Kira woke with a start. Heavy footsteps approaching outside the door made her sink further under the covers. Their quick and uneven cadence told her they weren’t Octavion’s. When they stopped, the door creaked open and a small stream of golden light splashed across the floor.
“Kira?” a strange man’s voice grumbled. He cleared his throat and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him.
She sat up and pushed her back against the headboard, wincing when it grazed the tender wounds left from Zerek's whip. “Who are you? Get out of my room.”
“Kira, it is Luka. I am not going to hurt you.” He came closer and put the small candle he held up to his face. “Do not be afraid.”
She’d shot Luka in the shoulder with an arrow when he’d come to earth to help fight Shandira. She thought he was their enemy then and she still wasn’t certain he didn’t aim to get even for the pain she’d caused him. She scanned the room for something she could use as a weapon-and found nothing. “Where’s Octavion? Why isn’t he here?”
“He sent me to get you.” He stepped closer.
“No, he wouldn’t do that. Where is he? I want to see him.”
“He cannot come, Kira. It is not safe.” Luka came even closer and put the candle on the table next to the bed. “I am to take you away from the castle.”
Kira scooted further away. “No! Octavion would never allow that. He said I was safe here. I'm not leaving unless he tells me himself. Get out!” she yelled. “And where’s Ussay?”
“I sent her home. They have all gone home. You are the last one in the castle and we need to get you out.” He sat on the edge of the bed and slipped something from his pocket. When he poured a white powder into the palm of his hand, Kira knew instantly what he was about to do. Octavion had used that powder on her before and no way was Luka blowing that crap in her face. She took in a deep breath and held it. When he put his hand up between them, she leaned forward and blew. The fine powder flew right into his face. He tried to wipe it away, blow it off his lips, but he’d already drawn it into his lungs.
“Kira, what have you done?” Genuine fear flashed in his eyes and for a moment Kira almost regretted doing it. But the adrenaline raging through her blood made her certain she’d made the right choice. She had to get to Octavion. He was the only one she trusted.
Luka stumbled back, collapsed to his knees, then crumpled to the floor. “Kira. . you will die.”
Kira knew she didn’t have much time, so she jumped off the other side of the bed and told her shaky legs to run. When she got to the door, she grabbed the handle and gave it a tug, but it didn’t open. “No!” She ran back and searched Luka’s pockets for a key, but found nothing. “Luka, where is it?” She returned to the door and tried again. When it didn’t open, she slammed her fists against the door and screamed. “Octavion!”
Off in the distance, she heard the ferocious cry of a wild cat. It echoed through the castle, but didn’t seem to come from the other side of the door. She followed the sound, creeping along the bookshelf to the corner of the room near the arched doorway that led to the closet. She called out again. “Octavion, where are you?” Another roar rang out, but this time she recognized it.
Octavion.
Then she heard it-the solid slap of metal hitting stone. All she could think about was Octavion being injured in her world and the way Altaria had chained him to a tree so Kira could heal him without him lashing out. The sight of him bound like that broke her heart. She didn’t care how much of his beast controlled him now, she had to be sure he was all right.
She ran her hand around the outside of the book case until she felt a cool breeze coming from a small crack between the wall and the wooden frame. Bracing her shoulder against it, she pushed as hard as she could. It gave way, folding back into a small room. A blast of cold air hit her. She squinted into the inky black, but only dark shadows filled the space before her.
She ran back to the table and retrieved the candle, stepping over Luka’s paralyzed body. As she turned and took another step, a sharp pain pierced the bottom of her foot. She stumbled and fell against the dresser, almost dropping the candle.
“Crap!” Kira lifted her foot and pulled a small piece of the shattered mirror out of her foot. Blood smeared along the stone floor. She grabbed one of the linens from the dresser, dipped it in the wash basin and cleansed the blood from her foot. This was a bad idea-approaching Octavion with an open wound. But how else could she be sure he was okay? For all she knew, the castle could have been taken over by their enemies and he could be in trouble. Why else would he leave her alone? And why had Ussay disappeared without a word?
Grabbing the hem of her slip, she cut it with her teeth and ripped off a small strip. She wrapped it around her foot, grabbed the candle and limped toward the opening.
“Ki-ra.” Luka groaned. The effects of the powder were wearing off. Luka would get his strength back soon and keep her from finding Octavion. She was out of time.
Kira squeezed behind the bookcase and pushed the shelves back in place. Once inside, the candle gave enough light for her to see she was under a large staircase. A narrow corridor ran down one side, a small wooden door at the end. She slid the large metal bolt and pushed the door open. She’d only taken one step when she heard another painful cry.
“Octavion? Where are you?” Kira called.
“Kira, no!” Kira could barely recognize Octavion’s voice through the deep raspiness of his transformation. Another roar rang out, followed by the clanking of chains. Now she was sure-someone had locked him up. Determination fueled her focus-she had to get to him. She had to set him free.
The walls of the room were curved, making a perfect circle around her. A narrow staircase wound around the room going up and down. His voice came from below her, so she began her descent. Half way down, the brief surge of adrenaline she’d used to get herself moving started to fade and her knees trembled. “Al, if you're still with me, I need you. I can’t stop now.” Subtle warmth filled her chest and she knew she could keep going. “Thank you.” She braced herself against the wall and continued downward. She heard Luka above, calling her name, but ignored him. The further she went, the more light filled the staircase. When she reached the bottom, it opened into a large room. Her first impression reminded her of Octavion’s lair.
There were shelves filled with bottles and books like she’d seen in his cave on the mountain. Along one side, dried herbs and flowers hung from a large wooden beam and below that were trunks and boxes. Unlike the tidy order of the cave, clutter and debris littered the room. A table lay in splinters against one wall. Books, tools and paper were strewn everywhere.
Kira took a deep breath and continued forward. She scanned the room, but found no sign of Octavion. Then she heard the chains crash against the stone and Octavion growl.
“Kira, please. You must go.”
“Not until I know you’re okay.” She turned toward his voice and finally caught a glimpse of him in the shadows. Completely transformed, she barely recognized him-half man, half beast and far more terrifying than she remembered. Even his facial features were slightly mutated. The shackles that bound his wrists cut into his skin and blood trickled down the tips of his fingers-and claws.
She put her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming. “Octavion, who did this to you?” She stepped closer, but stopped when he lurched forward, his teeth reflecting the light of her candle. He took in a deep breath and the fire in his eyes intensified. He pulled against the chains with so much force, one of them snapped, sending rock and mortar flying into the air.
“You are. . bleeding.” This time when he looked at her, a sinister grin crossed his face. He lowered his head, arched his back and sprang at her. She jumped back and took off running toward the stairs. Luka appeared in front of her, partially transformed, most likely from the smell of her blood. He grabbed her around the waist and yanked her out of the room. Kira closed her eyes and screamed. She’d almost forgotten what it was like to leap with a Royal-how he could see a place in his mind and be there an instant later. Leaping with Octavion brought feelings of excitement and exhilaration, but the violence of traveling with Luka terrified her. She’d heard Octavion say traveling through a structure caused discomfort. Extreme pain described it better.
When they finally appeared somewhere in the village, Luka threw her to the ground and vanished. The darkness pressed against her, making her feel utterly alone and vulnerable. Kira barely had the strength to pull herself up to stand. There were no lights in the windows and no discernible sounds. She backed in between two cottages, wrapped her arms around herself and tried to get Octavion’s image out of her head.
“Kira?” a voice whispered. “Is that you?” A small, shadowy figure appeared in front of her.
“Ussay?” Kira leapt into her arms. “He’s chained up. They chained him up.”
“I know,” Ussay whispered. “Come with me. We must be very quiet.”
She led Kira to a doorway that opened into a small room. A single candle burned in the far corner where an older woman sat in a rickety wooden chair. Even from a distance, Kira could see the hollow look in her eyes-a blank stare that made Kira wonder if she’d suffered an emotional crisis in her life. But at the moment, Kira thought simply living in this world could cause that.
“This is my mother, Narrisa.” Ussay pulled Kira into the center of the room and motioned for her to sit on the edge of the bed. The cottage seemed to have only one small room. Two windows flanked the door, both covered with a thick, black cloth. A cold fireplace sat opposite the only bed.
“Why is it so dark?” Kira asked.
“Shh. Whisper, Kira. They will feed soon and we do not want to attract them.”
A shiver ran the entire length of Kira’s spine. “Ussay, I think we have a problem.” Kira pulled up the hem of her dress and raised her foot so Ussay could see the blood soaked bandage. “Octavion didn’t clean up the mirror very well.”
“Oh, Kira.” Ussay looked at the floor where Kira left three faint blood stains leading from the door. “Mother-be quick. Get the Sevrin.” Narissa stood and walked to a small cupboard next to the fireplace. She opened it and took out a large brown bottle with a cork in it.
“Kira, remove the bandage,” Ussay said. “We will have to cauterize the wound. Be careful not to get blood on anything else.” She grabbed the candle and set it on a table next to the bed.
“I can do this myself,” Kira said.
Ussay nodded, then went over to her mother and took the bottle. She grabbed a knife from the mantle and handed it to Kira. “Are you certain you can do this?”
“Yes.”
“Be quick about it. You will need to burn the bandage as well.” Ussay pulled the cork from the bottle and poured it over the stains on the floor. It only took an instant for the fumes to attack Kira’s senses.
“What is that?” Kira asked.
Narissa stepped closer and removed the bandage from Kira’s foot. “It kills the smell of blood. Royals cannot tolerate the stench. It burns their nasal membranes.” Her monotone voice was shallow and held little emotion or urgency. She held a small basin under Kira's foot to catch any drops of blood. Once she removed the blood soaked cloth, Narissa held one end in the flame. As it caught fire, she dropped it into the basin and watched as it turned to ash. “That should do.”
Kira held the knife in the flame of the candle until she was sure it was hot enough to seal the wound. She could do this. She’d felt much more pain when healing Lydia and Octavion, and this was only a small cut. Piece of cake, right?
Another deep breath and she pressed it to her skin. Her other hand flew to her mouth to hold in the scream that started in the back of her throat. Her skin sizzled and the stench of burnt flesh attacked her senses. Her trembling hand barely held it there long enough for the heat to seal the cut. She dropped the knife into the basin with the ashes and watched as Narissa disposed of it. Kira looked around the room to find Ussay gone and the door wide open.
“Where did she go?” Kira whispered.
“Spreading it outside so they won’t know which house the odor is coming from.” Narissa went to the door and looked out. “Ussay,” she whispered into the night.
“Mother, get back inside,” Ussay said as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. “We need to get that candle out.” Ussay threw the bolt and slid a long section of wood into two metal brackets on either side of the door. “Kira, were you able to stop the bleeding?”
“Yes, tell me what else to do.”
“Stay on the bed. Mother and I will sleep on the rug by the fireplace tonight.” Before Kira could protest, Ussay went to the candle and blew out the flame. The sudden darkness gave Kira another chill.
“Ussay. . please let me sleep on the floor.”
“Shh. Not a sound. It will go faster if you sleep.”
Too terrified to move, Kira didn’t dare respond. She listened to Ussay and her mother settle onto the floor, not saying a word.
A woman screamed-and then another and another. At first it was far off in the distance, but as the night wore on the cries became closer and more intense. Some were human, others were animal-or rather, a combination of both; Royals hunting their prey.
Kira pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapped it around her shoulders and leaned against the cold stone wall. A few minutes later she heard scratching and deep breathing. A low rumbling growl vibrated through the wall and into her chest like rolling thunder.
“Kira,” a deep, male voice said from outside.
She drew her knees up under her chin and wrapped her arms around them to help control her trembling. Octavion. She wanted to run to him, throw herself into his arms and make the curse melt away, but she’d learned her lesson. Her scent only brought him more pain and suffering.
A fierce roar rang out and echoed through the village. Kira tried to scream, but before the sound came out, Ussay pressed her hand to Kira’s mouth.
“No,” Ussay whispered.
Kira nodded and Ussay slowly removed her hand.
They both sat in silence until they heard the creature outside move away from the wall. Ussay patted her on the back and whispered, “It is almost over. The sun will be up soon.”