Chapter 8

SEALED IN BLOOD

 

 

 

"You've never seen me fight."

—Fenris Vane

 

I can hear Fen mumbling his complaints. I ignore them. Olga had little to say about her master, but her silence told me enough. Fen's servants respect him, but they don't care for him. I see it in the way they stare at him when he's not looking, at the way they avert their gaze under his glare. Most of them are Fae. Slaves. It makes me want to hate Fen and his brothers. But, somehow, I don't.

I don't hate him. I find him frustrating and exasperating, but also… fascinating. There is a kind heart in there somewhere. I saw it last night when he let me sleep in his room, though I could tell he didn't want me to. I saw it the night he saved me back in my world, and then stayed all night watching movies with me. I see it in the way he treats Baron, and in the way he cares about his brothers.

There's good in him. I just need to nudge it out. Help him show these people he actually does care about them and their welfare.

When we arrive at the stables behind the castle, two horses are already prepared for us. This might be a good time to admit to Fen that I've never ridden a horse before. But I'm afraid he'll make me stay behind, so I don't tell him. I just watch as he mounts and try to copy what he does. I've seen movies. I know the gist. It can't be that hard, right?

My horse is beautiful. She's black with a white marking on her forehead, and her eyes stare at me with such wisdom. I do manage to make it onto her without falling on my ass. I pat my horse's neck. "What's her name?" I ask the stable master.

She's a stout woman with pointy ears and long sand colored hair that pulls into a tail at the base of her neck. Her face is wide and leathery and she looks like she's been living with these horses for all of eternity. "She's Diamond, and she should serve you well, Your Highness. The Prince picked her out for you himself."

I look over at Fen, surprised. "You did?"

He grunts. "I knew you would need something on which to get around."

"Thank you. She's amazing."

The stable master nods with approval. "That she is. She'll treat you good if you do her right."

Baron follows us as we walk our horses for a bit. I think I'm getting the hang of it, but I'm nervous that if Diamond starts to trot or run I'll lose control.

"I'm surprised the horses aren't spooked by Baron," I say, pulling Diamond up to the side of Fen and his horse.

"They've become acclimated to him, and he to them. It's an uneasy alliance, but it works." He takes us down to a dirt road and turns to me. "Are you ready to run? We need to get there fast."

I swallow, regretting my decision not to tell him about my lack of experience. But it's too late now. "Sure, let's do it."

He grins and makes a clicking sound, gently nudging his horse on the side. He picks up speed, so I copy him and Diamond begins to trot, then run. I grip her body with my knees, my knuckles holding on to the leather strap so hard I fear I'll break it. But I don't fall off. We ride fast down the path and through the woods until I begin to hear the sounds of people. Fen slows to a trot, then a walk as we reach a lumberyard. An area of trees has been cleared and piles of trunks line the grass. A machine that reminds me of a giant pizza cutter sits in the center, covered in black smoke. Men are scattered throughout the clearing, talking, pacing, drinking. Not working. There are no women, which I find odd. In fact, there are only male vampires, from what I can tell. Not a Fae or Shade amongst them.

They all turn in unison to face us, and I try not to embarrass myself as I dismount Diamond. "Thanks girl," I whisper into her ear. "You made me look good. I owe you a treat when we get back."

Fen, who apparently overheard me, gives me a lopsided grin and hands me an apple. I hold it out to Diamond, who wraps her large, soft horse lips around it and chomps it up.

A big, brawny man in flannel with a bushy red beard stomps up to Fen, two men flanking him. He's frowning. "We're done!" he says. "No man can work in conditions like this."

Fen crosses his arms over his chest. "You're not exactly men, are you?"

The man glares. "No demon neither."

"Where is Henrick?" Fen asks.

"I'm over here, Sir."

We both turn in the direction of the voice. Henrick lies on a wooden table under a tarp, his leg propped up and bandaged. His hair is dark brown and a black tattoo covers half his neck. Fen strides over to him. "What happened?"

"The wood cutter jammed. When I tried to clear it, the damn thing exploded on me. My leg is pretty ripped up."

"We'll get you patched up." Fen signals to several of the men standing around. "Take him to Navia in Stonehill. Tell her I sent you. He's to receive the best care, understood?"

"Yes, Sir," the men say.

"I'm sorry, Sir," Henrick says. He's far too pale and his jaw clenches in pain as he tries to talk. "We were already behind in production. There's no way we'll make the deadline before winter hits."

Fen nods sharply, but offers no other words. I walk over and lay a hand on Henrick's. "Just take care of yourself and heal. The rest will sort itself out. It always does."

Henrick looks startled by my touch. For that matter, so does Fen, but once again he chooses not to contradict me in front of others. Interesting. I'm sure we'll have a lively conversation about things later, once we're alone.

Just thinking about being alone with him makes my skin hot. I played it cool, acting like seeing him naked and touching his body didn't affect me. But lord, that was my biggest lie ever told. I can't get the image of that man out of my head. Or the feel of him off my skin. His scent alone makes me want things I shouldn't want. I still have to live with six other princes. I can't fall for Fen, not now. And besides, he's made it clear he has no desire to be King. He doesn't even want me to pick him. I'm setting myself up for heartbreak if I give my heart to a man who doesn't want it.

The men place Henrick on a cot on wheels and attach it to a horse, then begin guiding him slowly to town.

Fen faces those who remain. "We have a fortnight or two until winter hits. Once that happens, we will not be able to harvest trees until spring thaws the land. This wood needs to be used for fire, heat, cooking, and building, throughout the entire kingdom. It is our primary export. If we don't meet our quota, people everywhere will suffer. Now get back to work and make it happen. I'll take a look at the machine, but if I can't fix it right now, then cut and sort wood by hand like we did before my brother invented the cutter. In the meantime, I'll talk to Ace about potential design flaws."

There are grumbles as Fen walks over to the machine in question. A few men return to their work, using axes to cut the tree trunks into splintered wood or smaller logs. But the men who originally confronted Fen stand and glare at him as he works on the machine. I turn away to scan the rest of the clearing, walking amongst the logs that are piled and ready for distribution, and the trees still needing to be cut. The scent of pine and freshly cut wood fills the air, mixed with something more vinegar-like.

Sunlight filters through the tall canopies of the trees and I walk towards the woods, away from the repetitive sounds of steel hitting wood: chop chop chop. Towards the sound of running water. I'm hoping to find a stream where I can wait while Fen does his work. Something about those men makes me uneasy, and I'm beginning to regret coming with him, but it's important I know what kind of work this realm does. If I'm stuck here for all eternity, I'm going to make it work for me, which means making it better.

My dreams of being a lawyer and helping people that way might be over, but that doesn't mean I can't still affect change in the lives of those around me. And that's just what I intend to do, whether the princes of hell like it or not.

After a bit of searching, I find the stream. I can still hear the men working, but water trickling over rocks muffles the sound. I sit on a boulder in the shade of a sad looking willow tree whose branches extend over the river, dipping into it.

I watch a small red bird jump from rock to rock. This place is peaceful, serene, and—

A branch snaps behind me.

I spin around to face the intruder. It's the man with the red beard and flannel. The man who looked so angry at Fen when we arrived.

I stand and step back as he approaches me, his body invading my space as he breathes into my face. His breath smells of alcohol and his eyes roam over my body in a way that makes my skin crawl. "So you're the little bitch they brought to decide everyone's fate? What makes you so special, huh?" He brings his dirty hand to my face and grabs my chin so hard it hurts.

I shove his chest, but he doesn't budge. Of course not. He's a demon. A vampire. Strong. Too strong for me. "Get your hands off me," I hiss at him through clenched teeth. "You will not like what happens if you don't."

"Oh? What are you going to do? Tell the big, bad prince on me? You don't know who my family is, do you?"

He leans in close to my face and extends his sharp fangs, then sticks out his tongue and runs it over my cheek. "Do you taste as good as you smell, I wonder?"

I try to fight him off, but he pins me against the willow tree, his thick, sweaty body pressing against me until I can't breathe. His teeth slide along my neck, nearly piercing my skin.

I have no weapon, so I pull a branch off the tree and swing it at him, hitting him in the head.

His teeth are no longer at my neck, but his grip tightens around my arm. He looks much angrier than he did before. A bear riled from his sleep.

So I do what I've always been taught to do when under attack by a stranger. I scream. I scream so loud the man looks shocked. He squeezes my neck hard and slams my head against the tree. I hit with a painful thud, tripping over a branch, falling towards the water.

The man has a choice. Hold onto my neck and join me in the water, or let go. He lets go, but looks ready to follow, when a wolf growls from the top of a boulder behind him.

Baron jumps onto my attacker.

He bites him in the shoulder.

I scramble away, splashing out of the water, my heart pounding, my hands shaking. Baron pins the man down, his wolf teeth at the man's throat. I stand in the mud. "Doesn't feel so good having a predator at your throat, does it?" I ask.

Fen arrives a moment later and quickly takes in the scene. "What is going on here?" He's not asking me, he's asking the man pinned by Baron. "What did you do to the Princess?"

"I didn't do nothing! I swear!" The man is a mix of anger and panic. "Was just having a nice chat with the Princess when this beast attacked me for no reason."

Fen places a foot on the man's arm and presses in. Bones snap. A scream fills the air.

"Let's try this again," Fen says. "What did you do, Rodrigo?"

"She just smelled so good. You don't let us feed neither. Not proper-like. And I was thirsty!"

Baron growls again and Fen looks like he's about to lose his shit. This time I don't intervene or play nice. This time I want blood. Justice. Maybe vengeance. Something. I'm sick of men acting like they are entitled to the bodies of women just because they want them. I'm sick of this mentality, regardless of which world it's on. So I don't try to temper Fen's rage. Not with Rodrigo. I want the prince to unleash his own brand of wrath.

Fen lifts Rodrigo by his neck and Baron jumps off the man's chest, snapping at him just in case he forgets who's in charge. Then Fen drags Rodrigo through the woods, back to the center of the clearing where the other men wait. I follow, watching as my attacker attempts to get away from Fen, who doesn't seem to even break a sweat keeping hold of the bulky demon.

When we arrive, I see the cutter is working again, diligently chopping logs into smaller and smaller piles.

Fen throws the man into the center of the field. "Rodrigo seems to believe you are not being cared for properly. That my laws about feeding are too strict, that he is entitled to drink from the Princess against her will. Are any of you in agreement?"

All the men take a step back and look down at their feet, even the two who had stood by Rodrigo's side earlier.

"Very well, then we have just one traitor to deal with. Normally, I would sentence him to immediate execution for such an act against royalty. But I'm feeling generous today. So instead, I make his punishment a duel. To the death. Whichever one of us is left standing at the end, wins."

What? No, this isn't what I wanted. I tug at Fen's arm to get his attention. "Can I talk to you privately?"

He nods, then turns to the group. "Don't let him leave, or it'll be your head."

We walk far enough away that I hope others can't hear us. "You can't fight him to the death!" I say.

He chuckles. "Why not?"

"What if you get hurt?"

Now he laughs. "You think he has any chance against me? That's sweet, but you've clearly never seen me fight."

"I've seen you fight a few times actually. Things can go wrong."

He brushes a strand of hair from my face and smiles. "You've seen me spar. You've seen me battle while you were drugged and nearly unconscious. You've never seen me fight. I'll be fine. No one touches you like that and walks away." He heads back to the waiting men, and I follow him, my heart hammering in my chest.

Baron stands by my side, his head under my hand, as the two men take up their swords and face each other.

"My father will hear about this," Rodrigo says as they circle each other.

"Your father owes more than his weight in gambling debts. And I own the note on those. He will not raise so much as an eyebrow at me. Now fight."

Rodrigo lunges. Fen counters. The whole thing is over so fast I almost think I lost time. It was no fight at all, but a slaughter. Rodrigo's body lies on the ground, his blood seeping into the dirt, his head a few feet from his torso, staring blindly into space.

In one move, Fen beheaded the man with no effort.

 

***

 

I'm quiet on the ride back to the castle and excuse myself to my room once we return. I wanted blood and I got it, but it didn't make me feel better. Instead, I feel sick. Sick of the violence and the attempts on my life. Sick of the games. I just need a break.

In truth, I want to go home. I want to check on my mom and sit on my old couch and see my best friends. I want to have a coffee and check my email and text and watch cat videos on Facebook. This world is so archaic. I feel lost. Alone.

When I get to my room, Julian and Kara are already there, cleaning and checking the fire. They both curtsy when I come in.

"We didn't think you'd be back yet," Julian says, by way of apology. "We will come back later." She drops her eyes and waits. She acts demure. Subservient. But I sense more within her. She's a petite girl with green eyes like mine and bright red hair. She reminds me of my mother in some ways.

Kara is taller, with a curvy figure and long golden hair with dark eyes. She always looks bored, but I think she plots more than she lets on.

They are both Fae, assigned to be my servants. Their pointy ears give it away, but I think I would know even without them.

"Don't go," I say. "Sit with me and have some tea. I could use the company."

There's a knock at the door and I open it to see Baron waiting beside Marco, the soldier Fen sparred with earlier. He's with another man. "Your Highness, the Prince asked us to stand watch. This is Roco. He and I will take shifts guarding you while you live here. If you need anything, please let one of us know. There will always be someone standing guard outside your door at all times, or with you when you move about the castle."

Baron pushes past my legs to walk in, and Marco's eyes widen. "Also, Fen said Baron will be staying with you from now on, except during hunts."

I nod and pat the wolf's head. "Very well. Thank you both."

Marco bows and closes the door, leaving me with my servants and the wolf. The girls are both wide-eyed and standing in the corner, as far away from Baron as they can. He just ignores them and hops onto my bed to sleep.

"Doesn't it scare you to have that wolf in here?" Kara asks.

"No, Baron would never hurt me. In fact, he protected me today." I tell them both the story of what happened as we move into my sitting room and Kara serves everyone tea.

When I'm done, Julian covers her mouth in shock. "You don't know who Rodrigo is, do you?"

"Honestly, I don't know who anyone is yet." Not even myself, in this crazy place.

"He's the son of the highest ranking demon in all the realms, outside the princes themselves," Julian says. "He was the Head Advisor to the King, before His Majesty was killed, and is responsible for enacting all the King's rulings. I can't believe the Prince killed his son."

"Fen mentioned something about gambling debts the father owed?"

Julian shrugs. "There are rumors, but the Prince would know better than us."

I sense Julian isn't telling me everything she knows, but then, why should she? She's a slave. We can sit here acting like friends, but at the end of the day she has no rights.

Kara shakes her head. "I can't believe that bastard tried to feed on you. But even still, the punishment was harsh for one of his ranking. His father won't take this lightly."

"Why was he working as lumber jack if he's so high ranking?" I ask.

"The King ordered him sent here to work 'a hard day's labor' for one year and one day, following an incident at a tavern with a local girl who ended up being favored by a nobleman," Kara explains. "It was his punishment, in hopes of teaching him some values."

"I don't think the lesson took," I say.

We spend the rest of the afternoon talking about our lives, our families and how different our experiences have been. Both Kara and Julian are slaves, taken as part of the spoils of war when their village from the Outlands tried to attack Fen's city. Normally their sentence would have been death, so they both seem happy to at least be alive. But still, they have no freedom, no pay, no choices at all.

"Were you part of the attack?" I ask.

Kara shakes her head. "We were too young at the time. We were taken when the demons retaliated on our village. To be honest, we have lived in this castle most of our lives. It's really all we've known."

"What does your contract say, exactly?" I ask, my mind whirring with ideas.

Julian frowns. "I haven't looked at it in ages. But I can get it for you if you'd like to see it. I think you technically own the contract now that we've been given to you."

"What? I own you?" My stomach turns on itself. How could Fen make me a slave-owner without telling me?

They both nod.

"Get me both of your contracts, at once."

They leave to do as I've asked, and I go back to my bedroom and crawl into the bed with the wolf, laying my head on his body. "What am I doing here, Baron? Do you have any clue?"

 

***

 

My day passes with some reading, some journaling and more talking with Kara and Julian about their contracts. I'm still trying to understand all the nuances of their terms. The language and style of writing is more obscure than the legalese of my world, and that's saying something. I might need to get help with this. When the dinner bell rings I realize I've skipped lunch entirely.

Fen waits for me at the dining table, and I take my seat across from him. There is an awkward silence between us as Olga brings out baked duck with salad, garlic rolls and fried vegetables.

I eat quickly, wondering the whole time what I will do each and every day in this new place. I have no real job now, and I guess I don't really need one. But I need some purpose. Some direction.

"Fen?"

He looks up, surprised I broke the silence. "Yes?"

"Thank you for defending me today. I know it will cause some problems for you to have killed someone with such a high ranking father. So, thank you."

His eyes soften. "I thought you were angry with me."

I shrug. "No. I wanted him to die. I was just surprised at the violence. And the blood." I shiver at the memory. "But this isn't my world anymore, is it? I have to adapt to this culture if I'm going to make it here."

He nods. "That you will."

"About the girls you assigned to me. Kara and Julian?"

"Are they not working out? Would you like someone different?" he asks.

"No, they're great. I was just wondering… do I own them? Is that how this works?"

He puts his fork down and looks at me more closely. "Technically, yes. I know you find that distasteful, given where you're from and the values you were raised with. But here it is the way things have always been."

"So I own their contract then?"

He frowns. "Yes," he says carefully. "But that contract was sealed in blood. Even you cannot break it. Just as we could not break your mother's contract once it was secured."

"I understand. Thank you."

I take another bite and he just looks at me, likely wondering what I'm up to now. He'll find out soon enough.