Page 10

Annalise

I have to kill Elias.

Nothing could have prepared me for the truth behind my injuries and my memory loss. And now that Elias has revealed the source, I understand where his initial distrust stemmed from. I was a threat—a real threat that almost cost him his life. Unfortunately, I wasn’t strong enough to do so, which resulted in me becoming so critically injured that Elias himself was shocked that I survived.

For days since his revelation, I have tried to keep the panic threatening to overtake me at bay as I think about the situation I am in. Now is not the time to be hysterical about my near-death experience. Now is the time to use it to fuel my desire to escape when the time comes. Now that I know I somewhat have Elias’s ear, it’s now a matter of convincing him to trust me enough that my escape won’t be anticipated.

Elias’s new plan is exactly what I wanted, if not better, seeing as he’s decided to use me in battle. He is taking his entire military across the ocean to conquer the land I came from—a land he sees as more desirable than his. He has also decided there is no harm in training me. Whatever I am, he believes it will help him conquer that land and encourage more people like me to join his cause.

So, once the opportunity presents itself, I will kill him. I cannot escape if he is alive, building an army to takeover.

“Annalise! Pay attention!”

Elias’s sharp voice cuts through my thoughts, and I look up to see that it’s my turn to spar. I raise my sword just in time to block the beast’s attack. His strength is terrifying as the collision of our weapons forces a heavy vibration throughout my body. Without the use of the curse on my ribs, he would have easily broken something. I use my strength to force his blade away, swinging with the precision I’ve been taught vigorously over the past week.

Elias has been cautious with his “training.” He told me about the seal, or curse on my ribs, as he so passionately calls it. But he was very limiting in the information he revealed. He only told me how to summon the power and how to use it enough that I didn’t hurt myself or accidentally kill his men. But he did not tell me where it came from or how I can even “summon” enough strength to fight with these creatures who are not human. Not only that, he has had a personal hand in training me in combat. Though he won’t train me in the ways of the beasts—in the way they move like animals when they are no longer able to wield their swords.

I slowly call to the seal more and more as I find a rhythm in fighting with this beast. Shock forms on his features as he slowly starts to lose, my strength and speed outweighing his. I note that the world becomes so much clearer the more I use the seal. My body moves at a speed I can barely manage, and my strength is beyond my own control. But even in this form, Elias was able to beat me, which makes me much more conscious of how dangerous he is.

It also makes me wonder what it was he took from me that made me attack him so viciously and why I would do so inside of the palace instead of waiting until I was outside to escape properly. Whatever it was, it was enough for me to want him dead, which is another reason behind my drive to kill him. I wanted to before, probably for good reason. I doubt whatever he did was forgivable if I put my life on the line for it.

My cries become audible as the heat from the seal intensifies with my emotions. I don’t know where they come from, but they wash over me, seeming to take control of my body. Tears burn my eyes but don’t fall as I find enough strength to knock my opponent’s sword away. I swipe the blade hard enough to draw blood from his cheek before I draw my blade back, holding it at his throat.

My hatred is tangible as I look down on him, my skin flush with anger.

But I control myself.

I slowly lower my weapon, turning to face Elias. Instead of anger, however, he is watching me in excitement.

That is the way of these creatures. They respect strength. It’s a quirk I’ve noticed about Elias. Even though I am able to hold my own and sometimes beat his men, he always makes sure to end the session sparring with him. And I always end up with something broken. I know it’s his way of reinforcing that I cannot beat him.

He’s doing just as he said, controlling the power within me. And I will allow him to believe that for as long as I need to until it is time for me to take his life.

“Well done, Annalise. You have significantly improved during your training. I would even venture as far to say you are ready for the battlefield, wouldn’t you, Maksim?” Elias says, turning to his right-hand man.

Maksim is a quiet beast who follows Elias’s every order and watches me with intense focus most hours of the day when Elias isn’t around. He, like all the subjects here, is fiercely loyal to Elias. Elias doesn’t seem to be a tyrant to his own, only to those he doesn’t deem fit for his empire.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Maksim says, earning a smile from Elias.

Elias approaches, his intimidating form standing over me as he decides whether or not to spar with me today.

I flinch as he reaches for me, but it’s only to tuck my stray hair behind my ear.

“You are going to bring me this new world,” he says with a grin as he watches me. His words cause a stir in my chest, as they sound similar to something I’ve heard before.

“You are going to bear my seal. And with it, you are going to bring me the world.”

I tense, stumbling away from Elias’s touch as the memory assaults me. It isn’t clear, however. It’s just a voice, nothing more.

Elias watches me steadily, and as much as I try to force my body’s reaction to calm down, it doesn’t. The heat of the seal intensifies as panic washes over me. I release a gasp as pain fills my veins, my legs giving out as I collapse in the dirt. I vaguely register Elias screaming at me as the heat becomes too intense and the world turns black.

I jolt awake, my loud gasp filling the dark chamber. Horror grips my body, settling in my throat as tears burn my eyes. I quickly sit up, but when I move to wipe my face, a loud jangle accompanies the restraints that prevent me from doing so.

I am chained to the bed.

“Bad dream?” I tense, shuddering at the sound of Elias’s voice. While the question could be interpreted as innocent, it is not. Elias is anything but innocent. He is wicked. My body knows that, and my mind is coming closer to deciphering why.

I slowly shift my gaze to Elias. He’s sitting near the edge of the bed, watching me with an intense expression. The light in the fireplace has dimmed slightly, but there’s still enough light to make out his features.

“Well?” he asks.

I flinch as he reaches for me, but once again, he only pushes my hair out of my face. He’s eerily calm, which puts me more on edge as I try to separate my past from my present.

“Yes,” is all I can manage.

It’s becoming more challenging to pull myself together to avoid angering him. My mind is all over the place, trying to understand how I got from there to here.

“Are you going to tell me what you were dreaming about?” Elias asks.

I know why he really wants to know. He needs to know how much control he’s lost over me after that blackout. He doesn’t know what caused it or what I’ve been dreaming about since. But it was enough to make me lose control emotionally, which is more than enough reason for him to chain me up and interrogate me.

I close my eyes, fighting the wave of nausea that washes over me. I can’t let the memories in my dreams ruin everything I’ve worked so hard for up to this point. Everything I’ve withstood and risked up to this point has been a desperate attempt at survival.

This moment is no different.

This is a moment of desperation as my time in the palace slowly meets its end. We are supposed to leave any day now, and I have already messed up by showing that I have no control over my body. Elias will surely add more measures he hadn’t considered before this incident.

I suck in a deep breath, calming myself.

“I was falling from a great height…I landed on a branch and broke my arm, then I woke up,” I say, purposely bringing up the only memory that coincides with his reveal.

Elias is silent, but I don’t let it deter me. I keep my eyes on the fire, waiting for his response, praying that he believes my lie.

To my shock, he laughs.

I slowly turn to look at him, and he’s watching me intensely, his eyes wide as he slowly reaches for my face. He grips my jaw, squeezing hard enough to force a squeak from my lips.

“What game are you playing,” he growls.

I shake my head.

“No game, Your Majesty. You asked, and I was simply telling you,” I say softly.

Elias continues to study me, releasing me after a moment.

“Well, I am glad you could relive your consequence before we leave the palace. Now you know what awaits you should you disobey me beyond these walls,” he says.

I lower my gaze.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” I murmur.

Elias doesn’t respond. He only watches me for a moment longer before speaking.

“I’m curious how you are going to explain away what happened at the end of training today,” he says in a cold tone.

I breathe in a trembling breath, shaking my head.

“I think I’m just exhausted from the week’s training. It has been… intense, and my body isn’t used to this curse on my side,” I say, hoping he’ll believe me.

Elias chuckles, shaking his head.

“You just have an answer for everything,” he says bitterly.

“Please, believe me, Your Majesty. I cannot control this properly, I swear. I was just exhausted—”

“Enough. I don’t care for your excuses. We have taken the proper measures to deter you should this happen during our travels. Don’t forget, you are mine, Annalise. Whatever you’re thinking, I have already thought of and taken a step to prevent it. I don’t want to kill you. But I will if it comes down to it,” he says.

My blood runs cold from the nonchalant way he threatens me. I swallow the sudden lump in my throat as my vulnerability stands out to me for the first time in a while.

Elias stands, his back to me as he speaks.

“Get some rest. You’ll need it. We leave first thing in the morning, and I won’t be slowing my men for you,” he says.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I murmur.

I breathe in a trembling breath as Elias leaves the room, laying back on the bed. I note as he opens the door that there are more guards than usual in front of my door.

Tears form in my eyes as I finally allow myself to feel the cacophony of emotions swirling around in my brain as the dream I had repeats itself, forcing my emotions at the time to come back to me in full force as I relive the nightmare.

My dream was my memory coming back, and it stuck this time. It makes sense. It was the first time I had ever laid eyes on the white-haired man. It was at the river. And he followed my scent back to the village, wiping out everyone I had ever known, including my father. Everyone except Dimitri. Dimitri, who carried me to safety. We were supposed to take the ships across the sea to escape. But I have no memory of that happening. My memories don’t span past escaping the village. The village that no one else escaped from.

And the screams…they still ring in my ears even now.

They were caused by the white-haired man who has appeared more than once in my dreams, meaning my torment goes beyond that day—much further past. Though I have no clear timeline, my memories of him have come to me sporadically, and I instinctively know there’s nothing but turmoil awaiting me in whatever time my memories hold of him.