Chapter 16 Sixteen.
“Why do you keep shaking?” The whisper comes from a female beside me, her voice barely audible.
I hadn't even noticed her gaze on me until now. I'm shaking, I realize, my body trembling since me and the other slaves were forced to kneel as King Sven, Katniss Whitlock, and the dignitaries from Cessi and Selenium feast. There are no palace guards around, but there are Gammas and some servers. There is also a lone bard playing music on his lute, the uplifting melody a stark contrast to the reality facing me and the others kneeling.
The inside of the Pegasus is overwhelming, about six times larger than King Sven's palace, with an extravagant interior that hosts grand celebrations with pack members, other kingdoms, and even mass parades. There's even a colosseum for warriors' battles and a huge amphitheater in the compound. However, where we are now is a large room in the Pegasus. A room secluded.
“You're still shaking,” she repeats, her tone laced with concern.
“Can’t help it,” I say, finally meeting her gaze.
She’s an Ogre, that much is clear from her green skin and elongated ears. Her golden-yellow eyes match the waves of her hair. She wears a flimsy crop top that leaves little to the imagination and a short linen skirt. Beads in vibrant colors adorn her waist, arms, and even dangle from her forehead and cleavage. She’s stunning, freckles dotting her face, but what stands out most is her smile.
Just how? How can she wear that smile despite everything? Despite knowing we might be used as sex toys or forced to fight each other for entertainment?
“You’re the infamous Fae slave Alpha King Sven just took in, aren’t you?” she asks.
“Is it that obvious?” I ask back, sarcasm coating my words.
She chuckles lightly. “You may have altered your features, but you’re the only one shaking. Wasn’t hard to spot the newbie. I’m Linnet.”
“Olivia,” I introduce myself.
“Why don’t you take a deep breath, try to calm down?” she suggests. “And maybe try wearing a smile.”
“There’s really nothing to smile about in my life right now,” I murmur.
“Isn’t that true for everyone kneeling here?” She gestures around to the others. There are only three males among us, and everyone is smiling. But how? I can’t even force my lips into a thin line.
“How do you do it?” I ask, my voice almost a whisper as I take a deep breath to stop myself from shaking, and thankfully it works.
“Do what?”
“Smile. How do you smile, when everything about our situation is a nightmare?”
“We’re alive…” She starts, then trails off.
“Better to be dead than have my freedom taken,” I say before I can stop myself.
Linnet looks taken aback by my words. For a moment, her smile falters, but she quickly slips it back into place. “A pragmatic, how fascinating. You don't seem to be afraid of death, but even with your freedom taken you haven't done anything drastic, Olivia. And that's because you and I both know being alive breeds hope for freedom. But death?”
There's a brief pause.
“And what do we really know about the afterlife?” she continues. “It could be freedom. Or it could be nothing at all. Empty. Lonely. Being alive may be cruel, but it gives us options. You being alive right now shows you have a deeper understanding of survival.”
I nod silently. She's right. I’m still here, breathing, because of the hope that I might escape one day. That I might find my twin again.
“Have you ever heard about the Dance of The Dead?” She asks after a while.
“No. What is it?”
“It’s a battle to the death, and it's held once every decade. Slaves and prisoners compete. This year, it’s happening in the Kingdom of Māui.” Her voice is steady. “I will be participating.”
“In a death match?” I ask, stunned.
She clears her throat. “I know what it's like to lose everything. I am - was- from the Kingdom of Orcs—land of Ogres. My father was a councilman, but my family sold me to Alpha King Kaius of Selenium to pay a debt.”
She nods toward the table. King Sven sits in the center, but next to him is a man with cropped blonde hair, thick blonde lashes, and a scar running through his brow. He's Alpha King Kaius. Although he's in his early forties, he still looks as young as King Sven, likely due to his werewolf genes which makes them age slowly. A woman sits beside him, with her arms draped possessively around him.
“He wanted me as property to settle their debt,” Linnet says. “Of course, I was furious. Still am. But I’ve also learned to forgive. I've served King Kaius for twenty years. Ten years ago, before Eris wall fell, I tried to enter the Dance of the Dead, but I was too weak. So I waited. I’ve saved my strength, and now I’m ready.”
“What’s the prize?”
“The winner gets one wish granted by their owner,” she says. “I’ll be wishing for my freedom.”