Page 1 of Her Dark Promise

Chapter one

The sounds of their footsteps pattered along the mushy soil of the earth, their whispers filled the night. “Hurry up, Merrill. This place is giving me the creeps.”

I stared at the figures from the top of my balcony, clutching the blanket wrapped tightly around my shoulders as a harsh wind blew around me, leaving chills along my skin. The weather had been slowly changing from the blazing summer heat to the chill of fall. I could see it in the ever-changing trees and smell it in the air.

This was my favorite time of night. I found a strange peace in watching how nature changed, even in small ways, undeniably envious of decaying leaves. They could grow, wither, and die, while I was…me.

I needed this moment, however small and fleeting, before I tried to sleep. And yet, here were two humans sneaking onto my lands, pilfering it from me. It had been many years since someone had the audacity to pass through my front doors.

I eyed them curiously. It didn’t matter who they were. Not their status in life, nor their circumstances. I only cared abouttheir purpose. Purpose was everything, and it defined if they’d live or die.

The intruders’ hunched forms stalked through the rose garden, opened the heavy front doors and slipped inside. I lazily pushed my way from the balcony archway and out my chamber doors, wondering what poor, unfortunate souls had stumbled onto my lands. A smirk pulled at my lips at the prospect of having new toys to play with. It had been too long.

I clung to the shadows, observing them from a distance. Their faces lit up in awe as they gazed hungrily at my desolate castle in the middle of the dense forest. The gray coloring of the castle against the eternal fog cast an ominous feeling that should have sent any sane human running in the opposite direction. The points of the castle were so high that they couldn’t be seen from the ground, soaring above the fog. Moss and vines had taken over the exterior of the stone walls, bringing the only color to the bleakness that was my home.

I narrowed my gaze to find that their clothes had numerous patched holes, their skin was littered with dirt smudges, and their shoes had more patches than I could count. They hadn’t bathed in months. How they made it all the way out here in the first place was a mystery that I didn’t care to know.

I was about to step forward when I felt a presence behind me. Turning, I found Emilia staring blankly over my shoulder at the unwanted guests. It was a far-off look, the kind that told me she may be here, but her mind was not.

I slid next to her, resting my arms over the railing, and said in a lazy voice, not bothering to turn toward her, “I haven’t decided if I am thrilled to have new playthings or if I am annoyed to have to deal with them at such a late hour.”

She turned toward me and gave me a small smile. “You haven’t had visitors since Callum came ten years ago.”

I thrummed my fingers on the railing. “Has it truly been that long? Feels like only yesterday since my little bird came to live with us.” I smirked to myself, thinking of just a few hours ago when his cock was buried deep inside me.

I gave Emilia a sidelong glance and saw her cheeks redden as if she knew where my thoughts had lingered. I huffed a laugh as she asked, “What kind of a night do you think it’s going to be?”

I thought for a long moment and then responded, “They have yet to do anything salacious. Though, personally, I hope they do something to warrant punishment. I’ve been rather bored lately.”

But as the words slipped from my mouth, I instantly regretted them. Emilia and Callum were enough, especially when I considered all the years I’d spent alone, bound to this castle with nothing but my memories to keep me company. I couldn’t explain why I felt a yearning, a want for more. I didn’t know where it came from, and I hated it.

“It could be fun,” I continued on with a wink.

She began to laugh before her hand flew to her throat, and she winced in pain. Her eyes widened as she looked away, attempting to hide her pain from me. I didn’t want to embarrass her further so I tapped her on the shoulder, brought my hands up, and signed,You don’t suppose they committed such a heinous crime as to require dismemberment? I have yet to do that.I smirked playfully. Emilia looked back over and seemed to assess them with that sharp gaze of hers. Then, she turned back to me, brought her hands up, and signed.Per your rules, your majesty, they must have to commit such an atrocious act so as to warrant capital punishment.

I smirked at her. “I am not worried; look at them: they reek of evil.”I cocked my head.“What do you think they have done?”

Emilia scoffed.At the very least, they have proven themselves to be thieves.

We focused on the two guests; the female bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and screeched, “Can you believe this? Claude, we won’t have to eat scraps anymore.”

I was taken aback by her words. Were they just here because they were desperate to make ends meet? Did they just want food in their bellies?

Claude was walking around the entrance, looking into every nook and cranny as if he expected someone to jump out at them at any moment.

“Merrill, I don’t have a good feeling ‘bout this place.”

Merrill rolled her eyes and walked over to him, slapping him on the back. “Oh come on, if someone were, they would have already made their presence known.”

“I don’t think—”

“Stop worrying, would you? A find like this doesn’t come often.”

He grinned at her, the tension slightly leaving his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his chest. His hands made their way down to grab her ass as he drawled, “And here I thought the biggest find was that little old woman at the edge of the forest.”

Emilia and I straightened at his words, waiting to see what he meant. That longing for something interesting shifted almost violently—I didn’t want them to finish their story.

Merrill threw her head back in laughter. “That old bitch didn’t know what hit her. I loved the sound of her flesh when my blade sliced her throat.”

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