Chapter 7: Chapter Seven

The ability to lie is invaluable in this realm, and I wish so badly that my ties to Ascian allowed me to lie to him. Instead, I can only be deceptive to Fae that I have no bonds to, or who haven't magically prevented me from doing so. Ascian knew my character when he purchased me, so the first thing that he did when he brought me here was to make me unable to lie to him.

Ascian stops me by the front door, procuring a piece of jewelry from his pocket. "You know the rules for leaving my property," He coos, holding the golden snake out expectantly.

Instead of responding verbally, I hold out my arm to him, my wrist exposed. He wastes no time taking it, using his long fingers to encircle my thin bones. I watch as a gold bracelet that he holds becomes animated, unhinging itself from his fingers. I watch as it slithers like a snake from his hand to mine. The jewelry is as cold as Ascian's skin as it crawls up my arm, past my shoulder, and makes its way around my neck, where it encircles it and remains motionless on my collarbone until recalled by its master.

Not only does the golden choker symbolize my loyalty to Ascian, but it's also been enchanted by him to allow no one else to touch me or speak to me in Silver Tongue, casting any kind of sorcery on me. Fae are sneaky bastards and will try to wiggle their way into your brain any way that they can or to strike any bargain with you that they think they can get away with. I would probably be terrified of them if I didn't have Ascian's protection, in all honesty. They can make a human do nearly anything that they want if they're left unprotected.

Ascian reaches to touch my new collar, pleased with his handiwork. "Ravishing," He says with a smile, eyes glinting with appreciation. "Now we are ready. Let us be leaving now, my pet."

I take his arm and we make our way downstairs to the awaiting carriage that is pulled Ascian's savage of a panther. We typically leave Arcane at home on journeys such as this that may become dangerous at some point, considering that Anthracinus is more violent than her and is ready to engage physically at the drop of a hat.

Ascian holds the door open for me and I climb into the buggy, taking a seat on the navy velvet seats. As with all things that he owns, the carriage is blue and gold to match our outfits. Ascian enters the cabin as well and closes the door. We lurch forward with a crack of the driver's whip and a snarl from Anthracinus, on our way to the castle across the realm. Ascian always made a point of living as far away from his family as possible, which is pretty annoying whenever we go to visit them. Even though Anthracinus is swift and strong, it still takes nearly two hours to get there. That's two hours that I'm locked in this small space with Ascian.

I sneak a glance at him through my lashes, but he's gazing moodily out the window. His silence means one of two things; either he's thinking of all of the ways tonight can go wrong, or he's speculating about something completely unrelated to the party. Considering how I know him, I think it's safe to say that it's probably the latter that's on his mind.

Either way, I relish the rare lapse of silence as the wheels of the carriage roll smoothly through the forest, despite the roots and rocks that jut out from the road. Ascian enchanted the buggy long ago to ride smoothly no matter the terrain, which I'm grateful for. It would be a long and bumpy ride if he didn't. Now, it's just a long, uncomfortably quiet ride.

I pull back the shade to gaze out of my window, my mind wandering to the possibilities of tonight's events, as well. I always look forward to meeting with other humans, though some of them have become odd or insane due being held in captivity for so long. Even worse, there are one or two of them that have fallen madly in love with their Fae masters, misinterpreting the relationship dramatically. I hope that I don't become like them, losing my mind in order to cope with my reality. It might be nice, though. Nicer than the realiities that they are forced to endure though, living with cruel masters.

Sometimes, I like to think about what would have happened if I was never kidnapped. Would I have been popular in high school? Would I have a boyfriend? Would I be happy? I allow my mind to wander in that direction, picturing who I could have been if this wasn't happening. I hope to think that I would have been, considering that I'd still have my sister beside me. I find my fist clenching around my dress and I force myself to ease my fingers away before Ascian notices.

I swear, somehow I will find you again. I'll rescue the both of us.

The silence doesn't last as long as I'd like, and it feels like only a moment has passed before Ascian is sliding closer to me on the bench seat to see if I'm looking at anything interesting. Seeing nothing of interest out the window, he sighs and sits back against the velvet. "What are you thinking about, Bela Bear?"

I shrug a shoulder and attempt to pull the sleeves of my gown up over my shoulders, but fail miserably. There's simply not enough cloth to cover everything, which I suppose was his intention when selecting it. "Nothing of interest to you, just that I wish I'd brought a cloak."

"Ah, is that all? Well, here you are. Wear my jacket until we reach the castle walls." He sheds his waistcoat and offers it to me, so I lean forward to slip it over my shoulders and pull it closer to me. It's stone-cold, not warm as one would expect, had a human been wearing it previously. I purse my lips and rub my hands over my arms, hoping that they warm up soon.

I have no doubt that Ascian can sense that I have more on my mind than the temperature, but he lets it go without a fight. He leans close, gazing out my window at the failing light that bathes the woods in reds and oranges. "Stay close to me tonight," He says, voice unusually soft. It sounds more like a request than an order, which takes me by surprise. He must have something troublesome plaguing his thoughts. Does he suspect something will happen?

"Okay," I say simply, giving him my acceptance of the request. I wouldn't want to be alone in a room stuffed to the seams with Unseelie nobles, anyway. Especially not dressed like this, when the moon is so high in the sky. Fae can be terrifying in the daylight, but even worse in the night. The sound of thick branches snapping against the carraige wheels reminds me unwillingly that not so long ago, they would have a human serving as a peacock on the dinner tabel on a night like this.

Ascian's gaze shifts to my face, his silver eyes glinting like a dagger in the sunset. He offers a small smile as he reaches to cup my cheek, fingers pausing at the gold serpent that hugs my neck. I swear I feel the collar pulse with magic at his touch, but before I can confirm it he retracts his hand from it.

"That is my good girl. You need not worry about a thing. Try to enjoy yourself a bit tonight." His words are meant to be encouraging, I know, but they fall flat somehow. Now he has me all bothered, too.

I cast him a sidelong look, but he has turned his attention back to his own window. Since when does he care about whether I enjoy myself or not? He's acting a little bit strange, or stranger than usual, anyway. I regard him suspiciously for a moment, admiring how the setting sun casts shadows on his profile, accentuating every curve of his face. He is so unearthly and handsome that it makes my heart ache without my consent. I shove the feeling into the pit of my stomach with disgust, to hopefully never be seen again. I can't let myself think that way, or else I might become like some of the other, hopeless human pets I'll be seeing tonight. I refuse to let myself be so pathetic.

I slump in my seat and fold my arms across my chest, bringing the coat closer to my neck. As I stare purposefully out my window again, I becoming enveloped in the smell of crisp, green apples that emits from the coat, and the Fae sitting beside me. Despite the familiar scent, I know that I won't be able to relax tonight.