Page 200 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
What would you be capable of doing if you knew there would be no consequences?
Tabitha Wysteria
Ylva had managed to sleep, though it had been an awkward and restless sort of rest. Even bound to the rough bark of a tree, she had somehow found a few hours of uneasy peace. That fragile calm shattered when two warlocks seized her and dragged her roughly to her feet.
She cried out, her first thought that they meant to tear her away from Arden, but the panic eased when she saw him being hauled along as well.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
No one answered.
They shoved her to the ground and overturned buckets of freezing water across her body. The icy shock stole the breath from her lungs. Rough hands stripped away the clothes she wore, and shivering violently, she tried to cover herself as best she could.
They treated Arden no more gently. He endured thesame rough washing, his jaw clenched tight with barely restrained fury.
‘Look at me, little wolf,’ he said quietly. ‘Do not look anywhere else. Just focus on me.’
So she did.
Ylva locked her gaze onto his deep green eyes and held it there as the warlocks scrubbed her skin with harsh soap. She kept her eyes on him as they dressed her in one of the absurd gowns that Hagan seemed so fond of. A witch stepped forward and dried her silver hair with magic before weaving fresh roses into the strands.
They did the same to Arden—washing him, dressing him in clean clothes.
‘Now,’ she mouthed silently.
This was their moment.
Their chance to fight. To strike back and run before the opportunity vanished. They had no idea where they were being taken or what fate waited for them, but they could not simply walk into it without resistance.
The camp around them seemed strangely empty, as though most of the witches had already departed elsewhere. If they were ever going to try, this was the moment.
Arden struck first.
He lunged at the two witches without hesitation, catching them off guard. At the same moment, Ylva twisted free, driving her elbow hard into the ribs of the nearest warlock before kicking the other squarely in the stomach.
The witches had not been using blood magic while washing and dressing them. It had been the perfect moment to strike.
Arden seized Ylva’s hand, pressed a quick, tender kiss to her knuckles, and then pulled her away from the camp.
They barely managed a few desperate steps before Ardenstumbled.
His body convulsed violently, twisting in ways no body should ever bend.
Ylva screamed.
She spun around just in time to see Eris approaching. The goddess tilted her head slightly, her purple eyes narrowed with mild boredom, as though this entire scene were little more than a tedious interruption.
She glanced down at the witches and warlocks sprawled on the ground, then casually kicked one in the stomach before letting out a weary sigh.
‘If you want something done properly,’ she muttered, ‘you have to do it yourself.’
Her attention shifted to Arden, who writhed helplessly on the ground as the invisible force of blood magic twisted through him.
‘Stop it! Please!’ Ylva cried.
‘Have you finally understood?’ Eris asked, resting one hand lazily on her hip. ‘You belong to me now, dog. And if you don’t want something far worse to happen to him, you will do exactly as I say.’
Ylva nodded helplessly as tears streamed down her face.
