Page 96 of To Wake a Kingdom

The woman with the broadsword trembled as I faced her next, clasping the weapon in her hands. Helpless as a blind kitten, she didn’t even try to stop me as I knocked it from her hand and ended her life swiftly. The crowd screamed in ecstasy while stinging tears streamed down my face.

Finally, it was just the woman in lavender who had once held the axe. She clutched her ruined arm, swaying on her bare, dirty feet. I made quick work of her, slitting her throat and gently lowering her to the ground at my feet.

Covered in blood and corrosive shame, I dropped my weapons and sank to my knees with my face in my hands. It had been so easy. Too easy. They had never stood a chance. I was still alive, but I’d rather be dead. I looked up at Mare and the cruel satisfaction on her face—this was exactly how she’d planned it.

Guards lifted me from the ground. My legs were hollow and wooden, and they dragged me along, a trail of blood staining the dirt. Something heavy hit me in the head, and then there was darkness.

When I woke up, I was back in my cage, cleaned, and wearing a new dress. It shimmered in pale pink, covered in a rainbow of crystals. On the floor was also my reward: a large platter laden with an entire roasted chicken, plump golden potatoes floating in maroon gravy, and thick slices of bread with butter. Expecting another trick, I took a nibble, but even a drop tasted like heaven. I descended on the food, my chin and fingers running with juices. Nothing had ever tasted so good.

The other women watched me. They knew what I’d done to earn this bounty. There was judgment in their eyes, and the breath in my lungs twisted. More had died because of me. They might have washed the blood off, but I could still feel it staining my hands, running hot and red as I’d stabbed and sliced those women apart. Nothing could forgive what I’d done.

My appetite curdled, and I pushed the food away, attempting to hide from their accusing stares by scrambling to the back of my cage.

The rest of my day was spent lying on the floor of my prison as Fae ambled by, tossing lewd comments I tried to shut out.

Thanks to my performance, I was now the star attraction.

That night, I was further rewarded when I was once again dragged from my cage. Two guards marched next to me, but they didn’t restrain me this time. I was no threat to anyone, save scared young women in flimsy dresses. We wound our way past the cages and fountains and seating areas, all of them shimmering and beautiful—a place for the Fae to play while we suffered in the dark.

Up ahead was a small castle. Same as everything else, it was delicate and intricate, like the frosted layers of a wedding cake. A wall surrounded the castle, and we approached a gate that gleamed silver in the waning light. More guards nodded to my keepers as they opened the gate, letting us through.

“I suggest you stay close,” one of them said to me, his voice flat and emotionless. “If you get lost, I can’t guarantee we’ll ever find you again, and I assure you we’re friendlier than what you’ll find in there.”

I swallowed, wondering what fresh terror hid around the corner next.

We passed through the gate and entered a long hallway lined with mirrors. Crystal chandeliers dangled overhead, so everything blazed with blinding light. The guards marched down the hall, not waiting for me. Cold tiles numbed my feet as I scurried to keep up.

We turned a corner, and more mirrors stretched in every direction. Hundreds of them reflected back on themselves, bending light and shadow into unrecognizable puzzles. The effect was entirely disorienting. Already, I couldn’t tell where we’d come from. I hurried after the guards, understanding their warning now. One could get lost here in the space of a sigh.

They turned another corner I hadn’t even seen, my reflection following me. There were dark circles under my eyes, and it looked like I hadn’t slept in a hundred years.Oh, the irony.Scratches covered my face, matching the maze that covered my arms and legs. The pink dress was even shorter than I’d realized, and I tried tugging it down to no avail.

Turn after turn, the brightly lit halls stretched into forever. We flipped another corner, and I gasped.

Ronan lay dead on the floor, sliced from throat to groin, entrails spilling, a pool of blood spreading under him.

With a cry, I rushed to him, only to be greeted by a solid barricade. I bounced against it, my forehead striking the mirror and knocking me back as I landed on my backside. The image was gone. Just an illusion. One so real, terror lived in my skin like sandpaper.

As I gathered my wits, I noticed the guards had disappeared. Scrambling to my feet, I spun around and around, finding nothing but a labyrinth wrought from silver and flung into eternity.

“Come back!” Only silence answered after my echo, the guard’s warning about what else lurked in these halls scattering gooseflesh over my skin. “Please, come back!”

After a few tentative steps, I hesitated, worried I’d get even more lost if I continued. Was it better to stay where I was in the hopes someone would find me?

I didn’t like it here. It felt wrong in this place, like square pegs hammered into round holes.

Something slimy and vicious licked in my gut. I twirled, trying to find the source. A hand grabbed my arm, and I screamed, jumping away.

“I told you to stay close,” growled the guard, yanking on my arm with such force I stumbled. Not letting go, he tugged me down the corridor. I averted my eyes from the mirrors, looking down at my feet. We spun through more halls and corners until, finally, we stopped before a large set of doors and entered a sprawling chamber, the ceiling soaring high overhead.

Frosted white walls rose up, covered in thick swirls of marble that looked almost good enough to eat. Or maybe I was just really hungry.

The guards jostled me through another set of doors, and we entered an even larger circular room. Here, the walls and floor were inky black, all perfectly smooth and shiny like the skins of ripe cherries. Hundreds of glittering crowns hung from pegs set in the wall, spreading from the floor to the ceiling.

Fae filled the room, dressed in lustrous fabrics, laughing and drinking as trays of food and colorful cocktails were passed around.

My jaw clenched hard enough to crack walnuts. It was a fucking party.

More women like me, dressed in filmy, barely there dresses, dotted the room. Some sat quietly next to the Fae, who had their arms slung around their shoulders. One sat on the lap of a male Fae, who was mostly ignoring her as he conversed with another male, but she looked terrified.

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