Page 28 of The Sanguine Selection
"How did you know that was there?"
Jasper's gaze meets mine, a sad smile curling the edge of one side of his mouth. "There are many things about this place that you have yet to discover, Oxana. They will be revealed—but all in good time.”
I want to scream at this, but the cramping in my stomach increases, the intensity of my pain growing with every passing second. I squeeze my abdomen, a strangled cry escaping my lips before I start coughing and gasping for breath. Blood coats my tongue, the red drops spackling my dry mouth.
Jasper mutters something before he slips the dagger back into its hidden sheath and returns it around my neck. His touch is surprisingly gentle, but still, I whimper at the contact. Even the slightest brush of his fingers sends untold agony spiraling through me.
"Easy, child. Breathe—this shall pass."
A snort gets strangled in my throat, and I choke around the sound. Whatever is happening isn’t going to pass. In fact, I have a feeling it’s just going to get worse. The pain wracking my body radiates into my soul and doesn’t show any sign of abating.
And yet, Jasper's presence soothes me. Maybe I instinctively know he means me no harm, or perhaps in my darkest hour, I'm lonely and searching to find comfort or companionship. Either way, Jasper provides a calm that I can no longer perpetuate.
I find myself clutching his arm as if he were the only lifeline in this turbulent sea of internal suffering. The moments stretch on, marked by my labored breathing and this pain that seems to have no end.
Breathless and drenched in sweat, I pant. Tears blur my vision, and I'm overcome by the relentless despair of my situation. Tugging Jasper closer, I pull his face near mine with a trembling hand.
“Please, I can't bear this any longer. You must put me out of my misery!"
Jasper recoils in shock, his expression an echo of my own when Papa asked me to do the same. At the time, I was appalled that he dared ask such a thing of me, but now…now I understand. To kill him would’ve been a mercy if he felt even a fraction of the agony pulsing through my body.
“No, child. I know it feels like you are dying, but you are not meant to depart from this world yet. You have a greater mission to fulfill here first.”
I groan, rocking my body to soothe the pain. “What mission? Nothing you say makes sense!”
“You are changing—not into a monster like you think—but what you are destined to become.”
More tears stream down my face, blinding me as I try to process his words. "Changing? What does that even mean?"
He steps back toward me, reaching down to brush a matted blonde strand of hair away from my face. "There are forces at play here that are far beyond our understanding. You're part of something much larger, Oxana, and I promise you, I'll do everything I can to help you through this, but to do so, you must come with me."
I nod weakly, unable to summon any more words. The pain is a relentless tide, threatening to drown me in its vicious torment. All I can do is hold on, praying that Jasper indeed can help me—that there’s a light at the end of this agonizing tunnel.
As the world around me dissolves into a whirlwind of sensations and disorienting flashes, I feel like I'm being torn apart and remade. The pain surges to an almost unbearable peak, and I clench my fists, trying to endure the indescribable transformation.
I gag at the pain, my belly contracting as if a fist was gripping my insides and twisting. The ache flows lower, deeper, throbbing between my legs. An agonized cry expels from my lungs, a sound I’ve never made before.
A sound like dying. Around us, bellowing through the corridors of this ancient, stone castle, snarls ring out, and a tremor shakes the entire castle as if it’s just woken from a century’s long slumber. Even through the window, howls render the night, cleave through my pain, adding something more nefarious—fear.
Unable to control his emotions, Jasper swallows hard, eyebrows arched as he looks me up and down. A second wave of growls, hisses, and other animalistic grunts pound through my ears, closer this time.
Jasper stills, turning towards the open doorway, sniffing again. “We must hurry,” he utters. His arms wrap around me, surprisingly strong, lifting me effortlessly off the bed. My heart skips a beat, and I gasp in surprise as Jasper carries me out of the room as if I weigh less than the down feathers we used to stuff our pillows.
Jasper strides down the halls of the castle with purpose, as if he has every right to be there although I know he is no Lord. There is a presence that surrounds the man like a cloak, an unseen authority that must be directly linked to his status with his masters.
Breathing through the cramps as Jasper instructed, I try to make note of where the man is carrying me, but eventually give up. There are more twists and turns than a winding river, and the hallways more numerous than the snow that falls in winter.
After descending many floors, Jasper pushes into a dimly lit chamber. It’s filthy, the very air clogged with dust from Jasper entering and disturbing the quiet. The room is a stark contrast to the spotlessness of the rest of the castle, and despite my pain, I’m intrigued.
Shelves line the room from top to bottom, full of books. I’ve never seen so many in one place, but Jasper ignores the treasure trove of knowledge. He stops before a tapestry depicting two men. Even in the haze of my pain, I note they are the most handsome men I’ve ever seen and completely identical.
Twins.
Jasper brushes aside the vibrant wall hanging to reveal a door. He sets me down, where I collapse to my knees, unable to hold my body upright. The man apologizes profusely while reaching inside his elegant tunic to retrieve a key.
With it, he unlocks the door and swings it open. Immediately inside, stone stairs spiral downward. Jasper scoops me back up and descends into the darkness. The air is cool and musty, and his steps reverberate as we make our way deeper into the castle's hidden depths.
My breathing turns erratic, fear taking up residency beside the pain eating me alive. I can’t see a thing, but Jasper appears calm, walking with confidence. Either his vision is a thousand times better than mine, or he knows this stairwell better than his own reflection.
