Page 8 of Her Dark Promise

I let go of his hands, and he grasped onto my hips and fucked me so hard that I had to grip the headboard or else I would be propelled off. It didn’t take long for us to find our release at the speed he was going, hitting that spot with each thrust.

I let go of the headboard and collapsed on top of him. We laid there for a moment, our breaths intermixed. There were only two things that made me feel any kind of emotion and one of them was when his throbbing length was deep inside of me. Even then it was a feeling that wouldn’t last, a fleeting moment.

Princess, do you really think he wants you for anything other than sex?

Circe.

Would she ever not invade almost every moment of my damned existence. Always reminding me of my shortcomings?

I replied to the voice in my head, “Get out.”

“What?”

I sighed as I sat up, looking down at his flushed face, and couldn’t help but think about the way they killed Mariam. About how she was no more.

Another dead body, taunted Circe.How many more will die because of you?

I squeezed my eyes shut as I slid off of him, and rolled over to get out of bed to go to the bathing chamber. He knew what I wanted, knew what our arrangement was.

And he was right. He was my consort. Nothing more and nothing less.

Chapter two

The distant sounds of bells chimed three times, alerting me to the witching hour. A time that I had become accustomed to living in. I had laid in bed staring into the night sky long after Callum had departed. I hadn’t dared to close my eyes, knowing that the nightmares would come once again and I couldn’t bring myself to allow them to find me.

The rage had yet to die down. Thoughts of Mariam lying in her cottage pulled at a part of me that I barely acknowledged. I killed that couple too quickly, and now I was left with this pit in the bottom of my stomach. An indescribable ache that, no matter how much I tried to cast it from my mind, wouldn’t go away.

I threw the covers from my body when it was clear that I would be getting no sleep tonight and glided out of my chambers, and down the hall until I was in front of large oak doors. I pushed with little resistance to an empty library as a loud creak rang in the silence.

I picked up the candle and lit it with a single word. “Incendu.” It blazed until there was a circle of light twirling slowly around my body.

The library was grand. My ancestors had taken great care when designing this room. During the day, natural light filled the room with its floor-to-ceiling windows and thick columns in between. There was a spacious rug in the middle of the room with intricate patterns that was gifted to us by a famous artist whose name I couldn’t remember. Sliding ladders attached to the bookshelves lined every wall filled with thousands of books on various subjects from mathematics to personal journals from great scholars worldwide. Though I always favored books that spoke of far off places: of spices that I had yet to taste, the chilling bite of the ocean air on my face, or seeing monuments that touched the heavens.

It was once said that our library was the largest of all the kingdoms on our continent. And at one time that was most likely true… Over three hundred years ago. But now? Now, I stood in the middle of the Great Library in perpetual silence. Was it still grand if there was only me left to see it?

I took a deep breath, shook off the foreboding feeling that washed over me, and strode past the mantle that spanned the length of three windows. There was a blank space above the mantle that once held a family portrait, but I couldn’t bear to look at it after what had happened so I moved it to one of the many deserted locked rooms.

I made my way to the far back left corner of the room with a particularly deep alcove set, where even light was unable to penetrate this far back. This was just one of many alcoves within the castle that led to various secret rooms, hallways, and even outside. My ancestors wanted there to be multiple escape routes in case anything were to happen.

Even though I couldn’t stand to look at the portrait above the mantle, I kept a smaller one in this alcove to always remind myself of all I lost. I deserved nothing less. I spared them a sidelong glance and stopped in front of the section that housedthe books on wars that have come and gone, their victors long forgotten.

I located a book with a worn green spine. Nothing was outstanding about it, other than it being empty. I pulled the spine toward me, causing a small door to slide open. I opened the door to reveal a small room that used to be privy to the most secret of meetings, ones that the royal family didn’t want anyone to see or hear, beside the tower, and the books that didn’t exist to outsiders.

Belle and I found it when we were searching for a new book to read. I loved listening to her read. She was such a smart girl, and could read complex books at the small age of five. Not even I did that at her age.

I remembered the day. Belle was a little short and was trying to reach on her tippy toes to grab a book when she pulled on something and fell backward as the door swung open. We were both shocked that a door opened revealing a hidden room. It wasn’t terribly large, about as big as one of our servant’s bedrooms. The walls were nothing but shelves which were lined with books that were coated in a thick layer of dust. The books ranged in differing sizes, shapes, and colors. The room itself had a table in the middle with a used candle and a chair sitting on top of concrete flooring as if it were an afterthought. As though the people who made this room had no idea of the knowledge that would need to be hidden from the rest of the world.

We walked around it and soon found out why it was kept a secret.Magic.All of these shelves were lined with books about magic from different regions around the world. They weren’t in any particular order, a scattered collection. We had walked around, taking it all in when I looked over at the table.

“Magic?” Belle’s eyes lit up in a way they shouldn’t. Our father hated witches, and forbid magic. Yet, everything inside her body beckoned her childlike curiosity to know more about it.

“I wish you wouldn’t say it like that.” I rolled my eyes dramatically.

“Like what?” She blinked her large, doe eyes.

“Like it’s some adventure,” I said. “Magic is forbidden for a reason. We shouldn’t be in here.”

Belle bounced on the balls of her feet, ignoring my pleas.

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