnie’s lips twitched, though she kept her gaze on the pages in front of her. “It seemed you and the captain enjoyed yourselves quite thoroughly,” she remarked, her tone flat.
My jaw tightened, but I forced an even tone. “Yes, we did.”
“And where is the captain now?” she asked, finally looking up from her book, her eyes sharp as blades. “Still in your bed?”
My mouth almost dropped open. So, she still wanted to fight… fine.
“I don’t know where the captain is, but no, he is no longer in my bed,” I retorted back with a curt smile.
Winnie’s yellow eyes locked onto mine, a silent challenge simmering between us. I forced myself not to blink, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I turned to the nearest book, picked it up, and pretended to start reading, but I could still feel her gaze lingering on my face.
“Leave. All of you,” Winnie’s voice commanded, booming through the room.
Great.
The guards and servants exchanged glances before filing out of the room. Their footsteps echoed as they left, and the heavy door finally clicked shut.
Winnie lowered her book and fixed me with a penetrating stare. “Do we have a problem, daughter?”
My irritation flared, hot and quick. “I don’t know, Mother,” I snapped, meeting her gaze head-on. “Do we?”
The room seemed to still, the charged silence between us thickening as I waited for her next move.
“Considering your blatant disregard for my warnings about keeping men out of your chambers, I will be speaking with your father about arranging a marriage for you,” Winnie said, her voice smug but laced with a sharp, venomous undertone.
My jaw dropped, disbelief crashing over me. “You will not!” The words came out more forceful than I intended, my heart pounding in my chest. “You have no right.”
Winnie’s lips curled into a thin, satisfied smile. “I have every right,” she said, her tone cold and unyielding. “You've ignored my warnings, and now you'll face the consequences.”
A surge of frustration burned inside me, mingling with confusion. My pulse quickened as I struggled to find my voice. “How do you even know he was in my bed?” I demanded. “Because he wasn’t, Mother,” I said, heat rising to my cheeks as the accusation settled between us.
Winnie’s expression didn’t falter, her yellow eyes gleaming with something almost triumphant, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
“I know everything that happens within these walls, girl,” Winnie hissed, her yellow eyes narrowing. “Just as I know you haven’t been taking your night tonics.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. “What does that have to do with this?”
Her lips curled into a sneer. “I went to great lengths to procure those tonics for you,” she snapped, her voice biting.
“I don’t need your tonics,” I shot back, my patience fraying. “You can have them back.”
Winnie's expression hardened, the frustration practically radiating off her. “Ungrateful,” she seethed, rising with a dangerous calm from her seat.
Anger flared hot in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I was on my feet as well, the chair behind me crashing to the floor. As if an electrical current flowed between us, the air thrummed with a barely contained energy, thickening and intensifying the longer we stared at one another.
Something caught my eye, drawing my attention to Winnie’s necklace. It was emitting a faint, unsettling glow.
Winnie went deathly still.
“Your necklace,” I said, pointing at it. “It’s glowing.”
Her yellow eyes widened, and a flash of surprise crossed her face. “I’m not wearing a necklace,” she breathed, her voice betraying a hint of alarm.
Confusion swept over me. “You’ve worn that necklace for as long as I can remember—”
Winnie’s sharp interruption cut me off. “It must have been a trick of the light,” she snapped, her tone clipped and dismissive. Her hand moved almost instinctively to touch the pendant, but as soon as her fingers made contact, the glow faded, leaving only the dull, familiar gleam of the stone.
“Why do you even wear that thing?” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest in frustration. “It’s hideous.”
Winnie’s eyes flashed with irritation. “It’s a family heirloom,” she hissed. “And I’m growing weary of this argument.” With that, she turned sharply, her heels clicking against the floor as she walked toward the glass doors that led out onto the terrace.
“We’re not done discussing this!” I called after her, my voice rising in frustration.
Winnie paused mid-step, her back stiffening. Slowly, she pivoted to face me, her expression cold. “We’re done when I say we’re done. And you’d do well to remember that,” she replied, her voice calm but laced with a lethal edge.
Without another word, she turned and slipped through the glass doors, leaving me standing alone, the weight of her command hanging heavily in the air.
I stormed from the room, going out the way I came. I stepped out into the hall and immediately slipped, losing my balance. I managed to stay upright and recentered, looking down to see what I had slipped on.
Blood pooled under my feet, its dark, dense color stark against the polished stone. My gaze shot up, and my breath caught in my throat. A body hung grotesquely against the castle wall, pinned by dark, bone-like spikes that jutted out at unnatural angles. The guard’s uniform was unmistakable, but the face was unfamiliar, twisted in a final, silent scream.
Thick and foul green sludge coated the spikes and dripped steadily onto the floor, mingling with the crimson puddle below.
A scream tore from my throat as I stumbled backward, my feet skidding once more on the slick, blood-stained floor. I couldn’t catch myself this timeand fell hard onto the ground. My hands splayed out against the warm, sticky blood, and the heat and the grotesque texture of it sent a wave of nausea surging up my throat.
I shouted again, frantically looking around for someone, anyone, to help. A hiss rang out from down the hall, and my head snapped in the direction. Terror spread within my body as my eyes landed on a snake-like creature hanging upside down from the ceiling. I panicked and backed further away, keeping my eyes on the nightmarish creature above me.
Rows of needle-sharp teeth lined its snout, each coated with a green sheen. The creature's massive head was crowned with jagged, menacing spikes, which seemed grotesquely oversized compared to its body, giving it an unsettlingly disproportionate look.
Along its spine, sharp, serrated spikes jutted out like deadly blades, ending in a tail that lashed back and forth with violent energy. Its four legs ended in vicious claws, each dripping with a sickly green ooze. The hide itself shimmered with an unnatural sheen, blending with the shadows of the ceiling as if it were made of darkness itself.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away as the creature’s head twisted toward me, its gaze unsettlingly intelligent, almost as if it assessed me. It fell from the ceiling without warning, its body twisting mid-air with a fluid, predatory elegance. It landed on the hallway floor with a heavy thud, the impact sending a shiver through the ground.
Panic surged through me as I stood slowly, cursing myself internally for not securing my dagger to myself before I left my room. The creature stepped forward, growling as it narrowed its large black eyes on me.
The beast lunged, and I threw myself sideways, narrowly missing its attack. I scrambled toward the library door, snatching a dagger from the fallen guard’s side before diving for cover just in time.
The creature’s tail slammed into the spot where I had stood. The impact sent a spray of blood, dust, and debris into the air.
I stood in the middle of the hallway, facing the creature as it wrenched its tail from the wall with a thunderous screech. It roared, its massive paws slamming onto the floor, causing the stone to crack and shudder beneath its weight.
There was no way I could outrun this creature and zero chance I could defeat it with this tiny dagger.
The beast growled again, launching itself toward me with terrifying speed. I screamed, raising the dagger in a feeble defense as I braced for its attack.
A burst of heat and light shot past me from behind, and my eyes widened in surprise as something struck the beast in the chest. The beast, thrown backward, let out a thunderous roar that turned into an ear-splitting wail as it crashed into the wall with a bone-jarring thud.
“Get behind me!” Jaxon’s voice cut through the chaos, and I scrambled behind him as he conjured another searing ball of fire, hurling it at the beast. The blaze struck the creature’s side, and it roared in anger.
The creature’s tail lashed out, and dark bone-like spikes hurtled toward us with lethal speed. Jaxon’s hands shot out again, and I felt a powerful gust of wind as he unleashed his magic. The spikes slowed in mid-air and clattered to the ground, now encased in shimmering ice that cracked and shattered against the stone floor.
My mind raced. How many different magics did he have? And which ones were truly his?
A guttural yelp from the creature snapped me back to the present, and my gaze shot back to the beast. Smoke-like shadows began to coil from the ground, swirling around the beast’s body. Jaxon’s form started to flicker between his true self and his disguise as the captain, and with a final twist of his hand, the creature’s neck snapped with a deafening crunch. Its massive body crashed to the stone floor, and the dark tendrils of smoke evaporated into the air.
Jaxon exhaled a shuddering sigh of relief, turning toward me with a look of deep concern etched on his face. His eyes roamed over me, searching for injuries. I looked down at myself, and my stomach twisted again as I saw how much blood was on me.
“It’s not mine,” I managed to whisper, my voice barely a tremor. Jaxon’s eyes flared with a mix of relief and anguish, and he pulled me into a tight embrace.
The heavy thud of boots echoed in the hallway, as well as murmurs of astonished voices. Even as Jaxon held me close, he barked orders to the men surrounding us. I barely registered his commands, overwhelmed by the shock of the encounter.
Questions swirled in my mind like a storm, and I knew I wouldn’t like the answers.
“What is the meaning of all this?” A shrill, authoritative voice rang out in the hall—my mother. Winnie ran to my side, glaring at the captain as she approached.
“What happened here?” she demanded, grabbing me and pulling me from the captain into her arms. She grabbed my face with her hands, and genuine fear and concern showed in her eyes.
“Zara, are you okay? Are you hurt?” my mother asked, stroking my face with her hand.
“It’s not my blood,” I repeated to her, and she seemed to sag with relief just as Jaxon had.
Her gaze shifted to the creature now sprawled lifelessly across the hallway. Her eyes widened in shock, and she absently stroked her necklace. She looked back at Jaxon, her expression a mix of bewilderment and silent inquiry.
“Don’t touch the green stuff; it might be poisonous,” Jaxon barked, his voice sharp as he addressed the men and then turned to face my mother.
“I’m not sure, Your Majesty,” he began, his gaze shifting uneasily between us. “I heard screaming, and when I arrived, I found the princess confronting this creature. Zara managed to distract it long enough for me to deliver the killing blow with my blade.” He cast a nervous glance my way.
My mother opened her mouth to respond, but I interrupted her, “The captain saved me, Mother. I’m alive because of him.” My words were sincere; without Jaxon’s arrival, I’d likely be dead.
“I’ll go inform the king of what’s happened,” Jaxon said, giving a respectful bow before preparing to leave.
“No,” my mother snapped, her voice laced with bitter resolve. “I’ll handle the king. You take Zara to her room and see that she’s properly cared for.” Her abrupt command caught both Jaxon and me off guard.
Winnie turned her attention to the lifeless creature sprawled in the hallway and for a fleeting moment, I thought I caught a glimpse of something like sorrow in her eyes. It was gone before I could be sure, and she stormed away a second later.
Jaxon swiftly issued more orders to the remaining guards, then took my hand, leading me through the empty halls back to my room.
As soon as we were inside, I didn’t wait for him to close the door before demanding, “What was that creature?”
Jaxon ran a hand through his disheveled hair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. He shed his jacket, flinging it over a nearby chair, and poured himself a generous pour from the decanter. The amber liquid sloshed around the glass briefly before he downed the entire contents.
“That was a Daka,” he breathedandslammed the glass onto the table, making me jump.
The gravity of his words hung between us, and I stared at him, confusion and fear swirling in my mind. “How is that possible? I thought they were from your world?” I reached out for him but stopped myself. My hands were caked with blood, and I scrunched my nose at the sight.
“You should get cleaned up,” he said, his voice softer but still tense. “I’ll be here when you get out.”
I nodded and went to the bathing chamber to clean up. When I was no longer covered in blood and in fresh clothing, I made my way back out to the main room.
Jaxon still stood, but he seemed more relaxed than before. “My brother would have increased protection at the realm entrance, and guards have always been stationed there.” He took a deep breath, his voice laced with weariness. “Which means either the witches have made it here, or their rumors were right… and Morgana is alive.”
I sank into the winged chair in front of the hearth, Jaxon’s anguish palpable as I struggled to find the right words. “What would that mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My chest tightened with anxiety.
“It means I truly did put your realm and mine at risk.” Jaxon’s voice cracked as he shook his head, his features contorted with guilt. “If Morgana is still alive, and I opened the door…” he trailed off, his words a jumbled mess of remorse. He bowed his head. “I risked too much.” His voice was barely audible. “Xavier was right…”
At the sight of him, I stood, unable to stop myself from going over to him. I wrapped my arms around him in an embrace, and he stilled from the sudden contact. I breathed him in, and I shivered in response. His golden stare met mine, and confusion swept across his expression.
“If she is alive, then we will stop her together,” I said stubbornly. “We will find this book and your mother and make Morgana pay for the centuries you didn’t get to have with her.”
My heart thundered in my chest, and I couldn’t explain why, but the need to be nearer to him was overwhelming. I wanted to erase the pain etched into his face. He went unnaturally still as my chest pushed into his. Our gazes still locked, I leaned up and kissed his mouth gently with mine.
He let out a breath, his arms encircling me and pulling me closer. The kiss deepened, his lips parting mine in a slow, deliberate, and demanding way. When we finally broke apart, I leaned back, my mind racing. I barely knew this man, yet I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him and touching him.
“You almost died today, and it would have been my fault,” he said, breaking the silence between us.
I shook my head, my voice soft and unwavering. “I am alive today because of you.” My gaze fell back to his lips, my breath catching in my throat.
“Together,” he said, echoing my previous words, pulling me back and kissing me again.
*
Jaxon reluctantly left shortly after our kiss to fulfill his duties as captain, but returned with dinner for both of us later that evening. Still reeling from the day's attack, I was too wired to eat and left my plate untouched.
While Jaxon had been working, I had dived headfirst into our history books for a sign of anything unusual—anything that might indicate a witch from another world was here.
When Jaxon returned, he joined me in my research. We eventually found ourselves sprawled on the floor, surrounded by a sea of books, our conversation drifting far from the pages.
He spoke of his realm and family, sharing a childhood shaped by the aftermath of a devastating war. After their parents’ deaths, their uncle stepped in as regent until Xavier came of age, his strict guidance stripping away the remnants of their youth.
While other children played, Jaxon and Xavier spent their days immersed in endless lessons. They studied history, learned everything they could about the witches and the Daka, and memorized court protocols until their minds grew numb.
As the eldest, Xavier bore the brunt of their uncle’s demands. He had been sent off to study and train under various generals and lords, leaving Jaxon alone until he was old enough to begin training himself.
The burden of an entire kingdom had fallen on them before they ever had the chance to truly be children.
Our discussion stretched into the night, the crackling fire casting flickering shadows across the room as we talked. At some point, exhaustion claimed me, and I must have drifted off to sleep.
I woke to the softness of the mattress beneath me and shifted, cracking open an eye. The room was dark, and I yawned, wondering what time it was.
A sudden creak broke the silence, and I froze, my heart skipping a beat. The mattress dipped beneath me, and I turned, my gaze meeting the golden gleam of Jaxon’s in the dark as he lowered himself onto the bed beside me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jaxon didn’t respond right away; just reached out and gently pulled me to him. My back pressed against the solid warmth of his chest as he settled in behind me, his body molding perfectly to mine.
“That chair is uncomfortable,” he muttered sleepily into my hair.
His arm tightened around me, his palm resting just below my breast.
My skin burned under his touch, the press of his body against mine stirring a restless flutter deep inside me.
“Go back to sleep,” he murmured, and I swallowed thickly, a wet heat gathering between my thighs. I shifted in his arms, trying to ignore the growing ache that pulsed through me.
Jaxon’s body stiffened behind me, and then his lips brushed the shell of my ear, his warm breath sending a tremor down my spine.
“What are you thinking of?” he whispered, his voice low and husky.
“You,” I admitted, my breath coming out uneven.
He let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating against my skin as his lips traced the curve of my neck in a light caress. My thighs pressed together involuntarily, a breathless hitch catching in my throat as his tongue skimmed over the sensitive skin there. I arched into him, my body heating as I silently begged for more. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, why a single touch from him had me squirming in his arms, but I knew I didn’t want him to stop.
His hand slid lower, a deliberate, teasing motion that made my pulse race.
Jaxon shifted, guiding me to face him. He leaned in, capturing my mouth with his in an almost too-gentle kiss. The world seemed to fade as his mouth deepened against mine, his tongue teasing my lips apart. He drew me closer, his arms wrapping tightly around me, pressing me against his firm chest. His arousal was undeniable as he pressed himself against me, causing my pulse to quicken in my throat.
As he deepened the kiss, his tongue swept into my mouth, and the taste of him sent a tight knot of desire low in my stomach, his tongue dancing with mine. He tasted like whiskey and honey, and his stormy scent was invigorating as it washed over my senses, pulling me deeper until everything else faded away.
His hand roamed lower, tracing the curve of my hip as his other fisted into my hair. As his tongue teased along my bottom lip, I couldn't help but let out a gasp.
More, I needed more.
“Jaxon,” I begged in a breathless whisper.
I felt him smirk against my mouth as his hand slipped beneath the waistband of my pants. Without thinking, I parted my legs, granting him access as his fingers moved with maddening slowness, grazing over my center.
I knew he could feel the wetness already gathered there from my arousal, and a low growl rumbled from Jaxon’s chest.
“Fates.” He cursed, his voice a low, guttural whisper barely audible in the charged silence between us. His warm and skilled fingers stilled their exploration. “Do you want me to stop?” The question came out as a rasp, his words heavy with desire. His gaze flickered between my eyes, searching my face for any sign of uncertainty, any sign I wanted him to stop.
I opened my mouth to respond, my throat dry, my heart pounding. I hesitated but the warmth of his hand, the intensity in his eyes, the undeniable ache that pulsed through me couldn’t stop the word from slipping out.
“No,” I breathed, the word trembling between us.
His eyes deepened, the flicker of relief and desire shifting into something darker. There was no more hesitation as his lips crashed back to mine. His fingers moving once again with practiced precision, making my body arch toward him.
A moan escaped my throat as his finger plunged inside me. His rhythm was maddening, a slow torture that made me shiver beneath him. Jaxon withdrew and circled my clit with agonizing slowness, building the pressure until my body trembled in response. Only then did he thrust back inside. My hands gripped his shoulders, nails digging in as I moved against him, craving more.
He didn’t rush, though. Every movement he made was precise, as if he were savoring every moment of this, of me.
His lips trailed down my neck as he added a second finger, each slow, calculated thrust a tantalizing torture, pushing me further into madness. I moaned again, my body trembling, desperate for release as his mouth continued its trail down my body. His thumb circled my clit, and the rhythm of his touch made me tighten around him, the pleasure mounting with every thrust and swirl.
His mouth found my breast, his teeth grazing over my nipple through my thin shirt. Jaxon pulled it into his mouth, biting down sharply, drawing a sharp gasp from my lips. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer as his tongue circled the sore peak, soothing it before he moved to my other breast, teasing it with the same torturous care.
Pressure between my thighs began to build, and his fingers curled, his thumb still circling that sensitive bundle of nerves.
“Jaxon,” I gasped, or maybe begged.
I felt him smile against my skin, his low, approving growl vibrating through me as he continued to move inside of me. His mouth met mine again, kissing me deeply as the pressure grew higher and higher, until the tension snapped, and my orgasm crashed over me, sending me spiraling.
Tremors wracked my body, his fingers still moving with relentless pressure, drawing out every ounce of my pleasure. He didn’t stop until the last waves of bliss subsided, and I collapsed against him, panting, my forehead pressed to his as I struggled to catch my breath.
His fingers slid from me slowly, and I couldn’t help but watch him, my breath shallow as his golden eyes locked on mine. There was something dark in his gaze, something that made my pulse flutter all over again. My hand instinctively trailed down his body, aching to return the favor, to feel the heat of him against me.
But before I could get far, he stopped me, his grip tightening on my wrist.
He shook his head, though I could see it was with effort. “Not tonight.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could speak, he flipped me, actually flipped me , turning me onto my side and pulling me hard against his chest. His arousal pressed into my back, and I wanted to argue, to continue what we’d started.
“Jaxon,” I breathed in protest, wanting to see him come undone the way I had just done for him. I shifted slightly, pushing my ass against his hard length. He moaned softly, but he only tightened his grip around me.
“You need rest,” he murmured, his voice thick with lingering desire. His husky command only made me squirm again in his hold, a soft chuckle escaping him. “I’m not going anywhere, princess. And you need sleep,” he whispered into my hair, his voice softening as the heat of the moment began to fade and the steady rhythm of his breathing slowed.
I wanted to argue, to tell him I was in no way tired after what we had just done but the overwhelming exhaustion from the past few days weighed heavily in my bones. After everything that had happened, he was right. I needed sleep. I sagged in defeat against him, and he seemed to relax behind me. The warmth of his body wrapped around mine was comforting, and a small smile tugged at my lips. I let myself melt against him, the steady beat of his heart calming the frantic pace of mine.
Exhaustion finally overcame me, and with each breath I took, sleep slowly began to claim me.