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Annalise

E lias has made a mistake bringing me to my homeland. Now, I have nothing standing in the way of my escape except timing. I know this place. I grew up here, and though I grew up in a particular region of this land, all I have to do is make it to familiar surroundings. I know this world is much larger than Elias’s, and I also know Elias isn’t familiar with it. So once I escape, it will be much more difficult for him to find me.

Elias’s new plans call for an all-out war I never thought I would be part of. His plans have shifted from preparing his side of the world to defend itself from an unknown enemy to infiltrating the enemy’s land and planning to take it all for himself. This enemy, however, is a bigger danger than Elias.

He is the king of the beasts on this side of the world.

Everything fell into place when Elias used the word “exile” to describe what happened to me here. Exile is a word reserved for those in power to exert their authority over those with less power, including me. And if what Elias says is true, I was exiled by the king of the beasts for protecting my own. Elias claims the exile is what led me into his arms, but in the spotty memories I have of the white-haired beast, my life with him was difficult. And just as Elias is confused as to why I wanted to return, so am I.

But I have decided to no longer dwell on the past. It holds nothing but pain. It hasn’t helped me this far. It’s only made me more confused about my situation and more hesitant now that I know no one is waiting for me here. My father was killed in that village, and I have to assume Dimitri died not long after, leaving me to the white-haired beast who eventually exiled me, leading me to Elias.

There is nothing to fill the gaps in between. I’d rather live as who I’ve become since awakening than whoever I was.

She no longer matters.

I look up as the sound of approaching horses pulls me from my thoughts. More soldiers approach from regions unknown with dirty, sniveling humans who will have to choose between death or risking their lives for this cause. I eye them heavily as they come in on the back of a cart, my own memory blinking at me to reveal more as deja vu washes over me. But I push it down. It won’t help me.

Elias has spent a heavy amount of time desperately searching for people like me. Those who look human but aren’t that entirely. He has doubled his army in size since our arrival and maneuvered it away from the coast, splitting it into six different factions to spread over this land. He plans to attack from all sides but not consume everything in his path. Here, he plans to move stealthily so as not to alert his enemy of his presence. He plans on attacking the palace first, removing the strength of the capital before expanding beyond.

A kingdom cannot survive without its king, Elias would say.

Elias was definitely born to rule. His plan is thorough and filled with many contingencies should something go awry. The only contingency he hasn’t shared is what will happen once I disappear. I know he plans on using me as bait. He believes the king won’t be protecting his palace for some reason, but should that be the case, Elias plans on using me to fight that creature. It is why he was so extreme with my training, wanting me to be better than his soldiers.

But I don’t plan on being near Elias or the kingdom when that day comes.

“Annalise.” I tense as Elias’s voice carries from behind me.

He’s been in his tent all morning, studying maps of the surrounding areas that his scouts have been vigorously exploring. I should be alongside him at least trying to figure out where we’ve traveled since we departed the coast, but I can’t do too much to make him suspicious. I need his guard as lowered as possible when I escape.

I quickly stand, leaving my weapon on the ground as I bow.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” I say softly, avoiding his gaze.

Elias grips my face, forcing my lips to his. His kiss is overpowering as he forces his tongue past my lips. I grunt against him, forcing myself to remain calm as he continues to claim me before pulling away. My cheeks burn as I glare at him in shock, and he’s watching me with a wide grin.

I hate it when he grins. It’s always hiding his cruel intentions. But now that he has my attention, he reveals his teeth.

“Don’t avoid my gaze. You’ve earned at least that much,” he chuckles, turning away from me. “Come. Let us greet the new recruits.”

I silently follow him through the camp, keeping my eyes down as we pass each of his men, old and new.

My father always warned us to be wary of the hunters. He didn’t trust them for some reason and swore they would be the downfall of humanity. Even though I don’t know how it occurred, I can see that my father was right. Each group that arrives looks worse than the last—some even sport brands on their bodies, courtesy of the king of this land.

Nowhere is safe for us. Humans and hunters alike.

My stomach dips as we reach the newest recruits. They have been rounded up in a pen in the center of the camp, possibly taken from their homes or even the roads. Elias may want to use them as allies, but he is clear about making them see how inferior they are upon their arrival. If I were them, broken and dirty, I would choose what Elias offers in a heartbeat. It’s a cruel way to ensure the loyalty of creatures you do not trust. And it is Elias’s signature trait.

Manipulation.

“Welcome to my camp. I am Elias—King across the waters. You do not know me, and I am not a part of this land. I have come here to finish this war you started with the king of the beasts on this side of the water and claim this land for my own,” Elias says, looking down on the humans.

“And I have decided to give you the opportunity to join me,” he adds.

The humans slowly look up, their eyes filled with distrust as they take in Elias. Some even glance in my direction, the curiosity on their faces evident as they try to understand why a human stands next to a beast. And I know they can tell by the emotionless expression on my face that joining Elias would not be in their best interest.

Elias notices the direction of their gazes, stepping aside as he gestures to me.

“This is Annalise. She is like you. And like you, she can wield the power of a beast. She was bred for it. I know those of you who survived the war are aware of what the hunters were doing in the final decades of their existence. Annalise is the reason I have decided to allow you an opportunity to fight by my side. I will provide you with the proper weapons to fight against the beasts of this land and claim what those before you tried,” Elias says.

One of the hunters narrows their gaze, standing.

“And how can we be sure you will give us what we are owed? Will you write us into your laws? Give us land and homes? You are a beast, same as the king; how are we to trust the words of a foreigner looking to claim what is not his?” he asks.

Elias chuckles softly, and I tense. He is not a patient beast, and the sound of his laughter is never a good thing when it comes to humans. I release a slow breath as Elias steps past me and into the pen with the humans. He stands over the man who dared question his intentions or even speak to him as if he were on the same level.

“Do you really think you have a choice? Outside of my war lies a world you will not survive in. A world where the beast who rules you brands your flesh only to allow you to be a slave to his empire. A world where, if he so chose, he could wipe all of you out within hours. Do you truly think you are in a position to bargain with your savior?” he asks.

Silence washes over the area, and the sound of metal clinging in the distance is a somber reminder of the inevitable. The man doesn’t respond, nor does anyone around him.

“I do not plan on using those who do not wish to fight. You may go if my path isn’t what you envisioned for your future,” Elias says.

I once again tense, my eyes drifting over the pen of humans who unknowingly grapple with their lives. I pray that they can see the desperation in my eyes and choose wisely. But to my dismay, three humans step forward, one of which has a brand on their throat as they attempt to leave.

I see the black smog rise from Elias’s arms and quickly look away, unable to stomach what I know is about to happen once again. The screams quickly morph into struggling grunts, and I try my best to keep my eyes away from the gruesome scene.

“Annalise!” I open my eyes in time to see a panicked human escaping past me.

Despair washes over me at what this human is forcing me to do as I quickly call on the seal, using the inhuman strength that washes over me to capture and subdue the man. He lands beneath me with a loud thud, and as I place my sword at his throat in a silent warning, his struggles cease.

“Please… don’t move,” I murmur.

As I look back to where Elias stands, I see the other humans who thought they were going to be free have been robbed of their lives by Elias’s hands. Their lifeless eyes stare at the sky in shock as Elias moves away from the pen, making his way to where I kneel over the man’s whimpering body.

“The last thing I need for my cause is humans who have no sense of loyalty, spilling of my arrival. See how quickly Annalise could subdue even the strongest of you without breaking a sweat? I can offer that strength to you. And in return, you will live to see another day. Hopefully, by the end, it will be to see my reign.”

The man beneath me begins to struggle, and I push my knee deeper into his back, trying to make him remain still. But it’s too late. He has irritated Elias.

“Kill him,” he calls to me.

I look up with wide eyes, and Elias is watching me intensely, waiting for me to follow his command. The man continues to struggle beneath me, but I slowly move my blade away from his throat for fear that he will end up cutting his own flesh.

Elias’s gaze narrows as he looks at me.

“Annalise.”

The warning in his tone is enough to make me pale but not enough for me to take this man’s life. Elias himself said I was exiled because I tried to protect my own against the king. And now he’s commanding I do the same thing. He’s seeing where my loyalty lies. He’s testing me, attempting to understand if he’s broken me in the way Cyrus did.

My eyes widen as the name dances across my mind for the first time.

Cyrus.

“Ah!” I cry out in pain as the man beneath me uses his elbow to clip me in the face as he maneuvers himself up. He’s obviously a skilled fighter who somehow escaped the fate of his peers as he gets up.

I stumble, my vision blurring from the brute force of the attack, but I don’t have to recover. Elias is past me in an instant, and I hear the horrid sound of the man’s bones crunching under Elias’s brutal strength. I continue to stumble, kneeling in the grass as blood drips from the fresh wound near my eye.

“Do we understand each other now?” Elias asks as he returns to the horror-stricken humans. After a moment of silence, he calls to his men to escort them to begin their lives as part of his army. I ignore the whimpers and sobs as they move past me, my guilt eating at me.

I tense when I feel hands on either side of my face, and when I look up, it’s Elias glaring at me in irritation. His eyes roam over the fresh wound, and he gently runs his thumb over the area, causing me to flinch from his touch. Elias’s frown deepens and roughly grips my chin, forcing me to look in the direction of the mutilated corpse that now lies near the middle of the field.

A gasp leaves my lips, and I try to look away, but Elias holds my head firm as he moves behind me.

“All you had to do was cut his throat. You could have saved him the agony. Your mercy will only bring them suffering. Remember that the next time you disobey my order.”