was just an old wives’ tale. Still, the Circle
took every precaution.
Dorothea lifted the garland out
carefully; treating it like it was as precious as a diamond tiara. Slowly and
with great care, she walked over to me, and I turned my back to her so I wouldn’t
have to face her up close and breathe in her scent. But that put me in full
view of the mirror, and I watched as she placed it on my hair. The red and
white flowers were linked together in a circle by the woody type stems with
their large, spiky thorns.
“There. Perfect,” she said, more to
herself than me. I watched her in the mirror. Her white skin, her black hair,
red lips and cold beauty. She was like a fairytale character—a wicked queen,
perhaps, carefully keeping balance on her throne in a world ruled by men and
their whims for beauty and youth.
Then she caught my eyes in the mirror
and that smile of hers irritated me so much that I could kill. It sent venom to
my tongue.
“Doesn’t it sicken you that your husband
would prefer to sleep with me than you?” I asked sharply. “That he would prefer
me over your aging body any day? How old are you now? How long until he tires
completely of you and casts you aside? All your delusions of grandeur would be
gone. All you have is the Corin name and status—what will you do when he puts
you on top of the scrap heap?”
In the mirror, I saw that smile falter
just slightly, but like all queens, she recovered with dignity. I waited while
she reached around me from behind and slid her hands slowly over the skin of my
arms. Her cold touch made me want to shiver.
“So pretty,” she murmured. Gently, she
grasped my wrists and pulled down my arms, exposing my naked breasts to the
mirror. I didn’t fight, just letting my arms hang there limply while she moved
her gentle fingertips over my flat stomach and up, to lightly sweep over the
underside of my breasts.
“My ancestors used to bathe in the blood
of pretty young women,” she said in a low voice. “They used to slit their
throats so they bled out into golden tubs in which my family waited. That’s the
life blood, and maidens would watch with dying eyes as their blood gushed onto
my ancestors, who believed that soaking in the blood of the beautiful would
keep them young. Of course, nowadays, there’s no need with Botox and acid
peels, but still, time catches up…” She boldly reached up to cup my breasts
now, squeezing them gently as if measuring their firmness and worth like fruit.
“I wonder if any of them ever stole the blood of a scryer? I wonder if the
little bitch saw that coming?”
Suddenly, she released me and stepped
back while I watched her warily in the mirror, my jaw shifted slightly to stop
me from saying anything more to her that would enrage her. She was a snake and
absolutely unpredictable.
“Now,” she said crisply, wiping her
hands on her designer gown as if removing me from her skin. “My husband’s ready
and waiting for you. I’ve decided not to join you tonight; I think that young
Danilo is more worthy of my attention and, frankly, I find you rather boring
now.” Her voice was bright and cheery; it matched her painted lips. She waited,
as if hoping that I’d reply, but I kept my mouth in a grim line, and she just
rolled her eyes and turned to leave the room.
“Goodnight, little witch,” she called
over her shoulder. I didn’t respond; instead I just kept staring at my reflection
until she closed the door behind her. My hand turned into a fist, digging my
nails into my palm as I hoped for an external pain that would distract me from
all the agony inside of me.
But the nails weren’t sharp enough and
distraction never came. If I had the guts I would have slammed my fist into the
mirror as if it were Dorothea’s fucking face. Of course, like a coward, I
didn’t.
It wasn’t much later that Felix came to
fetch me. His manner was solemn, almost as if he felt sorry for me. But I
doubted that was true, because those
took every precaution.
Dorothea lifted the garland out
carefully; treating it like it was as precious as a diamond tiara. Slowly and
with great care, she walked over to me, and I turned my back to her so I wouldn’t
have to face her up close and breathe in her scent. But that put me in full
view of the mirror, and I watched as she placed it on my hair. The red and
white flowers were linked together in a circle by the woody type stems with
their large, spiky thorns.
“There. Perfect,” she said, more to
herself than me. I watched her in the mirror. Her white skin, her black hair,
red lips and cold beauty. She was like a fairytale character—a wicked queen,
perhaps, carefully keeping balance on her throne in a world ruled by men and
their whims for beauty and youth.
Then she caught my eyes in the mirror
and that smile of hers irritated me so much that I could kill. It sent venom to
my tongue.
“Doesn’t it sicken you that your husband
would prefer to sleep with me than you?” I asked sharply. “That he would prefer
me over your aging body any day? How old are you now? How long until he tires
completely of you and casts you aside? All your delusions of grandeur would be
gone. All you have is the Corin name and status—what will you do when he puts
you on top of the scrap heap?”
In the mirror, I saw that smile falter
just slightly, but like all queens, she recovered with dignity. I waited while
she reached around me from behind and slid her hands slowly over the skin of my
arms. Her cold touch made me want to shiver.
“So pretty,” she murmured. Gently, she
grasped my wrists and pulled down my arms, exposing my naked breasts to the
mirror. I didn’t fight, just letting my arms hang there limply while she moved
her gentle fingertips over my flat stomach and up, to lightly sweep over the
underside of my breasts.
“My ancestors used to bathe in the blood
of pretty young women,” she said in a low voice. “They used to slit their
throats so they bled out into golden tubs in which my family waited. That’s the
life blood, and maidens would watch with dying eyes as their blood gushed onto
my ancestors, who believed that soaking in the blood of the beautiful would
keep them young. Of course, nowadays, there’s no need with Botox and acid
peels, but still, time catches up…” She boldly reached up to cup my breasts
now, squeezing them gently as if measuring their firmness and worth like fruit.
“I wonder if any of them ever stole the blood of a scryer? I wonder if the
little bitch saw that coming?”
Suddenly, she released me and stepped
back while I watched her warily in the mirror, my jaw shifted slightly to stop
me from saying anything more to her that would enrage her. She was a snake and
absolutely unpredictable.
“Now,” she said crisply, wiping her
hands on her designer gown as if removing me from her skin. “My husband’s ready
and waiting for you. I’ve decided not to join you tonight; I think that young
Danilo is more worthy of my attention and, frankly, I find you rather boring
now.” Her voice was bright and cheery; it matched her painted lips. She waited,
as if hoping that I’d reply, but I kept my mouth in a grim line, and she just
rolled her eyes and turned to leave the room.
“Goodnight, little witch,” she called
over her shoulder. I didn’t respond; instead I just kept staring at my reflection
until she closed the door behind her. My hand turned into a fist, digging my
nails into my palm as I hoped for an external pain that would distract me from
all the agony inside of me.
But the nails weren’t sharp enough and
distraction never came. If I had the guts I would have slammed my fist into the
mirror as if it were Dorothea’s fucking face. Of course, like a coward, I
didn’t.
It wasn’t much later that Felix came to
fetch me. His manner was solemn, almost as if he felt sorry for me. But I
doubted that was true, because those
Similar Books
