Page 105 of The Forsaken Heir
My eyes snapped open. My head throbbed. The sensation, like a million icy needles stabbing into my brain, sent waves of agony through my skull.
“Oh, God,” I moaned, and tried to roll over. That was when I noticed the pain in my arms and legs.
Gasping, I glanced down, and saw the cause of the agony. Tight hemp ropes bound my hands and ankles to a bed. A faint, almost imperceptible sizzling sound came from where the ropes touched my skin. Wincing in pain, I looked closer through the dim flickering candle light of the room, and saw exactly what I’d feared. Dozens of thin red strands had been woven through the cords. The crimson resin found in a plant that was the bane of my race’s existence. Its scientific name wasDracaena, but we simply called it Dragon’s Blood.
The last traces of sleep fled my mind, wiping away the dream of the disaster that had taken place at the end of the ceremony the night before.
Wait,I thought, glancing around the room, trying to find a clock or window.Was it last night? How long have I been in this room?
In a fit of impotent anger, I tried to rip my arm loose. Normally, my enhanced shifter strength would be more than enough for the thin ropes holding me, but the Dragon’s Blood was not only painful to the touch, but prolonged exposure weakened us. Instead of the powerful and damaging thrust that should have snapped the ropes, I was only able to give a feeble and sickly jerk of my hand. The movement made the rope dig deeper into my skin. I hissed in pain as the Dragon’s Blood sizzled and tore at my flesh.
Knowing it was pointless, I closed my eyes and contacted my inner dragon. He was there, but distant, shoved deep into my subconscious by the Dragon’s Blood ropes that were slowly poisoning me. There was no way for me to shift. Not like this. Even if my life had been seconds from ending, I wouldn’t be able to summon the power or strength.
Now fully awake from the pain, I took in my surroundings. My head still pounded like someone was riffing on a steel drum, but I was fully alert and as calm as I could be given the situation. The ache in my shoulders told me I’d probably been suspended by a rope or chain for some time before being strapped to the bed. I was naked save for my underwear, which at least gave me a modicum of dignity.
Before I could adjust myself to get a better look at the room, a bright rectangular outline appeared on one dark wall. An instant later, I realized it was a door opening. The light of the hall outside brightened my prison, showing the white nondescript walls around me. Bastien Laurent walked in, a self-satisfied grin on his face. Behind him, a couple of hulking men stood in the hall.
“You want us to come in with you?” one of them asked.
“No need, Hugo,” Bastien said, never taking his eyes off me. “I’ll be fine.”
He closed the door and flicked a light switch. Bright fluorescent light flooded the room, and I was momentarily blinded. When my vision adjusted, I found Bastien sitting on a small stool in front of me.
“So, this is the famous Prince Aurelius I’ve heard so much about. The Peacemaker himself.” He leaned forward, his facescrunching into a bitter, mean-spirited grin. “Are you going to try to make peace with me?”
“Maybe,” I grunted, trying to ignore the pain from the Dragon’s Blood ropes burning into my skin.
My response must not have been what he was looking for because his smile vanished and his eyes flashed with fury.
He poked the ropes that bound my wrists. I let out a hiss of pain as the ropes seared deeper into my flesh.
“You see, Aurelius,” Bastien went on, “This is not the dragon estate. Your father, the great King Cassius, isn’t here. Your men aren’t here. No one here is going to fawn over you and tell you how great you are. It’s just you and me. Do you understand? Your station doesn’t matter, and you belong tome.” He grabbed the rope and pulled it taut against my skin.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to contain the groan of pain that wanted to burst from my throat.
“You sure do like to talk,” I hissed.
Bastien stood up so quickly that the stool went rolling back and banged against the wall. “Fine,” he growled, leaning close until his face was inches from mine. “Less talk. More action.”
He strode to the other side of the room and pulled a sheet off a small table. On it, lay a few different items: a vial of liquid; a small red whip, obviously woven with Dragon’s Blood fibers; and a few other things I couldn’t quite see.
Bastien lifted the whip and turned back to face me again.
“You and I both know your wellspring is protected by magical spells. Protective enchantments that keep out anyone who might want to take from it. I want the counter spells.”
“What?” I tilted my head to get a better look at him. “Are you serious?”
“Of course I am,” he said, taking a few steps toward me. “You have the largest wellspring on earth. Do you know how muchpowerthat is? It doesn’t even matter that your race of flying fucking lizards is dying out. As long as you have that wellspring, you’ll be equal to us. I can’t have that. Not anymore. We wolves are done trying to live peacefully with you. It’s time we take what’s ours. You will give me the counterspells to breach the wellspring territory”—he held up the whip—“or else.”
The burning pain on my wrists and ankles was already miserable, and the thought of what Bastien would do with the whip sent a terrified shiver through my brain. My inner dragon snarled out in anger and fear, but I kept my cool.
“I suppose you’ll need to do a little work then, big guy. Because I’m not saying shit.”
Bastien grinned, but his eyes betrayed his true emotions. He was pissed that I wasn’t cowing to him. He must have truly believed I’d turn into a whimpering heap of flesh. Well, he was in store for a surprise.
“If that’s the way it needs to be.” Bastien shrugged. “I guess we better get started.”
He snapped the whip, and it landed on my chest again and again, the pain hot and searing. This time, no amount of pride or mental strength could stop the scream from erupting from my throat.
