Metal clanged against metal.
I jolted awake.
An enforcer stood outside my cell, slamming a baton against the iron bars.
"Up. Time to go," he barked.
My brows furrowed. Time to go? I usually rotted in this cage for three full days after angering the Creeds. It had barely been one.
"I don't understand," I muttered, my throat raw.
He smirked. "Your understanding ain't my problem. Get up and move, mutt."
I sat up slowly, glaring. "You could try speaking without yelling. I can hear you just fine."
He chuckled darkly. "I'm so glad we're finally getting rid of you." He unlocked the cage and yanked me by the arm.
"Take it easy," I hissed, yanking free. "I can walk."
"Sure you can," he said, lips curling. "But where's the fun in that?"
The walk to the Beta's residence was silent except for my bare feet scraping against the cold stone floor. Every step closer twisted my gut tighter. Nothing good ever came from being summoned there.
The mansion loomed over the settlement like a beast made of stone and shadow. Inside, the air reeked of power and polished leather. A chandelier cast fractured light over the crimson-patterned rug that looked too much like dried blood.
"Come in," a deep voice ordered from within. The heavy mahogany doors creaked open. The enforcer shoved me into the Beta's office.
Beta Ethan sat behind a desk carved from black oak, his presence filling the room like smoke. His sharp blue eyes lifted, predatory and cold.
"Hope you enjoyed your cage, mutt," he said, voice dripping with disdain.
I clenched my fists but stayed silent. Talking back only fueled his amusement.
He leaned back, studying me like prey. "As the faction's representative, you'll need to look… less pathetic. You'll get new quarters for a month, minimal training, decent food. We'll tattoo a moon goddess mark on your arm to replace that missing signa."
My head shot up. "You're going to use wolfsbane? That's the only way to burn a mark onto me. And they'll know it's fake. If the council spots it, I'll be imprisoned—"
He waved a hand, cutting me off. "Your survival isn't my concern. My concern is getting you into the trial. What happens after… well, you're clever. Figure it out."
My stomach dropped. "And if they find out?"
He smiled, the kind of smile that made your blood run cold. "Then you'll die for it. Alone. Because no one here will admit a thing. Try telling the truth, and your little friend won't live to see another sunrise."
I froze. 'Amilia.'
He slid a file across the desk. "You'll bear the Air Moon Goddess mark, offensive type. Not that you'll ever use it. The first trial will be your grave, anyway."
Rage flared, but I swallowed it down. "Understood, Beta."
"Enforcer Nate!" Ethan snapped.
The enforcer reappeared.
"Take her to her new quarters."
Nate grabbed my arm again and dragged me out before I could say a word.
We stopped at a small, white-painted house tucked between two trees. The paint peeled in places, but the porch had a swing, and the garden was dotted with wildflowers.
"This is yours for now," Nate said, handing me a key. "Your clothes are inside."
He turned to leave.
I stood on the porch, the air oddly calm after the tension inside the mansion. For a moment, I let myself breathe. My own place. Even if temporary, it felt like freedom.
Inside, the floors creaked under my feet. Everything smelled faintly of lemon and old wood. A small white couch sat in the living room, a single bunk bed in the corner. My bag unzipped, my clothes already folded waited on the bed.
It wasn't much. But it was mine.
"I wish Amilia could see this," I whispered. "She'd love it."
I was just about to check out the bathroom when I heard a knock..
I froze.
A smile crept onto my face. "Amilia?" I hurried to the door and pulled it open.
My smile vanished.
Standing on my porch wasn't Amilia. It was him.
I clenched my jaw, pulse quickening. "What the hell do you want?" I growled.