Page 32

Annalise

One week later…

H ow did I get here? How did I come to live such a meaningless existence? How did one trip to the river change my life for the worse?

I silently stand in front of the mirror, looking at myself once again. My gaze shifts to the small scar that now sits on my forehead, right beneath the widow’s peak. Cyrus did this to me. Cyrus struck me with all his might, letting the rage of his beast take over. All because I spoke out against the beasts, saving a human from a fate better than mine. As I look at myself, I don’t feel sadness or fear.

I feel rage.

I was born into this world as a tool to help humanity avoid the fate Cyrus was determined to bestow upon us for starting a war. But because of the hunters’ stupidity and lack of control, I was taken and hidden from the world. I was meant to be powerful and able to not only stand up to a beast but fight against one like Cyrus.

All my life, I have been held back from fulfilling my destiny. People have tried to see me as more than what I was born as: a tool. I am nothing more than a means to an end. Clearly, my life has no purpose. Even without being what the hunters needed me to be, I still ended up being nothing more than a tool in someone’s life.

I am the desire Cyrus hates himself for.

Cyrus has a special kind of hatred in his heart for humanity, and since revealing his reasoning, I understand why. If I were in his shoes, I would hate humans with everything I had as well. But he made the mistake of falling in love with one. He had a child with one.

And his mind doesn’t know how to cope with that.

The door to my bedroom opens, and Joan enters with her head down. She’s barely spoken to me since our arrival, and I don’t know if it’s out of shame or pity. I watch her silently as she places the food on the table, stepping back to look at me. She studies me for a while, trying to find the right words.

“Anna… you must eat,” she murmurs.

I silently move away from the mirror to stand over the burning hearth. The warmth feels nice, seeping into my skin. I turn to look out the window that overlooks the estate. The snow is thick, covering the banisters on the patio.

“Why?” I ask.

I turn to face Joan when she doesn’t respond, letting my anger out.

“Why must I eat? He has taken my life. I am nothing to him but a body, remember? I am not the mother of his son; he is giving that honor to a beast and locking me away to fuck whenever he pleases until he knocks me up again and takes that child as well!” I shout.

Silence once again overcomes the room. Joan seems hesitant as she moves closer to me, trying to find the right words.

“That isn’t true. Just give him time. He will calm down and realize his mistake and—“

“Just stop!” I scream, snatching up the plates Joan brought and throwing them across the room.

They each shatter, and the door opens as more servants rush in to see what’s wrong, stopping when they realize it’s my anger. My words spill from my lips as I let my anger out on Joan.

“Do you think I am not aware of where your loyalty lies? You watch me constantly for him, reporting everything I say and do. Don’t act as if you care for my well-being. You are here for him. Do not tell me what to do any longer. Your words are his,” I snap.

Joan watches me in shock, hurt flashing across her features, and I narrow my gaze at her lack of response.

“Get out,” I growl out.

I feel hatred I haven’t felt before festering within me. Joan takes a small step toward me with her hand out.

“Anna—”

“I said get out!”

I turn, facing everyone in the room as well. Each beast looks at me with pity in their gazes, and I hate it. I don’t believe in their pity. They are all beasts, just as Cyrus is. I can’t stand to look at anything related to Cyrus right now. I am completely at his mercy as I always am.

“All of you get out! Go!” I screech.

The servants scurry out of the room, and I follow them to the door, slamming it with both hands. I lean my head against the wood, trying to bring my anger down, but it doesn’t help. I lock the door, making my way to the balcony. The cold air blows my hair from my face, burning my cheeks as I let my scream rip from my lips. But it isn’t enough for me. So, I place my hands against the banister, screaming again and again until my throat is raw and my screams turn to sobs.

“There she is.”

I whip my head up in the direction of the voice. To my horror, Elias is standing against the wall of my balcony, a mischievous grin on his lips as he studies me. He’s dressed in white, blending in with the snow as he steps away from the edge.

“Seeing you at that party drove me insane trying to figure out where that woman was. Where was the angry princess whose life was uprooted by beasts?“ he asks.

I blink in confusion as he studies me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper.

Elias only smiles, revealing his teeth.

“Of course not. He told you to forget about that life, did he not? And for some reason, you do whatever he tells you. You cling to his every word like gospel,” he says mockingly.

His gaze shifts slightly as he studies me, his smile dropping.

“Why are you here?” I ask, pulling his attention.

He studies me intensely, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

“For you, of course. Do you think I went through all of this trouble only to leave when the king bared his fangs?” he laughs.

I’m immediately on alert, standing. Elias follows the motion with his eyes but doesn’t move. His gaze is as unnerving as Cyrus’s, except I don’t know the purpose of Elias’s insightful glare.

“How did you find me?” I ask.

Elias shrugs, moving.

“It wasn’t very difficult. You are fiercely loyal, but it’s painfully obvious the king doesn’t see that. I’m assuming it has something to do with you being in my lands. All I had to do was plant doubt in his mind. I wasn’t expecting him to send you away. Only separate himself from you, but he’s done the easy part for me,” he says.

Terror begins to rack its way up my spine the longer he stands over me. But I force myself to remain calm to at least understand why he’s here, targeting me.

“If Cyrus finds out about you being here, he’ll—“

“Oh, I think he’ll be too busy with his own kingdom to care about my being here with the human he exiled,” he chuckles.

Elias studies me heavily, stepping closer to the door.

“Why are you after me?” I ask shakily.

Elias’s amusement vanishes as he steps over me. His gaze is eerie, and I can’t decipher what it is I am looking at.

“I want you. Your face, your body, your blood… it calls to me in a way no one ever has,” he says.

I flinch as he reaches for my face, his fingers tracing my jaw before he pushes my hair away from my forehead. A frown forms on his lips as he studies the scar Cyrus placed there, rubbing his thumb over the mark.

“I am not foolish enough to deny what my beast wants,” he says wickedly.

I gasp softly, my eyes widening.

“But you’ll start a war,” I whisper.

Elias’s smile widens as he studies me. His eyes shift slightly, and he draws his blade. A squeal escapes me as I close my eyes, but the clash of blades pulls my attention.

My eyes widen as I take in the sight before me. Elias has a wide grin on his lips as his blade clashes against Joan’s.

“Joan—“

“Go inside, Anna!” she shouts.

I take a step back, but Elias has me in his sights, his smile seemingly wicked. He lifts his blade, his hand covered in the dark mass that usually covers Cyrus’s body as he aims for Joan’s abdomen. She dodges, spinning to use her blade again, aiming for his throat. She moves lithely, an obvious expert at swordhandling.

“How dare you trespass on the king’s woman!” she shouts.

I turn, running towards the balcony door. My hand is inches from the handle when a blade shoots past my face, lodging into the frame. I let out a scream, turning to face Joan and Elias. He uses the opportunity to land a blow into Joan’s chest, sending her flying past me through the balcony doors.

“Joan!” I scream her name, running into the debris to see her in a pile of wood and glass, her clothes tattered as blood runs down the side of her face. I fall to her side, checking her for fatal wounds, when she pushes me aside, struggling to stand.

“Please, run, Annalise. He is a danger to you,” she grunts.

She holds her blade tight, aiming it at Elias as he steps into the room. His movements are fast as he blurs past me, snatching Joan up off the ground.

“No! Stop!” I scream at him, but he isn’t paying attention to me. He’s focused on Joan, the dark smoke beginning to seep from his forearm as it slowly creeps to where his hand is around her throat.

“Drop it.” His tone is cold as he speaks to her, but her grip remains firm on her blade as she glares down at him.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be your docile servant? Even now, they lie to you. What more do you need to see? What keeps you so loyal to people who don’t care for you in the least?” he asks.

I open my mouth, holding my tongue. He doesn’t know about Ciel. If he did, he would know why I’m so desperate to remain. And he would see Ciel as a threat. Already, he’s hinted at doing damage in the kingdom. I can only pray that Cyrus is able to protect Ciel from whatever threat is coming. And the way that Joan looks down at me confirms it. I can’t tell him. The thought of using Cyrus’s seal crosses my mind, but I recall what happened the last time I used it. He harmed me with it, and he has no idea this is happening. He could kill me from within the palace.

I am powerless.

“Please, let her go,” I say softly.

“See, that right there. I don’t understand where it comes from—this strange loyalty you hold for them. He’s responsible for everything bad in your life. She has lied to you from the moment he placed her at your side. Why do you want me to spare her?” Elias asks.

He looks down at me, a terrifying gleam in his eyes.

“I can give you freedom, Anna. I can wipe out everything in this kingdom and give you a world where you can rule your own people as well as mine,” he says, grinning.

Joan uses this opportunity to attack, bringing both of her legs up around the arm that holds her. She then uses her free hand, bringing her elbow down. The loud crack of his arm breaking under the strain fills the air. As he collapses, she uses his momentum to roll them onto the floor, keeping her blade ready. She whips it around, swiping at his throat.

Elias dodges, his irritation showing as he closes his fist, striking her in the rib. The loud crack resounds throughout the room as he throws her off, snatching her blade up. He stands over her, grabbing her by the hair. She looks at him defiantly, with no fear in her gaze. It’s clear to me now that she is a warrior. She was never a servant, and she has always been by my side to protect my life with her own as she is now.

“She is not yours to have, outsider. She will never bow to you. And you will pay for this with your life,” she manages.

Elias’s gaze narrows and he takes Joan’s sword, running it through her. It easily pierces her skin, lodging deep into the column behind her, anchoring her body to it. Blood rushes past her lips, her eyes wide with pain as Elias watches her.

“No!” I scream.

I’m to my feet, sprinting across the room, but Elias snatches me roughly around the waist, holding me from her. Tears blur my vision as I watch Joan bleed out on the floor. But Elias isn’t done. He presses his foot into her chest, his smile frightening as the crunch of her bones sounds.

“Or maybe you shall pay with yours,” he chuckles, looking down at her.

“If you manage to survive, tell your king I have claimed the stray human he allowed to wander within his halls.”