Prologue (0.5)

The cup moved forward. Rylan hesitantly opened his mouth as the liquid came pouring in. His first thought was how Avellia could drink that so fast. It was the worst thing he had ever had. Rylan never liked the taste of blood, although it was in his mouth most of his stay in the prison.

The hardest part was swallowing. The cup never relented. He never got a break. All he could do was swallow. As the cup was nearing its emptiness, Rylan thought about how this was the most he had to drink in a very long time. Would it just come straight up?

Sensing his thoughts, Avellia said, "It's magic, so the liquid can't come back up." Rylan grunted his halfhearted appreciation.

At long last, the liquid was finally drained. Although he knew it wouldn't come back up, he felt light headed. The knife slowly drew away.

As soon as the glasses were put away, Avellia began chanting again. Rylan heard many of the same words as before. It was the exact spell she had used earlier. This time, however, he was blessed to not have a severe feeling of anxiety crawl up his body. He knew it still wouldn't work, even with the blood that was now in their systems.

The medallion showed itself again. Rylan took a good look at it. On a very fine chain was a silver moon, in its crescent form. Looking up at Avellia, he was shocked to see that the spell wasn't just working on him, it was also working on her. The medallion she had already obtained was dangling around her neck. It was a silver sun, meant to fit evenly in the crescent moon.

The chanting ended, and Avellia began speaking in her native tongue; Rylan's native tongue. "With my blood, and that of many others, I give a curse to the one who gave me blame. In this curse, I will prove that I am anything but tame." Rylan realized what was happening, but it was too late. The blood was gone, the medallions had revealed themselves. Rylan started to writhe, but the knife was immediately on his back, and Rylan had to fall still.

"You will be put in my control, to an extent. You will hunt the future queen, Lyia Valonik. When you find her, you will take her medallion, and then you will kill her. When all is done, you will return to me." The moon medallion turned a radiant gold color, and it shined brightly. Rylan yelled and tossed his head, not caring about the knife.

When the light faded, Avellia collapsed, using most of her magic in that one spell. Rylan felt utterly defeated. He crumpled on the bed, then fell off. He wished he could die.

He wanted to be dead.

Waking up to life was the most unpleasant thing Rylan had experienced thus far. He had played right into Avellia's hand. He would gain Lyia's trust, then he would betray her, first by receiving her medallion, then by killing her. When he returned to Avellia, he would still be under her control. He would not only give her Lyia's medallion, he would also give up his own.

In just a few minutes, he would be leaving with Avellia to the castle. Lyia would be a simple servant's maid by that time, making it easy to befriend her. The carriage he would be riding in was exceedingly fine, with its gold wheels and intricate designs.

Rylan was going to be bound and gagged during the ride. He wouldn't be able to call out for help. He was dressed as a simple servant boy, and with that he finally had shoes on his feet. Avellia didn't want Rylan revealing more than was needed, so she healed his wounds on his back. The scars remained, but he would stick to his story should anyone see.

"I was a bad child. I deserved each one of them." It was a bitter lie, it left a vile taste in his mouth.

Avellia was dressed in a gown fit for royalty. It was the deepest blue Rylan could ever imagine. Her hair was pulled up, and her cold blue eyes seemed to have deepened to the same shade as her dress. As she walked down the marble steps toward the carriage, her image changed. Her skin turned from pale to tan. Her blond, curly hair, became straight and brown. In a matter of seconds, she had changed appearance completely.

Rylan's mouth gaped open in shock. "How?"

Avellia smiled kindly. When she spoke, she had a faint V'Landon accent. "Pigmentation. A little trick I learned not too long ago. Now I am the Duchess Mirrina. Lyia's cousin." She seemed so proper, not like Avellia at all.

"What happened to the real Mirrina?" Rylan hated to ask.

"She died in a carriage accident two days prior. Word won't reach the castle for another week. Her carcass was well hidden." Rylan knew it was no accident.

Hiding a disgusted face, Rylan walked up to the carriage and opened the door. He bowed, and said in a very drawn out voice, "My lady." Avellia giggled, which caught Rylan off guard. Rylan climbed inside himself and shut the door. Avellia, or Mirrina, or whoever, was holding rope and a cloth. Once everything was in place, she called out to the person driving the coach, and they began to move.

Once they were in a clearing of shady trees, Avellia leaned into Rylan's ear. "This curse can't be broken, only satisfied. No matter what real relationship you make with her, you can't resist. She won't remain alive for much longer, and if you don't carry out the task within the next few years, you won't either."

As she went back into her perfect sitting position, a smug look on her face, Rylan's thoughts could no longer be suppressed. In the dark, he had learned something. Something he knew to be true.

The dark wasn't a place to hide, it was only a place to get hurt.