Page 46 of Captured By the Monsters
SERA
The castle that came into view from a distance was nothing like the one I thought I saw when I first arrived in The Below. In my head, it was small, removed, and hazy, but up close, it was jaw-droppingly enormous—far larger than any structure I had seen in The Above or even read about in our history.
“Wow,” I breathed in awe, taking in the towering spires of blackness. The castle itself seemed to be alive, undulating with shadows, as if it were turning into a Specter, too.
Up close, in my crystal’s light, I could see the building had the same glittering aspect as the soil—a sparkling onyx—and I wondered what it was. Everything in Paratiisi seemed to be made of gems in some manner, reminding me of Rowen’s nickname for me.
At the palace doors, three Specters were standing guard—a Trifecta, I assumed, without a mate. Even though I couldn’t see their eyes, I felt their hungry stares, and a shiver raced down my spine.
Axton stepped in front of me to shield me. “We’re here to present our mate,” he stated with calm authority.
The Specter to the left nodded his shadowy head before opening the doors and ushering us in, Sylan and Rowen crowding close to my back. Although their touch awoke the beast inside of me slightly, it still comforted me and made me feel safe.
I leaned into them, needing the connection and the reassurance that they were protecting me. All I could think of was the Specters rushing me like they were all going to take me after my monsters had paired with me in the first cave.
Once inside, the walls of the castle were really no different than the exterior except that they were molded into intricate patterns. I assumed it was to serve as artwork, but otherwise, everything inside was bare. No pictures or decorations in sight, and I wondered if this is how it had always been.
Pieces of peach crystal peppered the walls up and down the hall, giving it a soft glow that afforded me the ability to see. Questions swirled in my mind, and I wondered if their light was fueled by the fact that there were women like me here, or if there was still some spark of life left in the original crystal that must be nearby.
The crystal that would test me to see if I was their Queen.
Nibbling on my lip, I tried not to think about it. Not so much that I could be chosen Queen, but more so the odds that Paratiisi would ever find its true ruler again.
The castle was much different than the home my Trifecta had built for me, but the one similarity was that there were many doors, and they were shut. To me, it seemed a symbol of how the Specters lived their lives, closed off from one another.
When we finally reached the end of the hall, Axton paused. “When we enter, I will tell them who we are. They will announce us, and I will present you to our leaders. Rowen and Sylan will stay at your side. If you need anything, signal to them, please.”
I straightened my shoulders, nodding. Nerves ran through me at the idea of meeting their leaders. I had no idea what to expect from them, but back home, our governing body was highly feared.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got this,” Rowen whispered. “In and out.”
Admittedly, I was a little nervous, but I was excited to hopefully see the other women who had been claimed as well as their Trifectas. Perhaps we could band together in taking the truth back home.
When Axton pushed through the doors, I marched stoically in behind him with my head held high. Peering around him, I saw three Rumilus, who I assumed were the current rulers. sitting on thrones.
Standing next to the man in the middle was a gorgeous platinum blond. Her hand rested lightly on the Rumilus’ shoulder, and I assumed she was their mate. I wondered if she didn’t sit on a throne, too, because it would be considered too presumptuous.
Suddenly, a booming voice to my left announced Axton, Sylan, Rowen, and me to the rest of the room. It was another Specter guard. He spoke in English, a courtesy that I appreciated.
When I took in the rest of the colossal room—which must be the throne room—there were only three other Trifectas who were in their Rumilus form. I didn’t know why I expected more to be present; I knew from my mates that very few Trifectas in recent years had found their mates and survived through the war.
Looking around the rest of the room, all the other occupants were in Specter form. Some were obviously guards, but the other shadowy beings that shifted in my peripheral were not, making me wonder what they were doing here.
Axton walked confidently ahead, bowing his head slightly to the three monsters on the thrones, although they were not the true rulers of the land. But they kept everything in order until the time came—if that time ever came—and so they deserved some respect.
“Honorable rulers, we have come to present our mate, who is claimed and marked by the Trifecta that consists of myself, Sylan, and Rowen.”
“Congratulations!” the Rumilus leader in the middle boomed. “Please join the other Trifectas while we wait.”
“Are there more coming?” Axton asked.
The middle leader once more answered, but in the language of Paratiisi this time. I frowned, not liking being left out of the loop. My monsters had taken to only speaking English, and everyone thus far at the castle had as well. Whatever the ruler’s answer was made Rowen and Sylan shift behind me. I peeked up at them to see them wearing concerned frowns, and I wondered what was going on, but I held my peace for now.
I had to have faith in my Trifecta.
My attention was diverted by the three other human women that we joined as we walked to the other side of the room. I could faintly make out their features, the glowing crystals around their throats helping me to see them. One had strawberry blonde hair, another was a brunette, and the third had dark raven hair. When her eyes met mine, they were equally as dark as her hair, and a part of me expected her personality to be off-putting. But surprisingly her gaze warmed, and we shared a smile of understanding. Sliding my gaze over, I met the brunette’s eyes, and they were full of poisonous hate. So much so that I nearly stumbled back in shock.
Why would this woman have such a strong distaste for me when we had never met before? I had done nothing to her.
