Roses and Thorns

Chapter 4

With the Blood Moon at its peak, the cruel King carelessly pushes forward a frail elderly man. We really were a dumping ground for their unwanted.

I can feel our King tense at the sight of the weak old man being given up for sacrifice. He falters for a moment, eyes flickering to me. I can see how he saw this as unfair. The Sunwalkers were about to trade one of their best healers for a Nightborne that could barely walk. 

A deep chuckle that has the hairs of my arms stand up to its ends comes out from the other King. “Don’t feel bad. I’m about to give you my dear uncle. He’s a warrior, you know.” 

I stare at the trembling old man. In the past, he might have been a warrior but in the present, he’s a sickly pale elderly man. 

The urge to fight is clear in the Sunwalkers but the King made no move to speak. He waves his hands towards the guards standing in front of me. Hesitantly, they part giving the Nightbornes a good view of me.

They whistle out and start jeering. 

“I take it back. Maybe you should feel bad.” The King grinned cheekily stalking up to our group. He drags his uncle by the collar. The feet of the old man skidding across the ground. 

When he’s right in front of me, he leans down until we’re eye level. I hold my breath, he’s even more dangerously handsome up close. The grey eyes of his were filled with unspeakable mischief that had my insides turn. My eyes trail down to his neck to see tattoos. It glowed slightly. 

He smirks, grabbing for my blindfold and tugging it off my face revealing my blue eyes. “Hello there, darling.” 

My lips part but no words come. The King of the Nightbornes have rendered me absolutely speechless just by his closeness. He smelled good too. Earthy and manly. 

I could see him better now without my blindfold and I can hardly breathe. He has such an unnerving beauty about him. It was honestly unfair. 

I watch him inspect me starting from my eyes, to my lips, to my bare shoulders and down lower to my figure. Each time he goes lower, his smirk widens. 

The Sunwalkers around me tense up and a few even attempted to intercept him. Nothing came of it, of course. 

The Nightborne King didn’t even flinch or seem bothered that our guards have surrounded him. Finally at one last lingering look, he pulls away and I can finally breathe again. He tosses his limp uncle to an awaiting guard. 

“Happy Blood Moon indeed, treehuggers.” He mused taking me by the waist while ushering us back to his group of heathens. 

They laughed joyously when I joined them on their side of the meadow. It was colder here even though I was about fifteen steps away from my previous spot. A pretty girl with dark brown hair that’s braided on one side wraps a thick fox-like coat around me. She had the most intricate markings that resembled tree roots all over her face. 

“Welcome to the darkness.”  She grinned, winking at me. 

I couldn’t help but smile back. She has the type of smile that you simply can’t help but return. It didn’t matter the circumstance I was in. I just had to share the smile. 

The King’s hand was still grasping my waist and showed no signs of removing it anytime soon. 

My eyes flicker back to where I was not a few seconds ago. The Sunwalkers all had a sour expression on their faces. They didn’t want me to go. The regret is clear. 

But also, they did this. They chose me and they will lose me just like the others. 

The ground starts to shake again until it crumbles downwards into a hole. I peer down at it anxiously. I couldn’t see the end of it but the gust of wind made me step back.

I’ve never been below the surface before. 

The Nightborne King leans down until he’s a breath away from my ear. “Don’t think about it. Let yourself go.” 

He still had his hand on my side. The heat coming from his touch was electric. I’ve yet to decide if it was in a good or bad way. I silently wonder if he does this for all of sacrifices. Did they perhaps treat Blythe the same? 

Before I could think, the hand he has on me tightens and we drop. The air is knocked out of my chest, the last sight I saw was of my people staring helplessly towards me. 

I don’t scream despite the long fall. Just when I thought we couldn’t fall any deeper, we do. 

All around me screams of delight and laughter fill the air from the other Nightbornes. They’re cheering happily at the top of their lungs. 

I hug my coat tightly and unconsciously press close to the King. He chuckles deeply taking hold of me. “Relax. Have fun.” 

Have fun? We were all free falling to our doom.

A distant memory flashes through my eyes. I was standing hand in hand on top of a waterfall with Blythe. We were grinning at each other from ear to ear in nothing but our undergarments. 

The thrill was high and intoxicating. He didn’t usually do things like this but it was the day before a Blood Moon and we felt as though we should do something exhilarating. 

We jumped then. 

I remember it was the best feeling in the world despite how much trouble we got ourselves in. 

The feeling is the same with a different man but the high is familiar and welcomed.  I begin to let go, putting my hands up and letting out a small shriek. 

“There you go.” The King says, eyes twinkling with mischief. 

Suddenly, the King maneuvers himself until he positioned his other hand under my knees. I was being carried like a bride pressed up against his bare chest and furry coat. 

The air shifts around us before landing roughly on the ground. I looked up and could hardly see where we came from. They must have closed off the entrance or we were just too far down to see the very top. 

I’m rattled by the force. Everyone else around us looked at ease by the drop, landing expertly and effortlessly on their feet. 

I didn’t realize that I still had my arms around the King’s neck or the fact he was still carrying me until we were alone in the darkness. 

The King didn’t seem to mind as he stared at me with conflicting expressions. I couldn’t read what he was thinking. The intensity of his gaze combined with our closeness made it very difficult to breath or have coherent thoughts. 

A light from where the others vanished catches my attention. I break out of our stupor and turn to where I thought the light was.

I don’t see anything at first. It was pitch black down here. 

The King places me down on my own two feet. He presses himself from behind me and leans down, pointing at a particular direction. “Look there.”

I squint, trying but failing to ignore his closeness or feel of his breath fanning my bare skin. 

It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the darkness but when it does, I suck in a breath. 

A marvelous city built right underneath the world lies the mysterious and unreachable Kingdom of the Nightbornes. It’s basked in an eerie mist with numerous stone columns standing tall and proud surrounding what looks to be a massive citadel. An impenetrable fortress. It was absolutely dark and sinister looking yet... I can’t help but feel entranced. 

Compared to our home which is lit up by bright white and blue lights, their Kingdom is lit by greens and yellows. It gave the entire place an enchanting and haunting look. 

A crystal river flows around the entire underground palace. There were trees and every kind of foliage growing everywhere albeit unlike the plants above ground. Still, nature. Curtains of ivy and vines crawl all throughout the ragged stone walls. 

There were complex stone walkways that resembled tree roots in every direction, traveling through the entire place. Beautiful arches and walls carved from the earth decorated the massive Kingdom. 

The palace itself is a colossal structure. It had everything from pillars, intimidating golden spires and large daunting tinted windows. It should at least have more than six or seven floors. Not counting the towers. There really was nothing elegant about it. The entire citadel leaves an unsettling feeling at the pit of your stomach. 

It spoke volumes of who lived there.

The surroundings of the palace were dotted with lit hollows and tunnels. From where I’m standing, I can see vague shapes of people coming in and out of them. 

Houses, perhaps? 

“It’s impressive.” I find myself saying, eyes still focused on the paths made from stone. Several people were walking through it, their laughter distant and echoing. 

The King placed a hand on my shoulder. “It’s your home now.”