And I did not feel in control at all.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER FIFTEEN Torrance

I forced myself to stay awake for as long as possible, in case anyone came back. But no one did. Before collapsing, I did a sweep of the room, familiarizing myself with everything. With relief, I found that the extra room off to the side wasn’t some interrogation room or torture closet, but what looked like a room with a toilet and alien sink. It wasn’t a design I was used to, but it was close enough that I could tell. There was a tiled basin built with a hole into the floor for squatting over. Above it was what appeared to be a sort of tap coming out from the wall for rinsing down the contents. A similar tap was positioned above a high, tiled sink. There was no mirror, which was probably a good thing. I didn’t need to know what a mess I looked like after today.

I made use of the toilet, my legs shaking at the simple exertion of squatting. Not seeing anything that resembled toilet paper, I used water – frigid cold, making me yelp – to splash against my skin. I braced myself against the cool crystal wall, dripping and waiting to air dry before I pulled my panties and trousers back up.

Ultimately, I decided not to bother. My panties were soaked with sweat from the stress of the day, and I had no desire to put them back on against my freshly rinsed skin. I peeled off my panties and trousers, then stood on quivering legs, cold water rolling in beads down to my bare toes.

Dressed only in the plain grey T-shirt issued by the crew on the ship, I stepped up to the sink – too high, meant for someone much taller than me – and noticed a small crystal jar of something on the edge. The jar was green, which gave the white, creamy contents an olive cast. Soap? God, I hope so.

I scooped some onto my finger, giving an experimental sniff. It smelled vaguely floral, and I wondered what kind of flowers this world had. Then, my heart sank at the thought I’d probably still be here when spring rolled around to find out.

If I’m still alive by then.

I pulled the lever on the tap and water gushed out. Warmer this time, thankfully. The creamy stuff spread into a smooth, fragrant lather over my skin before rinsing away clean. I decided to repurpose it as laundry detergent, and gave my panties a quick wash, too.

Holding my wrung-out panties in one hand and my trousers in the other, I peeked out of the small bathroom. Still nobody in the bedroom. Good. The last thing I needed was to meet an alien now with my pants down. Literally.

I hurried over the smooth pink floor to the bed. I circled around the massive piece of furniture so that if anyone came in right now, I’d be blocked from their view from the chest down. On either side of the bed, instead of bedside tables, were tall sets of crystal shelves carved into the wall. A few of the shelves had items, including what looked like spare linens or things that might serve as towels. I laid my panties to dry in what I hoped was a discreet spot then wriggled into my trousers. Once I was covered again, I felt brave enough to head back out into the main room.

My snowsuit, boots, and socks had been dumped in a damp, messy pile and were still where I’d left them on the floor. I retrieved them and put them on the shelves by the bed, too. I wanted to make sure I knew where everything was in case I needed to dress quickly for some reason. Too bad I don’t have my rock hammer.

That thought struck me like a blow from the very hammer that had entered my mind. Bereft, I stared at the clothes on the shelves. The only items I had left in this entire world, and they weren’t even mine. The clothing, right down to my underwear and bra, was a uniform forced on me by the ship’s crew. There was nothing of old Torrance, nothing of my real life, left anymore.

Nothing except me.

The little energy I had, fuelled by the boost in calories from the stew and adrenaline, seeped out of me like someone had pulled a plug out of a small drain somewhere inside me. The air around me became a physical weight, pressing down on my shoulders until I could barely breathe. I didn’t want to lie down, didn’t want to sleep. Didn’t want to make myself even more vulnerable than I was even for a moment. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay standing for long.

With my last dregs of strength, I went to the chamber’s door and tested it.

Unlocked.

I couldn’t even manage excitement at that fact. They didn’t need to put a lock on my door because they knew what I knew. That I’d never survive on my own beyond these walls. That, combined with the fact that Asha Wylfrael could probably just slam my door shut with a wave of his hand, not even touching it, meant that a physical lock wasn’t needed.

What does he want with me?

We didn’t understand each other, so it wasn’t like I could give him any real information. Maybe he wanted to punish me, but then why put me in a beautiful room and make sure I was fed?

A new horror gripped me. There was no doubt in my mind he was male. Could he want me for something even worse than just keeping a simple prisoner?

My stomach dropped, and I clutched the door for support. Clearly, there was interspecies breeding present here, considering how some of Asha Wylfrael’s features so closely resembled those of the fox people and yet in other ways, he looked completely different.

Now I wished there was a lock on my door. To keep him out. Not that it would do much good against someone of his obvious power.

I stumbled over to the bed. Hoisting myself into it was a feat of strength I didn’t know I had, but, arms like noodles afterwards, I managed it. My wrist throbbed, pain I’d forgotten and ignored until now. I shook my head at the redness there, the beginnings of the bruise. Striking myself with the hammer seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago instead of earlier today. I wondered if Suvi and Min-Ji and the other women had escaped on the ship, or if they’d been killed. By him.

A choked sound ripped out of my throat. A sob without tears. Gasping and shivering, I got under the thick, white fur and burrowed into the pillows and mattress. Like a child hiding from monsters, I pulled the fur duvet up and over my head, curling into the darkness as if it would protect me.

But it wouldn’t. I knew it wouldn’t.

I wasn’t a child anymore.

And the monsters, it turned out, were very, very real.

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OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER SIXTEEN Wylfrael

I woke at dawn. I could tell the sun was rising by the soft bloom of colour warming the walls of the chamber, making the deep pink into something almost orange. The crystal walls were too thick to let in the starlight at night, necessitating firestone lanterns. But sunlight penetrated with much stronger rays, making the castle glow almost as if from within during the day. When the sun rose, it warmed this tower first. Then, it trekked above the centre tower, the Day Tower. The third tower was the Eve Tower, which lay closest to the mountains where the sun set each night.

I sat up in bed, stretching my wings experimentally. Good. The shallowest wounds, the ones created by the human weapons, had already healed during sleep. The deeper ones, inflicted by my cousin, would take longer, though.