by A C Wilds
“Has anyone ever said how fucking insane you are? First, you kidnap me, and now you're talking about me like I am one of your prized studs. Let me go, and I will return to my old life none the wiser. You can keep everything as is. I don’t consider you my people, nor do I wish to help either side, Dark or Light, gain power. I was perfectly happy being ignorant to this whole situation,” I plead.
“I can’t do that. Your powers are starting to awaken, and we need to keep an eye on them. Your only option is to cooperate. If you do, life will be easy. You can have a normal, but privileged existence here. If you don’t, well, let’s say things will get very unpleasant.”
I can’t help but stare at him. This situation I’m in is so surreal. One minute I am a depressed twenty-four year old leading a perfectly human existence, and the next I am caught up in a fantasy world where Fae and angels are real. I look to Cass, but he is just standing there staring into nothing. I can’t tell whether he knew about this beforehand, or if it’s all new to him. Was he sent to me so that I would be more compliant? Was he aware that his father was this evil?
“You may both leave now. Just know, Azra, that I will be keeping a close watch on you. I have eyes and ears everywhere in this palace. One stupid move, and your life get so much more unpleasant. I hear you left a friend back in Hellebore. I wonder how she would fare under the scrutiny of my guards? I bet Bastille would love to play with a beautiful woman such as her,” the king says, with malice dripping from his words like thick molasses.
“If you touch one hair on her head, I will end you,” I say to him, through gritted teeth.
He laughs at me. “Do you know why we have changelings, Azra?” he asks me. “No? Well, let me enlighten you. To power up the portals and use the protection magic you see all around you, a sacrifice is required. It is one I am not willing to make with my people, so I use changelings instead. The younger they are, the more magic they produce. Even though Noli is an adult, she does have a lot of witchy powers.” His face is a mask of pure evil. This is not a man or Fae; this is a creature so twisted he needs to be put down. I’m convinced he crawled up out of the putrid bowels of Hell to ascend his throne. At this moment, I know. He needs to die.
I feel myself turn white. I would never want to get Noli mixed up in any of this. He has me exactly how he wants me: in fear and worried for my friend. I feel utterly powerless at this moment. I feel the heat coming up in my hands and the burning sensation in my neck. My powers want out, and they want to hurt this man. Before they are unleashed though, I feel the dampening and cooling sensation of them being put out like a flame doused in water. I see Cass looking at me with a “not now” face. I hope against all hope that he isn’t in on it. I want him so badly to redeem himself and prove that he is better than his father. I turn to leave the room, but before I get to the door, the King says one more thing.
“I almost forgot the best part about this meeting. I want the two of you to become better acquainted in this coming week. At the Solstice ball, I will be announcing your betrothal,” says the King, as if he didn’t just hammer the last nail into my coffin.
At this last statement, Cass’s eyes bug out of his head, and he starts to object. “Father, I don’t understand.” I guess he wasn’t privy to this information beforehand.
The King glares at him with a disappointed face and replies, “Cassiel, you don’t need to understand, you simply need to do as you are commanded by your King.” It looks like he is about to say something else, but then a look of defeat comes over him, and he turns and leaves the room. I take one last look at that dickhead of a King and storm right out after Cass. How the fuck am I going to get out of all this?
Stolen Life
Cassiel
I can’t believe him. Betrothing me to the Changer. I know what he is thinking and the advantages that this union could bring, but he didn’t even include me in his plan. She is gorgeous, in fact, one of the most stunning creatures I have seen in my life. And her fiery personality, it does things to my insides that I didn’t think were possible. She has awakened me.
I thought the relationship between my father, and I was improving. I figured since he announced me as heir to the throne, that we were in this together. I guess I was wrong. I truly thought that he would help prepare me for my future rule and one day pass his throne to me. I hoped to be a fair and just ruler, without all of the cruelty and prejudice that my father embodies. I now see that he will never willingly give up his power. What should I expect from a father who is far more Fae than a loving parent? He thinks only about his power, leaving the rest of us behind. His cruelty has corrupted my mother. She has given so much of herself to him, that she doesn’t even have an identity anymore. Being together for millennia has left her broken. I saw the way she looked at Azra tonight. It’s not good. Once he announces this union publicly, I am going to have to watch out for her. When my mother gets like this, she is even worse than my father.
Daniel is another matter. He has taken an interest in Azra. I can see the challenge in his eyes. He wants her just as badly as I do. He has always been the laid back one. He makes his own rules, and because he is my mother’s favorite, he gets away with everything. I am jealous of his freedom, and his ability to do what he wants. I know he is a playboy and has slept with most of the women in the palace, including the humans, which is extremely frowned upon. He is a spoiled fucking brat.
Ever since I was announced as heir, it has gotten worse. Our tangled and complicated relationship has gotten even more estranged. He is envious of my promotion, so to speak, and has made it very clear that he would do anything to take it away from me. I worry everyday that he will turn this threat into a reality. If I could give the heirship to him, I would, but it is forbidden to back down. I don’t even want to think of the repercussions. The King may be my father, but he is a ruler first.
“Cass, wait up!” Azra yells from behind me. It brings me out of my self-loathing thoughts. She is beautiful, there is no denying that, but I can tell she won’t make a good Fae Queen Consort. She has too much of a heart, and the Fae in the Light would never respect her. She is too human.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t know he was going to do it. I didn’t know about anything that he threw at us in there, so save your self-righteous behavior for someone else,” I snap. She looks at me like I just slapped her. I didn’t think anyone could get under this girl’s skin. She acts so tough, as if nothing bothers her.
“You are the asshole I thought you were. For one brief second, I hoped we could work together on this, but I guess I was wrong,” she sneers, and then begins to walk away. I grab her arm. She looks down at my hold and then up to my face.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. My father and I have a tumultuous relationship, and him keeping things like this from me has just shown that he isn’t ever going to change. You and I are in this together, and you are right. We need to work with one another to survive. This union is going to put a major target on your back. Even though my father is all controlling, there are people at court who would love to see him fail. It seems like we are stuck together until I can figure a way out of this.”
“So, you didn’t know? This morning wasn’t an act so you could butter me up for tonight? I thought you…I thought you were doing your duty.”
I sigh. I can’t believe this is happening. I was fine alone. I prefer it. I have lived a long time, and the one thing I am good at is pushing people away. Storm is my only friend, and he’s a horse. That should show my comfort level when talking about feelings. “Yes, and no,” I say, because I don’t want to start whatever this is between us in a lie. “I was told to look after you, but what happened today was all me. For some reason when we talked this morning, it struck a nerve with me. I know that I can be arrogant and a bit of a jerk, but no one has ever called me out on it before. I appreciate your honesty. Of course, I don’t think you are right about half the things you are saying, but still, it was nice
to converse with someone different.”
“I knew you couldn’t keep the jerk hidden long,” she teases. She has a small smile on her face. It seems she doesn’t want me to think she likes me.
“Let me walk you back to your room. I wouldn’t feel right leaving you to walk alone. Then, I am going find out some more information on what our betrothal means. We haven’t had a Royal wedding for a very long time. I know some are for love, and others for power, but you are the Changer. With your title comes certain, I guess you could say perks, and it might mean something different. What my father doesn’t realize is that you haven’t come into all of your powers yet. Even though he fought alongside the other Changer, each is born with their special abilities. We know two of yours so far, but others could be forming. It could be what we need to shift the balance back into our hands.”
“There is a lot of “we” talk in this scenario, Cass. Since you appreciated my honesty before, allow me to offer some more now. I can’t be part of what you have here. If I am to be the Changer for the Fae race, I cannot agree to allow such treatment of other beings. From what I have seen in this court in the two days I have been here, is that you value only the lives of the people who you think matter. I think you have the potential to be a good friend, maybe even an ally, but I could never give myself to someone like you.”
Her words hurt. I don’t understand why, but they do. I have never agreed with the use of humans as slaves. I have always thought that everyone should have equal rights, but who am I to challenge thousands of years of traditions and rules? Sure, I am a prince, but only in title. I don’t make the laws or help govern the people. I need her to understand this. That I could change, for the right reasons I could change.
“Azra…I, well, I think you should know,” I start, before we are interrupted by Logan, who is frantically searching for something. When he spots us, a look of relief comes over him.
“Az! I’ve been looking all over for you! It’s Red. He is freaking out. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Greyson was trying to bring him in for the night, but he wouldn’t move. He tried to bite him and has been running away from whoever tries to get him. Greyson said to come to get you since he’s your horse now,” he says, a little out of breath. He must have been searching for a while.
“Sure, Wolvie. Let me just get changed, and we will get him tucked in,” she says, as they begin to walk down the hall together. She has left our conversation behind her and is now moving on. I should have said something better. Made her feel like I am genuinely in this with her. That I do agree with her! A look of frustration comes over my face, and when I glance in her direction, I see her studying me.
“Can we talk more about our situation tomorrow? I want to be able to organize my thoughts better,” I plead with her. I have never wanted someone to say yes so badly before.
“Sure. I think Wolvie here can walk me to and from the barn tonight. Right?” she says, looking over at Logan.
“Of course! What kind of page would you think I am if I couldn’t?” he says, with a bit of a smirk and a puffed-up chest. It seems like I am not the only one affected by Azra’s charms.
“I will leave you to it then. Goodnight, Azra. Sleep well,” I say, with a tip of my head in a mini bow. I want her to know that I am going to be taking her seriously from now on.
“Goodnight, Cass,” she says, as her lips purse together. She wants to say more, but Logan is here, and she is thinking about Red right now. With a final nod, she turns and walks away from me. Gods, I hope I can fix this.
Fucking Red
Azra
Logan leads me down to the stables through the kitchens. He is fast on his feet, and I speed up to keep pace with him. After getting changed in my room, I am in a pair of soft pants and a loose top. I have a sweater over it to keep off the chill of the night air. We run out into the gardens and down the path to the barns. I notice that there is a lot of activity still going on. The guests must be all leaving now, as I notice some of the Fae that were in attendance at dinner walking nearby. There is more of a commotion the closer we get to the stables. I can hear yelling and screaming from others, but I am not sure why.
“Hey Wolvie, why is there so much yelling right now?” I ask Logan.
“They are trying to get Red under control. When he gets like this, it can be dangerous for the others. That’s why no one rides him. That’s why he’s only the companion horse. He’s kind of a dick.” He says the last part with a tilted smile. He knows he’s not supposed to speak like that, but he is testing my cool factor out, and seeing if I will treat him like a kid. I decide to run with it. I might not like it, but I need some allies if I am getting out of here anytime soon.
“Let’s hurry up then. I don’t want anyone to be hurt,” I say.
Coming around the bend, I can see it now. The scene in front of me is right out of a Western. There are 5 men all around Red in a circle. The one directly in front is Greyson. I’d know that shapely ass anywhere. Red is rearing up and trying to get away from them. His eyes are huge and in a state of panic. He is tense, and it looks like at any given moment he might flip out and hurt someone. They are attempting to get a rope around his neck so that they can bring him in, but this is only causing more tension between them.
I walk up calmly behind Greyson and lean into him. I whisper in his ear, “You need to get the rest of these idiots out of here. I will get Red. When I say, start walking in a circle collecting the men as you go. Do not make eye contact with Red, do not make sudden movements with your arms, and for the love of the gods, please do not shout.” I can tell that he heard me because his back goes rim rod straight and his hand comes up to touch my face just as I back away. He does what I say though, moving slowly to my right and walking away. This gets Red’s attention, and he spots me for the first time. He’s breathing heavy, and his pupils are still dilated, but when he scents me, he seems to calm a bit.
“That’s it. Good boy. Look at me. I’m here now. I got you,” I hush to him. My voice starts to take on a hypnotic melody repeating the words over and over. I am distracting his brain from his flight instinct. He needs to understand that I am in charge here, and I got all this mess under control. Once he knows he can look to me for guidance, it will be easy enough to move in and halter him. One of the guys makes too much of a sudden step to his left, and it almost undoes all the work I just started, but when I call Red back, his awareness of my control is much stronger. It takes a minute or so, but all the guys have disappeared behind the fence. It’s just me and Red now. Greyson dropped the halter and lead rope at my feet before he left. I bend slowly to pick up the halter. With it grasped in my hands, I walk forward. My arms are slightly in front of me, and I maintain eye contact with Red. He hears my voice and is still with me, which is a good sign. I get within reaching distance, but before I can close it, he takes a step toward me. I’m in shock. Normally, when horses are this scared, they would never approach. Seems like Red is a special horse. I lift up the halter and get it clipped on over his head. He is eyeing me now with a look that says, “Thank the gods you’re here.” I keep us still for a minute, and I just gaze into his deep eyes. Horses eyes are like pathways to get lost in. For some reason though, Red’s eyes make me think of coming home.
“Azra, can you please clip the lead on Red? I need to get all these people home for the night,” I hear Greyson ask from behind me. He must not be too close because Red hasn’t reacted. I bend down and get the lead and clip it onto the halter. Red’s just standing there now in a comfortable manner looking to me for direction. I click my tongue and gently tug on the lead to move forward. He walks with me back into the barn. Once we enter the safety of his stall, I hear the commotion outside begin again. At this point Red has put it all behind him and is eager to get started on his evening meal. His feed bucket is filled to the brim with all manner of good things. There is even some cut up apples mixed in. I manage to get the halter off him before he chows down. I’m stepping out of the stall whe
n I look up and see Greyson approaching with Logan.
“That was so freaking cool, Az! I can’t believe you just walked over there and were like ‘Red you need to calm down,’ and he did. I never seen him listen like that before,” Logan gushes. My cheeks tint a bit pink, but this is all something that every stable hand should know how to do.
“It was just what anyone would do Wolvie, nothing special. Besides, it wouldn’t have had to be a show like that if people were trained on how to properly manage the horses. Their behavior isn’t like humans, it’s not even like dogs or cats. It’s a whole other way of thinking that takes some time to get your mind around. Sure, there are some people that are better at it than others, but if you know the basics, you can make smart choices. That leads to a better environment for the horses and for the handlers,” I lecture. I know it’s annoying as hell, but when a 1,500 pound animal makes the decision that you are the problem, things can get ugly fast. Imagine a kick to the face or even being crushed. Nothing pretty about that.
“It’s not like any of us had a fucking choice here,” Greyson barks. “We are all here just trying to live day to day. There is no tutorial or fucking Youtube videos to show us how to act. We are given a task, and we have to make it work, otherwise we suffer the consequences.” His look could cut glass right now. Gone is the guy who almost kissed me before.
“I don’t know why you’re so pissed with me, Abductor, but I am just as much of a prisoner here as you are. In fact, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here in the first place, now would I?” My hands are braced at my sides, and my nose is high in the air. I don’t care if I look like a five-year-old having a fit. Fuck this guy! Who does he think he is, talking to me like that?
