Chapter 19 Nineteen

Chapter 19 Nineteen
The Spare Soul — Chapter 13

Cupid

The whip cracked across my thigh and I screamed, gasping half from pain and half from a dark pleasure. 

I always favoured more family-friendly romance when I made my matches, but I had heard of some humans who enjoyed this sort of thing.

I have always thought it was one of those strange human quirks, a “kink” as they called it, that I didn’t understand but had to overlook. 

But now I was beginning to get it.

White-hot fire bloomed across my skin, the sharp little shards of stone embedded in the leather biting into my skin, dragging a stinging line of heat that made my pulse beat faster and my breath hitch.

Every flash of pain sent sparks of dark pleasure straight to my core and I felt myself growing shamefully wet and aroused, only my pride and dignity stood between me and the urge to beg for more.

I was going nuts. There was no doubt about it now. 

The Dragon King and his fortress must have some dark power over me, gradually turning me into something else. 

Some strange sex crazed, constantly angry maniac who couldn’t think straight.

I jerked away from him on instinct, pressing myself back against the headboard, the sheet I'd grabbed earlier barely covering me. 

I hated him for doing this to me, for making me into this... this...

“You evil troglodyte! I swear to the goddess above I will—"

“Be quiet.” He raised the whip again, his face a mask of fury and dark satisfaction.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Dragus's eyes flashed dangerously, his jaw clenching with irritation. For a moment there I thought he would ignore it and bring the whip down on me again, regardless of the interruption.

Then he lowered his arm slowly.

"Useless, useless guards, constantly on my neck. Useless," he said quietly, his voice a deadly calm. His tone made me grateful that I wasn't the person on the other side of that door.

“Now… where was I?” He made to raise the whip again—

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

This time the rapping at the door was loud and even more urgent.

I let out a shaky breath of relief despite the burning in my thigh. This was a small, probably temporary save, but I'd take it. 

Truthfully I didn’t have much to fight him off other than a sharp tongue, and I knew a few minutes longer and he would turn my curses and taunts into helpless moaning.

I couldn’t have that.

Dragus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply through his nose, trembling with the effort of controlling his rage.

Then he turned and strode toward the door, not bothering to put down the whip or reach for any clothing. He was still shirtless and armed with that whip, still radiating menace with every step he took.

He yanked the door open with enough force to make it slam hard against the wall.

I heard voices coming through the entrance, rough Nexium speech that I couldn't understand. 

But I could hear the nervousness in the guards' tones, how they spoke quickly and defensively. I sensed the soldiers were reporting some kind of failure to their king and it wasn’t going well, primarily because that king had an infamously hot temper.

I took advantage of his distraction to rip the sheet completely off the bed and wrap it around myself more securely.

My hands were shaking so badly I could barely manage all that fabric, but I got it arranged enough to cover the essentials.

I was looking frantically around the room, thinking hard for some way out when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

There was an open window! It was just above the bed, set into the black stone wall at head height.

I sent a silent prayer of gratitude up to the goddess, frantically thanking her for the miracle. 

I twisted to look out and down, trying to measure the distance. There were two stories, maybe three between me and the ground below. It was volcanic rock; hard, unforgiving, and very deadly if I  landed on it wrong.

I would definitely break something if I took the risk and jumped off. Perhaps multiple somethings. My legs, certainly, and maybe ribs. Possibly my spine if I were really unlucky.

But…

Dragus's voice rose sharply, switching to the common tongue mid-sentence: "…absolute incompetence, the lot of you! How difficult could it possibly be to…”

He switched back to Nexium, making violent gestures with the hand still holding the whip.

I looked down at the window again, my mind racing frantically. My escape was right there, ripe for the taking, all I had to do was take a leap of faith.

Broken bones were only a problem for mortals, ordinary humans who couldn't heal themselves, who had to rely on time and medicine and hope.

But I was a Heartwalker, with powerful enough magic, there was barely anything that couldn't be fixed. 

I had seen shattered femurs knit back together, I knew fractured ribs could be easily mended, though it would take some time. Even crushed vertebrae could be restored given enough love magic and patience.

The only thing that couldn't be healed was a broken heart.

My original mission was practically over. I couldn't do it. There was no way I could find that monster a soulmate.

I could never burden some unfortunate soul with the curse of loving him, even the very thought made me sick.

All I could do now was run and make my escape. If I made it outside I would have room to fly, I would get enough distance to reach my wings and somehow make it back to Heartwalker territory.

As soon as I reached home, I would tell them everything. 

About the prisoners in the dungeons and the people who'd been trapped for a thousand years in that hellhole and left to rot.

I would convince the Council to mount a proper rescue, and come back with reinforcements, enough Heartsoldiers and power and a real plan.

Not this desperate, fumbling attempt at spying that failed within mere hours and had only gotten me captured, tortured, and…

I couldn't think about what else I'd become.

Dragus was still yelling at his guards, his back to me, completely focused on whatever news had interrupted us.

It was now or never.

In one swift movement, I hoisted my leg over the windowsill, bunching the sheet up around my hips so it wouldn't tangle. The stone was rough underneath my bare foot as I braced myself to jump.

I took a breath to steady myself, counting down in my head. On three! One, Two…

"My guards will shoot you dead before you even make it to the ground, foolish girl."

I froze, one leg out the window, the other still on the bed.

Dragus didn’t even turn round. He was still facing the guards in the doorway, yet he was talking to me behind him in a dull, bored tone.

But there was something in his voice, an amusement so dark and ominous it made my blood run cold.

"Balfour is quite skilled with a crossbow," he continued, finally turning to look at me over his shoulder.

He grinned, flashing me that scary set of teeth again, "I've seen him take down a tiny mole rat from six times this distance. And you, Cupid, are a much easier target."

He gestured lazily toward the guards.

"Now get yourself off that window and come meet your friend."

Friend?

I looked past him toward the doorway, my heart hammering with fear and dread.

Two guards stood there, and between them—

Oh goddess.

Oh no.

They were holding someone up, supporting their dead weight, and when the light from the corridor hit his face I saw…