Dark Swan Ebook, page 3
I leveled a glare. Delirious indeed. “Where are my garments?”
He tipped his head forward, his hair tumbling about his forehead in a feathery motion. “In shreds. The creature tore through much of your shirt. The wounds were deep, but will be healed soon, so long as you stay within my palace and allow me to tend to them.”
I scowled. “I’m not staying here.”
He tilted his head to the side, as if what I said wasn’t clear enough. “Would you rather the wounds fester? I am sure there are several diseases which could have been transferred—”
“I need to go home.”
The man laughed, but the sound came out bitter and hollow. “Home…” he said, voice low and weak. He held up the book I’d stuffed into my satchel, and I stifled a gasp. “You were on a journey, were you not?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Humor me.” The man flipped through the pages of the open book as he leaned against the side table by the bed. “If you told me of where you were going, perhaps I’d know how to get there.”
I bit my tongue. Maybe if I explained it to him, he would let me go. “I was looking for a place to make my family’s life better.”
“Why not live here?”
I looked away, knowing such a life was a dream for the disturbed. Barely a second in and I knew this place was brutal, cruel, and untamed. “No. I can’t live here.”
“Well,” he said, “in that case, you can leave.” He paused, fiddling with the tassels on the bedpost. He was letting me go? My heart somersaulted, leaping into the air and spinning. “Once you have paid me back.”
Time stilled. I should have known there would be a condition. “What?”
“Paid me back. You’d said you would give me anything.” He grinned, and suddenly I realized that heat from earlier had nothing to do with attraction. It was pure, unfiltered anger. “You will remain here, in my home, and pay me back for saving you from the Loogaroo, and from freezing.”
I sat higher, gripping the robe tight around my torso. “But I didn’t ask you to save me!”
“No, if I remember correctly, you begged me to save you.” He didn’t even bother to look me in the eye.
“How long do you plan on keeping me here?”
He shrugged, vanished in a cloud of black and purple mist, and reappeared, sitting on a chair. “Why do you want to know?”
“How long.”
Again, he shrugged. Was this a game to him? “Several months, give or take.”
“I don’t have several months!”
The man tilted his head. “Why is that?”
A lump formed in my throat, making it impossibly difficult to speak. “If I don’t get back before six weeks is up my…” I took in a shaky breath. “Mae—the woman who’s raised me—will be forced to pay for my wrongs. I don’t have time.”
The man stood, straightening the coat that obscured his body from view. “We will see, then.” His slash of his white smile was all I saw before the folds of his garment faded away, and he vanished along with it.
I wanted to cry.
I wanted to scream.
Most of all, I wanted to kill that grinning monster.
5
My fingers were practically chunks of ice by the time the creature returned. As he appeared, something hissed, as if the air was being devoured into a hollow in the atmosphere.
“I’m going to freeze,” I barked.
“I sometimes forget how ill-equipped you creatures are to the cold.” He picked at the straps on his coat, the fabric rustling against the ankles of his leather boots. “I had to prepare your room.”
“I’m not staying here.”
He made a sweeping gesture, and the muted colors in the room shattered into gentle hues of orange and yellow. After a moment of mumbling to himself he said, “No, no. This arrangement won’t work at all. Not like I hoped. Not like I’d planned.”
“Excuse me?”
He waved his hand, seeming to ignore my question, and an outfit appeared on the bed. “Dress yourself. I will return in a few moments and take you to your chambers. We can discuss the details at a later time.”
He turned into a shadowy mist and vanished.
I’d about had it with this… thing. Whatever he was.
I stood, nervously wrapping my blanket around my freezing body. A shiver slid down my spine, like fingers stroking the length of my back. Goosebumps flared over my flesh, and I did my best to calm myself. I grabbed the trousers, barely paying attention to anything aside from the coiling frustration building in my chest. When I slipped them on, I almost smiled if not for the scandalous amount of leg that it showed. The tight fabric around my ankles tapered upwards into billowy pants with two slits that stretched up to mid-thigh. They were much different than what I wore back home… comfortable, and made of silk.
I slipped on the blouse, pleased to find it of similar material. The shirt tightened around my waist and wrists, while the flowing material gaped open in the back, allowing breathing room for my wounds. It was so different, and nothing like I’d ever seen or worn before. Certain I was immodest wearing it, I tried to see if there should be more layers.
After failing to find any other pieces to the outfit, I slid my feet into the slippers and combed out my hair. Sticks and dirt clung to my damp red locks. I looked so pale, so tattered and worn. It was worse now that the world around me was brighter, more vibrantly beautiful, than back home.
I was out of place in my world, and now I was out of place here. Maybe there was a tribe of skeletons I could join and attempt to blend in. Or maybe there was a graveyard with the undead stalking through a withered forest, meandering their way, never finding the rest of death. I’d belong with them, I think.
I growled as I fixed my slippers, trying to dismiss the thoughts worming their way into my mind.
The creature reappeared, his figure encased in mist. “You look decent. Glad to see you’re wearing clothes.”
“If you call these clothes.”
“I do,” he said. “If you have a problem with them, I can take them back and you can walk around in that robe.”
I released a low growl. “You’re a pig.”
“If you’re going to try and insult me, at least try and make it something I don’t take as a compliment. Pigs are rather intelligent creatures.” He chuckled, holding out his hand. I didn’t take it. “I’ll show you to your room.”
“I can walk fine on my own.”
He grinned. “Yes, but I’m quite lazy and do not wish to walk up four flights of stairs and cross the ridiculously large foyer. I’d rather just mist us up.”
A laugh escaped my lips. “Well, I don’t mind the walk. So, I’d rather do that.”
He groaned, eyes narrowing on me like an accusing arrow. “I won’t beg.”
“And I won’t budge.”
Like a viper, he snatched my hand faster than I could react. Stardust and fog exploded around me, and dizziness washed over my head in waves. A half second, and we are standing in a new room.
I swallowed a breath, reeling around until I faced him. “Out!”
His eyes widened, as though I’d just insulted him for going against my wishes.
I balled my hands into fists, taking a step away from him. Trying to push away the feeling of his skin meeting mine. “I said out, you… faery!”
He grimaced. “I’m not a faery. What do you think those are?”
“I don’t care. You need to leave me alone.”
“You will eventually have to learn how to work with me, you know.” He shrugged, walking toward the door. “I’ll leave you be. But next time you try to insult me by yelling my race, creature, I’m a jinni.”
I looked his way, scowling. I didn’t know what he said, but the way he said it… it sounded familiar. “Out.”
He bowed, a mocking gesture. “As you wish, my goddess.” And he vanished in a cloud of star-specked mist.
I stifled a frustrated scream. How did I find myself in these situations?
Rocking back on my heels, I spun and took in the room. The large bed was plush, as if made of a cloud, beckoning me closer and into its silky sheets. The red and white bedding tied into the rest of the room. The floor was pure white marble, glittering with what appeared to be iridescent diamond shards. The curtains, lively and open, were red and sheer, allowing the sweeping autumn wind to flood the chamber. The walls… I couldn’t even explain the color. They were something between gray and white, like a stormy sky filled with mist.
My back reminded me of the wounds, and I laid on the bed. The ceiling twinkled and ebbed, as if the galaxy was within my reach. Could I touch the stars that drifted and darted back and forth?
What matter of place was this?
I must have lain here for over an hour watching the stars flit and flutter and shift. Someone knocking on my door jarred me, and I sat up, suddenly dizzy from the simple action. “Yes?”
Please don’t be the jinni.
“I have food for you.” He entered the room, arms folded behind his back.
I peered over the bed, fully facing him. “I’m not hungry."
“Funny, I thought you’d be hungry.”
“Then you thought wrong.” My stomach roared in protest to my stubbornness. I really shouldn’t be like this—but it was hard to allow this entitled creature any leeway. I’d already lost my freedom to him, I’d not lose this even if it was a stupid thing to fight over.
His voice was saccharine, dripping with honey-soaked sympathy. “Really?”
Another grumble from my empty stomach. “I’m not hungry.”
There was nothing but silence. I wondered if he was even listening, or perhaps he was considering if I was actually telling the truth despite my protests. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes an eerie mixture of blue and amethyst. “Are you saying you aren’t hungry, or that you aren’t hungry for the food I offer?”
A small grin crept its way onto my lips. “I won’t eat anything you give me.”
“Fine.” His voice sharpened. “Be difficult. It’s only harming you.” And he vanished.
Anger radiated through me, and my back erupted with heat. I wanted to hurtle through the window. Maybe the frigid wind would cool me off. I shook my head.
I did need to eat, though. Despite my protests, I knew I’d need to find food. And so, slipping from the bed, I inched out of my room. My stomach pinched, and the cramp of hunger became almost unbearable. I had to find the kitchen.
I walked down the obsidian pillared halls, tracing the whorls and spider-like designs painted into the columns. I blinked away my surprise, trying to take everything in without imploding. How could a monster own such a beautiful house? The black marble floor lit up with a vibrant blue light with every step I took. My footprint lasted for a second, then vanished. I bit my lip, pressing the tip of my foot to the floor before spinning in a circle. The floor kept the pattern, and I suppressed my excitement. With my hunger forgotten, I glanced up and down the hall. I could lay down for a moment and soak this in. Julna would have been angry with me if I didn’t. Honestly, I would be, too, if I didn’t explore.
I sank to my knees and pressed my palm against the floor. A galaxy burst around my hand, glittering with iridescent diamonds. I twirled designs, giddy as the little stars gravitated to my finger.
The stars hummed against my legs, flitting and dancing closer to me. Morning light speared into the hall through the bevelled glass windows, waltzing with the little celestial bodies. A chorus of chimes ensued, mingling with the fresh autumn air, and soared through the corridors with magic and wonder on its wings.
I stood, curiosity piqued, and marched down the hall. What exactly was a jinni? I’d never heard of one up until he’d said the word, but something in the back of my mind poked and prodded, telling me I’d heard of it long ago.
After what seemed like an eternity, I managed to find the kitchen. The buttery sunlight swept in, delicately brushing its rays along the white marble floor. I sneaked into the pantry. Was it just him here? I hadn't seen a single soul.
The remnants of potatoes and meat wafted through the clean atmosphere, curling threads of hunger and desire into my veins. My stomach cinched painfully. I searched, and not even a crumb of food could be found. Where in the Aether’s name did he keep everything?
A faint yelp resounded in the doorway behind me, and I turned. A girl, with hooves for feet and skin as blue as the afternoon sky, stared at me. Her eyes were gold and glowing like the sun. Amidst her long, fluffy mane of white hair, a single alabaster horn protruded from her head. It looked dipped in glitter and tears, like the shells which lady Gathbred kept locked away in the gallery. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know anyone was in here.”
The blue skinned girl cocked her head to the side, the remnants of tears staining her cheek. Was she crying? Was she alright?
“You look starved.” Her voice was magical, and my heart skipped a beat at the purity in her tone. “I’ll get you food.”
I nodded, unable to speak.
She almost galloped away, coming back in seconds with a plate of food, placing a fork and knife down. “When was the last time you ate?” She pulled a glass from a cabinet, filling it with water. “Did Setizar not bring you any food? Cruel monster. Though I suppose I can’t fault him, he forgets to eat his own meals most of the time.”
Setizar… was that the jinni’s name? Or was it someone else?
She gestured to a seat, and I nestled myself onto the stool at the kitchen island. She placed the water in front of me, smiling.
“Thank you.” I looked at her. “Well… he offered.”
She laughed. “Oh? And you didn’t accept?”
“Are you surprised?”
The girl shrugged lightly, and I considered that a dismissal. “Setizar means well. Honestly, he’s frazzled. It’s been a long time since—” She stopped herself, as if saying more would be bad. “Have you enjoyed your stay so far?”
“No. I want to go home.”
“I can understand,” she chirped, tiny, purple lips spreading to reveal a vibrant smile. “I promise I will try to make your stay here as pleasant as possible.”
I stared at her. Her blue skin shimmered in the morning light, as if silver dust rested below the layers. “What… are you?”
She tilted her head again. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” I bit my lip, torn between clarifying and running. “I mean, what kind of creature are you? I’ve never seen anyone like you.”
She smiled, eyes brighter than before. “Oh! Well, I suppose there’s not many like me out there where you’re from. I’m a unicorn.”
I’d nearly spewed my water. “What?”
“A unicorn. Do you not know what those are?”
“I do, but…but, unicorns are horses.”
She blinked, her face unmoving. After a moment, she erupted into a fit of giggles. “Oh, that! That is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard!” Her laughter was like chimes in the wind. “Is that what legends have said?”
I nodded, almost ashamed of my response.
“My dear, forget everything you know. Nothing here is like what you think.”
That could lead to the answers I needed. “What’s a jinni, then?”
The unicorn’s sunshine eyes fluttered, looking toward the hall. “We,” her voice was barely a whisper, “we don’t speak of the jinn. Setizar is the last and only jinni.”
“Why don’t you talk about the jinn?”
She leaned a blue elbow on the counter, tiny lips puckered slightly. “Setizar gets upset when we speak of them.”
Somehow, I wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “What’s your name?” I asked, taking a bite of my roast. It melted in my mouth, making my eyes roll back into my head. Aether, this was amazing!
“Cerie,” she said. “Yours?”
“Meris,” I managed through a mouthful of food.
Cerie laughed, plucking a few things off the counter and placing them in the sink.
“Are you the only servant?”
Cerie nodded. “In a way. I’m his housekeeper, and the only other living creature here aside from him. Sometimes Setizar hires others to aid me in the work, but the palace keeps itself up.”
“Keeps itself up?”
“Of course. Setizar designed it to clean itself so he wouldn’t have to see too many creatures.” She smiled, shaking her head. “I tell him he needs to get out more, honestly he keeps himself locked in his room or the garden most days.”
“Why do you work for him?” I grumbled, shoveling food in my mouth.
Cerie turned to me, pressing her lips together and fighting a smile. “He’s really a gentle, caring creature. You’ll learn to love him as I do.”
“I doubt that.” I laid my fork down, my back beginning to burn again. “He’s holding me hostage even though he knows my family is in danger. I—” I shook my head. “Thank you, Cerie. I think… I think I’m full. You’ve been very kind.”
Cerie nodded, her hair tickling the sides of her face. “Very well, my lady. If you wish, I can direct you to places which would greatly entertain.”
I only wished to leave. “Please,” I said, managing a smile. Perhaps she could show me something useful. Like a way to escape.
Cerie stood and gestured to the door. “This way.”
6
I followed her through the halls, and my heart thudded against my ribcage. “What—”
“The ballroom.” Cerie threw her arms wide, spinning around.
The floor was a giant glass mirror, twinkling and reflecting the tawny sunlight flooding through the open archways. When I stepped on the floor, ripples appeared. It shuddered below my feet, and I leaned down to touch it. It was cold against my finger, rippling again and causing the ground to appear as a glistening lake. “Water?”
