Page 85 of Her Dark Promise

I was about to walk inside when the sky started to turn gray—a storm was coming.

I stood as Soren opened the door for me and said, “Don’t bother me tonight. I won’t be down for dinner.” Then, I headed back inside, leaving him even more confused.

My breathing started to shorten, sweat beaded my brow, and a rising sense of panic surged through my body. The panic I felt earlier crept its way back in. I needed space. I had no destination in particular and stopped the moment I heard voices.

Fuck! Was there anywhere in this goddamn castle that I could get a moment's peace?

I was about to confront them when I heard Bastian say, “I can’t stand her, Callum. And there’s nothing you can do or say to make me change my mind.”

I heard Callum reply, “Bastian…” I heard him sigh. “As I have told you, numerous times, your life could be so much better if you gave in.”

“If I give in, then I lose myself. And that’s the last thing that I have.”

Another pause.

Circe was right; I had brought nothing but misery to all who had come into my life.

I pressed my back against the wall and shook. It was too hot. I needed to get away, but there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to run. My castle was still a cage, only with a handful of voices to remind me of all the things Circe often did.

I needed to be outside. I quietly walked away from them and prayed I didn’t run into anyone else. Something wet hit my face when I stepped outside the back doors. I looked up to see the clouds had fully rolled in, thick and dark.

I slowly crept back inside.

I had nowhere to go.

Chapter fifteen

It was after dinner, and Bastian urged that we all gather in one of the many rooms in the castle, which has a large fireplace and lots of seating. Emilia had joined us for dinner for the sixth night in a row, and Bastian thought that it called for a celebration.

“Come on! Don’t be a baby and just answer the question.”

Bastian threw his arm over Callum as he teased Soren. Bastian apparently wanted to keep drinking as he had insisted we play a drinking game.

He had been unusually cheerful and drunk from sun up to sun down. I continued to allow his behavior, but was getting annoyed with how brazen he had become. It was something that I was intrigued about at first but I was not not sure if I could allow it to continue.

There was a long couch situated right in front of the roaring fire that Callum had lit and a few more chaise lounges placed around an oak table in the middle. I sat down in my chair that was closest to the fire, not wanting to sit next to any of them, not even Callum.

“I would rather not partake in this particular game. Please skip me,” Soren said while settling onto a spot on the floor, not wanting to be next to anyone, it seemed.

Bastian threw himself on the couch, taking Callum with him as he scoffed, “It is a simple game with simple questions. Nothing too rigorous. We wouldn’t want you overworking yourself now would we?”

Soren narrowed his eyes on his brother. They had not had a decent conversation since the night that his brute of a brother bashed him over the head and tried to escape. He took a sip of his hot herbal tea and looked toward the fire, not wanting to continue talking.

Emilia had taken up a chair next to me, still not talking to anyone, tense as ever. She was so tense that it was making me tense in trepidation of what she might do.

The silence was beginning to grind on my nerves, so to get the night over with, I decided to play along.

“I’ll go. Rules seem simple enough. Answer the question honestly or drink. The last person standing wins.”

Bastian indicated it was my turn to be questioned with a head nod in my direction.

“How old exactly are you?”

This again. “You are worse than your brother.”

“If you won’t answer the question then drink.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like it’s a secret. We can’t be the only ones to know about your sordid past.”

I placated him for no other reason than to get everything out in the open. I was growing tired of living the way we were. It was no longer entertaining me.

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