Prologue
Turmoil brews inside of me.
Much like the storm slowly blanketing the sky.
The clouds swirl around the only halo of light, accentuating its crescentic shape. My dress flares up around me as the wind picks up speed and I sigh, too tired to try and tug it down. It’s not as if anyone could come in here and see me like this.
The beautiful garden is the epitome of a gilded cage; flowers of every colour line the high stone walls which have sharp spikes on their ends. The grass is lush, so impossibly green beneath my feet as I walk over to the small pond in the middle. I sit at the edge while taking off my shackles- sorry, shoes-, and dip my feet into the cool water. My reflection stares back at me as I look down; shiny black hair wrapped into a bun so severe that my nape burned. Deep blue eyes, apparently my mothers, but without a reference to compare with there’s no such certainty. Heart shaped face and high cheekbones, features that could be characterised as pretty but according to my fiancé they are ‘unremarkably dull’. Not that his opinion matters- his or anyone else’s.
At least that’s what I try to remind myself even as my fingers reach for the cold metal of my mothers pendant hanging on my neck; my nervous tick, which makes no sense right now.
A thundering sound wrenches me from my internal musings and I stare up into the sky, trying to see where the thunder came from. Except even the storm seems to have faded by now and my breath catches as I realise that the sound came from outside.
From theouter camp. Theenemy camp.
I get up abruptly, trying to understand what was going on when the blaring of an alarm confirms my darkest suspicions.
It’s a war. The enemy pack played true to their nature and attacked us despite the pact that has been in formation for months now.
Still holding onto my necklace I race towards the entrance when a large figure blocks my path. I see the gleam of metal from his large blade before I see his face and I step back instinctively. The man comes forward into the moonlight and I finally see who it is. My throat constricts as I stare at the man staring back at me. Those deep blue eyes- the same as mine, except these gleam with maliciousness-, stare back at me.
My brother points his knife in my direction and threatens in a gravelly voice,
‘You’re coming with us’
I look around frantically, desperately trying to look for another exit somewhere.
He reaches me in a few strides and twists my forearm in a crushing grip, ‘Struggle all you want, but you’re still coming with us. Unless you want your fiancé to die’
I close my eyes and say a silent prayer. Then I give in.
