Chapter 90
Chapter 90
Emily’s PUV
The door creaked open.
I sat up straighter on the cold stone, my muscles tightening.
Two massive rogue guards walked in first. Then, a young woman stepped between them. It wasn’t Tessa – the Rogue King’s daughter had already left, complaining that I wasn’t worth her time.
The new girl looked around the room and wrinkled her nose,
“ Goddess, this place is depressing. ”
I blinked. It wasn’t the greeting I expected. She had dark curls and sharp green eyes. A silver ribbon was tied tight round her neck, just like the one Beatrice wore.
She saw me staring. “ I’m Cindy, ” she said. “ And apparently, I’m the one who has to keep you alive. ”
“ Lucky you, ” I rasped.
“ No, ” she corrected. “ Unlucky me. ”
She placed a pile of folded clothes on a nearby chair and moved to help me out of my ruined ceremonial dress.
The cold air hit my skin instantly.
My entire body still burned from whatever dark magic the witch had forced into my veins earlier.
I winced as she touched my arm, and Cindy’s expression softened just a fraction.
“ Easy, ” she said, her voice dropping. “ The first sealing always hurts the most. ”
“ The first what? ”
Her face shifted. She bit her lip, clearly realizing she’d said too much. Instead of answering, she grabbed a damp loth and began wiping the dried blood from my arm.
“ I hate this dungeon, ” she muttered. “ Everything smells like mold and old death. ”
“ You live here. ”
“ I survive here, ” she corrected.
The weight of those words settled deep in my gut.
A few minutes later, she handed me a new outfit – soft black pants, a loose shirt, and sturdy boots. Everything was black.
“ Come on, ” Cindy said finally. “ You’re being moved. ”
When we finally emerged outside, the sunlight hit my eyes so hard it felt like a physical sting. I lifted a hand, squinting against the blinding brightness.
Then, I saw it.
The Rogue Kingdom.
The Castle was surrounded by towering mountains. The castle sat deep in the valley, a massive fortress of black stone streaked with veins of blood – red rock. It looked less like a building and more like a jagged crown for a king who ruled through fear.
Standing there, I finally understood why nobody had found the Rogue King’s settlement for so long. Nobody had ever thought to look for him here, in a valley, hidden so far into the peaks.
“ You like it? ” Cindy asked.
“ Not really. ”
We walked across the courtyard. Everywhere I looked, rogues were training like animals. They didn’t look like soldiers – they looked like monsters waiting for a reason to kill.
The air was heavy and thick, like the whole place was about to explode into violence.
I watched Cindy out of the corner of my eye. “ Is he really as cruel as everyone says? ”
“ That depends, ” she said eventually. “ Are you asking as his prisoner or as the future source of his power? ”
I didn’t let it go. I needed to know who I was dealing with. “ They say the Rogue King was badly wounded once. That he’s half – dead. ”
Cindy looked surprised I’d heard the rumors. “ Yes. He was. ”
My stomach turned. “ And the stories about entire packs disappearing overnight? ”
This time, Cindy looked away, her jaw tightening. “ Also true. ”
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
“ But, ” she added, her voice dropping to a whisper, “ he usually doesn’t dirty his own hands anymore. ”
My pulse quickened. “ Then who does? ”
Cindy didn’t answer.
She immediately went silent as we entered the castle. Too silent.
Interesting.
Before I could push further, another voice cut sharply across the hallway ahead.
5:01 pm
Well. Look who finally is here. ”
My entire body tensed instantly.
Stella.
She stood in the middle of the corridor, with a look of pure triumph on her face. She was wearing a silver ribbon round her throat too, but that wasn’t the shock. Her stomach was round – she was pregnant. Very pregnant.
Stella crossed her arms slowly.
“ I’ve waited a long time to see you suffer. ”
I stared at her. I didn’t look at her face; I looked her up and down, lingering on her belly.
“ Well, ” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. “ At least I’m not sleeping with rogues just to stay alive. ”
Pure anger was on her face. Her hand raised to strike – but both rogue guards moved faster. They grabbed her rms before she could get within an inch of me.
“ Careful, ” Cindy hissed, stepping between us. “ She belongs to the Rogue King. ”
Stella went pale.
“ If you enjoy having ten fingers, ” Cindy continued coldly, “ you will never raise a hand to her again. ”
Interesting. So, there was a hierarchy here. And somehow, I was at the top – for now.
Stella lowered her arm. I could still see the hatred in her eyes, but the fear was much stronger.
She stepped aside without a word.
We kept walking, the corridors narrowing until we reached a massive spiral staircase that seemed to disappear nto the ceiling of the tower. I looked up and felt my legs start to give out.
“ You’re kidding. ”
Nope. ”
“ Is this part of the torture? ”
Cindy laughed softly as she started to climb. “ No. It’s the safest place in the castle. One way in, one way out. ”
I let out a long, dramatic sigh.
By the time we reached the top, my muscles were screaming. Cindy pushed open a pair of heavy wooden doors, ind I stopped.
The room was … dark. There were black stone walls, bookshelves filled with leather – bound volumes, a door to the bathroom, and huge windows that looked out over the jagged mountains.
5:01 pm
But what caught my attention was the huge canopy bed, draped in silk so red it looked like a pool of blood against the black stone floor.
“ I tried to make it less depressing, ” Cindy admitted, looking a little awkward. “ But Silas has a thing for black and red, as you’ve probably noticed. ”
“ The entire castle noticed. ”
She smirked.
“ Silas, ” I repeated, testing the weight of the name. “ Is that his name? ”
She looked at me with dead seriousness. “ Yes. But don’t you dare call him that. Not if you want to keep your head
on your shoulders. ”
She turned to the room, gesturing toward the bath. “ Rest. Shower. Eat something. ”
I turned toward her slowly. “ And then what? ”
Cindy hesitated, her hand on the door handle. “ Survival, Emily. Whether you’re ready or not, tonight is the
Waxing Crescent. Your second trial starts at sundown. ”
A chill settled into my bones. “ Where? ”
Cindy looked toward the massive windows, where the moon was already starting to claim the sky.
“ In the central courtyard. ”
“ Why there? ”
A strange, dark look crossed Cindy’s face.
“ Because the King wants to watch everything. ”
5:01 pm
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.