Heir of Beauty by Scarlett Kol & J.A. Armitage

Author:Scarlett Kol & J.A. Armitage [Armitage, J.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Enchanted Quill Press
Published: 2020-05-27T05:00:00+00:00

5

31st May

Metal bars surrounded me. Above. Below. On every side. An iron lock the size of my fist sealed me into my cell, stole my freedom. I grabbed ahold of the bars clanging and rattling them, screaming for help, but only the echo of my own voice came back. Nothing existed beyond the bars, just darkness, deep and hollow. I smashed my fist against the lock until my knuckles bled. Dark red blood poured down my fingers and stained my clothes. I retreated to the center of the cage and sat on the floor with my knees pulled to my chest. A wintry chill prickled up the back of my spine, the hair on my neck standing on end, waiting for something that I didn't know but feared anyway. Suddenly a strange blue smoke started to fill the cell wrapping and twisting around me. It filled my mouth. My nose. I coughed and choked against the unknown substance. My lungs burned, my breath shallower as I struggled against the smoke. The cell filled until I could no longer see. Just blue magic smothering me. Wrapping tight around my neck. The burning in my lungs deepened, scalding my throat. I coughed and coughed and coughed and…

I bolted upright in the tiny metal cot as sweat dripped from my forehead and across my chest. Just a dream. Or was it? And where was I?

The tiny room slowly came into focus. The peaked roof loomed above my head and the stark white walls stood bare except for a small hand-stitched sign that read ‘to know one’s mind is to know one’s self’. The temple. I rubbed my face with my hands, the memories of the last few days and my nightmare swirled and merged into a dark play, acting out over and over in my mind. But I was safe here. Wasn’t I?

I lay back on the cot and rested my head on the soft pillow. The lumpy mattress beat sleeping on the ground, even though being closer to Alizeh would have soothed my nerves a bit more. Even with the serene peacefulness of the temple surrounding me, I still didn’t completely trust Edwin. He seemed to be hiding something from me. But everyone was hiding something from me. Maybe I just didn’t like him much? Either way, the faster I heard his story, the faster I could get off this mountain and go home to send the guards to my father’s rescue.

I rolled onto my side and stared at the pyramid of light cutting through the narrow opening of the nearly closed door. Sun or lantern light? I couldn’t tell. A tiny ornately-carved table sat across from my face with a glass of water and two stalks of prickly aloe vera placed neatly on top. A note written in meticulous handwriting read ‘for the sunburn’.

I swung my feet to the floor and sat up, letting my mind recalibrate for a moment before grabbing the glass. The water went down in one gulp, my dry throat craving more as soon as the last drop disappeared, the search mission taking its toll.

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