Nyssa felt a tickle against her ankles. Her brows furrowed. Was it Lilith, her ever demanding cat?
"Lilith, let me be," she mumbled, turning lazily in her sleep. The tickle returned, bolder this time.
"Lilith, no…" Her protest rose into the air just as her body jerked awake, her eyes snapping open.
Huh?
The surroundings looked different but familiar at the same time. She pushed herself upright, only to gasp as cold metal bit into her wrists and ankles. She winced.
"Ugh…" Her eyes squeezed shut as her teeth caught her lower lip. When she opened them again, she realized she was in a room. On a bed. And her clothes were changed too. She frowned. What had happened?
"You're a terrible sleeper."
Her head whipped toward the voice. A tall man stepped forward, and her pulse plunged. His smile was smug, his blue eyes gleaming with a delight that stemmed from watching the misery of others. She stared at him in contempt, her gaze hardening.
"It hurts me that you look at me so, Wife." His dramatic sigh only fueled the sharp, vicious thought flickering through her mind; pluck out his eyes and feed them to the dogs.
He chuckled softly, as though he could read her mind.
"What am I doing here?" Her gaze swept the room again. It was regally decorated but had some gothic feel to it.
"How did I get here?" Her voice sharpened. Did… did he touch her? She searched her own body for pain, violation, anything. But she felt nothing. She exhaled in relief. She would rather eat grass than have him soil her body.
"You were out for two days," he said, clicking his tongue as if she were an inconvenience. "I grew tired of waiting, so I sent the guards to fetch you. The maids cleaned you up. I hoped it would drag you back to the realm of the conscious. But it seems you sleep worse than an inactive dragon." He laughed at his own joke. Nyssa's sneer amused him.
"Why… why didn't you just kill me?" She didn't understand. He knew she despised him.
"Now you're the one asking questions." His glance flicked over her before he rose.
He moved to the small table by her bed and poured himself wine. Nyssa shifted away, glaring at him, in case he tried anything funny. He noticed, and his lips twitched, but he stayed silent.
Running a hand through his sandy blonde hair, he returned to his chair and crossed his legs. The sip he took was slow, indulgent, as if the red liquid were a lover coaxing sighs from him. A moan escaped his lips. Nyssa's stomach twisted as she looked at him disgusted. Whatever was in that cup, it wasn't ordinary.
He opened his eyes again, catching hers murder and dissect him into pieces. He grinned as if savoring her reactions.
"What can I say? I've always wanted you. Killing you right away would have been a waste."
"And you will never have me," she hissed. His chuckle was soft but infuriating.
"Take me back to the cell." She rather stayed there than entertained his nauseating presence. But he ignored her entirely.
"Do you want me to watch your ugly face all da–"
"For a princess," he cut in, his voice low, steady and chilling, "you lack manners."
Nyssa scoffed. "I only show manners to people who are worth it."
CRAAK!
The sound shattered the room. Nyssa flinched violently. The wine cup lay in glittering shards where he had hurled it at the wall. Her breath hitched as she stared at him. Something in his expression had darkened. She immediately drew back, retreating into the pillows, feeling the chains clink softly.
He stood up, his brooding presence overwhelming her as he climbed up the bed.
"I've been allowing you to talk too much. Don't you think, hm?" He brushed his fingers over her cheeks but she removed her face swiftly.
"Don't touch me!" Her eyes glared at him in rage.
"What gives you so much morale? The fact that I didn't kill you? I can snap your head right now and break your bones. Limb by limb." He had a smile on his face but the intensity of his gaze was unsettling.
"I am Nyssa, princess of–"
"Princess of what kingdom?" He burst into mocking laughter.
Nyssa shook her head. "You can take all the glory, but the kingdom is the people! My people will not lose ho–"
"What people?" He tilted his head and Nyssa's heart dropped.
"W-what do you mean by that?" She frowned.
He chuckled. "Your people are cursing the day they were born. They are as useless as you right now."
"Did ..did you enslave them?" She asked, feeling her body weaken but he squinted his eyes.
"You ask too many questions." Nyssa shook her head as tears began to well up.
"Why? Why Damon! Why? My father was nothing but good to you!"
"You believe I'm a terrible person, right? Why then do you ask?" He eyed her, suddenly removing his jacket. Nyssa subtly frowned when he started unzipping his pants.
"W... what are you doing?" She turned alarmed. His eyes looked at her coldly.
"It's time to put your mouth to good use." He smirked and Nyssa's eyes widened.
"The Heavens forbid! I'd rather die!"
He grabbed her throat without warning.
Nyssa's breath snapped off, as her eyes widened in terror.
"Don't fret," he murmured, eyes gleaming with a twisted calm. "Your death sentence will come soon enough. But before then… let's have fun, Wife."
Her pulse hammered furiously. She tried to speak, to curse him, to spit in his face, but all that escaped was a choked rasp. His grip tightened, and her vision blurred.
No.
No.
Her body trembled as realization crashed in. She refused to be used for his gratification! She refused to let him break her. With a surge of desperate fury, she clawed at his forearms, nails slicing into his skin with all her might. He hissed, surprised, and his hold faltered for a split second.
But he seized her wrists almost immediately, his strength overwhelming her. He twisted her arms back and forced her flat against the bed.
"Ahh!" The cry tore out of her at the swift action. Her back hit the mattress, with the chains rattling wildly.
His huge body loomed over her, his breath harsh, lust and anger swirling in his eyes. Nyssa stared up, hatred and fear warring in her chest, but she suddenly felt Damon's fingers beneath her gown.
She gasped, as a smirk appeared on his face. She shook violently but he held her in place.
"You are very naughty, Wife. You seem to know strategic things to do to turn me on," he said grinning and Nyssa felt like throwing up. He disgusted her!
Nyssa kicked as hard as she could but it all failed. Feeling her gown raise, she bit her lips as tears fell from her eyes. No…please.
Get away from me! She screamed in her mind but was too weak to voice it out.
"Father..", she whimpered, feeling her body succumb to his strength, but what happened next puzzled the daylight out of her.
One second, she felt time stop and the next, Damon's body shot backward as if struck by an invisible force, slamming into the wall with such violence that the stone split. A jagged crack crawled upward like lightning had struck into the palace itself.
Nyssa gasped.
Damon collapsed to the floor as blood trailed down his temple. He groaned in pain and disbelief. He tried to lift himself but his limbs trembled, and he fell back.
She stared, unable to comprehend it. He had been thrown. Not pushed, not shoved, but launched. Like a projectile. But by whom? There was no one else in the room. No open door or hidden figure. Only two of them.
Then, she felt warmth bloom against her palms.
Nyssa's breath faltered. Slowly, almost fearfully, she lowered her gaze.
Her hands glimmered in a soft, trembling amber glow. A stunned gasp escaped her.
And just as quickly, the glow fizzled out, vanishing like a candle light snuffed by wind.
She stared at her hands, trembling.
Had she… had she just used magic?