The thing about being kidnapped is that it’s not very fun.
It’s actually quite fucking horrible.
When I wake up, I immediately try to cry out. I’m on the floor and my ankles are tied together and my wrists are bound behind my back. When I open my mouth, my throat is dry and sore.
“Help,” I try to yell, but it’s only a whisper.
“Don’t bother,” a familiar voice says quietly, and my heart drops.
Star.
They got her.
They fucking got her.
I should have saved her, protected her, taken care of her, but I didn’t.
And now they’ve got her.
“Star,” I whisper. “What happened?”
She laughs, but it’s a dry, soulless laugh.
“We’re still in the castle. Everyone is probably looking for us by now, but it doesn’t matter. They got me and now I’m going to be mated to someone: probably someone who’s a huge asshole.” She sighs and adds, “And he’ll probably be bad in bed.”
“I tried to stop it. I heard them talking, but when I went to tell you…”
“They got you. It’s okay. I had the best security team on the planet and they still managed to get me. We knew someone was going to try, but I didn’t count on May being in on it.”
May?
As in, servant-to-Zeke-and-my-friend, May?
“How did they get you, Star?” I have to know. I have to know if my friend actually betrayed the castle, if she actually betrayed Zeke, Star, and me.
No matter what anyone says, I would feel like this was a personal betrayal.
I can’t see Star because the room is pitch black. She’s a dragon woman, though. Surely she can see me. I hold very still and try not to think about what could be crawling around on the cold stone floor. I don’t even know where in the castle we might be. I’ve certainly never been in any rooms like this before. The floor is hard, the air is cold, and everything smells musty and moldy.
I’m guessing a basement or dungeon, but I don’t want to think about it.
“May came to me and whispered there was a problem with my dress. Can you believe it? My fucking dress. She said she could fix it in the hall by the kitchen. She didn’t want to embarrass me in front of the guys.”
Smooth.
By playing to Star’s insecurities about her looks, May was able to get her away from Lee. I can’t even judge Star for falling for it because if someone came up to me and whispered something about my appearance, I’d probably go with them, too.
“I’m guessing there was nothing wrong with your dress,” I say dryly.
“There is now! Fuck. It’s completely fucked up. Can you see it?”
“No, it’s too dark. Can you see me?”
“Yep.”
“Do I look like hell?”
“Yep.”
“Great.” I’m on my side and uncomfortable as hell. The floor is cold against my cheek, but if I roll to my back, it’s going to be torture on my hands. I yank at my binds, but nothing happens.
“Don’t bother. I’ve already tried.”
“They’re way too tight. Damn.” I try to shake my arms and legs a few more times, but all I accomplish is making myself sore.
“Stop,” Star says, her voice quiet, but stern. “You need to save your energy. You need to stop struggling because if they think you’re going to fight them, they won’t keep you. Do you understand what I’m saying, Riley?”
She’s saying that if I put up a fight, they’ll kill me when they come back.
She’s saying that a useless female has a greater chance of living because at least they can fuck me if they keep me around.
This is not how I planned for the night to end. This is not what I wanted. Tonight was supposed to be a lovely celebration of Star growing up and entering her adulthood, but it turned nasty. Part of me regrets that I didn’t run to her sooner, that I didn’t tell Lee about the conversation I overheard, but in the end, it didn’t matter.
With their dragon eyes, the people I heard talking probably knew I was there the whole time.
They might not have known I understood Drakonai, but they saw me.
They would have taken me anyway.
“What’s going to happen to us, Star?” I whisper. I don’t really want to know. Somehow, she’s staying completely calm, but I imagine she’s in the same shape I am: dirty and tired.
“It’s really me they want,” she says. “Don’t give them trouble, Riley. Save yourself. I mean it. They’ve already got me, so there’s no point in fighting. They’ll come back and probably take me away. They might separate us. I don’t know. I’ve never been kidnapped.”
“You knew it was a possibility?”
“It always is when you’re royalty.” Her voice is sad and I wonder what experience Star has had with kidnapping. Maybe her family prepared her for the possibility. Maybe they talked about what she should do.
“They won’t keep you locked away forever, though.”
“As soon as they get me cleaned up, they’ll mate me to the dragon they’ve chosen to rule my country. I don’t know who they have in mind, but they’ve got someone picked out. He’ll bite me and I’ll be forced to bite him in return. Then we’ll be in charge of ruling my country. There won’t be anything anyone can do to stop it.”
“What if someone kills your mate?”
“Then I won’t be mated anymore, but the chances of that happening are basically non-existent. No one is going to kill the princess’ mate. Whoever it is, he’s going to be a fierce warrior, Riley. He may have already killed my father. If he hasn’t yet, he might try before they mate us.”
“But wait,” I say, thinking of something. “Wouldn’t the crown go to Dane? Isn’t he the firstborn male?”
“I’m a little older than him. On Taneyemm, the throne goes to the firstborn, regardless of gender.”
“How progressive.”
“Trust me: tonight I wish we were outdated and traditional. I don’t want to be queen, Riley. I don’t want to be married to a monster.”
For the first time, Star sounds scared, but there’s nothing I can do to comfort her.
There’s nothing I can do to save her.