Page 77 of Of Realms and Chaos

The male on the other side of the bars was slightly slumped forward, his breathing a heavy wheeze. I could hear the rattling of his lungs attempting to suck in air. They hadn’t healed him this time. Interesting.

“Ah, Spice, you wound me. Since the last time you visited, I had my leg snapped in four places and my chest kicked in, so I imagine what you are smelling is the gore. Alas, two hours of torture is usually followed by alone time rather than a chance to wash off the bile and blood. But I promise that, as soon as I have access to a bubble bath, I will be sure to get squeaky clean for you.” Even his playful words couldn’t mask the pain that bled through his tone. He was hurt quite badly.

“Only two hours? That’s a truly paltry torture session. They could use the practice.”

His laugh sent him into a fit of coughs, blood pouring from his lips. “It seems I might die before I get the chance to show you just how enjoyable I can be. A pity.” His charming smile wavered slightly, eyes fluttering closed.

The wicked part of me—the sinful part—was angry that he would die before I was able to have him inside of me. I was livid with myself for choosing to answer the summons home rather than stay here. What I planned to be a slow and teasing experience was now going to end before it even began.

Virtue hated early death even more than sin—when it was doled out by anyone other than me, at least. I was far too conceited a creature to believe any of my own actions were wrong. Now, that virtuous half of myself was angry at the injustice of it all. It was that half that acted, forcing me to back away from the bars. My magic seeped from me, crawling through the dungeons and up into the golden halls.

“You won’t die. Not until I am ready for you to.” Before he could respond, I was walking away, storming up the countless stairs. This day was proving to be heinous.

When I reached the spot where my magic had pooled, following a soul of virtue that manifested in the need to heal, I grabbed onto the female. She had short brown hair and an uninteresting face, her cream skin and thin lips not standing out as anything particularly exciting. My hand went around her throat, pink aura pulsing from me as I looked her in the eyes. They were blue, like the sea or a clear sky on this planet.

“Fix him, now.” My voice echoed, tone chilling in its fury. And then I shoved my magic into her, latching onto her virtuous thoughts and igniting them, letting that desire to help run rampant in her mind. When I released her, she gagged, gripping her neck.

Only a few seconds passed before she stood up, took four deep breaths, and headed to the male dying on the stone floor below these gilded halls. I would take him with me, but it would have to be after I found Asher. I needed her secure before I began making demands and stealing away foreign creatures. Evidently, I was far more like that bossy male than I realized, seeing as we both enjoyed a good abduction.

When we reached the cell on the left, the fae female pulled out a large iron key, opening the cage and walking in. She offered what sounded like genuine apologies for taking so long and then added even more as she healed him, the experience painful by the sound of his gasps and cries.

The male didn’t pay much attention to her. Instead, he stared at me, his dull eyes taking on a shine that was not there before. I rolled my own eyes, but the smirk on my face could not be stopped.

When her hands ghosted across the male’s chest, he was forced to stifle a scream, his body convulsing from the pain. If he didn’t recover quickly, I was going to lose my patience. Luckily for everyone involved, the Healer finished. I pushed past the slightly open cell door, grabbing the female by the arm and spinning her to face me.

“Don’t tell anyone that you saw me here. If you do, I will cut off your eyelids and make you watch as I slowly kill everyone you love. Understand?” She nodded, her gaze wide with fear and her lip trembling. I couldn’t help but compare her to a scared fawn, her mousy brown hair and big eyes reinforcing that docile resemblance. “Now, leave before I do all of that just for the fun of it.”

Shoving her away, I turned to face the now-healed male, listening halfheartedly to the rushed steps of her retreating. For the first time, the creature on the ground looked fearful. Not in the way most were when they realized just how dangerous my kind could be. No, this was an inquisitive sort of terror.

“Must you threaten someone when you can simply ask for their discretion?” I groaned at the taste of virtue that came from the words, my fingertips giving off a pink glow. It bubbled inside of me, eager to burst free. After a lifetime of straining for a semblance of the magic the others held, the overwhelming nature of having more than I could handle threatened to consume me. “Why is murder your first instinct?”

Normally, I would kill someone for having the audacity to place judgment on my character, because who were they to question me? To look down upon me? Who were they when I was closer to Eternity than I was these mortals?

But when he said it, with his eyes that now held a fragment of life and his innately curious tone, I wondered if he meant something different.

“Would you like that?” I asked, as if I couldn’t help myself. As if I had to see what he would prefer.

It was strange, feeling so intrigued by something for this long. He was different. Lust and horror circled the space between us, like hawks readying for the kill, just as they always did when I found a new toy. Beyond that, however, was a new sort of experience. This male was compelled by my nature, and it seemed that outweighed everything else.

“I am no fan of death and destruction. I find myself more inclined to seek entertainment in adventure and drink.” With a scoff, I walked towards him. He watched, his eyes never leaving mine—to my dismay. Slowly lowering myself to sit beside him, I leaned my head back, the grime of the cell wall quickly coating my pink locks. When I turned to look at him, the male was smiling. “Is it truly death you desire, or is it the prospect of feeling something that drives you to slaughter?”

My responding laugh was far too loud, but I could not bring myself to mask it. What an unusual thought, that we were anything more than wicked and cruel. Each of us possessed the antithesis of what made us evil, of course. I drew magic from virtue in the same way I did sin. Just as Venturae drew from both fate and chance and Kyoufu drew from fear and bravery. But that didn’t make us half good. We were all unable to feel in the same way that these creatures did, and that made us more dangerous than any evil they had known.

“You seek to see redemption where there is none, handsome. But that does beg the question: If you aren’t a malicious murderer, then why are you being held captive by the golden fae?”

Absentmindedly, I reached out and conjured a small pink knife, twirling it in my hand. As expected, the male seemed unbothered. Even I was unsure if this action was meant to be a threat.

“If I answer, will you explain what in the Underworld you are?” There it was. I had been waiting for him to ask, seeing as I was so clearly other.

“Prove your worth, and I will show you.”

He laughed, his hand brushing through his dirt-filled hair. I couldn’t help but notice the cut of his jaw as he did, his neck and shoulders straining with muscle.

“How about we make a deal, Spice? You get me out of here, and I will show you exactly how worthy I am. All I need is answers and freedom.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Asher

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