Dark Promise (Between Worlds #1)

  Part of me wanted to say no so I could go back to my room and wait for them to kill me. But the other part was so captivated by the outside world, I found myself nodding. “I’d like to see what it looks like at this time of day. It’ll be nice to stretch my legs.”

  “Very well.” He stood and almost offered me his hand, but must have thought better of it, walking instead to the door, where he waited patiently for me. At least it seemed like he wasn’t horrified at the idea of walking with me anymore, not to mention he’d figured me out enough to know I didn’t want to be coddled.

  The beauty of the land struck me speechless. There were so many colorful birds dancing through the sky above us, and the grass and trees were so lush and bright. It was like something from a dream.

  We walked under the bright sun for a while before either of us said anything.

  I finally had to break the silence. “You have a girlfriend?”

  “In a way. It’s not like what you’re used to.”

  “You like her?”

  “Very much.”

  “So you’d rather be with her than be forced to be with me?”

  He paused. “I’m not sure she’s ‘the one,’ but I don’t wish to be forced to marry you—or anyone else for that matter.”

  I stopped walking. “Then why aren’t you standing up for yourself?”

  “You heard him, Oleander. He’ll kill you. I may not want to marry you, but I don’t wish to see you dead. I would rather not have that on my conscience.” He paused, glancing away with that ever-present tick in his jaw. “I’m not a monster.”

  I peeked over at him as we continued walking. His face was thoughtful, maybe even a little peaceful compared to the atmosphere in the dining room.

  We approached a Japanese-style bridge flanked by long, leafy ferns and quaint rock sculptures. The bridge itself was arched gracefully over the stream, painted bright red. Halfway across, I stopped and stared down into the rushing water. Golden fish played in the water, darting about as if in some kind of water ballet. The water was a strange turquoise; I had never seen quite that shade of blue before. It was stunning.

  “What do you like to do?” I asked after the silence started bothering me again.

  Kallan shrugged. “We train a lot, so that takes up most of my free time. I really enjoy fencing, and I like to play sports. Father doesn’t allow me a lot of time to do trivial things.”

  “Sports? What kind of sports?” Just the thought of sports made my heart ache. Adam was obsessed with sports.

  Kallan stared into the water. “We have many sports that are similar to the humans. My favorite is close to what you would know as rugby.”

  “That’s cool. I’ve never watched a rugby game before.” I finished walking over the bridge and glanced back at Kallan, who looked deep in thought. As he joined me on the opposite bank, I asked, “Do you have friends?”

  He laughed, and that beautiful sound made me smile inside. “Of course I have friends. Do you find me so repulsive that you don’t think anyone else could possibly like me?”

  I stole a glance at him, and for the life of me, I just couldn’t imagine him having friends and playing sports. He wasn’t normal. “No, it’s not that. It’s just hard to picture. I guess I just don’t know much about you.”

  “I don’t know anything about you, either. What do you normally enjoy?” He directed the question to me with eyes that seemed interested in my answer.

  “I’m in the choir. I love singing and dancing. I’m horrible at anything athletic. Mainly, I like to hang out with my best friend, Sierra, and Ad—” I felt really uncomfortable talking about Adam to the guy I was supposed to marry, so I changed the subject. “Do you ever go into the human world?”

  “No,” he said curtly.

  “Never? Not even once?”

  There was a long pause. “I’ve gone once. My father doesn’t like it. And I don’t either. I don’t see what’s so great about it. Our world is far superior.” His voice was filled with hatred.

  I wasn’t sure I understood his answer, but I knew better than to question him anymore. I wondered what had happened that made him hate the human world so much. It seemed to be much more than just his upbringing.

  A thought crossed my mind, and I spun around to look at Kallan. “What’s your power?”

  “I wish you hadn’t asked me that.” Kallan ran a hand through his dark hair, and the front stayed spiked. It was eccentric and cute. “People fear me because of my power.”

  My curiosity was piqued. “Tell me.”

  He stopped in his tracks, studying me intently as he said, “Mind control.”

  “What do you mean ‘mind control’? Like compulsion?”

  “Kinda, but I also have the ability to completely erase someone’s memories. I could turn someone into a blank slate.” He looked at the ground. “It’s a powerful tool. Your mind is your most valuable asset, and knowing you could lose control of it is scary.”

  I heard Varwik in the assessment. It was seriously like he’d been completely brainwashed from birth. “I could see where that could cause fear.”

  “I would never use it on you,” he told me quickly, one hand darting out to touch my hand where it hung at my side.

  I met his eyes and was about to question whether or not he really would when I remembered that faeries can’t lie. Suddenly, I had another thought. “Why don’t you clear your father’s memory of me, and I can escape?”

  He frowned, and I could tell he warred with himself over his answer. I could only imagine how difficult it would be to love and hate your own dad. “I wish I could. My father is immune to any kind of power. That’s how he became leader of our land. No one could best him.”

  “Really? Immunity is his power?”

  “More or less,” Kallan agreed.

  That power would be one to truly fear. “I still don’t know what my power is. Can you help me figure that out?”

  “No, it doesn’t work that way. Gifts just show themselves when it is time. I’m sure you will find yours soon enough.”

  “Figures,” I said under my breath. Nothing was easy in the faery world, it seemed.

  A few minutes later, he escorted me back to the castle and up to my room. “I’ll see you at dinner?” His tone of voice made it seem more like a question than a statement.

  Like I had a choice? “Sure.”

  I walked into my room and the door closed behind me, the lock sliding into place. Apparently, they told him to make sure the door was locked. Just my luck.

  I flung myself on the bed and thought about what Kallan had said about his abilities and Varwik’s immunity to all abilities. Even if I had an awesome ability, I couldn’t use it on him, at least not now.

  But if I had an ability to help me escape, he couldn’t do anything about it. Now…if I could just figure out what my ability was.

  I plopped down on the bed and tried to think of every book I’ve ever read, every movie I’ve seen. Maybe it would spark an idea. But nothing much came to mind. I let my head fall into my hands, frustrated.

  The room was becoming smaller with every passing hour. I hated being cooped up. My hands were sweaty and shaky as I paced. I had to get out of here. I leaned up against the door and rested my forehead on it, praying for a way out.