Chapter 34 Stop, please
SOMA
“Stop, please.”
My voice breaks as I thrash beneath Brynne. His weight pins me down, his grip on my wrists unyielding. As he forces himself inside me, a sharp and merciless pain tears through my body, and a raw scream rips out of my throat.
“Don’t. Please, your highness. Don’t.”
But his face hovers over mine, and his lips curve into a wicked smile. He leans in, his breath hot against my cheek as he thrusts deeper, wringing another cry from me.
“Don’t pretend you don’t like it, little thief.”
Tears stream down my cheeks as I twist beneath him, and my pleas vanish into the darkness. He draws back, hips shifting to drive into me again, but a voice cuts through the moment.
“My lady.”
The voice is familiar and gentle, and it’s followed by a hand shaking my shoulder. I gasp, my eyes flying open.
Chest heaving, I clutch the sheets drenched in sweat. Jade’s face looms above mine, not Brynne’s. My eyes scan the place, half-expecting this to be Brynne’s lair. But I’m in my room. My safety.
“Are you okay?” Jade’s wide brown eyes peer down at me, her hands hovering as if afraid to touch me.
Though my throat is raw, and my lips unable to form words, I force myself to nod. My heart beats too fast, and I rub a hand over my chest. I’ve never had a dream this vivid, and I know it was triggered by the incident that happened last night.
Jade hesitates before placing a small velvet box on the blanket. “This arrived for you. From the crown prince.”
After enduring the humiliation of his hand around my wrists, his fingers forcing his seed inside me, I want nothing from him. But I also don’t want his wrath.
“What’s inside?” I ask.
“My lady, it’s not within my jurisdiction to check.”
Refusing him brings its own kind of danger. Last night taught me that. I take the box, my hand shaking as I pry it open. Inside lies a sealed two-colored capsule, its casing a thin layer of hardened wax. It smells as if it will be bitter.
A note rests beside it, and it reads: Wouldn’t want mini versions of you running around the palace.
Shame burns across my face. My stomach churns, and my skin prickles as the unwanted memory claws its way back.
Without hesitation, I pluck the capsule from its bed of cloth and pop it into my lips, swallowing it dry. The bitter taste coats my tongue, but I force it down.
Jade winces. “You should’ve taken it with water, my lady.”
“Doesn’t matter,” I whisper, my eyes watering.
“The high priestess came by this morning,” she says. Her gaze lowers, and she twiddles her fingers. Did she know what Brynne was planning? Did she set me up? I dismiss that thought. “But you were still asleep.”
Eyes drifting to the empty box on the bed, I clutch the sheets tighter around me. My body still remembers his touch, and my mind echoes with his words. Even after washing myself too many times to count last night, my thighs still feel sticky with his release.
“Where’s she now?” I ask.
“I’m not sure, my lady, but she left you something.”
Keeping her head down, she disappears from the room and returns with a gray envelope. I sit up, my mind too tired to conjure up reasons this was sent to me.
The envelope has the Shadowspire Royal Academy seal. I rip open the envelope and pull out the letter. A small laugh escapes me, and the tears fall unannounced.
Some good news at least.
“My lady—”
“It’s okay,” I say without looking at Jade.
My tears dot the page of the admission letter. I read the first few lines and chuckle. I didn’t have any doubts about being granted admission, but after last night, this feels like the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
Dear Somadina Bello,
We are glad to inform you that you have been offered admission to Shadowspire Royal Academy.
Without reading the rest of the letter, I fold it and hug it to my chest. Jade lets out a soft sigh, finally relaxing.
“It’s good news,” she murmurs.
No, it’s wonderful news. So wonderful, it helps me go through my day and the next without breaking down.
By Monday morning, I’ve nearly forgotten about the crown prince and his shenanigans.
Jade is there to help me prepare for my first day at the academy. It’s probably the last time I’ll see her until the semester break, so I don’t give her any trouble.
Once I exit the bathroom, I head to my wardrobe to grab the dress she had readied for me, but in its place is a uniform. I remove the blazer, my fingers caressing the academy’s badge stitched into the breast pocket.
The design is intricate, reminiscent of the seal on the envelope. It’s not just a badge. It’s a crest.
A dark shield, trimmed in gold, glimmers against my blazer, with the image inside almost alive. There’s a fierce, regal wolf watching the world with molten eyes as it emerges from a river of crimson. Flames curl behind it like a crown born of fire. Twisting vines wrap around its neck, not to strangle, but to claim.
Above it, lightning splits a storm-dark sky, frozen mid-strike. Together, the image tells a story, but I must be the wrong audience because I don’t understand it.
Jade steps back into the room. “The uniform came this morning while you were in the bathroom,” she tells me. I drop the hanger on the bed, glad to know I will fit in perfectly. “Do you like it?”
The uniform consists of a pleated skirt, a crisp white shirt, and a blazer, with the edges of its lapel featuring the same gold color as the border of the academy crest. There are white socks and cute black boots to finish the look.
Within minutes, I slip into the uniform. The skirt stops inches above my knees, and the knee-high socks fit snugly against my skin. I pause in front of the mirror, frowning at the cute, healthy stranger staring back at me.
“It’s beautiful,” Jade says. “You look pretty, my lady.”
She’s not wrong. I may seem like I fit into the palace, but this upgrade has come at a price I’m not sure I’m willing to pay.
Jade takes the initiative to serve breakfast in the room. She doesn’t eat with me, and I don’t make her. As soon as I’m done, she hands me a backpack, with a smile sadder than mine. Before leaving the room, I hug her. She’s supposed to be my maid, but it feels like she’s the only friend I have, and I’m about to lose her.
Lilith is waiting for me in the foyer, her head bowed and stance tensed as she types into her phone. As usual, she’s dressed to perfection in a fitted suit and tie. Her presence elicits mixed feelings in my chest.
Will she remain nice to me once the ritual confirms I’m not Brynne’s mate? Her head lifts as I stop in front of her.
“My lady, your uniform looks good on you,” she says, sizing me from top to bottom. “I wasn’t sure it would fit since the call went to Chancellor Peterson late.”
“Thank you. It fits perfectly. Good morning.”
“Shall we?” Lilith mutters, nodding at the door.
The guard stationed at the entrance opens the door, and a rush of cool morning air washes over me. Its bite is sharp enough to clear my head. As Lilith guides me to the open door, I lock my arms around my middle.
The marble steps gleam faintly with dew, and the crisp wind slips beneath my collar, making me shiver. We step away from the entrance, curiosity nipping at me.
I have questions, like how I’ll get to the academy, who will take me there, but on sensing the heavy presence behind us, my mouth seals shut. The hair on the back of my neck rises, warning me before I even turn. But I’m still stunned when I do.