My knees trembled as she swung around to meet me, my mind’s eye still fixed on the granite stairway where Andrew’s lifeless body lay. He was here, and then he was gone. His absence should have been a relief, but it only intensified my fear. Now it was just Samira and me. Alone.
“Now then, where were we?” She wiped the blood from her mouth, licked her fingers.
“I don’t know, I …”
“Ah, yes. Your request.” She beamed, floated back and forth as she spoke. “It seems you have wasted your time and have taken quite a gamble.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You made the assumption Gavin would be punished. That you could take his place. You see, he is alive, and I do not intend to punish him. I must allow him to go into exile. However, he is guilty under my law, and will serve me in place of physical punishment. As for you my dear, a mortal in this place has two options. Live or die. You may not leave mortal, you see. You become a liability to our secrecy if you do. To live, you must become one of us. And what an honor it is to join our family.”
“I wouldn’t be a liability if you let me go.… I would never tell anyone, I swear—”
“I have no proof of that. The only mortals who know about us outside of this place are changed, or killed immediately. The relationship you and Gavin have begun is most forbidden, and such a unique situation must be handled quickly and definitively. Leaving is not a choice for you unless you are changed, do you understand?”
My eyes locked on hers. I fought to remain submissive, but my suspicion burned. “Yes. But … why give me the gift of immortality? I mean, why spare me?”
“Your very presence exudes endless potential. It is infectious,” she inhaled strongly, as if taking in my scent. “Such vitality, such perseverance. You would be far more useful to me joining our family than you would be providing me with a single meal. The choice is yours. What will it be?”
Gliding toward me, she took my chin in her hand. “If you truly desire to take Gavin’s place, I will spare him his sentence of servitude and admit him to Amaranth where his curse will be lifted, as he has requested. You may serve in his place. Unless, of course, you prefer the other option.…”
“No.” I met her hazy stare, ready to commit. I knew I was interfering with Gavin’s plans, but it would be worth it, if it meant letting him go free, seeing him human again, just as he wanted. What Samira presented to me was more of a trade, more desirable even. If I accepted the offer, I’d still have a chance to be with him again, would be here to witness the destruction of the evil incarnate that stood before me. I needed no more convincing. “Change me.”
“It is done. You’ll be escorted to his living quarters immediately.” With a quick swirling of her lifted skirt, she retired to her throne and gestured to the wolves. As I turned to follow them toward the doorway, she called at me to stop, leered at her long, sharp nails as she spoke.
“One more thing, my pet. I almost forgot. In choosing to take another servant’s place, you are marked. You belong to me, which means you will not have the privilege of living in exile.” She met my eyes with a smug smile. “Just so we’re clear on that.”
CHAPTER 16
Fight or Flight
The wolves led me up an exhausting spiral stairway to the castle’s highest tower. When we reached the top of the staircase, another large guard in a gray hooded cloak met us with an aloof stare.
“Dali. Akim. Release,” he instructed the animals. They obeyed, retreated elegantly back down the stairway to return to their queen. He let me walk ahead of him, leisurely strolled a few feet behind me. We passed cell after cell, each wooden door sealed shut with only a single opening to see through and complete with rod iron bars. Living quarters? This was a prison.
I didn’t know how I would react when I saw him, and I was far more concerned with how he would react when he saw me, knew I’d have to talk fast and convince him to comply with the deal I made with Samira. What he was here to attempt was far too risky, and although I wasn’t sure of the fate