LOGINIRIS POV“He is dead!”The word rang in my ear like an exploding bomb, instantly muting every other sound in the room. My heart stopped mid-beat, hanging heavy in my chest like a block of ice.I stared at Ryker’s face, searching frantically for any sign of a lie. Any tiny twitch that would tell me he was playing a cruel mind game.I laughed bitterly.“Yo….. You must be joking!” I stammered, and shook my head to convince myself it was a kind of joke.Ryker face hardened. “I said he is dead! His voice roared through the small room, vibrating the thin metal window in their frames. He took one long, towering step toward me, his massive shadow completely swallowing me. “Do I look like a joker to you?”My blood ran cold, cold sweat broke through me.What?“No! No! No!” I yelled my eyes burning.Ryker tilted his head down, watching me crumble with absolute, cold indifference.“Your precious father is burning in hell now iris.”The world spun around me. I grabbed my hair, my fingers tangli
Iris pov A violent wave of wind roared, spinning dust and dry leaves into a tight circle around my me. My dress slapped against my legs like a sail in a storm. I squinted my eyes from the sand flying in the air. My feet almost slipped on the stony muddy floor, each step i took a battle just to stay upright.Where am I? “Iris… Iris… Iris,” A familiar voice reverberated straight inside my ears, echoing from every direction. My breathing stopped for a second, the air in my windpipe froze solid. Father– I gasped and turned around so fast my feet skidded in the floor. A few feet away, a shadow stood beside the thick trunk of an oak tree. Warm light lit up his smiling face. His hands shoved casually into his coat pockets. The storm raged all around him, but not a single hair on his head moved. Is this real? Oh my moon goddess! Please let it be real. Tear filled the corner of my eyes, blurring his frame into a soft, glowing halo. The fear that had been clawing at my throat dissolv
IRIS POVMy throat hurt from thirst. It felt like I swallowed broken glass. Every time I tried to breathe, my dry, swollen throat burned. The sun had set and the hot afternoon that baked the blood onto my skin was gone. Now the night was freezing cold. The air cut through my torn uniform like knives and made me shake hard against the thick wooden post. The courtyard was deserted now, everyone had returned to the warmth of their quarters.Flies buzzed against my ear, their erratic, high-pitched droning echoing loudly in the silence of the night. I could feel dozens of tiny, heavy legs perching on the wound at my back, and feeding on the sticky half-dried blood.I twitched my muscle uncomfortably, trying to chase the pest away, but it was useless. The minor movement sent pain shooting straight up my spine.A breathless sob escaped from my lips. My forehead pressed hard against the rough, unforgiving bark of the post. The heavy iron cuffs holding my wrists behind the wood rattled we
IRIS POV The world cracked open beneath my feet, swallowing me whole. The cold stone of the courtyard felt like ice against my skin, but it was nothing compared to the absolute frost expanding in my chest. Every eye was pinned to me, burning with an unadulterated hatred that felt heavy enough to crush my bones. “I didn’t know how it got there!” The words tumbled out of my mouth in a frantic, desperate rush, my voice sounding incredibly small and hollow in the open air. My hands were shaking so violently that I could barely keep my balance. "I swear on the Moon Goddess, I didn't take it! Someone put it the–“Before the final word could even leave my lips, a sharp, whistling sound sliced through the air.SPLAT.The head maid's hand flew across the space between us, and a brutal slap hit my face.The sheer force of the blow snapped my head sharply to the side, sending a violent jolt of pain straight down my neck. I tasted blood right away. The inside of my cheek got cut by my teeth
IRIS POV Early the next morning the head maid announced all of us to come outside, I hadn’t even recovered from the shock of what Ryker did the previous day.My hands automatically went to my throat, Snow had healed the wound but the skin there was still sore. My mind still reeled. I could admit i really passed my boundaries, knowing we had no good relationship I shouldn’t have touched his things especially his late wife’s. “Why is the witch calling us?” Mira groaned Stretching out her sleepy hands and sat up from her small bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawning loudly and looked completely exhausted.I wasn’t even listening to her, I gave a small, distracted nod as I tied my hair back with a string. A heavy, dark fear I didn’t understand was sitting in my stomach, and I couldn’t shake it off.We walked outside into the cold morning air. Dew had fell from the Sky wetting the floor.The other maids were already out there, huddled together in groups.The air grew tense.The head m
~AUTHOR POV~The smell of roses and wet dirt filled the air. It was trapped under the tall stone ceiling of the private bathhouse.Steam drifted up from the big wooden tub sunk into the floor. It made the dark, pointy wall designs look blurry. Bright fire torch glowed from the wall, making a dancing shadows on the wet marble walls.Two beautiful women in white silk dresses knelt by the tub. The clothe hugged their bodies. Their hands were covered in oil as they touched a man’s chest.The first woman ran her fingers lightly over his collarbone, stopping on the thick scars on his tanned skin. The other rubbed the tight muscles on his back, her warm breath hit his neck. Their movements were slow and hypnotic.His eyes closed enjoying the soothing pleasure.The air suddenly shifted.He didn’t open his eyes, instead lifted his left hand out of the water.Water droplets fell from his fingers. A black ring on his index finger carved like a snarling wolf glowed faint red.The big oak d







