Chapter 4 Curse

Dahlia's Pov

I was trapped in that room for what I assumed was a week.

Time was difficult to measure inside the castle.

No sunlight ever reached the windows. The thick fog outside swallowed everything, leaving the world in a permanent twilight. The only way I could estimate the passing days was by tracking Cassian's visits.

He came every day without fail. Sometimes he stayed for an hour, sometimes longer.

He would sit with me, attempt conversation, and feed me his blood when I could no longer fight my hunger.

The feeding itself was becoming dangerous.

My body would arch into him as heat pooled low in my belly. He’d feel it, a dark look entering his eyes, his hands tightening on my arms or sliding to my waist. The air would thicken with sexual tension , but my anger was a cold shield. I’d shove him away, the heat in his gaze leaving, replaced by a frustrated chill.

“When can I leave?” I’d ask, every day.

“When it is safe,” was always his reply.

“Where is Zayn? What have you done to him?”

That question got a different reaction. On the first day, his face became cold. “He is undergoing his transition.” On the second day, his jaw tightened. “Do not ask me of him.” On the third day, when I’d demanded again, his eyes flashed with anger. “His fate is no longer your concern, Dahlia. Ask again, and I will ensure his transition becomes even more painful.”

I stopped asking after that. But I never stopped asking to be let out. The four walls of the room were starting to press in on my mind.

“I’m going insane in here,” I hissed at him on what I thought might be the sixth day. “You can’t keep me locked up forever!”

“It is for your own good,” he said,“There are people in this court that would see you dead to break me. Until I can force them to submit, this room is the only place I can guarantee your safety.”

“I don’t want your guarantee! I want my freedom!”

“Your freedom died on the battlefield,” he said softly, then kissed my forehead and left, the lock turning once more.

I never mentioned my attempt to jump from the balcony. I don't know what he did but when I tried to push the doors open, they wouldn't budge. He must have known I would try that and locked it somehow. I was completely trapped.

It was on what I guessed was the eighth day that something finally changed.

The door opened much earlier than usual.

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, tracing the patterns in the bedspread when I looked up. Cassian entered, but he wasn’t alone.

A figure followed him, hesitantly.

Zayn.

I was on my feet in an instant. The change in him was obvious. His skin had lost its warm, sun-touched hue, replaced by the same pale tone as the rest of us.

I walked past Cassian and threw my arms around Zayn, holding him tight. For a second, he was stiff, then with a shuddering exhale, his arms came around me, returning the hug with a desperate strength. He buried his face in my hair, and I felt him tremble.

“Dahlia,” he whispered, his voice rougher than I remembered, but it was him.

The reunion lasted three seconds.

“That is enough.”

The edge in Cassian’s tone immediately made me step away.

His red eyes settled on Zayn.

"He may visit three times a week, no more than three hours per visit. His purpose is to provide familiar company. Nothing else. Anything more than that, I will kill him. And you won't be able to stop me this time. Do you understand?”

My jaw clenched.

"You're unbelievable."

His gaze shifted to me.

"And you continue to test my patience."

I rolled my eyes.

Cassian looked back at Zayn.

"Remember your place."

Then he left.

Though not before sending one final glare toward my former lieutenant.

The moment the door closed behind him, I grabbed Zayn's arm.

"Come on."

We moved farther into the room and sat together near the fireplace.

For a while, neither of us spoke.

I knew there were things he didn't want to discuss. Whatever happened after he was taken away hadn't been pleasant.

So instead, I told him everything. Waking up here, the horrifying realization, the bond, the failed escape attempt, the locked doors. He listened, his expression growing grimmer.

“The mate bond,” he finally said, his voice low. “What are you going to do about it?”

The question was a needle to my heart. “I don’t know,” I admitted, the confession shameful. “It’s a physical thing, Zayn. It hurts when he’s not near. It pulls at me. It makes me want…” I trailed off, not wanting to admit that out loud.

Part of me wanted to kill Cassian.

Another part wanted to stay close to him.

The contradiction was exhausting.

"Humans are being kept in a separate section of the castle."

I immediately sat up straighter.

"What?"

"They call it the servant wing. They're treated worse than animals, Dahlia."

My stomach twisted.

"They need help."

"I know."

"We need to get them out."

"How?"

He frowned.

I gestured toward the windows.

"We're trapped on top of a mountain, surrounded by fog so thick you can't see your feet. How do we lead people through that? Not to mention that there are vampires everywhere."

"Then we start by killing them."

Zayn leaned forward.

"Have you gone soft commander, or have you forgotten what they did to us?"

I hadn't.

I remembered every corpse, every scream, every friend I had to bury.

He continued.

“This is Cassian's room. He's their leader. If there’s any weakness we can exploit it would be here. We have three hours. We start now.”

The logic was sound. I pushed the part of me that flinched at the thought of hurting Cassian away. This was for my people. For the people held captive.

“Alright,” I said, standing up. “Let’s search. I’ve been too busy wallowing to look properly.”

Bookshelves, cabinets, paintings, ancient furniture.

Nothing unusual.

After nearly two hours, we were both ready to give up.

Then Zayn's hand brushed part of the wall.

A click echoed through the room.

We froze.

Slowly, a section of stone shifted inward, revealing a hidden doorway.

We exchanged a glance and went in.

A narrow tunnel stretched into darkness.The architecture felt from that of the castle.

The tunnel descended slightly, curving away from the main castle. We walked in silence for what felt like a long time, the only sounds our soft footsteps and the distant, echoing drip of water.

Finally, we reached a dead end. On the wall in front of us was a painting.

It was plain and black, but something about it pulled me closer.

I just knew I needed to touch it.

"Dahlia?"

I ignored Zayn, reaching out to the painting.

My fingertips brushed the painted surface.

Suddenly I was standing somewhere else.

I saw Cassian. I wondered for a moment if he had caught us and was going to punish us for snooping around, but before I could say anything, I saw a woman standing behind him with a strange dagger.

She stabbed him. I screamed but calmed down, remembering that wouldn't be enough to kill him, until he started spilling large amounts of black blood unto the floor.

He was dead before I could blink.

Suddenly the woman was looking at me, smiling and saying something about a curse that would destroy us. Before I could ask what she was talking about I felt myself being shaken awake.

"Dahlia!"

Strong hands grabbed my shoulders.

Zayn.

He pulled me away from the painting.

My knees nearly gave out.

"What happened?"

I stared at the wall.

My heart pounded violently.

"I..."

The words caught in my throat.

What had that been?

Since when did I see visions?

And why had it felt

so real?

More importantly,

Why had I just seen Cassian die and why was the blood pouring from his body black, just like the painting?

And what was that woman talking about?

Was Cassian truly cursed?