36

Before I can register anything more, I am shoved through a doorway and into a room. The doors slam shut behind me and I am greeted with silence. I whirl around to try the door and to my surprise it opens, but only for a second before the guards on the other side close it again. I clench my hands into fists. *Don’t lose your temper.* I take a few deep breaths and look around.

Where am I? It’s a room unlike any I have ever been in. The ceiling is arched and domed above me with large pillars holding it up. There are a few rivers of lava flowing through this room, with bridges going over each river. It is incredibly hot here. To my left, the wall is made up entirely of glass, showcasing the volcano right outside. This is the closest I have been to it since arriving here. There are intricately decorated lamps lining the walls of the whole room about 5 feet apart. There is something in the pillars, making the light bounce off of them, casting delicate glittering patterns on the marble floor. It is as bright as if the sun itself was still up in the sky.

Curiosity wants me to explore the room but sensibility has me staying close to the door. Unfortunately, curiosity gets the better of me and I walk over to one of the pillars. It is large and made of glossy black marble that is smooth and cool to the touch, just like the marble under my feet. It’s as wide as seven men and the lamps are much higher up on the pillar than they seemed from across the room. Diamonds as large as my head are inlaid in the pillars. It’s a magnificent piece of work. There seem to be hundreds of these pillars in this room, but surely that is impossible. I scoff at myself.

I walk over to the windows and watch the lava oozing out of the volcano. It’s a wonder the people here have not choked on the smoke and ash billowing out of the top of that. It’s another wonder that there is no end to the lava as well. All around the volcano is a layer of black crust. Vo said that the lava cools quickly depending on the circumstances. 

I hear footsteps from behind me and something appears and moves between the pillars like a shadow. If I had not been paying attention, I would have thought it was a shadow. My body tense in a fight or flight mode. I want to yell out to not come any closer, to stay over there and name themselves but my voice is caught in my throat. Maybe I should hide, but where? My eyes are darting around frantically and in this moment my body chooses flight.

I quickly move to the pillar closest to me and do my best to peek around it, ears and eyes straining for the person. The moment I see movement, I move to the other side of the pillar. Since it is so large, the person could very well be on the other side. I just can’t see them. My mind is racing. I can’t cross the bridge, it’s too open. I’ll just have to stay on this side and stay relatively close to the door. 

I peek around the pillar but don’t see anything. Are they gone? False hope is dangerous and in this moment it betrays me. I feel myself relaxing just for a moment and when I turn back around, a man stands right in front of me. I open my mouth to let out a yelp when he puts his hand over my mouth and shushes me. He is smiling and there is a mischievous glint in his orange-red eyes. His hand burns my skin so I try to push his arm away. He releases my mouth to catch both of my hands and pins them above my head. I struggle against him while he manages to hold my wrists in one hand and uses his other hand to grasp my throat, managing to still me. He leans his body into mine and pushes one of his legs in between my legs to practically make me immobile. We are both breathing hard, but I suspect for different reasons. For myself, it’s out of fear and the struggle; for him, I think it’s out of excitement. 

When I try to move, his hand on my throat tightens slightly and he grins, almost as if he wants me to keep fighting. Looking into his eyes is like looking into pools of lava. His hair is an array of colors with black and yellow streaks popping through the thick, rich orange and red color of his hair. 

“So what they say is true. You are quite a beauty to behold and you have such a lovely neck, but no one told me you were feisty.” I glare at him and he grins. “There, right there. I can see it in your eyes. Fascinating.” His eyes dart around, searching my face. “It’s like looking in a mirror.”

“We’re nothing alike.” It comes out as a whisper. He hums as he slides his thumb under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He must have been slouching before, for I would have noticed if he was as tall as he is now. Glee is written all over his flawless and smooth face. It’s like a polished stone. 

“Is that any way to speak to your king?” He chides. 

“You are not my king.” I grit. 

“My, either D’ka is a failing teacher, or you are a bad student.” He leans down and whispers hotly in my ear. “Perhaps I need to take over and give you private lessons.” I try to jerk my head away but the king holds me in place. “Tut, tut, tut. Bad girl.” I hate this. I am repulsed by this man and his actions. Is this what spending one night with the king means? He is watching me carefully. “Let’s play a game, shall we?” He grins.

“No.” I frown. 

“It will be fun. All you have to do is get out of my hold and to the door and then you’ll be free.” 

“What happens if I don’t make it to the door?”

“Well, that’s when the fun begins.” I don’t like the way he is smiling or looking at me. There’s something dangerous lurking underneath his teasing expression. He lowers his hand from my throat and I take this moment to spit in his face. 

He makes a grunt as his face scrunches up and his hold on my wrists lighten ever so slightly, but it’s just enough. I yank my hands down and with everything I have, I shove the king away from me. He takes a step back, and by doing that, he unintentionally frees my legs. I dart to the side and start to run towards the door. I hear the king laugh from somewhere behind me and hear him following close behind.