Captured by the Monsters by R.L. Caulder & M.J. Marstens

Author:R.L. Caulder & M.J. Marstens [Caulder, R.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: White Rabbit Publishing
Published: 2022-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

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.

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