Page 5 of Bonded Chaos

The room grew darker with each step, and every instinct screamed at me to run, to break free. But my body had already conceded the fight.

Panic clawed at my throat, and I called upon my magic, the familiar tingling sensation bursting to life at my fingertips. Just as quickly as it came, however, my magic drained away, and my arms fell slack at my sides.

“Shh,” a low, masculine voice whispered from behind me, right before the darkness pulled me under.

Chapter Three

Cadence

The first thing I noticed when I woke, was the dull throbbing sensation that erupted at my temples. Light pulsed across my eyelids, sending little bursts of pain deep into my skull with each pass, and I groaned.

I tried to roll onto my side, but quickly realized my limbs were not cooperating. My body felt heavy and numb as I struggled to force it to move. I could make out distant noises somewhere nearby, but they sounded muffled, like I was hearing them from underwater.

I fought against the heaviness of my eyelids as I forced them to open, only to be assaulted by a blur of bright lights. My vision swam as a mass of indistinct shapes spun around me.

The entire room seemed to be moving, and my stomach roiled in response.

Where the hell was I?

A thick fog clouded my mind, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it.

When my vision finally cleared, I blinked several times as I struggled to make sense of what I was seeing. An unfamiliar ceiling glared down at me, with its gilded beams and intricately carved cornices.

Panic pricked at the edges of my mind, and I forced myself to inhale deep, calming breaths as I studied my surroundings.

I was lying on a four-poster bed, the dark mahogany wood reminding me of congealed blood. A sea of finely embroidered pillows surrounded me, and I was enveloped in the most luxurious blankets I had ever felt.

I swallowed thickly as I pulled myself into a sitting position, allowing the blankets to pool around my waist. My limbs protested under the strain, but eventually surrendered to my demands.

The heavy, leaden feeling that had been holding my body captive began to slowly ebb away, and I forced myself to stand on unsteady feet. When I peered over my shoulder, I took in the black silk sheets that were now crumpled, and I ignored the fastidious side of me that wanted to smooth them out.

I had bigger issues to contend with.

My gaze darted to a large arched window that dominated one wall. I took slow, tentative steps towards it until I was close enough to peer through the stained glass that depicted some kind of crest.

In the center was a pair of black, feathered wings with twin blades that poked out between them. Tendrils of black smoke danced around the wings, and, as I leaned in closer, I realized the wings were not feathered at all. Rather, the black tendrils of smoke appeared to be emanatingfromthem.

Unease washed over me at the realization.

I stared down at the courtyard below, where people bustled about. The vast open space spanned in every direction and was abuzz with activity. Towering stone walls enclosed the area, but the trellises of ivy growing along the stone softened the harsh exterior.

A magnificent chestnut tree stood in the center of the courtyard, its branches offering shade to those resting on the benches beneath its sprawling limbs. Birds flitted from limb to limb as they serenaded those below with the occasional burst of song.

The sound of steel grating against steel caught my attention, and I turned toward the noise. Practice areas littered the far edge of the courtyard, and two men with swords sparred in the center of one square, while others watched from the sidelines.

Next to them, straw targets were set up as soldiers perused the offerings of bows that sat alongside the weapon racks filled with arrows, swords, shields, lances, and a variety of other deadly looking instruments.

The soft laughter of children pulled my attention in the opposite direction. I glimpsed a large, ornate fountain sculpted from a pearlescent marble. The cascading water shimmered in the sunlight, which made the structure appear ethereal. Childrenjumped in and out of the water, squealing in delight as the cool liquid soaked their clothes.

The people below appeared unconcerned, going about their day as if nothing was amiss.

And I recognized none of it.

As I turned back toward the room, I studied my surroundings more closely as I tried desperately to recall how I had ended up here. My eyes narrowed on a desk in the corner, and my feet carried me over to it without conscious thought.

The desk held an assortment of objects — scattered parchment, a wax seal with the same crest that appeared on the window, a quill and an inkpot, a bejeweled dagger, and a half-empty goblet of wine.

I brushed my fingers over the parchment, shifting it aside to reveal a map. I pulled it free from the pile and studied it closely. A small gasp escaped me when I realized it was a map of the Unseelie Kingdom. The map noted strategic trading posts and highlighted weak spots along the border shared with the Seelie Kingdom.

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