Chapter Three

 

 

I woke up in a sumptuous bedroom, lying on a bed that was so big, it was ridiculous. I sat up; trepidation rising in my chest. What the hell had Drostan done to me? And where was I?

I slid off the bed and looked around. The room was spacious; with a black marble floor covered in thick rugs. My shoes were gone, so I was able to appreciate the silky weave beneath my feet. It was unlike any rug I'd ever walked on.

“What a stupid thing to focus on,” I growled at myself. “Some magic dude whammies me, and I'm admiring his carpet?”

I quickly went back to searching the room. There were two doors; one directly to my left, and one behind me. The furniture was delicate; carved in thin, twisting shapes that were both unusual and extraordinary. Even the bed was carved in a way that made me wonder how much weight it could take. It had four posters and was lifted high on spindly legs of polished wood with gold swirled set in it. The duvet was quilted blue velvet, the sheets blue silk, and the curtains hanging around the four posters were black silk with silver swirls embroidered on them.

Drostan had good taste. Or maybe he had a fairy interior decorator. I chuckled at that.

There was a seating area consisting of four fragile-looking chairs that surrounded a circular table, and another arrangement of sturdier chairs that was set before a black, marble fireplace. An elegant armoire, with a mirror set in its door, stood tall in one corner. I opened one of the armoire's doors and saw my bag set inside it. I made sure that all of my belongings were inside; as meager as they were. Then I closed the armoire.

Beside the armoire, there was a carved wooden chest. I wandered over to the chest and flipped open the lid. Leather trousers, vests, and intricate belts were laid inside. There was a box of jewelry that obviously belonged to a man; heavy rings, chains, and pins. There were velvet sashes and pieces of clothing that I couldn't recognize.

“Fairy king clothes, I guess.”

I checked out the smaller of the two doors first, guessing that it probably led to a bathroom. I opened it, and sure enough, a luxurious bathroom waited on the other side of the door. White marble and gold fixtures, with blue linens folded neatly on the counter. There was a tub fit for a king, which I suppose was appropriate. It was wide and set into a raised dais, with a golden spigot curving gracefully over it. I sighed as I surveyed the sinks set beneath gold-framed mirrors, and the pedestal stacked with fluffy blue towels.

I went back out into the bedroom and took another look around. Against the wall opposite the bathroom door were floor-to-ceiling black curtains that matched those adorning the bed. I headed over to them and pulled them back to reveal a large window; starting at about waist height and going all the way to the ceiling. On the other side of the glass, there were trees. Just trees and more trees as far as I could see. There was nothing to indicate where I was. I could have been in Colorado or Canada.

“Beautiful, isn't it?”

I jerked around and saw Drostan shut the bedroom door behind him. He looked like he had in the glimpse he'd given me in the hospital; silvery skin and impossibly-blue eyes.

“Where are we?” I asked as I stared at his otherworldly beauty.

“Castle Unseelie,” Drostan said as he went to the pair of chairs before the fireplace. He sat in one and then waved to the other. “Sit, Riley, I think it will be easier for you to hear what I have to say if you do.”

“Okay. I expect that you wanna tell me how this is going to work between us.”

“I do. But first, let me explain a few things. We Fey are a long-lived race.” He leaned back in his chair and hooked one knee over the other. “You may even call us immortal, though that's not technically true. When you live as long as we do, life can become tedious, and so we've had to find ways to keep it interesting.”

“Like bargaining a woman into slavery?”

“One of our favorite ways to entertain ourselves,” he continued smoothly, “is to consort with humans. I've been watching you. Your life is as tedious as mine; a constant shuffle back and forth. You work, you eat, you sleep, and you work again. The only break in your routine has been your sister's illness. But she has a family of her own, and rarely had time for you even when she was healthy. Despite this, she is the one person you love, and you traded your freedom for her life. Very admirable. You are a good person, and yet you have very few friends and no lover.”

“I don't trust people easily,” I whispered.

“Ah”—he waved his hands out—“neither do I.”

“I still don't understand why you chose me.”

“To save you.” Drostan grinned. “To save me perhaps. Here, you shall live forever, and your life will be unlike anything you've ever imagined. I know that I told you I wanted a slave, but you won't have to worry about anything as menial as work, and you won't want for anything. I will take care of you.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to,” he said simply. “I will take care of you, and you will take care of me. That was our Understanding.”

“No; it wasn't,” I said slowly.

“What?” Drostan blinked in surprise.

“I didn't bargain to be your slave for eternity,” I snarled. “I assumed this would be one lifetime.”

“It is one lifetime,” he said.

“One extended lifetime,” I hissed.

“Don't you want to live forever?” He asked in shock.

“As your sex slave?” I lifted my brows. “I don't think so.”

“You'll change your mind once you settle in,” Drostan said confidently.

“And if I don't?”

“Then you will have to make peace with it, Riley,” he snarled as he sat forward. “Unless you want me to return you to your world; along with your sister's illness?”

The blood drained from my face.

“That's what I thought.” Drostan settled back in his chair. “Now, let's get started, shall we?”