Page 19 of Her Dark Promise

“Will you just leave me alone for one fucking moment?”

Such vulgar words. What would your dear father say?

I immediately stiffened at the mention of my father. I gripped the edge of the cast iron tub until pain radiated throughout my hands.

I closed my eyes and ground my teeth together as her laughter rang throughout the room, so loud that I had to hold my hands against my ears to try and stop the noise. No matter how hard Isqueezed my hands, the sound wouldn’t stop. She kept on going and going, getting louder and louder until I snapped my fingers and a full glass appeared in my hand.

Myvenin.

I didn’t waste any time and downed the entire glass in one go. The moment I finished it, the voice started to fade away into the background. As if there were an invisible wall that shut her out instantly.

That never keeps me out for long.

I took a deep breath, once again met with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company. I opened my eyes as I brought the glass up to my face and turned it over, staring at the remains of the red liquid. I knew that one sip of this drink could kill a human the moment the liquid touched their lips. I brought the glass up to my nose and inhaled its toxic scent. Praying to a worthless god that this one glass would finally do its job and take me away from this never-ending hell.

I still drank poisonous wine every day. Thoughla veninwas only used when I needed my mind to calm. When the raging in my soul couldn’t be stopped by fucking or killing. When the nightmares were so palpable I would wake drenched in sweat.

I sighed as the rest of the effects began to work. My body began to melt into the tub and my fingers started to tingle. I dropped the glass, hearing it shatter in the recesses of my mind as I slowly blinked, loving the numbing effects of the poison, and sighed, looking around the room that I had come to memorize.

The ceilings were high, with intricate patterns coated in the most expensive gold dust that money could buy. The flooring was made of ceramic, the most coveted material at the time. Three windows traveled the length from floor to ceiling directly in front of the tub. The windows were my favorite feature as I could look out over my rose garden and think about the fond memories of my past. The only memories I cared to hold ontowith every fiber of my being. And past that was the Forbidden Forest—a name not to keep others out, but me in. The dense forest loomed around the border of my land, mocking me and reminding me of my eternal imprisonment, the invisible tether that bound me to these lands.

As much as I loved my home, I had dreamt of more once upon a time. That was before the curse—before that day. The curse that was placed upon me was legendary, yet no one remembered it. The enchantress was true to her word—only I remembered the truth.

Before I knew it, the water had turned cold. I got out and stumbled to bed for the one hundred thirty-five thousand and fiftieth night in a row.

After the effect of the wine had faded away, I tossed and turned all night long, my thoughts going back to Emilia. Worrying about how this was going to affect her. She had been tormented by that town and now there was a male here from it. I massaged my fingers into the sides of my head, a headache coming on from the stress.

I looked over toward where I knew the tower was and narrowed my eyes at the male as if I could see him. It hadn’t been long since I left him, and I didn’t want to return too soon. He needed to believe that I could leave him up there until the day he died if didn’t tell me what I needed to know.

Yet, it was almost unbearable waiting. I was never good at being patient. As a child, I was scolded for it constantly and after all these years, nothing had changed.

I needed to do something before I completely lost my mind, more than I already had. I got up, threw on a robe, and headed to the library to do a little reading, but I paused as I passed bythe large oak door leading to the tower. He wasn’t in there long enough to make a point, but then again, I didn’t have any time to waste.

I growled as I wrenched open the door, stalked up the stairs, and through the small wooden door. I entered the room, and a shiver ran down my spine again seeing him dangling from the ceiling. “So…are you ready to play nice and tell me what I want to know?”

His muscles were so tight from having his arms raised above his head for so long. He was dirty and haggard, a stark difference from the rugged hunter from the woods. His head was hanging to the side as if he tried to get comfortable, shaking from the cold night that he had just endured.

He lifted his head, voice cracking, “You can’t treat people like this.”

“Like what?” I asked innocently, clasping my hands together behind my back.

“You imprisoned me without just cause. I did nothing to you.” His teeth clattered together so hard that he could hardly get the words out.

“As I have told you before, I will let you go once you give me what I want. And what I want is to know how many more of you there are.” I walked over to the table with the weapons and ran my fingers over them, thinking about which one would make him talk.

“And I have tried to explain that I don’t know who you are speaking of. I think all of this was a big misunderstanding.”

“AndIwarned you not to lie to me again. That there would be consequences.” I could feel my magic stir under my skin, and I knew I was right because his eyes bulged out of his head.

He didn’t have enough strength to struggle. His voice was breathy when he said, “I am not lying.”

I watched as the veins in his arms became more visible while he tensed, his muscles pronounced. I quietly studied him. Could I be wrong? Was he telling the truth?

“Whatare you?”

“You said it yourself, a witch.” I could hear the numbness in my own voice.

I raised my hands up to my face and looked at the vibrant shadows twirling along my hands. I could see how petrified the poor human was, and I was delighted by his fear. Unfortunately for him, I was about to get even more terrifying.

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