Page 9 of When Roses Burn

It wasn’t unthinkable for the night casters to have sex with those in the harem, but it was inconceivable for them to become impregnated by one of the “lesser beings,” as my mother called them. The casters all made me sick.

Now I had to enter that repulsive building and try to save the only eternal who meant anything to me. And I had to do it while trying to withstand something that would supposedly drive me to the brink of madness, but if the day casters could do it, then so could I.

And I’ll have Seth there to focus on.

Throwing my shoulders back, I lifted my chin while I studied the dress. The sheer material over my breasts revealed my nipples.

A white cloth down the middle of my chest covered the valley between my breasts and that part of my belly. It hooked over my shoulders and knotted behind my neck, expertly covering the marks Seth left when he claimed me as his mate. The skirt was entirely see-through, except for the embroidered moons and suns decorating it.

In all my twenty-seven years, it was the most revealing thing I’d ever worn, yet I was supposed to be the virginal sacrifice who would enter the harem and either spill my blood there or walk away intact. Because of my earlier choices and Seth, I wouldn’t be doing either.

The door had almost closed behind the woman when a hand clasped the edge of it. My mother’s rose scent preceded her entrance into the room.

I’d grown to hate her overwhelming aroma over the years, but my mother loved it so much she added rose perfume to her already inherent rose scent. Not only that, but she always wore a rose in her hair and usually one somewhere else on her; today, it was bound to the inside of her wrist.

When she drifted into the room, the bottom of her black dress created a small swishing noise against the stone floor. I would recognize that sound anywhere and could hear it more clearly, and from farther away, than a scream.

I’d become so attuned to it over the years that any time I heard it, if I still had time and a way to escape, I ran. I’d hide in the shadows, in rooms, and behind anything that would shelter me. Outside the castle, I couldn’t evade the guards, but inside, I had a little more freedom, even if I couldn’t walk outside without an entourage.

However, there was no running now as she glided toward me. She moved with such grace that her feet didn’t seem to touch the ground.

The numerous braids woven through her brunette hair were knotted into a bun that emphasized her high cheekbones and ice-blue eyes. Those eyes chilled my flesh with one glance as she stopped beside me.

While I loathed being basically half naked in front of her, I didn’t try to cover myself. She didn’t speak, and neither did I; I stopped having anything to say to her when I was still a child. I was ashamed to acknowledge how many years it took me to realize that no matter how hard I tried, or what I did, this woman would never love me.

For years, I strove to be perfect for her. I was certain that if I were everything she wanted, then she would have to hug me or kiss me or just smile at me like she did with Rosalie, but she never did.

And then, one day, I decided to try getting her attention another way and snuck off to No Man’s Land. Maybe she’d pay attention to me if I disappeared for a while. She never noticed I was gone, but then I met Seth and was determined not to get caught, as I couldn’t lose my new friend or the freedom I found in that desert wasteland.

It was still another year before I gave up entirely on trying to earn her love and slunk into the shadows like she’d always wanted me to. Thanks to Seth, I didn’t feel as battered by this retreat and acknowledgement of my mother’s inability to love me. I could forget about all of it while I was with him.

When my mother rested her hand on my bare shoulder, it wasn’t in a gesture of comfort. I winced as the rose on her wrist burned into my skin. The scent of my flesh filled the air, and smoke briefly coiled high before she released me.

Every day, she cast a spell over the rose she chose to wear to preserve it before dipping it in acid and casting a protective spell over herself to keep it from searing her skin. It wasn’t the first time her rose burnt me, but it would be the last… she just didn’t know that yet.

My jaw locked as I met her icy blue eyes in the mirror. “Don’t disappoint me again,” she told me.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Mother.”

But we both knew I loathed her and that today, for the first time in ten years, I’d be somewhere beyond her control.

CHAPTER FOUR

Knox

The night caster continued to wave his hands in the air as he encouraged the crowd to cheer more. “Who’s next?” the man shouted.

While the crowd enjoyed his show, no one moved to go against the sorcerer. He had his back to me when I emerged from the shadows and stepped into the open doorway.

“Aren’t any of you brave enough to take me on?” he taunted.

I didn’t speak as I entered the cage and closed the door behind me. The clink of the lock engaging drew more attention from the crowd than my entrance. A hush started to descend over those closest to us as their attention shifted from the sorcerer to me.

“Come on, you cowards!” the sorcerer shouted.

He was still too focused on himself to have noticed an opponent had entered. Everyone knew what that shutting door meant—only one would leave here alive. I could practically feel the crowd salivating over what was to come.

Everyone who entered the cage knew they were taking the risk of facing an opponent who’d prefer to see them dead. The closing of the door didn’t happen often, but when it did, the event captivated every eternal in the room.