Chapter 33

Dominick’s palace bore a striking resemblance to Navine’s, but it lacked the warmth that Navine’s had. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. The palace was just as breathtaking and well maintained.

Maybe it was the vibe that hung in the air—a tension that lurked beneath the surface of all the opulence. I took in the surroundings as Ginger shut the door behind us. She had guided me to a secluded sitting room at the back of the palace on the ground floor.

It was a dimly lit, peaceful spot—the sunlight barely reaching the windows due to the dense foliage outside.

“This should be a safe place to talk. I don’t think Lord Dominick eavesdrops here. He doesn’t seem too concerned about any of this being compromised,” she said, turning to face me.

“I wouldn’t think so. He did abduct me right in front of Navine, so it’s not like the truth is a secret,” I replied.

“Seriously?” Ginger sounded frustrated. “Why is he so fixated on you? It doesn’t make any sense to me. No offense, but what do you have that we don’t?”

“None taken. I get why you’d be upset about all this. You were chosen by him, as were the other two girls, right?”

“We were,” Ginger confirmed. She moved to the nearby couch, patting the seat next to her as she sat down. “I don’t mean to blame you for any of this. I know you’d rather not be involved with our lord. But can you answer some questions for me? If you do, I promise I’ll help you find a way out of here.”

I couldn’t really say no to that. If anyone knew how to disable the barrier, it would be her. And I didn’t mind answering her questions, even if it meant speaking ill of her alpha. I guess she already knew that was justified.

“Okay. I’ll do that if it’s what you want,” I agreed, sitting next to her.

Ginger took a moment to adjust her dress. It seemed like she was just buying time. “Like I said, I don’t blame you for any of this, and I’m aware of Lord Dominick’s peculiar obsession with you. He’s talked about you a lot since I arrived here. What I don’t get is why. I heard you’re supposed to be the last of the Sun Fae. Do you think that’s why he’s interested in you?”

“If this had happened a while ago, I would’ve thought so. But now I know that’s not it. It seems to be more about my soul and who I was in a previous life,” I replied.

“So it’s true. You’re the reincarnation of that Faerie named Rosaline?”

“You know about that?”

I wasn’t too shocked that she waited to bring this up. I bet she was testing me just as much as I was testing her.

“I only know what I’ve heard,” Ginger said, glancing around before continuing. “We need to be careful about what we say here. Lord Dominick has a knack for overhearing things when he wants to, and I’m not sure if I’m overstepping by asking these questions or offering you help that could go against him.”

“I wouldn’t want to get you into any trouble, at least as much as I can help it. To cut a long story short, let’s just say I’m a reincarnation he’s always been interested in, and that plays a part in all this,” I told her.

Ginger closed her eyes, lowering her head as she exhaled deeply. “That makes sense to me, and it seems like all the more reason you shouldn’t be here. Any obsession with another person can’t be healthy, and I’ve been worried about Lord Dominick’s status and well-being because of this.”

“Then please, tell me how I can get out of this palace. Do you know how to disable the barrier around it?” I asked, holding her hands in mine.

She looked around again, then leaned in closer to me and lowered her voice. “Okay, I get it. The crystals that power the barrier are probably in the cavern beneath this palace. There’s a door and a stairway leading down there, but recently, it’s been locked up tight. I’ve never seen any of these doors locked before, especially not this one. And it was right after this that the barrier went up. So, it makes sense that the crystals are down there and that’s why it’s suddenly off-limits.”

I agreed with her. It was the only logical explanation for Dominick suddenly locking up an area that was always open before.

“Can you point me to that door?” I asked.

Ginger was about to respond when the sound of the door opening interrupted her. We both turned to see Dominick standing there. I saw Ginger tense up out of the corner of my eye.

“Oh, there you are, Ginger,” he said. His voice didn’t hint at any ill intent, but I was learning to see through his act. He was a master at playing the innocent.

Ginger quickly composed herself. “Y-yes, my lord. Were you looking for me?”

“I was,” Dominick confirmed, “I’d like to spend some time with you now. You can chat with Raelina later.”

A wave of worry washed over me as she stood up, but I was at a loss for words. She was here as one of his concubines, so she had to do as he commanded.

“I understand,” Ginger said, standing up and nodding at me. “We’ll talk more later, Raelina. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

I watched her leave the room with Dominick, feeling a pit in my stomach. It was clear from the way she and Umira behaved around him that he had a hold over them, even from afar. He never referred to them as his wives, and neither did anyone else.

~Concubines. That gives him even more control, doesn’t it?~

Yet, both Ginger and Umira seemed devoted to this Dragon. They’d willingly put themselves in this position, and Ginger wasn’t exactly thrilled about my arrival. I didn’t think it was just because Dominick was going to face trouble because of me. There was definitely a hint of jealousy there.

I shook off these thoughts and stood up. I didn’t have time to sit around and analyze the dynamics of this place. I needed to find that door and examine the lock. Hopefully, I could figure out how to get down there and disable this barrier.

The palace was eerily quiet as I left the room. I glanced left, then right, trying to decide where to start my search. Ginger had mentioned an underground cavern beneath the palace and a door with stairs leading down, so it was likely on the ground floor.

With that in mind, I turned right and started down the hallway. Despite the size of the palace, the layout was similar to Navine’s. It made me wonder if Dominick often followed in his footsteps.

What’s his real obsession? I wondered as I scanned the hallway leading to the dining room. Is it really about me, or is he also trying to outdo Navine?

I walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. The silence was deafening, and I wondered if there were others here besides Dominick, me, and his concubines. It seemed likely that he’d arranged it that way.

Finally, my eyes landed on a door off to the side of the kitchen. It had a large bolt and padlock, just like Ginger had described. It was the only door like that, so it had to be the one.

The lock was heavy-duty, and it felt like iron. There was a large keyhole in the middle, suggesting that there was a key somewhere in the palace. I was sure Dominick had it, whether he’d hidden it or kept it on him.

But one should never underestimate others. There’s more than one way to pick a lock, even one as sturdy as this.

The only issue was that I needed a pin or something similar to manipulate the lock, and I didn’t have anything like that. I’d been taken in the middle of the night, so all I had was the dress they’d changed me into.

I need a new strategy. Maybe one of the girls here would lend me a hair accessory.

I exited the kitchen, mulling over how to go about it. I knew I had to tread lightly. Ginger had cautioned me about Dominick’s omnipresence in the palace, and his sudden appearance during our conversation was proof enough. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. He must have been eavesdropping and didn’t want Ginger revealing more to me.

A sense of being watched halted me mid-hallway. I saw a figure partially hidden behind the front parlor doorway. It was like glimpsing a fragment of my reflection, which gave me a start.

But as I focused, I noticed the differences. Her hair, cascading from her shoulders to her waist, was white, and her eyes were a frosty blue. She wore a long, light blue dress with sleeves draped around her shoulders. I had a hunch she was another Faerie, though I couldn’t see her wings from this angle.

We stood in silence, sizing each other up, until she finally broke the silence with a voice as soft as a meadow breeze.

“You’re the Sun Faerie, aren’t you?”

“Y-yes,” I stammered, recovering from the surprise of her sudden appearance. “And you, one of Dominick’s concubines?”

“Yes.” She released the door frame, stepping forward to introduce herself. “I am Sky.”

“I’m Raelina. Nice to meet you.”

“Raelina,” Sky echoed, sounding thoughtful as she moved closer, stopping in front of me. She seemed to be studying me. “That’s a lovely name. And you’re quite lovely yourself. I’ve always heard that about the Sun Fae. It’s interesting how you remind me of my sect in some ways.”

I was scrutinizing her as well. I couldn’t quite pinpoint her Faerie type. I noticed she didn’t seem to have wings, which was somewhat unusual for Fae, though not unheard of.

“May I ask, what type are you? I’m drawing a blank,” I confessed.

“That’s all right. You’re not the first, nor will you be the last. I’m an Ice Faerie from a tiny sect near the northernmost points,” Sky clarified.

That was it. I’d heard of the Ice Fae before. Like my sect, they were sparse and scattered. I never thought I’d meet one, given their rarity and the distance of their habitat.

“Oh, yes. My adoptive mother, Anika, told me about your sect. She’s a Rainbow Fae and knows many different ones,” I shared.

Sky looked surprised. “Oh? You were raised by a Rainbow Faerie? We heard Lord Jekia was supposed to raise you.”

“Well, that was the initial plan, but with everything happening at the time, Lord Jekia and Lady Lana thought it would be safer and more comfortable for me with Anika,” I explained.

“That makes sense.” Sky glanced around us. “Would you like to spend some time with me? The others don’t socialize much, so it would be nice to have someone to talk to.”

“I wouldn’t mind. I don’t have anything else to do right now, so it would be nice to chat with another Fae.”

Sky smiled. “Great. Let’s sit in my room. It’s a cozy place to hang out.”

I followed her to the second floor, into the east wing. Sky’s room was at the end of the hall and seemed quite small when she opened the door. A single bed with white satin sheets was against the far wall, a large window above it. Across from it was an ivory vanity, a matching wardrobe beside it. The vanity was cluttered with various makeup and perfume bottles, a hairbrush, and assorted hair accessories.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s been comfortable enough for me over the years. I especially enjoy sitting on my bed and looking out the window whenever I want,” Sky said, closing the door.

“I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I thought your room would be larger,” I confessed.

“No. All three of us have rooms like this. Lord Dominick believes it’s all the space we need.”

“Such a grand palace, and yet this room feels so small. That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it?”

“I can’t argue with that.” Sky moved toward the vanity, her fingers tracing the edge of the mirror. “We’re just objects to Lord Dominick. We all know it, even if we try to ignore it.”

I glanced around. “Are you sure it’s safe to talk like this? What if he hears you?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not like the others. He can’t hear what I say in here. Not that he cares. I’m usually alone,” Sky reassured me.

“Don’t the others visit you?”

“They don’t care to, and they barely talk to me. I guess it’s because even though I reject Lord Dominick, he still favors me. They mistake that for a good thing.”

I was starting to understand the dynamics. “You mentioned that Dominick sees you as an object. Did he choose you for what you are and favor you because of it?”

Sky nodded. “Yes, he did and still does. Umira and Ginger are the same. We’re unique in this world, both in our appearance and our rarity.” She stood before me. “But you’re even more special. You’re the one he’s been waiting for, not just because you have her soul, but because you’re the last Sun Fae. That makes you precious to him.”

“But it’s strange. How come you and Ginger knew about this but Umira didn’t?” I asked.

“I make it a point to eavesdrop here. And, not to be rude, but Umira prefers to remain ignorant. Ginger, on the other hand, is naturally curious. But even she doesn’t fully understand everything. I think it’s because she’s usually treated the best among us, mostly because she submits to Lord Dominick. Submission means he doesn’t have to discipline her,” Sky explained.

I froze as she moved behind me, gently shifting my hair.

“What are you doing?”

“You had wings too, didn’t you?”

I knew she could see the scars. My hair usually concealed them since high-necked dresses irritated them.

“I did, but I lost them when the lycans attacked my sect when I was a child. One of them was still there when I tried to escape and sliced them off with its claws before Lord Jekia found me,” I shared.

“That wasn’t a coincidence. The lycans were instructed to target your wings first, then try to kill you,” Sky responded softly.

“You knew about that?”

I turned to face her, noticing the profound sadness in her eyes.

“I did,” she confirmed. “Lord Dominick told me about it after he brought me here. He did so while showing me what happens to those who defy him.”

She turned and swept her hair over her shoulder, revealing a similarly scarred back.

“You see, I was born with wings too. When I tried to fly away after he brought me here, he taught me a harsh lesson by cutting them off.”