Demigod's Mate (Demigods of Protheka Book 1) by Celeste King

Author:Celeste King [King, Celeste]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Protheka Publishing
Published: 2022-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

18

Briar

I refuse to look at Tarron the whole ride there. My stomach fills with dread every step the equus take, and even catching a glimpse of him makes it worse.

He didn’t even sleep next to me last night.

He was so ready to be rid of me, done with his use of me that he didn’t bother to speak to me at all. He slept in the living room, leaving an entire house of space between us, and I silently cried myself to sleep, somehow breaking my heart further when I had tried so hard to close it off.

The cracks feel jagged now as I sway with the cart. Every movement sends stabbing pains through my chest, and I feel like I’m on the edge of hyperventilating as we approach the edge of the city.

Orthani.

I haven’t been here since I was a child. I don’t have any memories of it, but my parents told me this was where I was born. I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to see it.

As I see the tall spires approaching, my stomach twists. I feel nauseous, memories pouring in from all the slaves I met as we were traded around. It seemed that a large majority of them had come from Orthani.

“It’s the worst place for humans.”

“The raiders are kind compared to the dark elves there.”

“Do you see this eye?” The girl laughed grimly as she pointed to an empty socket. “My master plucked it out of place, and told me I should be grateful. I was his favorite because I had another hole to use.”

The message had been clear to me from every person I met that had made out of Orthani: don’t go there.

Yet, here I was, accompanying a dark elf who never maliciously touched me into the city. Was it too late? Was I still too prideful to beg in the face of my impending doom?

I turned toward Tarron, my lips parting as the words paused on the tip of my tongue. At just the sight of him, the sharp edges of my heart seemed to throb, and I froze, unable to say anything.

Could anything be worse than this? I can withstand physical torture, but to be tormented, mind-fucked? It would drive me insane. Maybe I am lying to myself, but I’d rather have a broken body and a fit mind instead of the inverse.

I whip away from him before he sees me, letting the war continue inside of me. I’m not blind to what every human knows: the big cities are the deadliest places to be. The wealthier the dark elf, the more money they had to replace their slaves.

Without the concern of replacing the humans in their homes, the nobles have grown notorious for tearing through the people they get their hands on. They have the least regard for human life and the most magic to torment us.

My breath is coming hard, and I try to steady it when I notice Tarron peek over at me. Just the sight of his eyes on makes me feel like I’m going to vomit.

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