The King's Cursed Bride

Revisiting Nightmares: Part 3

            

Zonah.

For many, a place of dreams. A thriving city of industry and commerce.

For Carissa, a place of nightmares. A trap she'd willingly walked into.

As the border swept over them like a curtain of cold, black air, Carissa felt her skin prickle with goose bumps. Not only because she could feel the Reapers' icy presence—and there were many—but because she could see the outline of Zonah's city wall in the fading light. As Elon had predicted, they'd made it just before nightfall.

As they neared, she spotted a few guards at the gate.

Lyron sighed. "Finally. Let's go get dinner."

Elon slowed his horse, his eyes narrowed on the guards. "Lyron—"

But Lyron was already trotting ahead, waving to the guards from atop his horse.

The guards drew their weapons, and Lyron finally slowed.

Elon sighed. "It seems there's been a change of plan. How do all of you feel about entering Zonah as prisoners?"

Algernon replied, "I don't like that idea at all. Why don't we camp out here? I'll hunt for food, and—"

A wolf howl interrupted him, and Algernon muttered a few curses she'd never heard before.

"I wouldn't recommend that." Elon turned his horse towards Zonah's gate.

Carissa lightly pressed her heels into her horse's flanks as she followed, keeping close to Elon. She had a feeling that if she were to be taken prisoner, the Zonians wouldn't be as accommodating as the Reapers had been.

Elon slowed at the gate and nodded to the guards. "Good evening, gentlemen."

One tightened his grip on his sword. "Newcomers aren't allowed in the city."

"I believe someone is expecting us."

The guard sneered. "And who would that be?"

"Akar."

The guard nearly choked on his own saliva. "Akar?"

Carissa's blood turned to icy slush. They were going to be Akar's prisoner? Akar? A tingling sensation swept across her face, and she felt her body become heavy, her movements slow and thick. Before she could slide off the horse, she felt strong hands grip her waist and set her on the ground. As the blackness cleared from the edges of her vision, she recognized Elon as he supported her. He must have dismounted as her vision had faded.

Carissa gritted her teeth. She couldn't afford this weakness—especially if she were going to see Akar.

One of the guards chuckled. "What's the matter with your wife, eh? She needs someone to carry her, does she?"

Elon protectively enfolded his arms around her. "She just needs a moment. This has been a long journey for her."

Carissa glanced up at Elon, her eyes narrowed in a glare. Would it kill him to give her a warning about the things he was planning? Especially if those things involved Akar?

Elon grimaced and lowered his voice, "I know. I'm sorry." Once she was steady, he released her.

The guards approached, gripping coils of rope. One said, "If you're going to see Akar, we'll need to bind you."

Elon nodded. "Very well."

They tied Lyron's, Carissa's, and Elon's hands. By that time, Kybelle and Algernon had approached and were dismounting as well, and the men moved on to bind them.

Carissa whispered, "You should have told me, Elon."

He sighed. "Then we would have spent needless time arguing, time we can't afford to waste." He reached his bound hands towards hers and squeezed. "Just keep your eyes on the ground, and that should keep you safe. For the most part."

Before Carissa could ask what he meant by for the most part, the guards returned, tugging Algernon and Kybelle behind them. They bound each of their hands to a long strand of rope, so all of their tied wrists were connected.

While one guard tugged the rope, the other stood behind them, his sword drawn.

As they stumbled forward, trying to synchronize their steps, Algernon muttered, "There's more of us than them. We could still probably take them."

Elon just shook his head.

Algernon continued, "If I tackle the one in back—"

"Keep quiet!"

Carissa heard the smack of a hand against flesh behind her. She began to look before remembering what Elon had told her and fixed her gaze to the ground.

As they walked, she saw no movement in her peripheral vision. The streets were empty and silent, an occasional Reaper ghosting soundlessly through the alleys. She nearly slipped on the blood slicking the cobblestones. Though she wanted to look up and find the source of such an enormous spilling of blood, she kept her head bent so low her neck ached.

Her ears pricked with a new noise: a pair of footsteps ahead of them. One pair was a heavy thud thud, while the other was a soft whisper. She heard the choked sobs of a little girl, no doubt the owner of the latter footsteps.

"What have you there?" The voice was a deep rolling rumble, sound like thunder before it crackled. Recognition of the voice chilled her from head to toe. Akar.

One of the guards straightened. "Prisoners for you. They said—"

"I'll deal with them later. Take them to the dungeons." Akar grunted. "Cease your crying, else I'll give you a punishment truly worth shedding tears over."

The girl let out a choked gasp before falling to the ground, her shock of white-blond hair tumbling over her shoulders so its edged lapped at the dirty cobblestone.

Carissa had only seen hair that white once before: Lila.

Sure enough, the girl lifted her head, revealing a face flushed from crying, haunting pale blue eyes, and softly pink lips. A collar clung to her neck, decorated with a strange purple gem. A thin chain leash ran from Lila's collar to Akar's hand, and anger erupted within her.

"Carissa?" Akar's shocked voice yanked her from her anger.

She'd glanced up. And Elon had warned her not to. Figuring the damage had already been done, she fully met Akar's gaze.

His lips curled into a pleased smirk. "You've returned at last."

Nausea sloshed in her stomach, but she refused to let Akar see her fear. She lowered her hands as far as she could, given they were bound, and offered a hand to Lila. Never once did she remove her gaze from Akar. Lila's small hand slipped into hers as the girl stood.

Elon stood in front of her. If he weren't standing so close, she wouldn't have noticed how heavily his chest heaved. Was he afraid? For her?

The chill settled on her skin, driving into her chest until she could scarcely breathe. If Elon feared for her, that meant she was truly in danger.

Akar yanked on the chain, making Lila stumble back against him. He strode towards Carissa and tilted her chin up with his fingers. "Guards, take the others to the dungeons. This one is mine."

***

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