The Summer Marked Read online

  How could I know if he was telling the truth? He could be lying to me—trying to deceive me to get information. And if he was telling the truth, what did that mean? That there was a fake Mr. M running around?

  Mr. M had always been so nice to me. And he’d coddled Salome, even went as far as building her that playroom shaped like a ship when she was little after her big winter freak out.

  “Okay, if you’re really Mr. M, then what kind of Valentine’s Day card did she make you in third grade?”

  “It wasssss a light house with heart shaped brickssss.”

  He was right. But was this something that the fake Mr. M might know as well? But the sincerity in his voice made me realize he was the real deal.

  “Fine, I believe you,” I sad.

  Nausea stabbed at my stomach once more—because if this was the real Mr. M, then the man who’d hit Salome was probably some fucked up creature who’d glamoured himself like Etienne and Teodor had to look like Mr. M and get into the Montgomery’s house. But why?

  Salome.

  I chewed my bottom lip then shifted my glance to Mr. Montgomery. “I’m sorry.”

  His branches shook, and he yelped while more crimson dotted the snow beneath him. “You must not let them know you’re a friend of my daughter’s. Don’t mention her name. They want something from her and will use you against her.”

  A lump lodged in my throat. So he wanted me to protect her? Like I always had growing up. Against bullies. Against her fear of winter. It had been easy to be there for her when it hadn’t been my life on the line, but now? What about me? When was it okay to look out for my own skin?

  My hands fisted in my lap. I wouldn’t betray her, but that didn’t mean I had to like the situation. “I won’t say anything. But we need to get out of here.” Although…Etienne already knew I was a friend of Salome’s; would he say something?

  “I-I can’t leave. I’m rooted here.”

  I didn’t want to stare at his legs, which were buried deep beneath the frozen ground, yet I couldn’t take my eyes off them. “There’s got to be a way.”

  “The-there’s only one way I can be freed from this place,” he whispered. “Through death.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.” His gaze flickered to the darkening sky where heavy clouds moved in. “Please. Put me out of my misery—I beg you. Kill. Me.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t. I mean, I won’t do it.”

  “Please…”

  My throat tightened as my eyes blurred. This was my best friend’s dad. No way did I want this on my shoulders. Salome would never forgive me. Hell, I’d never forgive myself.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t do it.”

  He looked away, dead leaves falling from his arm-like branches as they peeled away like skin. He didn’t say anything. But what more could either of us say? Then Mr. M’s branch-slash-arm-thing tapped my wrist.

  “Someone’s coming.”

  I leapt to my feet and watched as Etienne strolled into the courtyard.

  He smiled, but the humor didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, he looked anything but happy—more like sad. “I take it you didn’t enjoy your new room?”

  “Stay the hell away from me or so help me God, I’ll slap the shit out of you.” I backed up as he moved closer.

  “You don’t have to be hostile. I’m sure we can make an arrangement to get you a new room for the duration of your stay.”

  More than anything, I wished I had something to stab him with. But unless I ripped a branch off of Mr. M, I had nothing. “For what price?”

  Etienne’s eyes darted around the courtyard and up toward the shadowed windows of the castle, his outward actions at odds with the smirk he wore. “Information on Gareth or Simeon, of course.”

  “Are you flipping deaf? I told you—I. Don’t. Know. Anything. Trust me, if I did know something, I’d give you whatever info you wanted.”

  “Pretty-pretty Kadie. I really wish we could forego the games.” He reached out to touch a loose strand of my hair. His warm breath fanned across my cold skin. “Perhaps tomorrow you’ll remember something.”

  He moved closer, his hand dropping away from my hair. His fingers instead dug into my arm, and he dragged me toward the red room.

  “No.” I planted my feet. “I don’t want to go back in there.”

  My feet slid across the ground as I tried to stop him from taking me. I jerked back, but his grip only tightened. At that moment, Teodor appeared from the shadows.

  “I see our prisoner isn’t cooperating yet.” He turned to stare at me. “See, if I was in charge of interrogating you, I’d already know all your secrets.”

  Fear rippled through me. No way did I want him touching me. Behind his handsome face, I saw the psychotic pleasure he got from scaring me. I backed up until I bumped into Etienne. He tightened his grip on my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. This time I didn’t fight him but instead kept my gaze locked on Teodor.

  “Stay away from me,” I said.

  “Maybe I can find you a warm bed to lie on.” He smiled, revealing perfect teeth.

  My heart hammered in my chest. Teodor stared at me, his eyes already stripping away my torn dress. Yeah, I had a reputation with the guys, but this was one douchebag that wasn’t getting in my pants. No matter how hot he was—or rather thought he was.

  “I’d rather sleep with a hand grenade.”

  His lips tightened into a thin line. “Etienne, perhaps you should clue your captive in on the appropriate way to talk to a Fae Prince.”

  “Leave us be, and let me do my job,” Etienne said from between clenched teeth. “The more you interfere with things, the longer it’ll take. The queen has put her in my care.”

  “So be it. But if you don’t follow through with the plan, I’ll go to the queen and ask her to reconsider.” He smirked at him. “You’re too soft; I bet she kills you in your sleep.” Teodor eyed me once more. “You better hope you’re not left alone with me. Because I promise I’ll make you pay for your disrespect. This behavior won’t be tolerated.”

  When he stalked off, I let out a sigh of relief, then spun to face my other captor.

  “Try to remember, I’m the only person standing between you, Teodor, and the queen,” Etienne said. “The quicker you cooperate with me, the sooner I might be able to get you released.”

  It didn’t take him long to drag me back into the Red Room. Etienne tugged me over to the bed, nudging me until I fell to my knees. He took rope out from under his cloak and tied my hands to the bedpost. He left just enough length for me to crawl into the bed. I eyed the overstuffed mattress. I could only imagine what it was made out of. No way in hell was I gonna sleep on that thing. I didn’t care how tired I got.

  “Maybe one night in here will change your mind.” He bent down so his face was inches from mine. “Try and remember, I’m not the bad guy here.”

  “You look like the bad guy to me. And just so you know, I’m never telling you anything.” My gaze darted to his mouth.

  God, he better not kiss me.

  “Very well. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you or help you.”

  He clapped his hands and the candles snuffed out, plunging the room into darkness. Then came the sound of the door closing. Everywhere I looked, I saw blackness. My teeth chattered as the chill in the room snaked around me. Maybe I’d be lucky and freeze to death. I pulled my legs as close to my chest as I could.

  My eyes burned. Damn, I was tired, but I refused to close them. Instead, I listened to screams echo through the room from outside: high pitched cries of people in pain. I dug my nails into my palms. Fear made my stomach tighten. Would I ever escape this nightmare? I wished I’d never stepped foot into Club Blade. I trembled, wondering what tomorrow would bring or if I’d make it to see another day.

  Gah. I hated these thoughts. I couldn’t give up. I had to fight. I blew a deep breath out from my lips. Okay, I needed to get my head on straight and try to come up with a plan. But first, I had to
get the damn ropes off.

  I moved my wrists around, trying to tug them free, but the rope only dug into my skin. I placed my hands between my knees, trying to get leverage to pull out of my makeshift shackles, but again the ropes only burned my wrists. The more I struggled against them, the more raw my skin became. Fuck. I pushed to my feet and tried to loosen the knot secured to the bed. To my dismay, it wouldn’t come undone. Had they spelled the rope? If I had a knife or scissors, I could cut through it.

  But you’re locked in a damn room with no sharp objects.

  Frustrated, I sank back to the floor. Great. I had no weapons. I was tied up in a locked room. And in the morning—if there was even a morning in this horrible place—I’d have to face God knew what. I needed a plan. However, as my gaze shifted around the room, everything became hopeless.

  Please let me get through the night.

  Asigh escaped my lips when I watched daylight sneak through the door at the back of the room. Somehow, I’d survived the night. My body ached as I attempted to stretch my legs out, my arms still tied to the post.

  Every part of me was numb from the cold, but I was alive. As more light fractured the shadows, my gaze fell to the blood-slickened floors. It looked as if the floor tiles had bled. I buried my face against my shoulder. I wanted to cry but didn’t dare show my fear. If they realized how badly this place affected me, they’d find other ways to get inside my head or worse, maybe torture me. A shiver scraped along my spine at the thought.

  I need to get out of here. I’m going to go crazy.

  A lock rattled then the door flung open. Etienne sauntered inside, his white tunic opened like some seventies porn star. He gave me a sad smile.

  “Good. You’re awake. The queen would like to see you.” He walked over and untied the ropes that secured me to the bed.

  I cried out as my wrists were freed. The skin around them was raw and reddened from my attempts to escape.

  “What are you, her bitch?”

  “You should just give in now, otherwise the Winter Queen will only make things worse.”

  “Trust me, I’m gonna keep fighting until I get out of this hell hole.”

  “Good, because you’re going to need all your strength to survive this place in the coming days.” Etienne pulled me to my feet, his hand resting against my lower back as he guided me from the room. Much like yesterday, the hallway was draped in gloom. Everything reminded me of death. From the dark colors to the skeletal remains, the décor promised pain, suffering, and demise. Paintings of horrific battles and bloodied corpses burned into my vision, while sconces made of bones held dripping crimson candles.

  After several turns, we finally reached a large corridor with heavy mahogany doors. Carved faces stared at me from the woodwork, each with their mouth opened in a scream, as if they were forever stuck in the door.

  Etienne led me into a large chamber. Ebony marble covered the whole room, like a giant black hole had swallowed it. The floor. The ceiling. The walls. All of them black. The only thing of color was the deep white tub at the center of the room—filled with blood.

  My gut churned. The metallic scent made me gag. The queen wrapped a white robe around her shoulders; scarlet droplets streamed down her skin and leaked through the fabric. She took one look at me and laughed.

  “Now aren’t you squeamish?” She floated across the room, until she stood in front of me. “Haven’t you heard? Ten virgins’ blood will forever keep you young.”

  Oh God. This chick’s a psycho.

  My mind conjured images from a stupid special I’d seen on TV about the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Báthory, who used to murder young girls and bathe in their blood. She did it to stay young. Maybe this was the same person.

  Damn. I so didn’t need to think of this right now.

  “You’re sick,” I spat.

  She frowned. “You don’t know what it takes to run a kingdom for centuries. The sacrifices we must all make.”

  My hands clenched at my sides. “You sacrifice others—that’s hardly any skin off your back.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Etienne, you’d do well to silence your pet before I lose my temper.”

  A hand clamped over my mouth. “Be still,” Etienne whispered.

  The queen drifted across the room to a vanity made of skulls. She picked up a brush and ran it through her hair. “Has she told you anything more about Gareth?”

  Etienne shifted behind me, pressing his chest to my back. “No, Your Highness.”

  She spun to face me once more. “You’re going to be stubborn and fight me every step of the way, aren’t you?”

  I glared at her, tempted to bite Etienne’s hand so I could tell her just what I thought of her. But then again, it might not be a good idea to piss her off more. I had no idea what she was capable of.

  “Fine, I tried to be nice. But you force my hand. Take her to the Bone Yard, Etienne. We’ll see how she likes to sort things. Maybe a little time scouring through blood will change her mind.”

  Bone Yard? Oh shit, I didn’t like the sound of that. How much longer could I hold out? I didn’t know if I’d be strong enough to deal with much more.

  Salome, if you’re out there. Please. Help me.

  Etienne jerked me from the queen’s chambers and down several winding hallways. A woman met us at a large wooden door. One of her eye sockets was empty. My stomach churned as I stared at her face. It looked like half of it had been ripped off. Scars covered her left cheek and neck.

  What the hell did they do to her?

  It was like her head had been fed to a lion or something worse.

  “She needs attire for the Bone Yard,” Etienne said from beside me.

  The woman bowed and scurried inside the door. When she emerged, she handed me a long gray dress and a black apron, along with a pair of knee-high leather boots. Once more, my kidnapper led me down the long corridors until we stopped in front of a curtained alcove.

  “You have five minutes to change.” Etienne pulled back the drape to reveal Hell’s version of a changing room. He shut me in, but I heard him pacing outside the makeshift door.

  Not wanting the skeevy bastard to see me naked, I whipped off my torn dress and broken heels, then slid into the nun-like clothing, the only consolation being it was warmer —although the fabric was rougher than I was used to. When finished, I slipped back into the hall.

  “That was fast.” He smirked.

  “Yeah, well I didn’t want to give you any ideas.” I glared as he gripped hold of my arm.

  Just keep pretending like you’re strong. Don’t let him see how weak you feel. How every horrible thing you see drives in the fact that you might not get out of here.

  “I’m not the enemy, Kadie. I’m only trying to protect you. Or would you rather me hand you over to Teodor?”

  I cringed. “No, I don’t want you to give me to him. But last I checked you brought me here, so if you really want to help me then get me out of this place.”

  “And like I’ve said before, I saved you from being killed in the club. Trust me, there are far worse things than finding yourself with me. I can name two right now if you’d like.”

  I snorted. “Obviously, you’ve never been the object of your attention.” But inside, I knew he was right. God only knew what Teodor or the queen would do to me given the chance. However, would he be able to keep me safe from them? And why would he want to?

  My gaze shifted to the double doors ahead of us, with guards posted at either side. The large trolls swung them open, letting us into a nightmarish courtyard. Human assembly lines wound around the square. They sorted body parts and limbs into different piles. The stench of death filled my nose and I heaved again and again, but there was nothing left in me after last night to throw up.

  “Oh God.” My hand covered my mouth as I watched women toss bloodied arms into gigantic pots of boiling water. “Wh-what the hell are they doing?”

  “Melting the flesh from the bones. The queen needs more décor,�
� Etienne said, his voice strained. “When they have the bones cleaned off, they sort them by types into crates. From there they’re hauled away to the architects and artists she keeps in the towers.”

  Blood ran like streams across the tiled grounds, seeping into the crevices.

  I can’t stay here. There’s got to be a way out.

  Etienne brushed my hair from my face. “We could end this now. Just tell me what you know, Kadie. Then I’ll make sure they send you home.” His eyes seemed to plead with me, as if he really meant what he said.

  I squeezed my lids shut. No way would I tell him anything. Somehow, I knew Salome was involved in this, and I needed to protect her.

  But why? You want to live too, don’t you? This is going to be your new home or grave if you don’t get the hell out of here.

  My eyes opened once more, and I sucked in a deep breath. I had to be strong. “Go screw yourself. I already told you I don’t know anything. So you’re wasting both of our time by keeping me here.” I glared.

  Etienne’s fingers traced my cheek. “Well, love, if you change your mind, I’ll be in my quarters. Until then, enjoy yourself.”

  He spun on his heel and left me standing in the middle of the courtyard. A troll with a whip lumbered toward me. He pointed to the assembly line.

  My mouth went dry as I took small steps forward. A girl no older than me smiled, and her eyes glazed over.

  Her long blond hair was stained with blood, while the hem of her skirt was soaked in it. “You’re so lucky.”

  “Lucky?” Hot damn, this chick was insane.

  “Yeah. The prince likes you.” She gave me a dreamy look. “If you do a good job sorting, sometimes they let you attend the balls and serve them.”

  “Are you on drugs? This place is fucked up.” I waved my hand around.